5 Times Celebrities Totally Strayed From Protocol When Meeting the Royal Family

The royal family is known for its strict protocol, and while royals themselves are expected to follow these rules, everyone around them is required to do the same. These regulations are not easy to follow, and no one is exempt from them. Not even an A-list celebrity or a politician. Over the years, however, several stars have ended up breaking a few royal protocols here and there. So, who were they, and which rules did they break?

The first in the list is the very famous Tom Hiddleston. The Marvel actor met Queen Camilla back in 2016 and broke a major royal protocol by hugging her. While there was a lot of chatter around his action, the Clarence House defended the actor and, in a conversation with People, added, "I think she quite enjoyed it!" They described the meeting as a “warm moment" and added that the duo "got on very well and had a very nice chat together."

Next in the list is ace actress Allison Janney. She met Prince William and Princess Kate during the 2018 BAFTA Film Awards, and she made not one but two blunders. Janney was not only barefoot but also called Kate by a nickname. On The Late Late Show, she shared, "I just told her that I was in bare feet and...she should take her shoes off 'cause she's pregnant. It was an awkward moment. As I did, I called her 'honey' and that might not have been royal etiquette."

While the former US President Barack Obama was previously critiqued over his casual interaction with the late Queen, his wife was also no exception to the criticism. Michelle Obama, in her memoir, Becoming, added that while travelling with the Queen, she laid one hand affectionately across Her Majesty’s shoulder, which is not allowed. "I then did what's instinctive to me anytime I feel connected to a new person, which is to express my feelings outwardly,” she explained in her book.

Well, when the Queen of fashion, Anna Wintour, met the Queen of the UK, some rules went out the window. As per royal etiquette, one can’t wear sunglasses in front of the royal and should remove them, but Wintour did no such thing. At Richard Quinn's 2018 fashion show, the two sat next to each other with Wintour wearing her shades. "Ms. Wintour should know that to wear sunglasses when talking to another person, with no medical reason, is unacceptable," shared Grant Harrold with the Press Association.

Back in 2016, during the shoot of Suicide Squad, Cara Delevingne dared Margot Robbie to prank-call Prince Harry. Although high-stakes, Robbie reluctantly accepted it. Talking about it later to The Sun, Robbie detailed, "I said, 'We can't prank-call royalty,' but anyway we did, and he was so cool with it."