Royal Rebellion: When Royals Cast Tradition Aside
Royals spend most of their lives following tradition and protocol as they are taught. Their families and the public have high expectations for them, and they usually oblige.
Every now and again, however, some royals throw caution to the wind and follow their hearts and instincts, while others just get tired of doing what’s right. This is a list of some of the most rebellious — and yet relatable — royals of all time, and most of them are repeat offenders.
Princess Margaret Had a Scandalous Love Life
British royals have quite a few relationship rules. They are not allowed to marry a divorced person, are not to have affairs, and may not get divorced. Princess Margaret broke all three rules. She had an affair with Captain Peter Townsend, who was then married. When he divorced his wife, Margaret asked her sister Queen Elizabeth for permission to wed him.
The monarch of England is also the head of the church, so the Queen could not grant this request. Margaret then married Antony Armstrong-Jones but cheated on and later divorced him.
King Edward VIII Abdicates the Throne
Princess Margaret’s dear Uncle Edward made his own risky moves for love. He fell for Wallis Simpson, and the union was not blessed for many reasons. Not only had she been divorced once before, but she was married again when Edward proposed.
As the monarch is the head of the Church of England, he could not marry a divorcee. Proposing to a married woman didn’t look too good, either. You cannot help who you fall in love with, but leaving his family and rightful position for Wallis turned people quite sour towards him.
King Henry VIII Did It First
Remember King Henry VIII? He made his place in history, most notably by starting his own church. However, he didn’t found it because he felt called to do so. No, he had much less noble intentions.
King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. Since the pope would not grant his request, good ole’ King Henry decided the answer was for him to start his own church with his rules. Perhaps Margaret and Edward aren’ so nontraditional after all.
Japan’s Princess Ayako Married for Love
The British aren’t the only royals with strict rules. Japanese law let royals marry whoever they chose for some time now, but the male royals are the only ones who get to remain royal after marriage to a commoner. Female royals who do so must give up their royal status.
Japan’s Princess Ayako fell in love with Kei Moriya, an employee at a shipping company, and eagerly married him. It seems that love was more important to her than the title she once held. She followed in the footsteps of some royal women before her …
Japan’s Princess Atsuko Married a Farmer
Japanese royal ladies giving up their titles is nothing new. In 1952, Emperor Showa’s daughter Atsuko, Princess Yori, made the bold move to leave her imperial status behind. She had fallen in love with Takamasa Ikeda, a cattle rancher, and chose to marry him. This made her the second daughter of an emperor to make such a choice.
Atsuko remained married until her husband passed in 2012. Even after giving up her status, she served as the most sacred priestess of the Ise Shrine, so it seems she still had a pretty great life.
Princess Anne’s Various Relationships
Princess Anne seemed to have taken after her aunt Margaret as opposed to her mother. She was involved with her future sister-in-law’s future husband Andrew Parker Bowles. She then married a fellow equestrian by the name of Captain Mark Phillips in 1973. Over time, they both had affairs, which lead to a divorce in 1992.
One of the several affairs that Princess Anne reportedly had was with naval officer Timothy Laurence. After news of their relationship leaked, the two married in Scotland as England did not permit people to remarry at that point.
Meghan Markle Follows Her Own Fashion Rules
Whether it is purposeful or just a lack of knowledge of the royal rules, Meghan Markle has broken fashion protocol repeatedly. She carried a tote as opposed to the permitted clutches. Simple and subtle makeup is not her usual style, and she most certainly does not keep her hair covered with a hat or hair net, opting for a messy bun instead.
Meghan wore a sheer dress in her engagement photos — something that had people talking. She’s also worn jeans — ripped jeans, at that — and lip gloss, all of which break tradition.
Cover the Knees, Please
Even the mostly-reserved Kate Middleton has broken a fashion rule or two. Most notably, she wore a yellow dress that exposed her knees — only slightly, mind you — something that the Queen barred royal ladies from doing in public. Princess Eugenie attended Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in a dress that exposed her knees, as well.
Both dresses were still very tasteful, so if this was the worst offense, maybe the Queen decided to overlook it. This is not the first and will undoubtedly not be the last of broken royal fashion traditions.
This Little Guy Is Starting Early
As rigid as the royal ladies’ fashion rules may be, there is one for sons in the royal family that seems a little extreme. The boys are supposed to wear shorts all year long, even when the weather is terribly cold.
Prince George has already broken this rule in a very public manner. He wore pants to Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, making him the youngest-known royal to break a wardrobe tradition. Perhaps Meghan’s more relaxed view on the dress code is rubbing off on the rest of the family.
Prince William Breaks Tradition in Favor of Parenting and Good Food
Due to the fact that Prince William and his son George are the direct heirs to the throne, the two are supposed to travel separately. This way if tragedy should strike one heir, the other could still live on. Prince William, however, has been flying with his son ever since he was born.
Eating sushi when dining out is also against the rules due to the risk of food poisoning, but Prince William still enjoys his share. He’s not the only one, either. Prince Charles has been seen enjoying quite the mouthful of sushi.
Avoiding PDA Is a Thing of the Past
As you can probably guess, public displays of affection are inappropriate, improper, and definitely against royal protocol … well, at least they’re supposed to be. It seems that the younger generation of royals disagree with this rule. William and Kate have had a couple of sweet moments: Once when William leaned in to kiss Kate and again when Kate touched her husband’s knee during an interview.
Harry and Meghan are less reserved and often seen touching in public. It’s usually in the form of holding hands, but sometimes they share some pretty loving kisses, too.
Prince Johan Friso Married Without an Act of Consent
Prince Johan Friso was in the line of succession to the throne of the Netherlands behind his older brother. He fell in love with a commoner by the name of Mabel Wisse Smit and sought to marry her. As the two were not of the same social rank, he needed to receive an act of consent to remain in line for the throne.
Due to some alleged false statements made by Smit, the cabinet did not pass the act. Prince Friso married her anyway, giving up his right to the throne.
Harry and Meghan Break Wedding Tradition
Since Meghan’s father backed out of the privilege of walking his daughter down the aisle, Queen Elizabeth made an unprecedented decision to have Prince Charles do it instead. This is just one of the many ways the Queen has broken tradition for Meghan.
Perhaps due to the kindness the royal family has shown her, Meghan herself broke royal wedding protocol by giving a speech at the reception. In place of the father of the bride’s speech, Meghan thanked the royal family for so readily welcoming her into the fold.
Meghan and Harry Waited Days for a Baby Photo Shoot
One long-standing tradition is for new royal mothers to have a photoshoot with their little ones mere hours after birth. Every woman who has experienced childbirth can attest to the fact that feeling up to photos that soon just does not happen, but royal ladies have been doing it for ages.
Meghan and Harry decided to break that tradition without much thought. Instead, they waited a few days, giving Meghan time to recuperate a little bit and feel somewhat human again. Perhaps this will start a new tradition.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Are Stepping Away
In a move that shocked the royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Harry and Meghan, decided that they would be stepping away from their royal duties. They stated that they wanted to focus on financial independence and live part of the time in Canada.
As senior members of the royal family, this decision caused some pain. And if choosing to step away was not enough, Prince Harry went directly against his grandmother’s wishes by announcing it during a time when she asked him not to.
The Queen Has Made a Few Bold Moves
But let’s be honest: The queen is a bit of a rebel herself. For quite some time, royal men were not allowed in the delivery room. Queen Elizabeth followed this tradition until she became pregnant with Prince Edward.
After reading magazine articles on the importance of a father being involved in the birth of their child, Queen Elizabeth asked Philip to be in the room with her. Philip is said to have held his wife’s hand as he became the first modern royal father to witness his baby being born.
Can I Get Your Autograph?
Royals are actually banned from giving autographs, so the answer to this question should be a firm “no”. Due to fraud, giving autographs is a risky endeavor, but some royals do it anyway. Prince Charles signed an autograph for a young boy whose family was a victim of harsh floods.
Meghan signed an autograph for a young fan, but perhaps she was not privy to the rule just yet. The Queen, on the other hand, definitely knew better, but she still signed a soccer ball for a Malaysian child in 1998.
A Family of Huggers
Royal people are not to hug non-royal people, but this lovable royal family just cannot help themselves. Prince William has hugged a few people, including a sobbing woman and a young girl who had overcome being homeless. Prince Harry and Prince Charles have been caught hugging a kid or two as well.
Princess Diana loved to give out hugs, especially to those suffering from HIV or AIDS, and her daughter-in-law Kate Middleton hugs little ones all the time. Even the queen herself hugged Michelle Obama — albeit a reserved hug, but a hug nonetheless.
The Queen Chose to Be a Grandmother First
Although much of the public feels that the monarch should be present for the people when tragedy strikes — which is what normally happens — Queen Elizabeth threw this tradition aside for the sake of her grandsons.
After the death of Princess Diana, the boys were in the midst of a media frenzy. The Queen packed them up and headed to an estate more than 500 miles away from the palace. While there, she made sure that no newspapers or other media would arrive so that the boys could grieve their tragic loss.
Princess Ubolratna Lost Her Title After Marriage
Thai Princess Ubolratna studied at MIT and the University of California, where she met and fell in love with Peter Ladd Jensen. Her parents were unhappy about her relationship with an American, but she continued seeing Jensen. In 1972, she defied them again by marrying him.
Her father was so angry that he stripped her of her royal title. Though she divorced Jensen 26 years later, her father never reinstated her. Upon returning to Thailand, she decided to run for prime minister, which is something Thai royals cannot do.
A Royal Christmas Tradition Broken
Queen Elizabeth has certain Christmas traditions, one of which being that only royals attend the Christmas celebration. This means that fiances are not invited — only spouses. Kate Middleton spent the Christmas she was engaged to William with her own family.
Meghan, however, was allowed to join in on the festivities during her engagement to Harry. Queen Elizabeth reportedly did this since Meghan had no family nearby, while Kate did. The Queen broke the Christmas tradition again when she invited Meghan’s mom to attend the private celebration after the two married.
The Queen Gets Close With Staff
Though tradition says that the monarch is not to toast or celebrate with her staff and the chef is not allowed in the dining room, Queen Elizabeth has her own ideas. While the ever-modest Queen limits the activities, she has sometimes invited the chef into the dining room for a toast on certain occasions and reportedly gives staff Christmas presents.
She also chose to break tradition to attend the funeral of her long-time aide, Annette Wilkin. Normally, someone would go in the Queen’s place, but she chose to ignore the rule for this one.
A Royal Mistake on Christmas
After marrying Prince Charles, Princess Diana was excited to join in on the Christmas celebrations. She spent a lot of time and money picking out what she felt were appropriate gifts for her new family, but someone forgot to fill her in on the family’s tradition.
Instead of spending a lot of money, the royal family exchanges smaller, less expensive, and thoughtful gifts with one another. Though the family politely accepted the gifts, the celebration turned awkward and left Princess Diana disappointed that she did not seem to fit in with the family.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene Have an Outdoor Wedding
Prince Albert of Monaco and his bride Charlene Wittstock started off in a traditional manner by completing the civil ceremony prior to the religious one. However, that is pretty much where tradition ended. Previous royal weddings were held in a cathedral, but this wedding took place outside. They also opened the palace gates and allowed thousands of people to witness the ceremony.
Such an unorthodox wedding should not have been that surprising, however. Prince Albert’s mother was Grace Kelly, the famous American actress who gave up fame to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Princess Diana’s Fashion Choices Were Fun and Bold
Meghan Markle may be making waves with her non-traditional wardrobe now, but her mother-in-law made her own years ago. Princess Diana had her own sense of style that she held onto. From off-the-shoulder dresses to turning a choker into a tiara, she was never boring.
Her most memorable outfit might have been the little black dress aptly named the “revenge dress”. She showed up and showed out in this short black dress that revealed shouler and cleavage on the night that Prince Charles’ admission of an affair was aired for all to see.
Princess Diana Followed Her Own Parenting Path
Princess Diana broke royal parenting traditions as well. Unlike other royals who started their schooling in the palace, Diana sent William and Harry to public school. William began nursery school at age three with Harry following behind later.
She even took them to amusement parks and McDonald’s, believing that they should have relatable experiences. She raised the boys as normal as she possibly could, even dressing them in normal clothes, such as jeans and T-shirts. If she had the opportunity to give them normalcy, she took it and ran with it.
This Princess Was Very Affectionate
Princess Diana was approachable to the public, and even more so with her own kids. She had no problem getting on their level to speak to them, or hugging them whole-heartedly for the world to see. Perhaps the way she raised them is why they are such compassionate men now.
Watching both Prince William and Prince Harry reveals glimpses of their mother. Even Kate Middleton reflects Diana’s character, which is perhaps part of what drew William to her in the first place. Princess Diana made her mark, and her spirit lives on today.
Princess Diana’s “Non-Royal” Engagement Ring
It is a tradition that when royal brides-to-be get engaged, they have their engagement ring custom made. Princess Diana, true to her individual style, chose a beautiful ring straight from a catalog. The ring had a blue sapphire and diamonds, but it was often referred to as a “commoner’s sapphire”.
This ring made a splash again when Prince William used it to propose to Kate Middleton, and it still sits upon her finger. The so-called common ring is anything but as it has been a popular piece of jewelry for decades.
Diana Got Down on Others’ Level
While the rest of the royals followed the rule of acting as if others were deferential to them, Princess Diana believed that it was important to make others comfortable around her. Possibly due to the discomfort she faced around her new family for a time, she understood that people could be nervous around royals.
While you would likely never see another royal family member squatting, Diana made a point to crouch down or lean over to other people’s levels when they seemed uncomfortable. Her sons and Kate Middleton have followed her lead.
Princess Diana Told All
The Queen has lived by the same motto as the royals before her: Never complain, never explain. The monarch has been a champ in the privacy department, no matter what she faced — and she faced a lot throughout her leadership.
This was another tradition that Princess Diana chose not to follow. In fact, she did the opposite through interviews and her book. She was open about her experience with an eating disorder, her feelings as a part of the royal family and of course her marriage to and divorce from Prince Charles.
