A drily witty British euphemism for being in prison — specifically playing on the idea that the monarch is technically responsible for the nation's jails, so prisoners are ironically her 'guests.' The phrase dates from the era of Queen Elizabeth II (and before her, George VI's 'guest of His Majesty') and encapsulates British dark humour at its best: treating incarceration with mock-regal politeness. Post-Elizabeth, the equivalent would be 'guest of His Majesty.' Still widely understood and used in British comedy, crime writing, and everyday speech.
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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He spent two years as a guest of Her Majesty after that ill-advised business venture turned out to be entirely illegal.
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(UK, informal) A prisoner.
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