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The Queen uses a clever hack to remember everyone she's awarding with a title

5 September 2019, 11:44 | Updated: 5 December 2019, 16:44

The Queen has a lot of people to meet as she hands out the honours. Picture: Getty

By Alice Dear

@According2Al

At the ripe age of 93, Queen Elizabeth II isn’t expected to know everyone off by heart.

Twice a year, Her Majesty gives out Honours to a number of people in recognition of their merit, service or bravery.

The first list of honours is announced in the New Year, and the other on the Queen’s official birthday.

Some of these honours are given in a ceremony with Her Majesty, where the Queen gets the opportunity to meet the recipients.

The Queen is said to use the hack to remember each person. Picture: Getty

However, that is an awful lot of people for the Queen to remember, and so the monarch uses a two word hack to help her communicate better with those people she meets.

Author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, was awarded with a CBE this year, and has now shared the trick the Queen uses to remember those she is honouring.

She explained: “I was told the Queen goes through the potted biographies with a yellow marker and just two words get highlighted.

“So when you get called up, the equerry shows her the words.

Author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, was awarded with a CBE this year, and has now shared the trick the Queen uses to remember those she is honouring. Picture: Getty

"I did my little curtsey and she said ‘Oh, so you're a writer... you're very popular...’

“I went off thinking 'writer/ popular...' those must have been my two words."

Julia went on to add her admiration for the Queen, and mentioned how she does this with around 75 people every session, where she is on her feet the entire time.