8 times Queen Elizabeth II broke her own protocols and altered royal traditions

From Princess Diana to Meghan Markle, every member of the royal family has defied rules and broken traditions in some way or the other. But there is nothing more surprising and fascinating than the Crown going against the long-standing customs and protocols of the British monarchy. Surely, the Queen must abide by the royal rules and must follow certain mandates, especially when she is representing the country and the royal household abroad or on an official event, but there are times when she did let her guard down and broke the boundaries of traditions when absolutely necessary.

Here are 8 times Queen Elizabeth II broke her own protocols and altered royal traditions.

Photo: Getty images

For a long, long time, the eldest ‘male’ child of the monarch is said to be the next successor of the British throne, irrespective of the fact that he also has an elder female sibling. Retracing her steps back to this long-standing royal succession law of “male primogenitor”, Queen Elizabeth II consented with the Parliament on passing the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which ensured that Princess Charlotte also had a spot in the line of succession.

Throughout the British royal history, there have been debates over whether or not a royal member could marry a Roman Catholic and if he/she married one, will they have the choice of retaining their royal status and their place in the line of succession. The 2013 Act, to which Queen Elizabeth agreed to, allowed royal family members to marry Roman Catholics without hindering their spot in the British line of sucession.

For eons, the British Royal Family has chosen to remain deeply private and recluse. But considering the amount of buzz and attention they receive in the current times, it is only reasonable to give the credit to Queen Elizabeth II. She was the first royal to publicize the royal life to common eye and with the world-wide telecast of her coronation ceremony, she opened the life of the royals to an ever-evolving modern society.

Until 2002, members of the British Royal Family were not allowed to marry divorcees, especially when their ex-spouses were still alive. However, the Church of England started permitting the same in 2002, following which Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles tied the knot. Although Queen Elizabeth II reportedly did not attend the ceremony, she made her point by consenting to Prince Harry’s marriage to divorcee Meghan Markle.

The Queen has also been spotted breaking protocols that revolve strictly around her. One of the most important rule to be followed around the Queen is to never touch her. However, in 2009, not only did Michelle Obama wrap her hands around the Queen, but the Queen herself was seen returning the warmth and embrace.

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II issued new Letters Patent, to ensure all her great grandchildren have titles suitable for a monarch. A ‘Letters Patent’ is a way for the Sovereign to make certain changes and proclamations that does not have to be approved in the parliament. And by issuing the same, she has made it possible for all Prince William’s and Kate’s children to receive the title of an HRH (His/Her Royal Highness).

While it’s unusual and a major defiance of royal protocol, the Queen has seldom expressed her views on various political issues. Often known as “Elizabeth the Silent”, the Queen has gone against that title and although subtle, has raised her concerns about raging political turmoils in the country. In matters of the Scottish referendum, she was surprisingly very vocal when she said, “Well, I hope people will think very carefully about the future.” In the aftermath of which Scotland remained in the UK and David Cameron expressed his disappointment. Even during Brexit, the Queen urged respect and a common ground in situations of disagreements, which seemed very diplomatic but didn’t please many of the politicians.

According to the royal traditions, every Christmas the royal family has to gather at Sandringham, the Queen’s private estate in Norfolk, where they exchange gifts and walk to the church together and spend some quality time. While the occasion is only celebrated within the family and married couples only, during 2017 Christmas, Meghan Markle was invited to the gathering even before she was married to Prince Harry.