Queen's 'wicked' sense of humor revealed by former employee who describes the unlikely utensil she used to prank him

Accounts of the Queen's 'wicked' sense of humor have long since been reported but one of the latest revelations, including a very cheeky prank with a spoon, shows just how funny she was.

• The Queen's 'wicked' sense of humor described by her former postmaster, who worked for her for 19 years.
• Discussing a particularly funny incident, including a spoon, he details a side of the Queen few people saw.
• In other royal news, Prince William's 'admiration' of Carole Middleton as he 'confides in her' as mother figure.

It's not the first time the Queen proved she's not 'all stiff upper lip' in her lifetime and as time passes, more and more tales of the Queen's wicked sense of humor have been revealed.

Mick Delaney, who spent 19 years working at Buckingham Palace, spoke to the Irish Mirror about his time working in the royal household likening it to Downton Abbey. Sharing his fond memories, especially of Her Majesty being 'great craic.'

After beginning his career aged 16 at Royal Mail, fate stepped in when he was sent to cover someone's sick leave at the Palace. From that shift on, Mick stayed working at the royal residences, was promoted through the ranks, and ended up as court Postmaster with responsibility for all of the telecommunications and postal services in the royal residences.

He pays tribute to how she always asked about his family and remembered their conversations. He also mentioned the Queen's wicked sense of humor - detailing instances that showed her cheeky side. 

"I remember I wasn't wearing my full uniform one of the first days I was working and she enquired who the scary postman was, after seeing my earring and tattoo," he said. "She was always very relaxed and great craic. She would regularly show up at staff parties for a chat."

One particularly funny incident occurred at the Duke of Westminster's country residence and the funny tales he heard there. "It was very much like Downton Abbey in that all the staff were downstairs having tea and talking. The Queen's policeman started to tell us about a game she played with a spoon when she appeared downstairs."

The former postmaster explained, "He said: 'Your Majesty, do you remember that game with the spoon. She smiled and said Yes! 'Would you play it with the Postmaster?'"

Setting the scene, Mick continued, "So she sat on a chair and I had to go around the back of her. I put a spoon in my mouth and hit it off her head. Of course, when you have a spoon in your mouth, there's no power behind it, so it doesn't hurt."

However, when it was his turn to play the game, things weren't quite the same. "Then it was my turn. She walked around me and walloped me over the head with the spoon in her hand," he said. "She, like everyone in the room started laughing and it took me a few seconds to realize that I was after being slapped across the head with a spoon by the Queen."

Though some may have negative things to say about previous employers, especially ones who'd hot them with spoons, Mick was quick to share his praise for his former bosses. "I don't have one bad word to say about the Queen or Prince Philip," he said. "When she died, I got so many texts from my Irish friends that it was like my nana had died."