Opening ceremony skydiving Queen revealed to be a man

LONDON - One of the highlights of Friday's ceremony was a filmed segment in which James Bond met the Queen Elizabeth II and the pair boarded a helicopter, supposedly en-route to the Olympic Stadium.

The 'Queen' then donned a parachute and leapt out of the helicopter to float down to the stadium. While viewers were amazed that the real Queen had participated at the start of the sketch, obviously the 86-year-old monarch didn't jump into the sky.

The man who played the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday was stuntman, Gary Connery, who was wearing the same outfit as the Queen.

A veteran skydiver, a former army officer, the 42-year-old has made over 1,000 jumps from planes and helicopters and recently became the first person to jump from a helicopter wearing just a special 'wingsuit.'

However, he explained that his leap on Friday night is the one he will remember the most.

"I think this one is probably unsurpassable. It will hang in my memory until I become senile and can't remember it any more. What an occasion, what a thing to be involved in, absolutely stunning," he said.

Meanwhile the Queen visited the Olympic Park during the first day of competition this Saturday, while a statement issued by Buckingham Palace said she had been, "delighted to be asked to be involved in something so exceptional."

The segments involving the Queen were filmed in Buckingham Palace during March and April earlier this year.

A performer playing the role of Britain's Queen Elizabeth parachutes from a helicopter during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.[Photo/Xinhua]