Oh, The Horror! Times When The Royal Family Broke Protocol
The Royal Family has a long list of rules and traditions that they've been following since coming into power. Some are quite understandable for monarchs, while others are just plain strange. But ever since the "rebellious" Princess Diana first said "I do" to Charles, many of those protocols have been broken.
As we've seen most recently with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from senior royal duties, the family's children continue to push the boundaries. The Queen herself isn't off the hook either as she's broken a few of those rules herself. Here are several times that the Royal Family broke protocol. You'll have to decide for yourself whether these rules are silly or legit!
The One Word Princess Diana Didn't Include In Her Wedding Vows
Princess Diana chose not to "obey" her husband. The long line of royal brides before her had always included the word ''obey'' in their wedding vows, as it was written in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer from 1662. Diana decided to nix that tradition, and instead read lines from the new ritual of the Church of England, which state that she would "love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health.''
The decision was apparently a very serious one and had to be discussed in depth. Years later, William and Kate decided to follow suit and took the outdated line out of their vows as well.
Princess Diana Was A Hands-On Mother
Princess Diana broke royal tradition regarding child-rearing from the moment William was born. She was supposedly the first mother within the Royal Family to breastfeed. In fact, Queen Victoria was quite outspoken that she found breastfeeding to be a disgusting act.
Most royal parents spent months touring the Commonwealth without their children (Queen Elizabeth even left her son during Christmas time). Diana instead made sure to bring along nine-month-old William, and his nanny, with her and Charles on their six-week tour to Australia and New Zealand. This actually helped their image a lot, as many mothers could relate to not wanting to be separated from their babies.
Speech, Speech
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were planning their 2018 wedding, she decided she would break a traditional rule when the big day arrived — she would deliver a speech. But Royal brides have never given a speech at their own wedding.
Rumor has it that Markle wanted to give an "affectionate" toast as a thank you to her new husband and the royal family, complete with a few jokes. It's no surprise, considering she has a history of public speaking. She gave quite a powerful speech at the U.N. Women's conference as an advocate for the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Princess Diana Chose Public Schooling for Her Kids
For centuries, the Royals grew up very separated from their subjects. The Queen was homeschooled in Buckingham Palace with a governess and private tutors and had little chance to socialize with other kids her age.
Diana didn't want this for her children and decided that her kids would be the first royals to attend school. She also did things that no other Royals did, like take her children to the movies, go to amusement parks, and wait in line at Disney World. This enabled them to have shared experiences with their friends.
That's Not On The Menu!
There are even rules as to what types of foods the Royal Family is allowed to indulge in. Shellfish is not one of them. In fact, all members of the Royal Family are banned from eating them while out because they carry too great a risk of food poisoning, and catching such a bug would be a hassle for a Royal's busy schedule.
They are also advised against eating undercooked meat and drinking tap water in other countries for the same reason. Queen Elizabeth II is very strict with this rule, but her son Charles is not, and has been seen eating shellfish in public.
Princess Diana Encouraged Equality and Respect
Since their inception, the Royal Family has held the notion that everyone else was deferential to them. Therefore they had no problem speaking down to someone if they were seated, rather than taking a seat themselves.
Diana was the first member of the Royal Family to ever crouch down when speaking to small children or to take a seat when speaking with someone who had to sit due to an illness. Diana's motto was, "If someone might be nervous of you or you're speaking to a very young child or a sick person, get yourself on their level." Princess Kate is now always seen doing this as well.
They Are Forbidden to Wear Fur, But Have Broken the Rule Numerous Times
There are a number of strict rules when it comes to style within the Monarchy, one of which is that they are forbidden to wear fur. This rule dates back to 1137, when Edward III decreed that no one in the Royal Family or anyone who is a member of the church was allowed to wear fur.
This rule has actually been broken not only by Princess Kate but by the Queen herself. She's been spotted wearing fur coats and hats many times since 1961. The breaking of this particular rule has stirred up a lot of controversies, mainly from animal rights activists.
Princess Diana Broke Protocol With Her Unconventional Ring Choice
Throughout the years, Royal brides-to-be would have their engagement rings custom made to their liking. That was up until Charles proposed to Princess Diana. She chose a ring straight from a Garrard jewelry collection catalog. It was stunning a 12-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds.
Regardless of its decadence and beauty, critics bashed her decision, calling it the “commoner’s sapphire” because it was chosen out of a catalog. Prince William used that same “commoner’s sapphire” when he proposed to Kate Middleton, and she had no problem sliding it right on her finger.
Meghan Broke Protocol To Take a Sweet Photo With a Young Girl Who Looks Just Like Her
While on a walkabout in Sydney, one fan stood out to Prince Harry. Not only was she wearing a shirt that said "Girls Can Do Anything," but Prince Harry noticed the little girl bore a striking resemblance to Meghan. A video of the encounter shows Meghan walking over to the group as some shouts, “We feel she looks a bit like you." The Duchess agrees, and says, “I was literally about to say the same thing. And I love your shirt."
While members of the Royal Family aren't supposed to sign autographs or take photos with fans, Harry had to get a picture of the two together!
The Sensitive Way Prince William Broke Protocol
In 2017, Prince William and Queen Elizabeth visited a crisis center that was treating survivors of a fire that destroyed the North London Grenfell Tower apartment complex, a horrific blaze that left 79 dead. William met a woman who was searching for her husband, who was trapped inside during the fire. She collapsed into his arms and sobbed into his chest as he comforted her, letting her know he would do his best to help her.
While this sounds like just an empathetic and caring act, it goes against royal protocol, which states that male members of the royal family must be greeted with a head bow or nod.
Kate And William Prefer To Travel Together
It is standard royal procedure for anyone in succession to the throne to travel separately from their parents in case of an accident. This way, If something tragic were to happen to one person, their royal lineage would be preserved. Kate and William don't seem to take that practice too seriously, and prefer to travel with their little ones rather than separately.
Prince William has traveled aboard the same plane as his children several times. While the rule isn't an official rule, it is a traditional one that had been followed formally for years.
Dishing Out Hugs
Royals have a distinct "handshakes only" rule when meeting new people. Regardless, this rule has been broken by a number of the current Royal Family members. When visiting Strassenkinder, a charity in Germany that helps kids with disadvantaged backgrounds, Kate hugged a few of the children she met.
When Princes Harry and William got a special tour of the Star Wars: Episode VIII set, they hugged Chewbacca. Yes, you read that correctly. The Queen herself has even broken the rule, giving then-First Lady Michell Obama a "side hug" at Buckingham Palace’s G20 Summit in 2009.
Harry And Meghan Opted Out Of A Post-Birth Hospital Photograph
When Princess Diana and Duchess Catherine had their children, they both presented the newborns publicly within hours of their birth, and Meghan and Harry were expected to do the same. But they had different plans.
Instead of a same-day debut, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan waited two days before introducing their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor to the world on May 8, 2019, in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle.
Living Outside Of The Palace
Since 1837, the British Monarchy has lived in Buckingham Palace. While they have an apartment in the palace, William and Kate haven't really been living in it. Instead, the family spends the majority of their time at their country home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
The estate was a gift from the Queen, but was meant to just be a summer home. The couple has stated they stay there because it was closer to William’s job at the East Anglia Air Ambulance, but it's possible that they also prefer privacy. They did, in fact, move back to London last year, as William left his job to become "full-time royalty."
College Grad
At 13, Prince Charles was sent to a public school in Scotland, much to his mother's dismay, and at 16 was the first royal heir to sit for public examinations. Charles then went to Trinity College in Cambridge and became the first royal in history to have a university degree.
His son William followed in his footsteps and received a degree from the University of St. Andrews (which actually led to an increase of women applying to St Andrews - they wanted to meet him!). His future wife Kate was his flatmate while at school. Could she have been one of the women who enrolled there simply to meet him?
Breaking A Holiday Tradition
It's been a tradition for the Queen and her Royal Family to spend Christmas day at the Sandringham House, the Queen's private country house. From their first Christmas as a couple, Kate and William have been breaking this tradition. The first year William had his in-laws join them at the Sandringham House, for what is usually a "royals only" event.
Two years later they spent Christmas Day alone with their children at their home in Anmer Hall. They are trying to make Christmas more of a family celebration rather than a formal one.
Royals Aren't Supposed to Have "Day Jobs" But They Do Anyway
While the members of the royal family are allowed to volunteer and do charity work, they are not meant to have actual jobs. This rule has been broken by a number of royals. Prince Charles became a businessman when he launched Waitrose and Duchy Organic, a company that produces organic food.
Prince William flew planes for the Royal Air Force search and rescue unit and then became an air ambulance pilot. Princess Beatrice worked at an investment capital firm in London. The daughter of Princess Anne (who has refused to have a title) is both an Olympic equestrian and a designer of equestrian clothing for the brand Musto.
No PDA
While there isn't an "official" rule against public displays of affection, restraining from it has become a family tradition in order to maintain a sense of professionalism. Throughout the the years, Kate and William have stuck true to this tradition. Prince Harry and his then-fiance Meghan Markle immediately broke that rule after announcing their engagement.
This may have inspired his older brother and his wife, as aoon after Kate and William were seen at an event with Kate lovingly holding her hand on William's knee -- something they normally would never do.
No Exes Allowed
Traditionally, the Royal Family has not been allowed to marry divorcees. Princess Margaret had to call off her relationship with Peter Townsend because he was divorced, and Edward VIII had to abdicate his throne so he could marry the twice-divorced Wallis Simpson.
Prince Charles was the first to break this rule when, after he himself divorced, he married fellow divorcee Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. His youngest son is now following suit, as his fiancée, Meghan Markle was previously married to producer Trevor Engelson. Harry was the first one to marry a divorcee in a church wedding, as his father and Camilla's was a civil union.
Rule-Breaking Toddler
Even little Prince George has been known to break a rule of two. When members of the Royal Family meet heads of state of other countries, it's either for a formal photo shoot, which traditionally calls for tailored suits and fitted dresses, or at a banquet, which means crowns and tiaras, ball gowns, sashes, and lots of jewels.
But in 2016, when Prince George met then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, he only wore a dressing gown, which is pretty much just a robe and slippers. President Obama later joked that the meeting was a "clear breach of protocol" and a "slap in the face."
