Ever since he took on the role of the ever-cool and covert spy James Bond in the James Bond films, Daniel Craig has been a well-known figure around the globe. The first time he played James Bond was in the film “Casino Royale,” which was released in 2006, and he went on to star in four more films in the series, the most recent of which was “No Time to Die,” which was released in 2021. He surprised his fans when he revealed that “No Time to Die” would be his final outing in the role of the MI6 agent. He was the only James Bond that the younger generation had ever known, and they had grown up with him. Even though Craig is a skilled actor with a remarkable range, he will surely be irrevocably associated to the part for many more years to come. This is because many people see him as the definitive James Bond.

And not without good cause either. Both economic success and critical praise attended Craig’s performance as the dashing spy. According to Richard Brody of The New Yorker, Daniel Craig brought “a distinctive affect to Bond — clenched, airtight, impenetrable, and abraded.” Justin Chang of NPR wrote that “Craig put his imprint on the character from the get-go: Like any good 007, he showed he could rock a tuxedo and toss off double entendres with ease.”

It is difficult to conceptualize how the Bond series might continue without Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond given how iconic his performance has become. An emotional goodbye address was given by Daniel Craig as the shooting of his last film came to a close. In the speech, he noted, “A lot of people here worked on five films with me.” I’m aware that a lot of things have been written about what I think of these movies, but I’ve enjoyed every single second of them. And particularly this one because I’ve gotten out of bed every morning, and I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with you all. That is without a doubt one of the most humbling experiences of my whole life.

One of Daniel Craig’s most notable cameos as James Bond, though, wasn’t even in any of the movies that he was in at the time.

Back in 2012, Daniel Craig donned the James Bond getup for an appearance in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. The ceremony, titled Isles of Wonder, was directed by Danny Boyle, the famous British director who is best known for directing “Slumdog Millionaire.” Craig’s performance was well received. In the short film “Happy and Glorious,” which he featured in, he played James Bond and made an appearance at Buckingham Palace. There, he came face to face with Queen Elizabeth II, who said “Good evening, Mr. Bond” to him before the spy accompanied Her Majesty to a helicopter that was waiting for her. The scene then abruptly cuts to real-time, when a helicopter can be seen flying over the Olympic Stadium, which is where the ceremony is taking place. After then, stuntpeople portraying the roles of James Bond and the queen leapt out of the chopper. The genuine Craig and Elizabeth both materialized on the ground below.

The piece received much applause, especially for the queen’s appearance, which revealed a more lighthearted and carefree side of her personality than is often shown in public. However, her participation in the production caused the producers to be exceedingly perplexed and confused. But there was no reason for them to be.

Angela Kelly, the queen’s seamstress and a friend, said in 2019 that it took the monarch just five minutes to consent to act in the short film. The queen also asked to have a speaking line, according to Kelly, who added that the revelation came in 2019.

“I raced upstairs, and to my good fortune, the queen was available. The suggestion made her laugh out loud, and she gave her approval of it right away. “I asked if she would want a speaking role,” Kelly said in her book “The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe,” as reported by Express. “I asked if she would prefer a speaking part.”

“I asked whether she would want to say, ‘Good evening, James,’ or ‘Good evening, Mr. Bond,’ and she selected the latter, knowing the Bond flicks,” she continued. “I asked whether she would like to say ‘Good evening, James,’ or ‘Good evening, Mr. Bond,’ and she chose the

However, the Olympic segment would not be the last time that Craig would interact with the royal family.

At a ceremony held at Windsor Castle on October 18, 2022, Princess Anne elevated Craig to the rank of Companion in the Order of St. Michael and St. George. In typical James Bond fashion, the royal palace tweeted a photograph of the Bond actor receiving the award from the princess royal with a statement that began, “We’ve been awaiting you…” The photo was sent to the palace’s official Twitter account. It was then noted that the distinction Craig earned was the same honor held by his character James Bond, in appreciation of his extraordinary contribution to cinema and theater.

This was not the first time that Craig has attempted to replicate James Bond’s techniques. The actor was given the honorary rank of Commander in the Royal Navy in September of 2021, which corresponds to the one that James Bond has in the films. The following is what the Royal Navy stated in a statement:

The nomination of Commander Craig as an honorary officer indicates his personal support for the United Kingdom Armed Forces and ties it with the legacy that was produced via the guise of the fictitious British secret agent.

The award that Princess Anne bestowed upon Craig, in the meanwhile, was greeted with a variety of reactions from the general people. One said:

“In these modern times, they are being handed out like smarties, which renders them useless.”

“People complain about actors, musicians, and sports people getting recognition, but we watch, listen to them, and support them,” read one of the tweets. “Imagine the world without theater, TV, sporting events, music, and books; it would be like sailing in a wooden ship taking 15 days to get to the United States,” read another tweet.

However, there was one reaction that, in just a few succinct lines, managed to convey the pathos of the occasion.

“Alas, if only Her Majesty the Queen were here to accept it!” How appropriate.”