Theatregoers were stunned on Monday night when Her Majesty the Queen attended a theatre production in London's West End with husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, but minus the pomp and fanfare.

Discreetly and apologetically the Queen ushered into the New London Theatre to see the production War Horse, set during World War One.

There was no obvious sign of ever-present security but then it is also rare for Her Majesty to attend so-called private visits. Buckingham Palace confirmed that the most recent such visit was in 2006 for theatre production of Billy Elliot, and that the Queen sometimes does things low-profile so that she can live a life more akin to her subjects.