The Queen Compared Her Own Appearance to Muppet Miss Piggy

According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, the Queen is well-known for her resounding laugh and self-deprecating sense of humor.

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  • The Queen isn't afraid to poke fun at herself, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People.
  • After spotting herself on TV, she reportedly commented, "Oh, there's my Miss Piggy face."
  • The Queen "is much livelier in private than what the public sees," Bedell Smith said.

She might be all seriousness in public, but behind closed doors, the Queen reportedly has quite the sense of humor. According to royal expert Sally Bedell Smith, the monarch is well-known for her resounding laugh—and she's not opposed to a spot of teasing self-deprecation, either.

Bedell Smith, author of Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, told People that the Queen "is much livelier in private than what the public sees" with a famously "big laugh." In fact, according to the royal biographer, a guest at the Queen's Sandringham Estate once remarked on said chuckle, commenting, "You can hear her laugh throughout that big house."

What's more, the Queen reportedly doesn't hesitate to poke fun at herself. According to Bedell Smith, the monarch spotted a rerun of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1981 wedding on TV at a party she was attending. And when her face appeared on screen? " The Queen said, 'Oh, there's my Miss Piggy face,'" Bedell Smith said. "She has the ability to laugh at herself."

One more unexpected anecdote about the Queen, as reported by People? Angela Kelly, her personal dressmaker, said the royal knows how to have fun in front of the camera. During an official photoshoot to mark her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the Queen told photographer Barry Jeffrey, "Just keep the camera rolling!"

She proceeded to pose like a pro, "slipping her hands in and out of her pockets and placing them onto her hips, mimicking the stances of a professional model," Kelly said, to the shared "disbelief" of the dressmaker and photographer.

"The Queen was a natural," Kelly reflected. "Barry and I felt we were experiencing something really special: a moment never to be repeated." One quick q, Barry: what's the current location of those photos?

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nottingham, england june 13 catherine, duchess of cambridge and queen elizabeth ii are seen talking during a visit to vernon park during a diamond jubilee visit to nottingham on june 13, 2012 in nottingham, england photo by danny martindalefilmmagic

(Image credit: Danny Martindale)

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Emily Dixon
Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.