11 Times Queen Elizabeth Broke Royal Protocol and Proved She Can Be a Rebel Too

It’s no secret that the royal family has a long list of strict protocols, but there’s no better person to break them than the Queen herself. It doesn’t matter if it’s just giving autographs or changing century-old rules, Queen Elizabeth II is as human as any of us and she also likes a little disobedience every once in a while.

Bright Side gathered some of these moments and we’re sure you will like Queen Lilibet even more after reading them.

1. She touched up her makeup in public.

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 doing so, as she was caught on camera at the Windsor Horse Show (1985) applying more lipstick.

2. She accepts flowers from fans.

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 during her events. In 2019, a blogger attended the Queen’s garden party and managed to gift her Royal Highness with a bouquet.

3. She gave an autograph to a fan.

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.

4. She joined the military.

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.

5. She invited unmarried Meghan Markle to stay for Christmas.

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.

6. She let Kate and William invite their friends to their wedding.

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 attends funerals.

It’s very rare to see Queen Elizabeth II attending funerals, and this protocol has a deep meaning behind it: she simply doesn’t want the focus to be on her during this hard time. But she broke this rule and attended a few funerals during her reign, including her nanny’s and Margaret Thatcher’s.

8. She allowed her sister’s wedding to be televised.

Royal weddings can be a worldwide event today, but back in the day they were a rare sight. To make the royal family more approachable and closer to the public, Queen Elizabeth II broke all the rules and allowed her sister’s wedding to be televised in 1960. It was watched by 300 million people.

9. She was the first royal to meet her subjects personally.

We often see the Queen greeting her subjects, but it wasn’t always like that. In fact, it was only back in the ’70s that Queen Elizabeth II decided to shake things up and started to say hello personally to the public. That’s when the famous royal walkabout was born.

10. She allowed her son to marry a divorced woman.

Even though Prince Charles and Camilla had years of history together, it wasn’t until 2005 that the Queen gave her consent for the wedding. This was one of the few times a royal family member married a divorced person whose ex-spouse was still living. Prince Charles’ son did the same thing a few years later, with approval.

11. She let Charlotte be called a Princess.

Before Princess Charlotte was born, only the first-born boy could have been called a Prince. But in 2012 the Queen signed a Letters Patent that allowed not only Princess Charlotte to be called a Princess, but she also entered in the succession line to the throne.

Who is your favorite royal family member?