Are You Supposed To Be Looking As If You're Enjoying Yourself?

Queen’s quip to world leaders

- Richard Palmer

The Queen held centre stage in the world’s most exclusive club last night, posing for a “family photo” with G7 leaders.

As the soft diplomacy of royalty replaced hard political talks of earlier in the day, the world’s longest-serving monarch put nervous guests at their ease with a gentle quip.

While presidents and prime ministers took their seats and posed stiffly for the camera, she asked: “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?”

The leaders around the Queen laughed and Boris Johnson replied emphatically: “Yes.” The PM, who is hosting the summit in Cornwall, added: “We have been enjoying ourselves – in spite of appearances.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel walked over to the 95-year-old Queen and passed on her appreciation for her posing for the photo, saying: “Thank you for doing that for us.”

Her Majesty led three generations of the Royal Family hosting the event at the Eden Project, near St Austell. The ecological visitor attraction contains the world’s largest indoor rainforest.