Queen 'volunteered' to appear in the spoof James Bond sketch at the 2012 Olympics... and she wanted a speaking part

Mastermind Danny Boyle reveals he was hoping to use Helen Mirren as a double before Queen insisted she would play herself
'They [the Palace] came back and said Her Majesty would like to be in it'

PUBLISHED: 04:08 EST, 23 March 2013 | UPDATED: 07:05 EST, 24 March 2013

Olympic ceremony mastermind Danny Boyle has revealed the Queen actually volunteered to appear in his James Bond sketch.

TV viewers around the world were stunned to see the Queen with 007 actor Daniel Craig in the spoof sequence during the opening ceremony prior to her arrival in the Olympic Stadium.

In an interview with ITV's Jonathan Ross Show to be screened tonight, Boyle revealed he had originally envisaged a lookalike for the film part.

On her majesty's service: Daniel Craig filmed with the Queen at Palace during the spoof film seen by millions around the world

He said Helen Mirren was being lined as a double until the Queen asked to play herself and insisted on a speaking part.

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Director Danny Boyle: He had hoped Helen Mirren would play the Queen during his James Bond spoof

The creative director of the 2012 opening ceremony said: 'It was part of the protocol - you have to bring in the Head of State and sing the National Anthem - and we thought we'd [do] something different so we wrote up this idea of the James Bond idea.

'And we sent it in to them, and we were asking really for permission for them to accept that it wouldn't embarrass them and we'd get a double, a good double, and we were thinking Helen Mirren.

'Who could we ask who's a really good actor?

'They came back and said 'we're delighted for you to do it, and Her Majesty would like to be in it herself' - and the surreal thing, 'she would like to play herself'.'

Mr Boyle, who is promoting his new film Trance, added: 'She said 'what do you want me to do?', and I told her and she said 'fine'.

'So we got in and we started doing it and then she said 'don't you think I should say something?' and I said 'yes, OK, what do you suggest?'.

'She said 'I'll do something' and we started shooting and she turned round and she said her lines beautifully.'

Shaken and stirred: Actor Daniel Craig and the Queen walking thyrough the Palace

Surprise: A stuntman dressed to look like the Queen parachutes to the ground at the Olympic stadium during the ceremony

In the spoof, a stuntman dressed to look like the Queen jumped out of a helicopter and parachuted to the ground at the Olympic stadium.

The interview will be screened on ITV tonight at 9.20pm.

Earlier this week, Boyle declared the feel-good factor that spread across Britain because of London 2012 is dead.

He believes the positive spirit has been crushed by economic gloom.

Mr Boyle said he felt the positive impact of the Games before they started and after they ended.

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I like the Queen very much but a now a little fed up of all the praise for saying a couple of words and walking a few yards for this scene. The olympics should be remembered for more then this

- Lynn , Torquay, 24/3/2013 18:49

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Totally ACE, she is one of the rare ones that one just cannot do anything else but respect.

- John , Lincs, 24/3/2013 18:40

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There will never be anyone quite like our Queen. God Bless her...

- Elinore , England, 24/3/2013 17:42

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She's such an awesome woman.

- Priyanka , New York City, United States, 24/3/2013 17:05

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She has such a cheeky expression in the first pic. Fantastic!