The Queen has stunned diners at The Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh by making an unofficial visit for a meal and drinks with friends last Friday night.
The group visited after spending the day celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Musselburgh races as part of Holyrood Week by unveiling an honorary statue at the course.
Staff at Scotland’s oldest pub were given only one hour’s notice to prepare for the royal visit and ‘sworn to secrecy’, although the news of her visit was quickly revealed by other revelers.
According to sources, the party ordered two portions of the lamb rump and and a fillet of seabass – along with half a bottle of white wine and a martini.
The Sheep Heid Inn, which claims to be the oldest pub in Scotland, has been running as a public house and selling liquor since 1360.
The pub which is close to Holyrood Palace is no stranger to royal visits, however, as Mary Queen of Scots and King James IV of Scotland were said to stop by for a game of skittles in the courtyard behind the pub.
Other famous figures who have historically stopped by are Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The traditional skittles alley is still a special feature of The Sheeps Heid Inn and is advertised as perfect for society evenings and social gatherings.
Owners of the pub will be ecstatic that they have joined an exclusive club of establishments that the Queen has dined in – as she rarely dines in public.
One shocked diner took to TripAdvisor to show their astonishment at the celebrity guest. RosC17 said:
‘Absolutely amazed when Her Majesty the Queen arrived for dinner with friends and sat at the table next to us! What a lovely lady. Security guys everywhere but so unobtrusive that you hardly notice them.’