Imagine this: It’s 2001, and you’re a Jaguar technician working at the Coventry plant. Today’s assignment? A bomb-proofing upgrade for none other than the Queen’s personal Jaguar XJR—a favorite car she’s already been driving around London. You’re honored and excited. After all, it’s not every day you work on a car for Queen Elizabeth II. The beloved monarch wasn’t only known for her poise, but also for being a fantastic driver with military-grade skills–honed in her WWII service driving ambulances.
With delicate precision, you start disassembling the interior, removing seat panels, inspecting every inch for security. But as you pull off a panel, your heart stops. Staring back at you is a swastika, and in a hidden compartment? A stash of adult magazines. This isn’t just a small glitch in the job—this is a royal screw-up of the highest order.
A bizarre royal discovery
Queen Elizabeth’s Jaguar XJR was supposed to be a shining example of British craftsmanship. But in June 2001, it quickly became the center of a scandal. The “loaded” $200,000 car came with more extras than expected. The discovery of a swastika behind a seat panel and a cache of pornography in a sealed compartment threw Jaguar into a public relations nightmare.
Jaguar, which had ironically been given the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade just the year before, was caught flat-footed. Their response? Immediate apologies. “Jaguar Cars is conducting our own thorough internal investigation,” a company spokesperson told the New York Post, making it clear that heads were going to roll over this. Looks like this cat doesn’t always land on its feet.
A tradition with a twist
The factory-floor foul-up didn’t come completely out of nowhere. There’s a longstanding tradition at the Coventry plant where workers leave hidden messages or objects behind seat panels—typically harmless or humorous. This time, however, these “prizes” weren’t just inappropriate—they were offensive.
One Jaguar employee explained the situation to The Guardian, saying, “It is one of those old traditions where people used to write things behind the seat panel of cars, and they were never discovered unless there was an accident. But, on this occasion, it was not very funny.”
For the royal family, the tradition clearly hit a nerve. Buckingham Palace wasn’t exactly purring with excitement over the discovery. But in classic royal fashion, they maintained composure. When asked for a comment the queen’s spokeswoman said, “It is a matter for Jaguar,” gracefully distancing the palace from the mess.
Heads roll at Jaguar
The aftermath was swift. At least one employee resigned over the incident, with more resignations speculated as Jaguar rushed to repair not only the car but its reputation. Jaguar didn’t offer much in the way of public speculation. Luckily the disgraced company always seems to have another life.
A factory worker, interviewed by the Chicago Tribune, reflected on the situation, saying, “The chaps go to an awful lot of trouble to do the car. They’re there all day; what else have they got to do?”
A queen not easily shaken–or stirred
Despite the bizarre discovery, Queen Elizabeth II’s legendary composure likely remained intact. Known for her iron will and unshakable resolve, this is the same woman who once terrified the crown prince of Saudi Arabia by taking the wheel of a Land Rover and speeding him around her Scottish estate. The Queen would later recount how the prince, not used to women driving, was a “quivering wreck” by the end of their little ride.
In light of this scandal, we can imagine that Her Majesty’s reaction might have been just as stoic. After all, nothing really seemed to faze the late Queen—not even a scandalous secret stashed inside her prized Jaguar.
Conclusion: an uncorroded legacy, even if her Jaguar was
In the end, this scandal-ridden Jaguar XJR will go down in history as the royal ride that came with a few too many unwanted extras. But even a car stuffed with symbols of hate and adult magazines couldn’t tarnish Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy. Her reign—and her reputation for grace under pressure—remained unshaken.
As one of the greatest monarchs in British history, her memory endures, as does her unflappable poise, whether navigating public scandals or the narrow roads of Balmoral. One thing’s for sure—no matter how many gremlins were hiding in her Jaguar’s panels, the late Queen always drove her legacy forward, never backward.
