Queen Elizabeth II served as the Queen of England from 1952 to 2022, and after her death at the age of 96, her impressive seven decades as head of the British monarchy made her both the longest-lived and longest-reigning to have ever held the position. Who else do you know that’s held a job for so long?!
In fact, the Queen had been such a constant presence in all of our lives, and not just in England, that depictions of her in pop culture go back decades. And while everyone always loved to have a bit of fun with the Queen, she also let loose a few times over the years herself with the occasional cheeky public appearance outside of Buckingham Palace.
Whether involving Queen Elizabeth II herself or light-hearted depictions of her in film or television, we’ve rounded up some of the best pop culture moments involving Her Majesty, both on-screen and off.
Queen Elizabeth II on The Simpsons
In the 2003 episode of The Simpsons, “The Regina Monologues,” our favorite animated family gets stuck in a roundabout — as Americans are wont to do in England — and nearly take out the Queen. “That’s it, I’m acting the way America acts best — unilaterally,” Homer announces, before cutting the wheel hard to the left, crashing through the gates of Buckingham Palace, and rear-ending Her Majesty’s royal carriage.
After coming face-to-face with a decidedly unamused Queen Elizabeth II, Homer is promptly beaten by her guards, who change, and then resume his beating.
Scott Thompson’s Queen Elizabeth II on The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall, the sketch comedy series based on the Canadian comedy troupe of the same name, featured countless recurring characters over the years, including Scott Thompson’s dead-on impersonation of Queen Elizabeth II. Nobody loves to poke fun at the British monarchy more than Canadians — for reasons that are quite apparent — and Thompson absolutely chews scenery with his depiction. His Elizabeth II even makes a brief cameo in Amazon Prime’s 2022 revival of the series!
Queen Elizabeth II gets caught in an awkward position in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
In 1988’s spoof comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Leslie Nielsen stars as police lieutenant Frank Drebin, who is charged with providing security for Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Los Angeles. But of course, things go horribly wrong when Drebin misconstrues an attack on the Queen and tackles her — putting her in a rather scandalous position in front of flashing photographers.
The Queen visits the set of Game of Thrones
At the height of Game of Thrones mania in 2014, Queen Elizabeth II traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she visited the set of the popular HBO series and met with stars Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Rose Leslie, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, and more. During her visit, the Queen was presented with a miniature Iron Throne, though it was unclear whether she is a fan of the series.
Helen Mirren wins an Academy Award for The Queen (2006)
Helen Mirren starred as Queen Elizabeth II in 2006’s aptly-titled The Queen, which depicted the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The role was critically acclaimed and earned Mirren a number of awards including Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe. The Queen herself was so impressed by the performance that she even invited her to dinner at Buckingham Palace — though Mirren could not attend due to her filming schedule.
James Bond escorts Queen Elizabeth to the 2012 London Olympic Games
When the Olympic Games came to London in 2012, the Royal Palace had some fun with the Queen’s appearance at the Opening Ceremony with a pre-taped clip in which none other than Daniel Craig — as James Bond himself — personally escorted Her Majesty into an awaiting helicopter.
From there, the two appeared to parachute into the stadium — though we feel pretty confident that it wasn’t actually Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II in Minions (2015)
Minions (2015) — the third installment in the Despicable Me franchise — featured a plot in which the titular pill-shaped creatures are tasked with stealing the Imperial State Crown from Queen Elizabeth II. Though they are nearly successful, things take a turn when Bob inadvertently pulls the legendary Excalibur sword from the stone, unseating Elizabeth II as head of the monarchy.
Because the Minions travel back in time to 1968, the Queen is only 42 in the film and in a post-credits scene, she uncharacteristically swigs beer and dances with the Tower of London guards.
