The royal protocol is one of the things that truly distinguishes the British royal family from other
celebrities. No matter whether you’re Queen Elizabeth or a young Prince George, there will always be strict rules and restrictions that govern your every move – especially in public.
But rules, much like protocols, are meant to be broken. And of course, there's no better person to break them than the Queen herself. It proves that she, like many of us, also likes to be a little disobedient from time to time, and also likes to let her hair down, so to speak.
#1 She let Charlotte be called a princess
Source: MEGA/Mega Agency/East News
Before Princess Charlotte was born, only the firstborn boy could be called a Prince. But that changed in 2012 when the Queen allowed Princess Charlotte to be called a Princess and to be in the succession line to the throne.
#2 She allowed her son to marry a divorced woman
Source: EAST NEWS
In 2005, the queen gave Prince Charles and Camilla consent for the wedding. This was one of the few times a royal family member married a divorcé whose ex was still alive. Prince Charles' son followed suit a few years later and was approved as well.
#3 She was the first royal to meet her subjects personally
Source: AFP/EAST NEWS
We often see the Queen greeting her subjects. Historically, this hasn't always been the case. It wasn't until the 70s that the Queen decided to shake things up and started to say hello to the public. This was also when the famous walkabout was born.
#4 She allowed her sister's wedding to be televised
Source: EAST NEWS
Royal weddings today are a worldwide event. Back in the day, they were a rare sight to behold. To make the royal family seem more approachable to the public, the Queen broke all the rules and allowed her sister's wedding to be televised in 1960, to 300 million viewers.
#5 She attends the funeral
Source: James Whatling/Mega Agency/East News
The Queen at funerals was a rare sight. The reason for this was that she simply doesn't want the focus to be on her during hard times. She broke the rule when she attended a few funerals, including Margaret Thatcher's and her nanny's.
#6 She let Kate and William invite their friends to their wedding
Source: MCPIX/EAST NEWS
While the protocol says that in a royal wedding, the bride and groom have to invite people as a formal and political gesture, back in 2011 the Queen herself encouraged Prince William and Kate to prioritize inviting their friends first.
#7 She invited unmarried Meghan Markle to stay for Christmas
Source: AFP/EAST NEWS
In 2017, Meghan Markle was still Prince Harry’s fiancée when she was invited to spend her first Christmas with the Queen. This was an unprecedented request because, traditionally, it was only after the wedding that a spouse was allowed to attend the royal Christmas.
#8 She joined the military
Source: Tim Graham / gettyimages
Queen Elizabeth II is the first female royal member to break the “all man” rule in the military. Back in 1945, then as a Princess, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a subaltern. She was a mechanic.
#9 She gave an autograph to a fan
Source: J A Hampton / gettyimages
During her visit to Malaysia, Queen Elizabeth II broke protocol by autographing the ball of a young Manchester United fan. Due to security reasons and to avoid their signatures being forged, she and the whole royal family can’t give autographs.
#10 She accepts flowers from fans
Source: J A Hampton / gettyimages
It may seem like a polite gesture, but the Queen can’t receive flowers as a gift. However, this protocol didn’t stop her from accepting several bouquets. In 2019, a blogger attended the Queen’s garden party and managed to gift her Royal Highness with a bouquet.
#11 She touched up her makeup in public
Source: David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Even though the royals often have to attend multiple events for long hours, they not supposed to touch up their make-up in public. But that didn’t stop Queen Elizabeth II from applying more lipstick., as she was caught on camera at the Windsor Horse Show (1985) doing so.