Her husband might have recently announced he was retiring from all public engagements from autumn this year but, it appears Queen Elizabeth II isn't taking her foot off the pedal anytime soon, both literally and metaphorically.
On Sunday morning, the Queen was photographed behind the wheel of a Jaguar while driving from a Church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Park.
Whizzing off in her 'getaway vehicle', the 91-year-old looked like a modern day Charlize Theron in The Italian Job (kind of), as she was snapped cruising through Windsor alongside her security guard, days after her grandson, Prince William, announced he was seeking damages and a 'very significant fine' from a French publication which published images of a topless Kate Middleton on holiday in 2012.
Of course, it didn't take long before the internet caught sight of The Queen behind the wheel and, basically lost its sh*t:
With a penchant for driving, ever since her days serving as a mechanic in the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service during WWII, the Queen has been snapped on several occasions with the wind in her hair and she burns some serious rubber driving through the Scottish Highlands and around her six lavish royal residences.
And who can forget that time the Queen reportedly jumped in the front seat to give the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia a driving tour around Balmoral Castle, knowing all too well women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia?
If we could high-five the woman, we would.
In the Saudi ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles's memoir, Ever the Diplomat, he brought this story to light, revealing:
'[King Abdullah's] nervousness only increased as the Queen, an Army driver in wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads, talking all the time. Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead.'
Anyone else have a slow-motion image of the Queen tying her floral headscarf under her chin, donning her Eighties rose-tinted sunglasses and turning up Chamillionaire, nodding to the lyrics: 'They see me rollin', they hatin', patrolling they tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty'?
Just me, then.
The Queen is an absolute legend.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
