London Olympics: People Can’t Stop Talking About the Skydiving Queen!

If someone could have told King George VI that his daughter would one day — at the age of 86 — perform a lighthearted stunt where she (fake) would jump out of a helicopter with one of pop culture’s biggest icons, 007, he probably would have responded with something like, “You’re absolutely mad.” But times have changed, and Olympic enthusiasts are still chatting about the Queen’s appearance in the opening ceremonies. Perhaps it was a part of the monarch’s continual effort to appear “hip” and relevant. Or maybe it was for the Queen’s own amusement. In an interview after the event, Her Majesty was most concerned with whether or not the audience thought she was funny. Regardless, it was a successful leadin to an exciting couple of weeks in London.

If you’re wondering who had the honour of playing Queen for the day, it was 42-year-old stuntman Gary Connery. Click through to read more about the skydiver who pulled off the jump and the salmon pink dress.