Most pictures of Queen Elizabeth II in a car show her – unsurprisingly for a monarch – in the back seat of a luxury limousine, driven by a chauffeur. But: The Queen also liked to drive herself, just not on highly official occasions.
Elizabeth II’s fleet also included one of the most expensive cars in the world – a state-of-the-art Bentley with countless modifications that not only made the vehicle comfortable, but also absolutely safe. It is said that the burgundy-red car could not be stopped in an emergency, since the tires were protected against punctures and nails with Kevlar inserts and the bodywork would have withstood bullets thanks to its armouring. Luckily, such an attack never happened.
The vehicle, with its very special hood ornament depicting St. George and the Dragon, is also very comfortable and quiet, allowing the Queen to focus on the crowds at a parade and not feel any pain even after sitting for hours.
Queen Elizabeth II preferred SUVs
The cars that the Queen moved herself were sometimes much more rustic. It is said that a Land Rover Defender 110 was one of her favorites. The angular SUV was Elizabeth’s first choice for country trips and hunting parties. Her husband, Prince Philip, also often drove a Land Rover. The prince even wished to be transported in the back of a Land Rover Defender TD5 130 in the event of his death. That’s exactly what happened last year.
The Queen’s fleet also included luxury limousines from the British manufacturer Rolls-Royce and a few Range Rovers, both of which were mostly used for more official trips. There are also shots of the Queen at the wheel of a Range Rover, but these give the impression that the vehicles were a bit too big to really keep track of.
She didn’t have a driver’s license
In the course of this gallery, an anecdote from the life of the Queen should not be missing: Elizabeth II did not have a driver’s license throughout her life. Although she learned to drive a car during the Second World War and was even able to change tires and identify engine damage, she never had a “rag”.
That’s because, quite simply, the Queen doesn’t need a driver’s license. As driving licenses in the UK are issued in her name, the law does not require her to issue a license herself.
Poor Saudi prince
Nor did Elizabeth II need a driver’s license to shock a Saudi crown prince and demonstrate women’s rights to him in person. In 1998, the future King Abdullah visited the Queen in England and was asked if he would like to go for a spin after dinner. However, he did not expect the Queen to want to drive herself, since at the time in Saudi Arabia it was forbidden for all women to drive a vehicle.
According to a tale by Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, (perhaps because of this) Elizabeth drove so wildly that the interpreter had to translate a request for some consideration. Apparently the prince was not comfortable with the situation – probably much to the delight of the queen.