Queen Elizabeth Demanded a Speaking Role for Her Iconic James Bond Olympics Cameo

Remember Queen Elizabeth’s James Bond sketch from the 2012 Olympics? Well, she was apparently supposed to have a much smaller role in the opening ceremony—that is, until the 93-year-old monarch stepped in.

Angela Kelly (the queen’s personal assistant and senior dresser) recently opened up about the iconic moment in her all-new memoir, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.

The cameo featured Bond (Daniel Craig) snatching the queen from Buckingham Palace before parachuting into the Olympics venue. While recalling the sketch, Kelly admitted that she personally pitched the idea to Queen Elizabeth.

“There’s no point in waiting around with these things: If she said no, that would be the end of it,” she wrote, according to Hello! magazine.

Kelly confirmed that the queen “was very amused by the idea and agreed immediately.” However, she wanted more involvement than a mere cameo.

“I asked then if she would like a speaking part,” Kelly continued. “Without hesitation, Her Majesty replied: ‘Of course I must say something. After all, he is coming to rescue me.’”

Kelly went on to explain that Queen Elizabeth ultimately chose her speaking part, adding, “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.”

That’s showbiz, baby.