This happened to one elderly woman who came across Her Majesty walking into a small village shop in Norfolk.
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The Queen had reportedly been about to take Afternoon Tea at Sandringham when it was discovered there was no cake.
Instead of relying on staff, she walked down to the local village to pick some up.
The royal was wearing normal clothes and a headscarf, and the woman said to her “Good heavens, you look just like the Queen.”
Her Majesty replied with her famous wit saying: “How reassuring.”
She then selected some cake for tea and went on her way.
The story was retold by artist Juliet Pannett who said she heard the story when she was doing a painting at the Balmoral Estate.
It’s not the first time someone hasn’t recognised the Queen.
Former royal protection officer Richard Griffin revealed the Queen once went for a walk near Balmoral in tweeds and a headscarf – and looked so unlike her usual self a group of American tourists failed to recognise her.
Speaking to The Times, Richard said the Queen didn’t want to blow her cover at the time.
She went along with the tourists as they questioned whether she lived in the area, replying that she had a house nearby.
When they asked her if she’d ever met the Queen, Her Maj slyly replied: “No, but this policeman has,” gesturing towards Mr Griffin.
Richard – who worked closely with the monarch for more than 30 years – said the group then moved on, having no idea who they’d just met.
During her trips to Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the Queen famously enjoys a low-profile lifestyle.
She chooses to wear pared-back clothes and wellies, as opposed to the brightly-coloured outfits she’s usually known for.
According to biographer Robert Hardman, Her Majesty purposefully dresses in eye-catching shades during royal engagements.
In his 2011 biography Our Queen, the author described her as “engagingly modest”.
He wrote: “My favourite remark she ever said was: ‘I can’t ever wear beige because nobody will know who I am.'”
It sounds like that’s sometimes exactly what she wants.