Why Queen Elizabeth "Couldn't" Give Fan Her Autograph While So Many People Were "Watching"

Queen Elizabeth II was known for many things, from trolling American tourists at Balmoral to doing the conga in Buckingham Palace. And according to a famous sportsperson who met the late monarch in the '70s, Elizabeth was incredibly witty and full of surprises.

Australian cricket player Dennis Lillee recalled meeting Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. Writing in his biography Menace, Lillee revealed that he asked the British monarch for her autograph, a request she immediately denied. According to Lillee, the late Queen said she "couldn't do it in front of all the people at the ground and watching on television because she would be stopped and asked wherever she went," via the Express.

As for why Lillee requested Elizabeth's autograph—in spite of it breaking royal protocol—the cricket player wrote in his book, "I asked because she was the ultimate hero to me, she was 'our' Queen. I had thought about it and took something out for her to sign. I understood her explanation and forgot all about it until a week or so [later]."

Writing in Menace, Lillee shared the special surprise Queen Elizabeth arranged for him in lieu of an autograph. "An aide-de-camp from the palace got in touch and asked me for my address as The Queen wanted to send me a signed photograph," he explained. "You could have picked me up off the floor and the picture takes pride of place in my house, the only memorabilia displayed apart from a few things in my office."

Lillee continued, "It's a picture of me being introduced to The Queen at the very moment I was asking for her autograph, and it's signed 'Elizabeth R, 1977.'" Describing how he felt about the incident, the sportsperson wrote, "You can imagine how chuffed I was. I had probably embarrassed her and all the cricket officials but, at the time, I could not see the reason not to ask."