20 Times The Royal Family Completely Rejected The Rules – And Managed To Get Away With It
Being a royal may seem like a cushy job, but it doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want whenever you want to. That’s right: the Windsor clan are bound by strict rules and restrictions that govern every aspect of their lives. They can’t even express political opinions – well, not in public, at least. But every now and again, they bend or outright break the rules. You’d have to, right?
It’s not really anyone’s business if you don’t marry or have kids, right? Well, not if you’re a queen in Tudor England. When Elizabeth I refused to wed, it horrified those around her. She couldn’t possibly make any political decisions on her own, after all – not without a man. And, of course, she had to be married to have children. Heirs were all-important – particularly male ones – as otherwise, the Tudor line would die with the queen.
Yet Elizabeth stuck to her guns. It’s suggested that she opted not to have kids because of the very real danger of dying in childbirth. She may also have turned down marriage because, well, she was the daughter of Henry VIII, and we all know how his relationships turned out. But despite any criticism she may have faced at the time, Elizabeth is now widely regarded as one of England’s greatest ever rulers. Seems like she did the right thing.
The white wedding dress is much more recent a concept than people realize. And as it happens, we owe its continued popularity to none other than Queen Victoria. As the monarch, she was supposed to marry Prince Albert in the bright red robes that befitted her station. Instead, the queen insisted on wearing a white gown – and, of course, she eventually got her way.
Yet while some people in Victoria’s circle were disparaging of that choice, the queen’s defiance ultimately changed the course of fashion history. After word got out about the ruler’s dress, you see, Victorian brides decided to follow suit. And even more than a century on from the queen’s death, the tradition remains the same.
