Expert Says The Queen Broke Not One But Two Royal Protocols at William and Kate’s Wedding

The late Queen Elizabeth II, who was known for being a stickler for royal customs and protocols, once made an embarrassing faux pas in public. During Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011, she awkwardly stepped out of her car on the wrong side of the street when royal etiquette dictates women exit only on the curbside.

The late Queen’s misstep might not have been her fault completely. As reported by Hello! magazine, her car happened to pull up on the wrong side, so the late monarch had to slide across the seat to get out. Etiquette Alexandra Messervy explained on the Rights Royal podcast, “The correct protocol for her was to be on the curbside, and she was on the reverse side.” She added, “It is all because of the days of carriages and horses, the gentlemen enjoyed the outside of the pavement while the women were on the other side to avoid the mud.”

Messervy had another theory for the Queen's apparent faux pas. She opined, “But looking back at it now, since she never put her foot wrong...was it actually wrong? Did she perhaps have a sore leg that day, and she couldn't let herself out on the left? Was it easier to come on the right?”

The late Queen reportedly also broke another royal protocol, but this time, it was for the happy couple. As per the Daily Express, the documentary Prince William at Thirty claimed that the pair wanted to break away from traditions and be in charge of their guestlist. Royal expert, Katie Nicholl, said, “Initially Buckingham Palace had drawn up a very extensive guest list of, I think, over 700 names of heads of state, kings and queens around the world.” Royal commentator Roya Nikkhah revealed, “He [William] then went to the Queen and said, ‘Is this really the way it is going to be?’ And she said, 'No, rip that up, invite who you want.’” So many guests–or their successors in office–who were invited to the wedding of then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana were not invited to William and Middleton’s nuptials.

William and Middleton’s wedding had several other breaches of protocol. In the documentary William & Kate: The Journey, royal reporter Ashley Pearson shared that Middleton was strongly encouraged by royal officials to wear her hair up according to royal tradition. However, Middleton remained unconvinced. The reporter shared, “Kate had her heart set on wearing her hair down with long flowing curls, which is her favorite way to wear it, and actually William’s favorite as well,” adding that the royals “ended up compromising on her look.”