Sir Paul McCartney has shared a light-hearted and surprising recollection about the late Queen Elizabeth II, revealing that he and his fellow Beatles were quite taken with the young monarch.
Appearing on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, the legendary musician was asked whether there was a famous person he had met who truly left him starstruck. Without hesitation, McCartney named Queen Elizabeth II, describing their encounters over the decades as some of the most memorable of his life.
"The Queen," he said. "And that's an autograph you're not going to get. She's great. I love the Queen."
@goodhangwithamy Dear Buckingham Palace, let us know when you’re free for tea💜 #paulmccartney #thequeen ♬ original sound - Good Hang with Amy Poehler
McCartney, now 84, first became aware of Elizabeth when she ascended to the throne in 1952. At the time, he was just nine years old. By the time he met her in person over a decade later, The Beatles had become one of the most famous bands in the world.
Reflecting on those early years, McCartney admitted that he and his bandmates, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, were captivated by the young Queen.
"She was a babe," he recalled. "We all used to think, 'Wow, this is amazing.' You know, like, having a king, he's got this girl. This babe. So, we kind of liked her in other ways than we shouldn't have liked her."
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His first official meeting with Queen Elizabeth II took place in 1963 alongside his fellow Beatles. The encounter marked the beginning of a relationship that would see the musician cross paths with the monarch on numerous occasions throughout his career.
The pair met again nearly two decades later at London's Royal Albert Hall. In 1996, they reunited when the Queen officially opened the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a project that McCartney had helped establish in his hometown.
One of the most significant moments in their shared history came in 1997, when Queen Elizabeth II knighted McCartney in recognition of his services to music.
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McCartney would later join a host of international stars at the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, performing alongside Elton John, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Ricky Martin.
For McCartney, Queen Elizabeth II was not only a monarch but also a remarkable figure whose presence never lost its ability to impress him, even after a lifetime of extraordinary achievements and encounters.
