Have you ever thought of visiting London, seeing the Buckingham Palace, or what about a visit to the Queen? Like that’s awesome. You could get the chance to have some tea with her and play with her corgi — only if she lets you. But if she happens to offer you a drive, not by her chauffeurs, but herself, then you better buckle up. She’s one heck of a “badass” driver. Oh, like seriously!
Related media: Queen Elizabeth Once Took King Abdullah For A Drive
The Royal Tale Of Two Monarchs
Once upon a time, the King of Saudi Arabia, (the late) King Abdullah II, visited the Monarch of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II. The two monarchs should have a lot in common, since they both won a genetic lottery of being rich. One being the head of state of the greatest nation in terms of colonial dominance; and the other, being the ruler of a male-dominated oil rich Islamic kingdom. So do they really have a thing in common?
The Queen, before her coronation, was a princess — Princess Elizabeth, how cute. Back in the 1940s, as princess, she wanted to join the women serving as drivers, bakers, postal workers, ammunition inspectors, and mechanics to free up men for the front lines. And till date, she remains the only female member of the Royal Family to join the military, and is the only living head of state to serve in World War II. How about that for a feminist empowerment.
The King, on the other royal side, was once a prince too — Prince Abdullah, cool. But he was not like his British monarch host. Neither has he serve in WWII, nor been at a battle front. He probably didn’t take driving lessons while growing, since living in a pail of luxury could really make you damn lazy. Honestly speaking, we really don’t know much about King Abdullah, though. What we can say, he didn’t enjoy driving, except for camel riding.
Then The Royal Drive
In 2003, while Abdullah was still a Crown Prince, he took the opportunity to visit the Queen in her castle in Balmoral, Scotland. The negotiations between two monarchs is not our interest, but the Queen offered the Prince a tour around her kingdom, obvious; she later offered him a drive thru town. When the royal car was brought — a Land Rover to be precise — Abdullah got in the front passenger seat, the Queen herself hopped into the driver’s seat.
The Queen was certainly skilled behind the wheels. Not only did the Queen get into the driver’s seat, she didn’t even hesitate before turning the car on and rolling out. And as an army driver during WWII, she knew how to rock ’n roll along Scotland’s winding roads. Only God knows what really happened, but according to sources, the Queen took him for a “Fast & Furious” drive.
That’s A “Badass” Drive
Sir Shepard Cowper-Coles, a British diplomat, recounted for The Sunday Times that during an audience with Her Majesty, she told Cowper-Coles that she was talking to Abdullah the whole time, even as he pleaded for her to pay attention to the road. Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t even have a driver’s license. As Queen, she doesn’t need one, and no wonder she’s a “badass” driver. Anyway, we hope to see Her Majesty star in Fast & Furious 10.
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Written by: Nana Kwadwo, Sun, Apr 21, 2019.