Who’s the only person who can tell the Queen what to do? Of course, the woman beneath the bonnet!
That’s the monarch’s nickname for her satellite navigation system, the Daily Mail can reveal, and demonstrates the 96-year-old’s legendary sharp wit.
There is no need for a ‘satnav’ system in the sovereign’s official state Bentley, according to sources.
But while she knows the layouts of her estates at Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral ‘like the back of her hand’, a navigation system still comes in useful for the head of state whether driving personally or with a chauffeur.
And although she famously hates back seat drivers – ‘the Queen doesn’t tolerate anyone lecturing her while driving, not even her late husband could tell her what to do,’ says one who knows her well – she does find the female voice of her GPS rather amusing.
According to legend, the Queen finds it rather funny that her Satnav GPS voice is female
The Queen, 96, has nicknamed her satellite navigation system ‘the woman under the bonnet’, Daily Mail can reveal
‘A few years ago she started calling her “the woman under the bonnet”. This was quite funny.
“Ofcourse she knows exactly where the voice originates. Yet, Her Majesty has a sharp mind.
‘She has a brilliant sense of humour and a very quick wit,’ the source said.
‘It always tickles people to hear her remark “it’s the woman under the bonnet again” when she hears her voice.’
And although she famously hates back seat drivers, she does find the female voice of her GPS rather amusing, sources have revealed
The Queen has more than proved she knows what goes on under the bonnet, working as a mechanic in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service in the Second World War. Her rank as honorary junior commander was conferred to her.
Although it is possible to customize voiceovers on satnavs, most systems come with at least one woman.
Since before the Second World War, women have been using female voices in navigation devices.
Although the monarch has a collection of cars, including Jaguars, Land Rovers, Range Rovers and Land Rovers, she prefers to drive her own car, as much as possible, until recent years.
She is, in fact, the only one not required to have a valid license.
But she has more than proved her mettle behind the wheel, working as a mechanic and driver in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War.
While the monarch owns a number of private vehicles, such as Jaguars, Land Rovers, Range Rovers and Land Rovers (as well as Jaguars), she has always preferred driving herself.
One amusing story concerning the Queen’s driving was revealed by the British diplomat Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, about the time the country’s late King Abdullah – then Crown Prince – came to visit her at Balmoral in 1998.
After lunch, she inquired about her guest’s interest in a guided tour of her Scottish estate. But he looked visibly stunned when he saw his host drive the Land Rover that was parked just outside the castle.
The Queen turned on the ignition and sped off – an even more surprising move given that women were not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia at the time.
‘Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen,’ the diplomat later recalled, having been told the story while ambassador to Saudi Arabia by both the monarch and her guest.
The Queen’s devil-may-care attitude behind the wheel, as she chatted to the prince, was said to have made him rather nervous.
Sir Sherard wrote: ‘Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead.’