When the royals catch you by surprise: From King Charles’ chat with mountain bikers near Balmoral to Kate bumping into schoolchildren… and THAT moment with MailOnline reporter
Many people queue for hours just to catch a glimpse of the Royal Family during their perfectly choreographed engagements.
But some lucky individuals have had chance encounters with the royals in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
There was the pair of cyclists who bumped into King Charles on a hike near Balmoral, whilst MailOnline’s assistant video editor had her own unexpected interaction with His Majesty.
As for two American tourists, they had no idea they were talking to Elizabeth II when they bumped into her near Balmoral and asked: ‘Have you met the Queen?’
Read on below for a detailed list of some of these once-in-a-lifetime encounters with royalty.
Incredible moment cyclists bump into King Charles on a hike near Balmoral
Cycling through the Scottish Highlands isn’t exactly the place where you would expect to bump into the King, but for mountain biker Andrew McAvoy and his friends that is exactly what did happen
Cycling through the Scottish Highlands isn’t exactly the place where you would expect to bump into the King, but for mountain biker Andrew McAvoy and his friends that is exactly what did happen.
Luckily, the YouTuber caught the once-in-a-lifetime encounter last September on camera and posted it online.
In the video, Charles could be seen chatting to the bikers after they encountered him as he walked on the Balmoral estate.
In typical British fashion, Charles chatted to the group about the weather and revealed some of his childhood memories on the estate – including camping with his late father Prince Philip and sister Princess Anne.
The King also complained about the midges, saying they were ‘horrendous’.
In typical British fashion, Charles chatted to the group about the weather and revealed some of his childhood memories on the estate – including camping with his late father Prince Philip and sister Princess Anne
King Charles spotted smirking at MailOnline reporter while she is trying out a skimpy dress
While venturing out onto Kensington High Street to see the public’s response to a skimpy viral dress, MailOnline reporter Alicia Watts certainly didn’t expect to receive a reaction from the King.
But, as she stood in the street last year, Charles passed by in his limousine.
From the backseat, the monarch couldn’t hide his surprise after clocking Alicia’s mostly sheer mini dress – which had see-through panels on the thighs, stomach, bust and all along one side.
The hilarious moment King Charles is left stunned after seeing MailOnline reporter Alicia Watts modelling a dupe of the skimpy dress taking Instagram by storm
King Charles shot our photographer a quizzical look after spotting Alicia modelling the outrageously risque party dress by British brand Nothing But Style
His Majesty was seen giving our cameraman a quizzical look over Alicia’s outrageously risque party attire.
Alicia said: ‘He (the King) drove by and apparently he was smirking at me and smiling. I would have loved to be in that car just to see what he was saying.’
Kate quizzes primary school children at Bath train station
Following an engagement in Bath last year, the Princess of Wales bumped into a group of school children as she was walking through the city’s train station
Following an engagement in Bath last year, the Princess of Wales bumped into a group of school children as she was walking through the city’s train station.
The footage – which was posted by the organisation Platform Rail on Twitter – showed Kate waving at the stunned group.
She then asked: ‘Where are you going?’
After being told that they were waiting for their train to Warminster, Kate gave them a thumbs up and said: ‘Have a good school trip!’
The Princess added: ‘What are you learning about?’ One of the children’s teachers replied: ‘Trains and orienteering.’
The 15-second video ended with Kate giving the children a final wave before rushing to board the train.
The footage showed Kate waving at the stunned group. She then walked and asked: ‘Where are you going?’ After being told that they were waited for their train to Warminster, Kate gave them a thumbs up and said: ‘Have a good school trip!’
The Princess Royal travels by helicopter to a Yorkshire sports centre
In 2021, a pair of royal fanatics shared the moment they exchanged ‘banter’ with ‘cheeky’ Princess Anne during a chance encounter after the royal’s helicopter landed at a local sports centre.
Emma Dodsworth and Lisa Watkins, from Molton, North Yorkshire, have shared the moment they exchanged ‘banter’ with ‘lovely’ Princess Anne, 70, during chance encounter after the royal’s helicopter landed at a local sports centre
As big royal fans the two could hardly believe their luck and followed the helicopter to its landing place at a local sports centre. Pictured, Princess Anne waving
Emma Dodsworth and Lisa Watkins were finishing work in Molton, North Yorkshire when they noticed a helicopter coming in to land.
They thought it might be Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise who had been filming the latest installment of his Mission Impossible franchise in the area.
The pair could hardly believe their luck when they followed the helicopter to its landing place and saw Princess Anne get out of a 4×4 that had pulled up just feet away.
The Princess had been visiting the nearby Jack Berry House, a rehabilitation centre for injured jockeys.
After taking time to have a little bit of banter with the gathered crowd, the Princess was ushered across the football field to the helicopter, which then took off.
The Queen’s former bodyguard reveals the time she pranked American tourists
The Queen’s former bodyguard Richard Griffin revealed the monarch’s cheeky sense of humour when she pranked a group of American tourists who had no idea they were speaking to the Queen
Mr Griffin told Sky News: ‘The next thing I knew this guy comes around put his arm around my shoulder and before I see what was happening he gets his camera, gives it to the Queen and says can you take a picture?’
During the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, her former bodyguard Richard Griffin revealed the monarch’s cheeky sense of humour when she pranked a group of American tourists who had no idea who they were speaking to.
He recalled that Queen Elizabeth was hiking near Balmoral when they walked past the tourists.
They failed to recognise the monarch and asked if she lived nearby, to which she said she did.
Yet when asked if she had met the Queen, the monarch playfully hit back: ‘No, but he has’, pointing to her protection officer.
Mr Griffin told Sky News: ‘The next thing I knew this guy comes around, put his arm around my shoulder and before I see what was happening he gets his camera, gives it to the Queen and says can you take a picture?
‘Anyway we swapped places and I took a picture of them with the Queen, we never let on, and we waved goodbye and Her Majesty said to me ”I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows that to his friends in America.’
Prince William surprises a woman on a charity walk in Slough
In December last year, a woman who was carrying out a charity walk in memory of her late daughter was surprised by Prince William.
In a video posted to Facebook, Emma Webb could be seen in total shock as the Prince of Wales appeared out of nowhere to join her on day 13 of a fundraising trek from Wales to London.
Cheekily shouting ‘boo’ Prince William startles Emma Webb during during a charity walk in memory of her late daughter
The prince casually strolls towards Ms Webb before embracing her in a warm hug
In a video posted to Facebook, Ms Webb can be seen in total shock as the Prince of Wales appears out of nowhere to join her on day 13 of a fundraising trek from Wales to London
She was pulling a life-size horse statue along a pavement near Slough as William appeared behind her.
He shouted ‘boo’ before embracing her with a warm hug.
Ms Webb, who lost her daughter Brodie – a promising equestrian – at age 16 to suicide in March 2020, wanted to raise awareness around mental health in young people.
She said it meant ‘everything’ that William – a well-known champion of mental health
Her 157-mile trek finished just a week after a encounter with Wills on December 17.
