Queen Elizabeth II 'Moving With The Times' If She Breaks This Rule

Fans of Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family know that they have an affinity for paying close attention to rules and protocol. Due to the importance that they place on tradition, some people are wondering how Her Majesty will handle British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's annual trip to Balmoral this year as some are speculating that he may want to bring his girlfriend, Carrie Symonds.

According to Express, quite a few believe that the monarch will break protocol and additionally extend an invitation to Johnson's girlfriend as well. This would mark a somewhat surprising turn of events as the Queen hasn't hosted unmarried couples at her Aberdeenshire, Scotland, residence in the past, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

However, Carrie's chances at being formally invited may be comprised due to an additional factor as well, which is that not only are they unmarried but also that Johnson is still married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler. As Queen Elizabeth highly values tradition, it remains unseen how this will affect her decision to invite the Prime Minister's girlfriend.

READ: Queen Elizabeth II Breaks 'Sacred Rule' Due To 'Exasperation And Frustration'

In fact, the mystery surrounding the Queen's potential invitation is so widely discussed that many royal fans are placing bets on the matter.

"One of the most popular bets this week is whether Carrie Symonds will stay at Balmoral and break royal protocol, odds have shortened on this," stated Be My Bet.

A spokesperson for the site told Express that the current odds suggest that the Queen may be "moving with the times by breaking royal protocol and letting unmarried Carrie stay overnight in Balmoral," adding that since the ban even affected her own grandson, Harry, and Meghan during Christmas 2017, it would come as surprise.

There are still those who don't believe she will allow it, though, such as royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, who tweeted last month, "When Boris goes to Balmoral I’m sure the Queen would welcome Carrie if he took her despite the lack of precedent. I strongly doubt he will as this would lead to controversy & more publicity about his private life." Fitzwilliam's tweet can be seen below.

If Queen Elizabeth does, in fact, break protocol for the Prime Minister and his girlfriend, it would not be the first time she has done so. She has also bent the rules for former first lady Michelle Obama and Duchess Kate Middleton as well.