# How does the Queen answer the phone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 5, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073 "2012-12-05T15:22:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/41 "2013-01-30T20:15:18Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Nice link. She has always been pretty. Agreed. Cute kid and beautiful young woman. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/42 "2013-02-03T20:17:06Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > She’s the head of state, not the _ship_ of state. Head of state can call herself what she jolly well pleases. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/43 "2013-02-26T21:26:51Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > Not “Mountbatten-Windsor”; that’s the name reserved for her descendants who are not “Majesties” or “Royal Highnesses”. Technically, she has no last name at all, though she _could_ be called, at need, “Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, I suppose. But it’s rather overloaded. “Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Queen Elizabeth Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” \ ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/44 "2013-03-05T08:41:04Z")
[quote= kayaker}“Sorry, I’m in the loo, about to flush, I’ll ring you back in a minit.” More likely “I’m on the throne.” [/quote] > [@Leaffan](#): > > More likely “I’m on the throne.” I’m on the throne, preparing a royal flush. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bones\_Daley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/45 "2013-03-05T10:16:37Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > I’m on the throne, preparing a royal flush. 😃 Back in my apprentice days (long time ago) I worked for a contractor who was doing repair work in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, and part of the work involved was in the royal bedrooms (his and hers) with ensuite bathrooms. The two things that struck me most were first of all that the toilet bowl, wash hand basin and bath were all plain white …in my adolescent naivete I had assumed they would be gold …or avocado, at the very least … The second thing that struck me was that the flush mechanism was operated by a foot pedal …I had never seen that before, and come to think of it I don’t think I have ever seen one since. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/46 "2013-03-18T14:17:31Z")
> [@Bones\_Daley](#): > > Back in my apprentice days (long time ago) I worked for a contractor who was doing repair work in Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, and part of the work involved was in the royal bedrooms (his and hers) with ensuite bathrooms. > > The two things that struck me most were first of all that the toilet bowl, wash hand basin and bath were all plain white …in my adolescent naivete I had assumed they would be gold …or avocado, at the very least … > > The second thing that struck me was that the flush mechanism was operated by a foot pedal …I had never seen that before, and come to think of it I don’t think I have ever seen one since. Seems I read HRH brings a special personalized, custom toilet seat with her when she travels. Something about a mink or sable cover. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/47 "2013-03-18T18:59:20Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Seems I read HRH brings a special personalized, custom toilet seat with her when she travels. Something about a mink or sable cover. Nitpick: It’s “HM” (Her Majesty, just as the Beatles sang it). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/48 "2013-03-18T23:38:17Z")
You’d think a colonial would know that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/49 "2013-03-19T02:00:53Z")
Maybe he’s a French colonial. Or Dutch. Or Belgian… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/50 "2013-03-22T02:37:57Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Nitpick: It’s “HM” (Her Majesty, just as the Beatles sang it). Never occurred to me. Now if this were asked in GQ, the thread would be two pages by now. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/51 "2013-03-22T04:18:28Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Never occurred to me. Now if this were asked in GQ, the thread would be two pages by now. You mean… like this? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/52 "2013-03-22T13:03:04Z")
That’s cheating! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/53 "2013-03-22T14:54:56Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > You mean… like this? 🙂 Well played. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/54 "2013-03-22T15:41:48Z")
Timing is everything. ---
**Author:** ![Derc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Derc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derc)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/55 "2013-03-29T12:48:33Z")
Her maj wouldn’t answer a phone, too many sales pitches wanting to double glaze Buckingham palace and she has people for mundane tasks, such as the paperwork required after sitting on the throne. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/56 "2013-04-11T00:37:19Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Maybe he’s a French colonial. Or Dutch. Or Belgian… He’s certainly not the very model of a modern Major-General. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/57 "2013-04-11T16:22:46Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > You’d think a colonial would know that. 🙂 Ceased being truly colonial 7/4/1776 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/58 "2013-04-11T19:10:21Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > Ceased being truly colonial 7/4/1776 Darn tootin’! ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/59 "2013-04-12T18:31:34Z")
1776-07-02, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073/60 "2017-05-22T18:36:05Z")
Bumped. Netflix’s very good series _The Crown_, season one of which is about the Queen’s early reign, shows her answering the phone in her Buckingham Palace office with “Yes,” as I noted in my 2012 Staff Report. > **[The Crown (TV series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crown_(TV_series))** > > The Crown is a historical drama television series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, created and principally written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. Morgan developed it from his drama film The Queen (2006) and especially his stage play The Audience (2013). The first season covers the period from Elizabeth's marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947 to the disintegration of her sister Princess Margaret's engagement to Group C... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-queen-answer-the-phone/643073.md?page=4)