Details about Queen Elizabeth's life remain extremely sketchy, like, was she a Game Of Thrones fan for real? And, were those bizarre eating habits of hers actually true or myths? Nonetheless, following her sad passing at the age of 96, we'll celebrate her past by taking a look at that one time she agreed to sit down for a BBC interview.We'll discuss what was said during the one-on-one, why The Queen agreed to the interview and finally, what rule she put in place prior to the conversation.
It Took Alastair Bruce 22-Years To Finally Get The Interview With Queen Elizabeth
Similar to the likes of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth was not a fan of sit down interviews. Heck, Oprah traveled all the way to London in an attempt to have a conversation with Princess Diana but ultimately all she got was a rejected interview attempt and a hilarious prank from Princess Diana involving cake.
As for Queen Elizabeth, she finally agreed to an interview alongside Alastair Bruce of Crionaich. It is said that the British journalist tried for 22 years, before finally getting the approval.
Bruce discussed what it was like interviewing the Queen and of course, it was an experience like no other.
“The Queen was unbelievably generous to me by making me feel very very relaxed and comfortable, and she has the most delightful sense of humour so we got through it very well, I think," Bruce told Express.
Bruce loved every minute of the convo, especially her enthusiasm for certain topics, “It was the huge enthusiasm the Queen shows for certain parts of the imperial state crown,” he explained. “Her love of the Black Prince’s Ruby was fascinating."
“Her description of the drilling of the hole, and the fact that with Atlantic productions we were able to get this unbelievably close up analysis through the cameras of each and every stone - and you can absolutely see this drilled hole - and experiencing that enthusiasm from The Queen, both for the Black Princess Ruby and the story of her ancestor."
Queen Elizabeth Wanted The Interview To Come Across As A Conversation
Of course, Queen Elizabeth had one very strict rule ahead of the long-awaited interview. According to Bruce's words with Insider, The Queen did not want the interview to come across as exactly that, an interview. Instead, she wanted it to be a conversation, without any direct questions.
"Discussing the exchange on BBC Radio 4 Friday morning, Bruce termed the exchange a "conversation," and emphasized its difference from normal media interviews, often characterized by direct questioning," Insider writes.
Bruce stated, "You pose a point and then the Queen sometimes responds, and often conversation follows from there. But posing direct questions was not on the cards. This was a conversation with the Queen."
The method of interaction worked out and was more than okay, as the audience got to see a fun and different side of The Queen, especially when it came to certain personal stories.
Queen Elizabeth Spoke Candidly About The First-Time She Dawned The Heavy Crown
Among the topics discussed in the 'conversation' included Queen Elizabeth's 1953 coronation, and what took place behind the scenes.
According to The Queen during the convo, she revealed that the crown felt a lot heavier than anticipated.
“You can’t look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up. Because if you did, your neck would break — it would fall off,” she says in The Coronation.
“So there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise they’re quite important things.”
The Queen also discussed her iconic pearls, “But they’re not very happy now. They don’t look very happy now. Most pearls like to be sort of living creatures, so they’ve just been out, hanging out here for years. It’s rather sad. So they don’t look very happy.”
Despite her passing at 96, Queen Elizabeth will be remembered forever, and this interview is one many will cherish for a very long time.
