For many, meeting a member of the royal family is regarded as a rare and great honour, but it’s widely believed there are tons of strict rules to follow.
Some of the biggest celebrities on the planet have been lucky enough to meet a royal or set foot in Buckingham Palace, but unfortunately for some, their regal meetings didn’t quite go to plan.
You’d think some of the biggest pop stars, politicians and actors of the day would be clued up on the supposed palace protocols before they set foot on the royal carpets.
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But some mortified stars reportedly broke royal protocols when they came face to face with the Queen or another of the royals.
And a certain member of the Spice Girls really tried her luck when she shared a saucy moment with King Charles, before he became our monarch.
To mark the Queen’s funeral on Monday (September 19), Daily Star have rounded up the biggest royal blunders from your favourite celebrities.
Ed Sheeran
(Image: PA)
When Ed was awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2017, he shook hands with King Charles III.
But that wasn’t all, because he also grabbed the now-king’s arm, a breach of the royal code.
The singer told NBC: “Apparently, I did a big faux pas, though.
“I shook his hand and then grabbed it and you’re not meant to do that.”
According to the BBC, the biggest no-no is touching His or Her Majesty, and you can only shake their hand if they offer you it.
Danny Jones
(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
McFly bassist Danny might be good at wowing crowds at his rock shows, but he might want to brush up on his monarch-meeting skills.
Singer Tom Fletcher admitted his band behaved like “naughty schoolboys” when they met Her late Majesty at the Royal Variety Performance in 2005.
A palace spokesperson had told the band: “You’re only allowed to speak when you’re spoken to, and you must call her ‘Ma’am’.”
In their book Unsaid Things, drummer Harry wrote: “As the Queen was working her way down the line, one of us suggested that when our turn came we should give her a fist pump and say, ‘Yo, Queen!’. That set us off.
(Image: WireImage)
“We started giggling. And the closer she came, the worse our giggling grew. By the time she was a few handshakes away, we were almost in tears.”
They soon suffered a laughing fit as Tom desperately tried to shut them up, and when the Queen came over to Danny, he broke the speaking rule.
Danny asked the Queen: “Enjoy the show, then?” to which she responded: “Oh yes, very good.”
Michelle Obama
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, is one of the most famous women in the world.
So when she met the Queen in 2009, it was quite the titan meeting, but she ruffled feathers when she put an an affectionate arm around the monarch.
Michelle wrote in her memoir Becoming: “Forget that she sometimes wore a diamond crown and that I’d flown to London on a presidential jet; we were two tired ladies oppressed by our shoes.
“I then did what’s instinctive to me anytime I feel connected to a new person, which is to express my feelings outwardly. I laid a hand affectionately across her shoulder.”
However, it should be noted that Her late Majesty placed her own arm around Michelle, so it seems she enjoyed Michelle’s company.
She added: “If I hadn’t done the proper thing at Buckingham Palace, I had at least done the human thing.
“I daresay the Queen was okay with it, too, because when I touched her, she only pulled closer, resting a gloved hand lightly on the small of my back.”
Geri Horner & Mel B
(Image: WireImage)
Perhaps one the most infamous meeting between a pop star and a royal occurred when the Spice Girls met King Charles.
The girl band bumped into the now-king at a 1997 charity gala for the Prince’s Trust.
According to Time Magazine, Geri Halliwell and bandmate Mel B breached royal protocol by kissing Charles on the cheek.
It was also reported at the time that Geri, then Ginger Spice, pinched Charles on the bum, but she insisted she only patted him on the behind.
She told The Times: “I didn’t pinch Prince Charles’s bum, as was reported. I patted it.
“Patting him on the bottom was against royal protocol but we’re all human.
“It was the premiere of our film, Spice World, in the late 90s There was a lot of nervous energy – young women, happy antics.”
Tom Hiddleston
(Image: PA)
When Tom Hiddleston met the Queen Consort, Camilla, he could have given royal pundits quite the fright.
That’s because the Thor star placed a friendly arm around Camilla, much like Michelle did with the Queen.
However, Clarence House came to Tom’s defence when they told People magazine: “I think she quite enjoyed it!”
They added that it was merely a “warm moment” shared between the two who “got on very well and had a very nice chat together”.
Anna Wintour
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
It looks like Vogue Editor Anna Wintour committed a royal blunder when she wore sunglasses next to the Queen at Fashion Week.
Etiquette expert Grant Harrold told the Press Association: “Ms Wintour should know that to wear sunglasses when talking to another person, with no medical reason, is unacceptable.
“She should have removed them before being in the presence of the Queen, let alone in discussion.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
