The Queen's awkward reaction to Russian astronaut stroking her knee revealed

The Queen had an uncomfortable interaction with a Russian astronaut over breakfast at Buckingham Palace, according to a royal expert. 

• The Queen had a very awkward interaction with a male guest at Buckingham Palace in 1961, a royal expert has claimed. 
• Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin reportedly stroked Her Majesty's leg during a hosted breakfast to check if she was real, much to the monarch's 'astonishment.' 
• In other royal news, Queen makes surprise appearance in stunning yellow hat for exclusive first ride on London’s Elizabeth line.
  

The Queen was left in a state of 'astonishment' after a Russian astronaut touched her leg without consent, royal expert Andrew Morton has claimed. 

Her Majesty reportedly suffered the uncomfortable experience during a formal breakfast with Yuri Gagarin, the first man to enter space, in July 1961. 

The Soviet pilot had been invited to Buckingham Palace shortly after he returned to Earth to officially meet the monarch and her astronomy-loving husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. It's understood that the engagement was held at the royal headquarters' intimate White Drawing Room, which has long been used for hosting small gatherings and audiences. 

Introductions started off strong, according to Morton, with 27-year-old Yuri being seated right next to the Queen for the prestigious meal. The pair reportedly chatted about all things space travel, a subject that has long been of interest to the monarch, and even shared some banter about the confusing amount of cutlery at the dining table. 

"My dear Mr. Gagarin, I was brought up in this palace - but believe me, I still don’t know in which order I should use all these forks and knives," the Queen apparently reassured him. 

Unfortunately, Yuri's lack of table etiquette wasn't the end of his royal blunders. The record-setting astronaut also touched the Queen's thigh - an act that, at best, is considered foolish and at worst, highly disrespectful. 

"To the Queen’s utter astonishment, he dipped his hand to stroke her leg just above the knee," Morton writes for the Mail Online. 

This shocking story was first recounted in Lev Danilkin's 2011 biography about Yuri, who died in a jet crash in 1968. 

"As a village lad, he only knew about kings and queens from fairy tales," Vladimir Lebedev, a psychologist who worked with Yuri, says in the book. "Yura [Gagarin's nickname] told me he wanted so much to be sure it was a real queen that he touched her under the table, slightly above the knee."

Luckily for Yuri, the Queen was gracious enough to keep her composure. 

"With admirable sang froid, she managed to keep a smile on her face as she sipped her coffee," Morton writes. 

Always the professional, our Queen.