This Celebrity Just Broke Royal Protocol When Meeting The Queen

susan sarandon queen elizabeth — (Image credit: DAVID HARTLEY/REX/Shutterstock)

So much BDE.

If you’ve been on the fence about shooting your shot, count Susan Sarandon’s latest encounter with the Queen the inspiration you need today. While at a Royal Windsor Cup polo match over the weekend, the Oscar winner flouted royal etiquette and marched straight up to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to introduce herself. A ballsy move, if we do say so ourselves.

Susan was in attendance at the tournament and while the Queen and Prince Philip lounged in their wicker chairs, she walked right up to them and offered her hand to the British monarch. The Queen smiled up at her and shook her hand, after which they reportedly pleasantly chatted for a little while. Prince Philip on the other hand looked less impressed.

queen elizabeth susan sarandon — REX/Shutterstock

If we’re going by the royal rulebook, Susan made a big boo boo by approaching the Queen. Traditionally, you’re supposed to wait until Queen Elizabeth deems you worthy of her time and comes to you first. We don’t doubt that Susan would have made the cut based on her Oscar win for Dead Man Walking alone, but we’re 150% here for the confidence of the actress to just walk right on over to a member of the monarchy. We can barely walk over and introduce ourselves to a stranger at the bar, let alone one of Britain’s sovereign powers.

According to Express, after Susan left Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth both seemed taken aback and confused by the encounter. Whether that was down to the fact that they were surprised by the protocol breach or they didn’t know who she was, we’ll never know. In our heads though, we can hear one of the two muttering, 'How positively American.'

In any case, if Philip and Liz haven’t seen Susan absolutely kill it in Thelma & Louise then this needs to be rectified immediately. Side note: what does a Buckingham Palace movie night look like? Do they all jump into their pyjamas and stream Netflix movies on a projector in the throne room? Never mind, don’t answer that - we’ve decided that’s the truth of the matter and nothing you say will convince us otherwise now.

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.