PA•GETTY The Queen with Mohammed bin Salman

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The prince paid Her Majesty a visit to kick off his controversial three-day visit to London, which will also see him have dinner with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge. A picture from inside Buckingham Palace showed the crown prince towering over the Queen, who looked delighted to see him for a private audience ahead of a luncheon with the Duke of York. However, the prince was likely to be spared a glimpse of the Queen’s driving skills. During a visit by King Abdullah in 1998, the Queen got behind the wheel and took him for a hair-raising spin, showing off talents she learned as a military truck driver.

A memoir by British diplomat Sir Shepard Cowper-Coles recalled: “After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would like a tour of the estate. “Prompted by his foreign minister the urbane Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah had agreed. The royal Land Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. “As instructed, the Crown Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, his interpreter in the seat behind. “To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off.

PA Mohammed bin Salman is on a three-day visit

“Women are not — yet — allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen. “Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead.” This week’s visit is likely to be be met by huge protests on the streets over Saudi Arabia's role in the bloody civil war in Yemen. The issue was raised twice by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday lunchtime, when he urged Theresa May to push the crown prince on securing a political resolution to the crisis during her own private meeting with the 32-year-old prince.

GETTY The Queen shows off her driving skills

GETTY The Queen picked up driving skills in the military