The day the Queen ‘looked ridiculous’ as Rolls Royce got stuck in drive-thru

During the Queen’s remarkable 70-year reign, she has carried out tens of thousands of public engagements, all while quietly adapting the monarchy to fit in with the times.

Most of the visits and events have gone like clockwork, but there’s inevitably been the occasional cock-up when things haven’t quite gone to plan – such as the time when her Rolls-Royce got stuck at a Maccy Ds.

It happened in July 1998, which was during the period when there were attempts to modernise the Royal Family following the death of Princess Diana a year earlier.

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The Queen was on an official trip to open Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet in Ellesmere Port, which had first opened three years earlier.

But during the visit, her 18ft-long Roller got stuck in the McDonald’s drive-thru lane, and it was eventually forced to reverse because it was too large to negotiate the narrow lane leading up to the food window, reports the Express.

As the chauffeur struggled to manoeuvre the vehicle, the royal standard had to be removed from its roof so it could pass under a height-restriction barrier.

A picture of the Queen from the day shows her wearing a bright yellow ensemble with a frosted sunflower brooch that matched the colours of McDonald's famous golden arches.

Reports at the time said the Queen was “not amused” by the episode, with at least one newspaper stating that hundreds of onlookers were laughing at the situation.

Local resident Jonathan Hallett, a retired printer, said he was unimpressed by the monarch’s burger blunder.

“It was hardly a dignified entrance. I don’t understand why they had to take the royal car around a McDonald's drive-thru lane,” he said.

“I am all in favour of the monarchy being modernised, but they have to be careful not to appear ridiculous.”

But Maccy Ds employee Jannette Heydon said: “It's the best thing that's happened to us in ages. Usually, the most we ever get in here is footballers.”

And grandmother Gwynneth Lewis claimed the monarch may have also been trying to stay in touch with the younger royals.

She said: “I suppose the Queen would like to know what her grandchildren get up to and I'm sure they like to eat hamburgers.

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“I think it is a good thing that she is visiting places where normal people go. She needs to see the other side of life.”

Her Majesty didn’t go inside or have any food from the restaurant.

But the Rolls cock-up made global headlines, with the likes of the Los Angeles Times reporting on it.

It quoted historian David Starkey, known for having strong opinions, who turned up his nose at the Queen visiting a fast-food restaurant.

“I mean, what a place to choose. I’ve never been to McDonald’s. It’s just a question of taste,” he said.

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