to think the queen could make a bit more effort?

[twofingerstoGideon]

... sitting there looking so bored and grumpy last night. Even when the UK team did their parade she looked completely unenthusiastic. Make an effort, woman! We pay you enough.

Miserable moo, I thought.

I don't care if she wasn't into it (although ANYONE who didn't find at least some of that ceremony moving/funny/sweet/beautiful has a problem). It's her fecking JOB to pretend to be interested in all the things she has to attend.

I felt a flicker of liking for the old mare when I saw the Bond skit, but it was pretty much extinguished by her grumpy mush every time the camera was on her.

she is too old I think, she did look miserable but she is 100000 years old!

My grandmother used to have exactly the same question when she was winning at cards, or watching cricket. It generally meant she was paying attention.

Expression! Not question.

Leave her alone, YABCOMPLETELY U.

She is way to old to have any expectations of her, quite frankly she is doing very well not to be shaking her head and walking stick and muttering it was different in my day. Grumpiness and old age go hand in hand.

She is in her 80s must hv been very tired
Older people dont smile as often
It was very loud
Was vhaotic

The poor old dear has been touring the country for her jubilee celebrations, I'm surprised she stayed awake i didn't

But she managed to look alert and, at times, even as if she was enjoying, the Jubilee stuff.

I think she could have at least put her game face on when the British contingent came into the stadium ? she (or her people) MUST have known that the cameras were likely to be on her at that point.

Poor show, your Maj.

She is 86 and has had an incredibly busy few months that many half her age wouldn't cope with.

She doesn't get paid for being Queen. She was born to it. She believes she cannot 'retire' - she signed up for life, and cannot abdicate. She works on her 'red boxes' every single day - even when 'on holiday'. So maybe she doesn't have to queue for a bus or do the washing up, but she doesn't have it all easy.

I was amazed she agreed to the James Bond sketch, but thought it was fantastic. I thought the ceremony was brilliant, but my 86 year old Mum didn't relate to a lot of it. And the athletes went on and on.

And she's allowed to relax her facial muscles from time to time!!! And it was very mean of the BBC to show close-ups that were unflattering.

Ladyclarice and anybody else - the GB team were NOWHERE NEAR the Queen when the BBC decided to show that shot. That's the trouble with multi-camera television, it's a mish mash of disparate images thrown together to give the illusion of real life. As I've said before Yemen may have been passing when we were shown that shot. When the GB team were passing the Queen we didn't see her face because we were being shown something else. Out of 4 hours how many nano-seconds did we see the Queen for? She may have been dancing in the aisles for 3 hours but we weren't to know.

LeeCoakley Those criticising don't actually want to acknowledge the point because they want an excuse to slag off the Queen.

Jeez, people, don't let the facts stand in the way of you all having a crack at someone.

You're right Kate. For some reason this thread is annoying me.

I agree - but I think the ire should instead be directed toward whichever BBC producer decided to cut to that shot of the Queen - they must have had her on permanent feed, why pick that shot? Unless to show her up in a bad light? Bastards.

I didn't say they were passing the Queen while she was examining her fingernails; I said 'when they came into the stadium'. I'm sure she or her people could have managed to have tabs on when they would come in so that she could arrange her face into an expression of enthusiasm.

Although I do wonder if whoever called for that particular camera shot was doing it on purpose ...

Nutmeg, I'm not sure what 'facts' you mean.

But Yemen would have thought she was getting animated about them....

Would've been a nice little kick for Yemen, in that case. Yemen think the Queen is smiling at them, TV audience thinks the Queen is excited about her own country's fecking Olympics (as she should be). Everyone wins!

"I didn't say they were passing the Queen while she was examining her fingernails; I said 'when they came into the stadium'."

Christ do you know how big that stadium is? She probably couldn't even see them when they came into the stadium...

I love this idea that the Queen's 'people' are permanently on hand to tell her what expression to wear.

Leave her alone fgs. I slept from Barbados through to Yemen.

Yes, I do know how big the stadium is, thanks.

What I meant was that it was pretty obvious that as the team came in, and the commentators said 'Here come Team GB', the telly cameras would cut to the Queen. She ought to have been prepared accordingly, with a well-timed nudge from whoever was 'wrangling' her.

An earlier poster was right. Athletes entered on the opposite side walking past where the queen was sat last of all. I know as I was in the rehearsal. The cameras shouldn't have cut to her at that time but should have awaited no doubt some beeboid with an axe to grind thought they'd have a laugh catching her off guard. But she is only human.

Dear God she's only human. My DM is 10 years younger than the Queen is in a home with dementia. My Dad is a similar age and is almost immobile. Give Her Maj a break!