The Moment That May Have Stunned Queen Elizabeth During The G7 Summit
There are probably few things much more anxiety-inducing than meeting the Queen of England. Unsurprisingly, there's a slew of important rules that need to be followed when it comes to any interaction with Queen Elizabeth, many of which Meghan Markle alluded to in her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. While some guidelines are more akin to speculative rumors, such as no garlic being served in meals to the queen and other royals, others are ones that cannot be questioned (via PureWow).
If you do ever find yourself in a position to meet the Queen of England, however, it is strongly recommended that you bow your head, arrive on time, bring an occasion-appropriate gift, and definitely don't go in for the hug. Oh, and if you do make small talk with the monarch, like the Australian Prime Minister did, you might end up stunning her with a compliment.
Scott Morrison told Queen Elizabeth she was a hit
This year, Queen Elizabeth hosted an evening reception for world leaders who attended the G7 summit in Cornwall, which included the Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison. Other leaders at the event included President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau (via The Australian).
This was the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns that the queen will have hosted a world leader in what wasn't a virtual meeting, per ABC News. As Morrison stepped into the room to greet Her Majesty, bowing his head, the queen said, "It's very nice to see you, in person this time," to which Mr. Morrison responded, "Yes, Your Majesty, it's wonderful to see you."
He then made a lighthearted joke, prompting a small laugh from Queen Elizabeth, before he commented that she had been "quite the hit" at the event, adding that "everyone was talking about [her] at dinner the next night." Queen Elizabeth, smiling, appeared slightly stunned before asking, "Oh Lord, were they really?" (via the Daily Mail). Further complimenting the queen, Morrison added, "They were, they were thrilled to see you," per The Australian.