Jan 25, 2010, 12:03 GMT
Bhutan's Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck was terrified when she first saw a car.
The 59-year-old monarch - who is married to Bhutan's former King Jingme Singye Wangchuck - has revealed she was terrified when she climbed into a vehicle for the first time because many of her neighbours thought the jeep was a dragon.
Reading extracts from her book 'Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan', the royal described her first car journey from Bhutan to India.
She said: "It was a jeep and when we first saw it, it made a huge impression. We couldn't believe it actually moved.
"It was frightening to get into it. Villagers on the way thought it was some sort of fire-breathing dragon and they used to bring grass to feed it when we stopped."
The queen also revealed that she used to be a huge Elvis Presley fan when she was growing up.
She said: "My happiest memory at school was my first Elvis Presley movie. I even remember its name, 'It Happened at the World's Fair'. I thought it was wonderful."
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