Her Majesty insisted on talking to 007 for cameo
‘I asked whether she would like to say, ‘Good evening, James’ or ‘Good evening, Mr Bond’ and she chose the latter
The Queen had only one request for her appearance with James Bond at the opening of the 2012 London Olympics – that she could deliver the line: ‹Good evening, Mr Bond.’
Her dressmaker and confidante Angela Kelly reveals in a new book it took ‘just five minutes’ to persuade Her Majesty to agree to director Danny Boyle’s request for her to appear alongside Daniel Craig in the famous footage of her appearing to parachute into the Olympic Stadium. Kelly, the Queen’s dresser of 25 years, tells how she was called to a meeting with Boyle and private secretary Edward Young to discuss the idea in 2011. ‘I asked him and Edward to give me five minutes so that I could ask the Queen,’ she said. ‘I remember the look of shock on Danny’s face that I would be asking Her Majesty straight away, but there’s no point in waiting around with these things: If she said no, that would be the end of it.
‘I ran upstairs and luckily the Queen was free. She was very amused by the idea and agreed immediately. I asked if she would like a speaking part. Without hesitation, Her Majesty replied, ‘Of course I must say something. After all, he is coming to rescue me’.
‘I asked whether she would like to say, ‘Good evening, James’ or ‘Good evening, Mr Bond’ and she chose the latter, knowing the Bond films. Within minutes, I was back in Edward’s office delivering the good news to Danny – I think he almost fell off his chair when I said that the Queen’s only stipulation was that she could deliver that iconic line.’