Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-serving monarch in British history. During her 70-year reign, Her Majesty was known to be a rule follower. However, there were a few rare occasions when the queen broke protocol, but she always had a good reason for it. One of those times included visiting a family member in the hospital.
The Queen Visited Her Daughter-In-Law
Back in 2003, Queen Elizabeth II broke one of the rules that the royal family abides by when she visited Sophie, the Countess of Wessex in the hospital.
Sophie had just given birth to her eldest daughter, Lady Louise Windsor. However, the birth did not go as planned, so the queen bent the rule against visiting the hospital to be there for her daughter-in-law.
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As Hello Magazine reported, “It was a worrying time, as the new mother had a traumatic birth, needing an emergency cesarean a month before her due date, with fears that she might not survive.”
The queen showed grace and compassion to the Countess of Wessex during this time. It must have been an alarming birth because the mother and child had to be separated after Louise was born. The baby was taken to St. George’s Hospital in London in order to receive specialist care. Thankfully, the baby received the care she needed. Louise, now 18, is currently attending college at St. Andrews University.
The Royal Rebel
This understandable breach of protocol was not the last time Queen Elizabeth would be a royal rebel. In fact, her majesty broke the rules several times during her 70-year rule.
When Michelle Obama met Her Majesty in 2009, Obama broke tradition by wrapping her arm around the queen. This was a big deal, as one of the more well-known rules employed when meeting royalty is not to touch them. However, Queen Elizabeth responded by placing her hand on Obama’s back in return.
As the queen’s senior dressmaker Angela Kelly wrote in her book about the encounter, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser, and the Wardrobe, “In reality, it was a natural instinct for the Queen to show affection and respect for another great woman, and really there is no protocol that must be adhered to.”
The queen also broke the rules every Christmas. The Sandringham House dining room is off-limits to anyone who is not part of the royal family. However, each year, the queen invited the royal chef to enjoy a drink with the family before the meal began.
While Queen Elizabeth II was certainly a rule follower in most circumstances, she had a talent for finding valid exceptions to some protocols. On certain occasions, she was happy to be the royal rebel.
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