Queen Elizabeth II fun side revealed - she’s not as serious as you think

Queen Elizabeth II is said to have a secret fun side, according to a royal author.

The British monarch is head of the Royal Family and has a lot of responsibility, but it's understood the Queen has a secret side to her in which she's not as formal as you'd expect.

It comes as the Queen, who turns 95 this year, gave up control of a major royal duty on the Sandringham House estate and handed it to son Prince Charles, as it's revealed he gave up his beloved home ahead of becoming king.

Ahead of her new novel The Windsor Knot, author Sophia Bennett extensively researched the habits and personality of Queen Elizabeth II by talking to Buckingham Palace sources.

And she has teased a few details which claim the Queen has a secret fun side.

The new novel is the story of an alternate Queen who is a crime-solving detective around her usual royal responsibilities.

And it looks like the real-life Queen behaves differently than one would imagine in Buckingham Palace. After all, Her Majesty has in recent months taken part in zoom calls with members of the public.

Ms. Bennett, who publishes under the name SJ Bennett, told Yahoo Style UK the Queen, 94, “is not nearly as formalistic as people might imagine”.

She said, “You might see her wandering around Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. If staff see her they might give her a brief nod or curtsy but she does not expect them to drop everything they were doing."

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The Queen was reported to have burst out laughing when Meghan Markle gave her a Christmas present, and it's this carefree side which we rarely see.

Ms. Bennett, who first became interested in the royal family when Her Majesty celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977, added, "[The Queen] can play with protocol – she does not break it, but she is not nearly as formalistic as people might imagine.”

And even the Royal Family's official website nods to there not being any "obligatory codes of behavior" when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family. But it added, 'Many people wish to observe the traditional forms.'

And if you're wondering what those traditional formalities are, it's a neck bow for men and a small curtsy for women, while others prefer a simple handshake.

When it comes to speaking to the Queen the correct formal way to address her is by using ‘Your Majesty’ followed by ‘Ma’am’ thereafter.