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Why the Queen dresses in neutral colours on holidays

The Queen is known for her iconic and eye-catching outfits that are bright and colourful. However, it might surprise you to know that when she’s on holidays, the Queen opts for a quieter wardrobe.

It appears that while the Queen is in plain clothes and a headscarf, she can be mistaken for just about anyone. This was the case when a group of American tourists approached the Queen in Balmoral and asked if she had ever met herself.

She was dressed in tweed and a headscarf at the time, which explains why the tourists didn’t suspect a thing.

Her Majesty, seeing an opportunity for fun, played along and spoke to the Americans, who then asked if the Queen lived in the area.

She replied that she had a house nearby, which just so happens to be Balmoral Castle.

The tourists were excited to have met someone who lives in the area as they know that royals live nearby and then asked if the Queen had met the Queen of England.

The Queen, not missing a beat, pointed to a policeman and said:

"No, but this policeman has."

The story was told by Richard Griffin, a former protection officer for the Queen, who worked for Her Majesty for 30 years.

He revealed to The Times that the Queen often goes unrecognised in Balmoral when she dresses down.

"My favourite remark she ever said was: 'I can't ever wear beige because nobody will know who I am,'" royal biographer Robert Hardman wrote in Our Queen.

Scroll through the gallery for some of the Queen’s more relaxed looks while she’s on holiday.

Tags:
queen, Queen Elizabeth II, neutral, neutral wardrobe, balmoral