Queen Elizabeth Once Took King Abdullah For A Drive, Proved She's A Badass

Queen Elizabeth Once Took King Abdullah For A Drive, Proved She's A Badass
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, right, with Queen Elizabeth II, prior a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in London after the first day of the Saudi king's visit Tuesday Oct. 30, 2007. Britain's lavish welcome for Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah came under heavy criticism Tuesday from scathing newspaper editorials, protesters raising concerns over human rights abuses and an opposition party boycotting the visit. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, Pool)
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, right, with Queen Elizabeth II, prior a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in London after the first day of the Saudi king's visit Tuesday Oct. 30, 2007. Britain's lavish welcome for Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah came under heavy criticism Tuesday from scathing newspaper editorials, protesters raising concerns over human rights abuses and an opposition party boycotting the visit. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, Pool)

In the wake of the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Friday, discussions and stories about the Saudi leader’s life and policies have dominated the news media. One such story is a humorous anecdote about the king’s apparently harrowing encounter with Queen Elizabeth II in 1998.

How harrowing? The queen is rumored to have “terrorized” then-Crown Prince Abdullah with her driving skills, learned during World War II when she was but a princess and trained as a mechanic and military truck driver for the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service of the British Army.

queen elizabeth territorial servicePrincess Elizabeth standing by an Auxiliary Territorial Service first aid truck wearing an officer's uniform in 1945.

The story was excerpted in The Sunday Times from a memoir by British diplomat Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, who was appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 2003. It begins with Abdullah -- then the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia -- visiting Balmoral, the Queen’s estate in Scotland.

“After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would like a tour of the estate,” wrote Cowper-Coles, who is said to have heard the tale from both Elizabeth and Abdullah themselves. “Prompted by his foreign minister the urbane Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah had agreed. The royal Land Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. As instructed, the Crown Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, his interpreter in the seat behind.”

Little did Abdullah know, however, that his driver for the day would be none other than Elizabeth herself.

“To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off,” Cowper-Coles wrote. “Women are not -- yet -- allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen.”

Not to mention a queen who can drive like the wind. According to Cowper-Coles, Elizabeth didn’t just drive the SUV, but rapidly whizzed along the estate’s roads as she chatted, prompting Abdullah to become increasingly anxious.

“Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead,” the diplomat said.

According to The Guardian, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that forbids women from driving. Human rights activists have been campaigning for years to have the ban lifted.

Read the whole account, from Cowper-Coles' book "Ever the Diplomat," here:

Sherard Cowper-Coles' anecdote about #KingAbdullah and the Queen at Balmoral in 1998 (reminded by @Doylech): pic.twitter.com/SO9GSp2RR9

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) January 23, 2015

The British royal family said Friday that Prince Charles, “representing Her Majesty The Queen,” will be traveling to Saudi Arabia to “pay his condolences” following the death of King Abdullah, per The Independent.

With his death, Elizabeth, 88, has become the oldest monarch in the world. Abdullah is believed to have been about 90 at the time of his passing.

Before You Go

Danny E. Martindale / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II attends the first day of the Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 8, 2013 in Windsor, England.
Chris Jackson / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh watch a dancer perform during Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill on July 1, 2010 in Ottawa, Canada. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are on an eight day tour of Canada starting in Halifax and finishing in Toronto.
Nigel Roddis / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II watches boxing training during a visit to The Factory Youth Zone on November 14, 2013 in Manchester, England.
Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh take a ride on the Yellow Duck and amphibious vehicle during a visit to Merseyside Maritime Museum on May 17, 2012 in Liverpool, England.
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II travels on a monorail during a visit to Chester Zoo as part of her tour of the North West on May 17, 2012 in Chester, England.
Paul Grover / AFP / Getty Images
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II watches school pupils on a climbing wall during an engagment where she officially opened Westminster School's new Sports Centre in London on June 12, 2014.
Paul Grover / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II watches dancers perform as she visits Chester Zoo as part of her tour of the North West on May 17, 2012 in Chester, England
Paul Grover / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II watches pupils fencing at the sports centre that she officially opened at Westminster School in London on June 12, 2014.
Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II watches the Women's preliminary match between England and Wales as she visits the Glasgow National Hockey Centre to watch the hockey during day one of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on July 24, 2014 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II poses for a group photograph with Network Rail construction workers after opening the newly redeveloped Reading Railway Station on July 17, 2014 in Reading, England.
Close

What's Hot