A lot is made of royal protocol - and breaking it. So much so, that when we get to meet the Queen (unlikey, but hey), we'll be a bag of nerves.
Poor old Meghan Markle is forever being accused of flagrantly ignoring traditional etiquette rules, like - gasp - shutting her own car door and wearing black nail polish.
But how much does the Queen set a store by these regulations?
Well, perhaps not as much as everyone would believe. At least, not always.
As Her.ie reports, HRH once relaxed the rules in a big way for the Duchess of Cambridge, prior to her wedding to Prince William, in a sweet bid to make Kate feel comfortable and welcomed into the family.
According to author and royal commentator Katie Nicholl, the monarch allowed Kate to take photos while staying at her summer country residence in Balmoral, knowing how much Kate loved photography.
It may not sound like a big deal, but as Nicholl states, this simply wasn't the done thing.
Nicholl explained in her book, Kate: The Future Queen: "Until now the Queen had met Kate only fleetingly at the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips, but she went out of her way to make her feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral".
This relaxing a long-standing rule was a big deal for the Queen, Nicholl adds, because:
"As a woman who has lived her entire life in the public eye, the Queen rarely lets her guard down, and very few apart from her family and closest friends get to see the real Elizabeth".
Situated in the Scottish Highlands, Balmoral is said to hold a very special place in the Queen's heart.
Princess Eugenie described it as "The most beautiful place on earth", and it's where the Queen has no official duties and can truly relax.
