5 Times Queen Elizabeth Broke Royal Protocol For Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton

Queen Elizabeth II broke the royal protocol for Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, Prince William and more.

The Queen sometimes breaks the royal protocol. Here are some moments when the monarch didn’t follow her own rules.

Allowed Markle to spend Christmas with them

The Duchess of Sussex is the first royal fiancée that was allowed to spend Christmas with the royals. Middleton didn’t enjoy the same honor because she waited until after Prince William married her to join the members of the Firm for the holidays. According to an insider, the Queen couldn’t say “no” to Prince Harry when he asked his grandmother to have his fiancée with them on Christmas.

Allowed Middleton to take photos in Balmoral

According to Katie Nicholl, the royal “went out of her way” to make the Duchess of Cambridge feel welcome during her first trip to Balmoral in 2009. The Duchess of Cambridge loves photography and the Queen gave her permission to take photos at Balmoral which is a true gift for a photographer with its turreted and Gothic-inspired architecture.

Allowed Prince William and Middleton to choose their wedding guests

According to Marcia Moody, Prince William and Middleton were presented with a guest list of hundreds of people with important connections to the royal family. However, the Queen reportedly told Prince William to “tear up the list” and invite his friends and start from there.

She embraced Michelle Obama

According to the former first lady of the United State in her memoir “Becoming,” the Queen hugged her when they met in 2009. Barack Obama’s wife admitted that she was surprised when she met the Queen and found her to be less formal that she assumed.

“If I hadn't done the proper thing at Buckingham Palace, I had at least done the human thing,” Obama wrote. “I daresay the Queen was okay with it, too, because when I touched her, she only pulled closer, resting a gloved hand lightly on the small of my back.”

She sat beside Michelle

According to Obama during their first meeting with the monarch, they were briefed on their seating plan. She was instructed to sit in the front next to Prince Philip. The Queen and the former president, Barack, would sit in the back seat. However, when they met, the Queen gestured Michelle to join her in the backseat.

Obama said she froze because she wasn’t prepared how to react. She didn’t know what was more polite to do, to agree with the Queen or insist that her husband take his proper seat beside the monarch. Good thing the Queen immediately picked up her hesitations and waved her hand to dismiss all the fuss.

“That’s rubbish. Sit wherever you want,” the Queen said.