Queen Elizabeth presided over the British monarchy for 70 years. During that time, the monarch raised a family, become a grandparent, and witnessed her children going through divorces. As a result, the late Queen reportedly became used to royal relatives crying in her presence.
According to royal author Ian Lloyd, in his book The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Queen Elizabeth II, the former monarch had some unexpected encounters with the spouse of one of her kids.
"By the mid-1980s, Charles had resumed his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles and Diana had embarked on an affair with former cavalry officer James Hewitt," per Lloyd. "Although she professed being 'terrified' of her mother-in-law, Diana took to calling on The Queen unannounced to pour out her heart to her."
Per the biographer, "Sometimes, The Queen's schedule meant the princess had to wait. One footman later reported to The Queen, 'The princess cried three times in a half hour while waiting to see you.'" Not missing a beat, the former monarch reportedly responded by saying, "I had her for half an hour and she cried non-stop."
Lloyd also noted that Queen Elizabeth didn't immediately bond with King Charles's first wife.
"The Queen and [Prince Philip] welcomed [Princess Diana] into the family in their own, no-nonsense way," the royal biographer shared. "Elizabeth, however, struggled to find much in common with the new Princess of Wales and admitted she couldn't understand her personality."
Due to the very public nature of the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage, the former Princess of Wales's alleged emotional outbursts were entirely understandable. Still, it's clear that not many people were so vulnerable in front of Queen Elizabeth.
