Queen Elizabeth might have been seen as regal and unflappable throughout her 70-year-reign, but she also had an amazing sense of humor. Along with being an incredibly talented mimic, she appreciated a good nickname, as one story from Prince Charles and Princess Diana's royal wedding proves.
The Daily Mail shared the hilarious story behind the late Queen's Muppet-themed nickname ahead of her 90th birthday in 2016. Queen Elizabeth, wearing a light blue coat and matching hat, looked joyful as she attended her eldest child's wedding on July 29, 1981. But while looking back at footage from the day, the late monarch found one expression she made rather Miss Piggy-esque.
Per the outlet, "It was at an after-wedding party watching video highlights that The Queen, martini in hand, called to her husband: ‘Oh Philip, do look! I’ve got my Miss Piggy face on.'" While it's unclear which wedding moment she was referring to, the nickname took off quickly—and "even Princess Diana took to referring affectionately to her mother-in-law as ‘Miss Piggy.'"
The joke soon became known to members of palace staff, and they played an epic prank on Queen Elizabeth for her 60th birthday in April 1986. When she got into her carriage ahead of a birthday ride in 1986, she found flowers and a birthday card signed by the Royal Mews employees sitting on her seat.
"First, she smelled the flowers. Then, as she settled back on the cushioned seat, she opened the envelope and looked at the card—and burst into peals of laughter," the Daily Mail wrote.
What was on the card? A photo of none other than Miss Piggy. Former coachman Alfred Oates told the Daily Mail of the moment, "I thought, 'Well, she can’t sack us all. But there she was, as the crowds could see, laughing the whole way round.'"
