Queen Elizabeth II has mastered her signature royal wave for decades, but if the 92-year-old British monarch's real hand ever gets tired, she won't have to abandon her duties. She can use her fake hand-waving machine.
According to People, Princess Anne, the Queen's daughter, told writer Robert Hardman in his book, Queen of the World, that a group of Australian students once gave the monarch a fake hand-waving machine as a gag gift.
“They gave her a stuffed glove on a wooden lever so that you could tweak the end of the lever and this hand went to and fro,” Anne said. “I think they thought it was rather cheeky but Her Majesty was thrilled.”
Princess Anne did not reveal whether the Queen has actually used the machine before, but it may be quite noticeable if she ever did. Royal expert Victoria Arbiter told ABC News in 2012 that there is a very particular way in which the Queen does her royal wave.
"It's a vertical hand with a slight twist from the wrist, a classy affair that oozes decorum but doesn't get too excitable," Arbiter said.
However, Princess Anne has her own solution for dealing with a tired hand. She avoids movements like hand-shaking altogether.
"The theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t,” Anne shared in the upcoming HBO documentary based on Hardman's book, which premieres October 1.
One family member who doesn't seem to mind all of the circumstance that comes with being a royal is Princess Charlotte. At the Queen's 92nd birthday celebration, the 2018 Trooping the Colour, Prince William and Kate Middleton's daughter was seen mimicking Her Majesty's signature wave.
Does the fake hand-waving machine come in kids' sizes?
From: Harper's BAZAAR US
