While one would assume that being a member of the royal family, or even working for them, would come with some strict implications for behaving, the reality seems to be a bit more relaxed, according to rumors that have occasionally made their way out of the palace.
While most of the stories have been unconfirmed, they do tend to paint a common picture — one where Queen Elizabeth II is not as strict about other people’s behavior as one might assume.
In a recent example, a royal staffer had reportedly made the mistake of drinking too much and passing out in an inappropriate spot in the palace.
The incident does not seem to bother the Queen as she was reportedly very calm about the situation and did not want to reprimand the person.
Bryan Kozlowski, in his new book, Long Live the Queen! 13 Rules for Living from Britain’s Longest Reigning Monarch, wrote about the incident saying: “The Queen is said to turn a relaxed eye away from members of her household who occasionally overdo it on the sherry and shenanigans themselves. Like the time Elizabeth supposedly found a drunk servant sprawled at the bottom of a staircase. Without putting a pearl out of place, she merely requested to anyone within earshot, “Would someone please come and pick Frank up, I think he’s a little under the weather.”
In fact, the Queen explicitly made it clear that she saw it as a “human right” to have a little drunken fun every now and then, if the rumors are to be believed.
The author added: “By decree of the boss lady at the top, kicking back with a well-deserved tipple is practically a human right.”
It is not clear where she might draw the line for such behavior, but this is definitely something that came as a surprise to many of royal fans.
The revelation has also generated some interesting discussions in those communities, with some people questioning what else the Queen might be willing to let slip.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama once shared this interesting bit about spending time at Buckingham Palace in 2011. Obama revealed: “I think by the time we had the sleepover we had enough interacting with them. The surprising thing is folks wanted to be treated normally. Everybody is happy when all the people are gone. They want to be hugged. They want to be touched. They gossip.”
She has made it clear through her life that she does not wish to be associated with an uptight, arrogant attitude, so it will be interesting to see what else comes out from the palace eventually.
