There are lots of factors to be considered when it comes to planning a wedding. How will you get estranged family members in one room? Should children be invited? Who should you make the maid of honour? And most importantly: Where should the Queen sit? As the longest-reigning monarch in British history, the late Queen often made surprise visits to see members of the public. In 2012, the year of the late Queen's Diamond Jubilee, a couple had an extra wedding invite - and mailed it to Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh had been attending a lunch with 200 local volunteers in an adjacent room, and the Queen had asked if she could pop in to congratulate the bride and groom. The Queen and the Duke then spent about five minutes talking to the newlyweds, Frances and John Canning, and even agreed to pose for a few photographs. The delighted bride said: 'It was bizarre that she knew our names. She said: "Hello John, Hello Frances". Around 40 guests watched in amazement as the Queen, Prince Philip, and several royal dignitaries lined up to congratulate the couple. Groom John, from Prestwich, a big fan of the royal family, described the Queen's visit as the 'icing on the cake'. He said: 'She commented on how beautiful Frances looked in her dress and wished us all the best for the future. Businessman John chatted with the Duke while Frances posed with the Queen for a few photos. He added: 'He was lovely man. He even asked where in Italy we were going on our honeymoon.' The couple had booked the town hall for their civil wedding last year and were told they would be sharing the venue with a V.I.P. When they discovered who it was John, jokingly wrote to Buckingham Palace to invite the them to the celebration, but had received a reply politely declining the offer. But the Palace decided to make their dream come true and got in contact with Manchester City Council to arrange the surprise. Frances told the Manchester Evening News: 'We never dreamt we would be able to meet her. 'When we had our ceremony, the staff asked us to wait for a moment in the corridor and just a few minutes later the Queen arrived. 'She knew both our names and apparently we had been especially added to her rota.' During her day in Manchester and Salford the Queen visited four hospitals and toured the BBC's headquarters at MediaCityUK. But that wasn't the only surprise visit the Queen had up her sleeve. In the same year, in front of a global audience of 900million, the late Queen appeared on screen at the Olympics alongside Daniel Craig as 007 and joined him on his latest mission. Boarding a Union Jack chopper, the pair left Buckingham Palace and flew over the capital’s rooftops, before, in spectacular style, parachuting into the newly built Olympic Stadium to the classic twangs of the James Bond theme tune. The late Queen even broke with tradition on occasions, such as during a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, where she took a casual stroll to greet crowds. She was also known for photobombing selfies. While watching nations compete in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Jayde Taylor and Brooke Peris, two Australian hockey squad teammates, got the surprise of their lives when they looked at the selfie they'd just taken. There in the background, dressed in light green with a matching hat was the Queen, photobombing their snap with a sunny smile, which went viral. A few years later, in 2017, the late Queen adopted the same stance when lurking in the background of picture that racegoer Allan Banford snapped at Newbury. The artist was enjoying an afternoon at the Spring Trials fixture when Queen Elizabeth II wandered into the paddock. He said he was too polite to take a picture of her and was attempting to photograph the horses when Her Majesty popped up behind him. And despite favouring a chauffeur or carriage, the Queen was once spotted topping up her Oyster card in London. In 2022 the late Queen made a surprise visit to Paddington Station to officially open the Elizabeth line with Prince Edward - days after cancelling her appearance at the State Opening of Parliament due to 'mobility issues'. She picked up a limited edition Elizabeth line Oyster card. It had already been topped up with five pounds for the Queen, who famously rarely carried cash. A Crossrail worker showed how the ticket machine worked before the monarch asked where passengers could travel to. Unveiling a plaque stating that she had officially opened the Elizabeth line, the monarch spent 10 minutes in the station before leaving in a lift, escorted by her son Edward. The earl then returned to the concourse ahead of a return journey on the railway from Paddington to Tottenham Court Road. Her attendance was not publicly announced in advance, with the head of state facing ongoing mobility problems, but organisers were told there was a possibility she might be able to attend. Queen Elizabeth also delighted school children by turning up at primary and secondary schools, demonstrating her interest in education and the importance of community involvement. She visited Berkhamsted School in 2016 for their 475th anniversary, attending a reception and meeting members of the local community. In November 2019, the Queen visited Aylesford School, landing by helicopter and meeting with students who were reading with residents of the Royal British Legion Village. She also took part in a chemistry lesson at Lister Community School to learn more about The Queen's Trust's support for charities in schools. In her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II proved that community engagement were among her core values. She demonstrated that she did not see herself as superior to the general public, which was evident in her patronage of over 600 charities and organisations.