Queen Elizabeth Told a Royal Biographer That She Didn’t Recall Saying One of Her Most Famous Quotes: “Sounds More Like Queen Victoria”

The late Queen was known for her love of bright colors, wearing bold hats and coats so she was sure to stand out in a crowd. Through the years, she’s been quoted as saying that she needed to be “seen to be believed,” but according to royal biographer Gyles Brandreth (and Queen Elizabeth herself), she might not have ever said it.

In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Brandreth—a longtime friend of the Royal Family—wrote that Queen Elizabeth “knew she had to be visible” during public events. However, when it came to the monarch’s famous quote, she wasn’t so sure it actually came from her.

“She was often quoted as having said, ‘I have to be seen to be believed,’ though she told me, ‘I don’t believe I ever said it. It sounds more like Queen Victoria to me.’”

Whether or not Queen Elizabeth ever uttered those exact words, she certainly lived out the philosophy when it came to her busy schedule and her bright wardrobe.

“Elizabeth recognized, from first to last, that being seen by her subjects was fundamental to her role as sovereign,” Brandreth wrote. Along with traveling around the globe and supporting hundreds of organizations, the late Queen knew that her public image was vital to the popularity of the monarchy.

According to Brandreth, that meant never “doing anything that could for a moment be described as undignified.” But the late Queen also was careful to stay true to herself.

“She was aware that her appearance mattered, she was conscious that she had to look her best, she knew she had to keep smiling, but she did not ever attempt to ‘play the crowed’ or play up to the camera,” Brandreth said. The “unshowy” Queen would even apply her lipstick in public “regardless of where she was or who was looking,” with the author noting how that simple move was indicative of her “unselfconscious” personality.