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That Time Two American Tourists Met Queen Elizabeth II And Didn’t Know It

Author Phil Harris
Queen Elizabeth II attends the third day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 11, 2018 in Windsor, England. The Royal Windsor Horse Show is hosted in the private grounds of Windsor Castle and is attended by members of the Royal family including the Queen. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The late Queen Elizabeth II was known to have had a quick and playful sense of humor. I suppose you’d have to in that line of work. Constantly attending official functions and meeting new people at every turn would be exhausting. One would have to learn to have a little fun with all of the formality that surrounds the life of a monarch.

A delightful example of Queen Elizabeth’s lightheartedness and wit involves a random encounter with a couple of American tourists. As the story goes, former Royal protection officer Richard Griffin was on a picnic with the Queen at Balmoral, her beloved castle and estate in Scotland. It was during that outing when Griffin and the Queen were greeted by the tourists. The two Americans had no idea they were in the company of Her Majesty.

Queen Elizabeth II never let on during her conversation with the tourists. Richard Griffin even took a photo of the Queen with her new American friends. Can you imagine their reaction when it finally dawned on them? Griffin reminisced about the occurrence to Sky News during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year:

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

13 Iconic Musicians Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II recognized many individuals with honors of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. During her legendary reign as Queen, she knighted a number of popular musicians.

Here is a brief explainer on the various levels of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Per the U.K.’s official Honours System website, the following are the five title distinctions in order of importance the British Monarchy can bestow upon individuals for their non-combative contributions to the U.K.:

–Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): “Achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact which stands out as an example to others.”

–Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): “Distinguished regional or county-wide role in any field, through achievement or service to the community including notable practitioners known nationally.”

–Commander of the British Empire (CBE): “A prominent national role of a lesser degree, a conspicuous leading role in regional affairs through achievement or service to the community, or a highly distinguished, innovative contribution in his or her area of activity.”

–Damehood/Knighthood (DBE/KBE): “A pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity (usually, but not exclusively, at national level), or in a capacity which will be recognized by peer groups as inspirational and significant nationally and demonstrates sustained commitment.”

–Dame/Knight Grand Cross (GBE): “Grand Cross is the highest class in many of the Orders.”

Typically, the head monarch will unveil these honors as part of every New Year. Additionally, their birthday also serves as a time to unveil new additions to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. People can be nominated via a special form.

With those definitions and information in mind, here are 13 iconic musicians knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

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