Royals

‘Her Majesty was thrilled’: The quirky gift Aussie students gave the Queen

Sep 29, 2018

Princess Anne said her mother never used the unusual gift in public. Source: Getty.

Every time she is seen in public Her Majesty the Queen never fails to greet the crowds with a smile and her signature royal wave, but have you ever considered whether her wrist gets tired from all that gesturing?

It seems that one group of young Australians wondered about exactly that as they came up with a cheeky way to help the Queen combat an achy arm, designing and manufacturing a ‘waving machine’ which they gave to the monarch during a royal tour.

According to reports in British newspaper The Sun, Queen Elizabeth received the mechanical hand – which was simply a stuffed glove on a wooden lever – from the group of Aussie students several years ago, however she is said to have never wielded it in public.

While it has been kept behind palace doors, the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne, 68, revealed her mother, 92, was delighted with the device, revealing she took it home with her to Balmoral.

“They gave her a stuffed glove on a wooden lever so you could tweak the end of the lever and this hand went to and fro,” the Princess Royal told author Robert Hardman. “I think they thought it was cheeky, but Her Majesty was thrilled.”

Hardman spoke to the Queen’s only daughter for his new book ‘Queen of the World’, he added: “The Queen was rather taken with it and I think it ended up at Balmoral.

“I don’t think she ever used it in public, but I hear it became a much-loved family joke.”

This clip from @ITV’s new documentary ‘Queen of the World’, shows Her Majesty recording last year’s Christmas Broadcast: pic.twitter.com/RqOMOetSAx

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 25, 2018

Royal fans have been given a rare new insight into the extraordinary life of the longest-reigning monarch in the world, thanks to two-part series Queen of the World. The first episode aired in the UK earlier this week, and will be aired by Channel 7 at 7.30pm on Tuesday, October 2.

The series includes interviews with key members of the British royal family, including heir to the throne Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Harry and the newest member of royalty Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

In sweet footage from the documentary, the Duchess, 37, can be seen being reunited with her lavish Givenchy wedding dress and hand-embroidered veil for the first time since her colossal wedding at Windsor Castle in May. The veil featured flowers from all 53 Commonwealth countries, including the Australian wattle which former actress Meghan can be seen pointing out in the footage.