The world was shocked to hear about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The longest reigning monarch in the United Kingdom's history, she left an indelible impression in her 70-year reign. And during the second Elizabethan age, no fictional character better summed up the British national psyche than Agent 007 himself, James Bond. The macho super-spy might not seem to have had much in common with the demure queen, but a look at the franchise's history shows her mark on the franchise only grew stronger as the years went on.
When James Bond first debuted in Casino Royale in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II had only been on the throne for less than a year. Bond's creator, Ian Fleming, had served in the British spy establishment under Elizabeth's father, King George VI, and was aware of how the British Empire was changing. In the wake of World War II, decolonization led to most of the empire's oversea territories achieving independence, while the United States and the Soviet Union arose as the two global superpowers. Britain now had a subtler role to play in the world -- one focused more on statecraft than massive force. Elizabeth II led by example with her gracious presence and busy social schedule of deft diplomacy. In his own way, the fictional Bond followed this example by prioritizing the finer things of life, such as mixing martinis and lavish parties, just as much as rough and tumble fisticuffs.
As such, it's not surprising to see Bond pay homage to the only monarch he ever served. Perhaps the most obvious example is the book and adventure titled simply On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In the 1969 film adaptation, when James Bond seemingly leaves MI6 for good, he looks back on souvenirs of his past adventures before finally turning to a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and says a simple "Sorry, ma'am." It gives the effect of him dedicating all his adventures to her, in keeping with the title declaring that all of Bond's romantic adventures are on behalf of her realm. In some ways, Queen Elizabeth II was the ultimate "Bond girl."
If Bond was devoted to Queen Elizabeth II, then it's no surprise she was equally enamored of the character. Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth claimed she enjoyed watching the Bond films with her family, particularly the early ones "before they got too loud." The first James Bond premiere she attended was 1967's You Only Live Twice, but she wouldn't become a regular presence until the 21st century when she appeared at Die Another Day and Casino Royale's premieres. She would also bestow honors on many of the film series cast and crew, including knighthoods for the two Bonds with the most entries, Sean Connery and Roger Moore.
However, the most recent Bond got the chance to team up with the head of state. In one of the most surprising moments of her reign, the Queen and her beloved Corgis teamed up with Daniel Craig's James Bond for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. In a quick video directed by Danny Boyle, Craig's Bond escorted the Queen and her dogs into a helicopter, which flew over London, before the two (seemingly) parachuted into the stadium to mark the Queen's official entrance to the games. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she took an active role in the planning of the video, asking to be in it herself and even suggested she have a line of dialogue.
The seven cinematic James Bonds of her reign may not seem as important as the 16 prime ministers who served under her, but their symbolic importance might be underestimated. The debates around how the aging film franchise can stay relevant mirror the same concerns about the monarchy under King Charles III. While Queen Elizabeth will not be able to continue watching the adventures of her most popular defender, the rest of the world will have to wait and see what further adventures the next Bond will get into.