American actor Tom Hanks has revealed the Queen’s favourite cocktail. And it seems she has something in common with a certain fictional British secret service agent...
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'Chit-chat' with the Queen
Speaking to BBC’sThe One Show on Monday, Hanks recalled how he was sitting next to the Queen at a state banquet he attended with President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama during their visit to the UK in 2011. The Forest Gump actor said, as reported by Insider:
I sat right next to the queen. The chit-chat with the queen is something you gotta get ready for. I knew I was going to be sitting next to her so I wanted to be able to talk about things that were of import but not presumptuous. So a few things about how often she truly has time off and what have you. It was a nice chit-chat.
“Can we just say how great the @BBC is? You’re not going to get that live every night in the United States.”
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) May 30, 2022
We just can't get over @tomhanks showing his love for @BBCSpringwatch on #TheOneShow 😍👏@BBCTwo@bbcpress@ChrisGPackham@michaelastrachapic.twitter.com/wC8lJgPhtQ
The Monarch's 'cocktail of choice' is...
Hanks continued:
Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw this white-gloved hand just put between me and her royal majesty this glass of water. But it wasn’t in a water glass, so I dared to ask the Queen, 'what is Her Majesty’s cocktail of choice?'
To which she apparently responded:
ooh Martini!
The Oscar winner added:
She had the one. That’s what she nursed throughout the course of the night and I think well, she’s had a wonderful reign so maybe if I want to polish up my game a little bit, I will start drinking martinis every now and again.
The Queen is known to enjoy drinking gin and Champagne throughout the day. In fact, according to British-culture researcher Bryan Kozlowsk's book, Long Live the Queen! 23 Rules for Living From Britain’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, alcohol is one of the secrets to Her Majesty's longevity.
Buckingham Palace even has its own exclusive dry ginbrand made with ingredients from the gardens of the Queen’s London residence, as reported by New York Post. However, former royal chef Darren McGrady, who worked for the royal family from 1982 until 1993, told CNN in 2017 that:
She likes a gin and Dubonnet. That’s her favorite drink.
Read more:
⋙ The Queen: Who was the Royal standing next to the monarch during Trooping the Colour?
⋙ The Queen: Here's what to expect for the Platinum Jubilee this weekend
⋙ Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: Royal Family to join the public for a record-breaking lunch
