The late Queen Elizabeth’s witty reply to a death threat last Christmas

The Queen records her Christmas Day broadcast at Buckingham Palace in 2017. Photo / Getty Images

A compelling biography brings to light the late Queen’s cheerful - or better yet, humorous - response to a threat made on her life.

The captivating new book, written by author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, gives a delightful insight into the Queen’s playful sense of humour, according to Daily Mail.

The author, a former Conservative MP and a trusted confidant amongst the senior Royals, reveals that throughout her time as Queen, the monarch responded to the possibility of being in the firing line with wit and charm.

She even downplayed an attempt on her life during the Christmas season the year before. A police officer was approached in the grounds of Windsor Castle by a masked intruder wielding a crossbow and claiming he had come ‘to kill the Queen’.

The biography retells the interaction of when the Queen was warned about the incident. She replied, “Yes, well, that would have put a dampner on Christmas, wouldn’t it?”

This quick and witty reply is one of many heartwarming tales within the biography, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait.

The close friend and biographer of the Royal Family recounts a number of tales which highlight the sadly-passed sovereign’s spirit, sense of humour and love of a good old practical joke. He reflects on how it was her “wry, dry, humorous way of looking at things” that made a big impression on him.

“The fun of spending time with the Queen was both finding out how much fun she was and discovering unexpected things about her,” he wrote.

Queen Elizabeth II at Ventnor during a Royal visit to the Isle of Wight. Photo / Getty Images

Brandreth’s biography shares a unique perspective on the late Queen Elizabeth’s life, having been one of the few authors to have met and interacted with her and keeping a meticulous - and often hilarious - record of their conversations whilst doing so.