A royal blush: Hilarious and endearing stories of royal gaffes and embarrassing encounters

Recognised and revered the world over, some people can only dream of meeting members of the Royal Family.

However, despite all the glamour, there's no guarantee that the encounter will go off without a hitch.

Whether it's meeting them on one of their iconic royal tours, stories from charity events, or just hilarious insider revelations from the palace staff, there are plenty of stories where meeting the Royal Family was less like a fairy tale and more like a farce.

Hilarious and endearing stories of royal gaffes and embarrassing encounters

The Spice Girls fluster the future King

He's normally cool, calm and collected, but not even the then-Prince Charles could keep composed when confronted with the full power of the Spice Girls.

Perhaps one of Charles's most memorable moments as a prince, Ginger Spice gave Charles a kiss... and a pinch on the bottom, causing much embarrassment for the normally prim and proper royal!

Nearly two decades later, Ginger, aka Geri Horner, wanted to make an important clarification. "I didn't pinch Prince Charles's bum, as was reported. I patted it."

A royal butler calls Princess Anne ‘sir’

Most people have made an embarrassing mix up at work, but not everyone works with the Royal Family. So spare a thought for former royal butler Grant Harrold, who revealed to Insider that he once got so flustered talking with Princess Anne that he referred to her as 'sir.'

"I was talking to her on the phone and I got so tongue-tied that I said 'will you hold on a moment sir." Fortunately, the Princess Royal saw the funny side. "I wasn't hauled off to the Tower of London," he added.

Dawn French’s hilariously rude joke to the King

Vicar of Dibley icon Dawn French is always cracking us up, but when she bumped into King Charles (back when he was still the Prince of Wales), she revealed she let her quick wit get the best of her.

Speaking on Virgin Radio in 2023, Dawn was explaining how the then Prince of Wales was at the same event and "he was coming down the line, greeting everybody." Explaining how the rude joke came about, Dawn went on, "He started it because he had been to see A Midsummer Night's Dream that I was in. And he said to me, 'Well, the last time I saw you, I saw your Bottom', [referring to the name of the character from the play]."

Not one to be outdone, she revealed she quipped, "Tonight, Sir, you will see my Beaver! [referring to the character she was voicing in the Chronicles of Narnia film]."

A royal chef is chased away by the Queen’s corgis

Making a good impression when you're on the job is important to everyone, but there must be added pressure when your employer happened to be the late Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch in history.

Alas, for former royal chef Darren McGrady, the Queen's beloved corgis led to a rather hilarious moment.

On a YouTube video, per Insider, Darren shared, "I saw in the distance the Queen and the corgis, and I got really excited. The Queen was walking towards me and I thought, 'this is gonna be really cool, I get to meet the Queen for the first time.' As she got closer, the dogs saw me, came running towards me, barking like crazy, all of them.

"I was so scared I turned around and ran away. The Queen was laughing."

Prince Philip misunderstands Cate Blanchett's skillset

Oscar-winning screen icon Cate Blanchett is something of royalty herself - Hollywood royalty. And the Tar actress enjoys a good dynamic with Prince William, having involved herself with the Earthshot Prize.

But one of her earliest royal encounters was something of an awkward one for her.

As she revealed to Jonathan Ross in 2018, the late Prince Philip assumed that, what with Cate acting, she might be able to fix his DVD player.

"I sat next to [Philip] and he said, ‘I hear you’re an actor? I was given a DVD player for Christmas and I can’t work out whether I put the green cord in or the red cord."

Giving fashion advice to Queen Elizabeth took some courage

Famed for her iconic style, including flamboyant hats and bright bursts of colour, Queen Elizabeth II had a look all her own. But that doesn't mean she didn't seek advice - and only few were brave enough to risk an awkward silence after critiquing her choices.

Angela Kelly, who was a dresser to Her Majesty for decades, recalled such a moment in her book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe.

She wrote, "I vividly remember one fitting where The Queen was draped in a very large piece of bold, jacquard material in a large print... Even a six-foot-tall model would have struggled to pull off something like that... I could not hide my disapproval when Her Majesty asked my thoughts."

"Without hesitation, I said, 'No way! It doesn't suit you at all and it is totally the wrong pattern.'"

What followed, she describes, was an "awkward silence" and "icy atmosphere." Luckily, a passing Prince Philip helped ease the tension by agreeing with Angela.

Ben Affleck doesn’t recognise the royal children

He's been married to showbiz royalty, including Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lopez, but Ben Affleck isn't as good at spotting real royalty, he revealed with an embarrassing incident.

Describing taking his children to a special play area while filming in London, he told Graham Norton, "I noticed this sort of weird vibe from some of the other grown-ups that were there... I was the last person in there, for sure, to realise that Prince George and Princess Charlotte were in there playing, and my son was in there playing."

It could've been more awkward, but luckily Ben saw the funny side, revealing that his child ended up picking up a cold from the play area. He joked, "So now I can tell him, 'You got a cold from the King of England.'"

Stella McCartney forgets protocol with her friend, the King

Fashion queen Stella McCartney has enjoyed a good friendship with King Charles over the years. Their shared interests, like the environment, mean that they've moved in similar circles and Stella has often supported events hosted by the King's Trust.

However, this was all when Charles was still 'just' the Prince of Wales. After he became King in 2022, Stella realised she wasn't quite sure how to behave.

In clips of a funny, awkward meeting, Stella broke royal protocol and kissed the King on both cheeks before shaking hands. Reports at the time said she was heard saying, "I don't even know what I am supposed to do again, they were asking me, and I was like, I am the last person you should ask...I think I am supposed to curtsy."

Helen Mirren gets ‘queen-itis’

Dame Helen Mirren has the rare accomplishment of not only meeting Queen Elizabeth II, but she's played her on two different occasions (once in the Oscar-winning 2006 movie, The Queen, and once on the West End).

That doesn't mean that Helen was protected from embarrassing moments upon meeting the real deal.

Revealing the story of how she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2003 to Jimmy Fallon, she explained, "You get this thing called Queen-itis which is like a terrible virus that hits you the minute you are in front of the Queen... you start saying weird things like 'it was terribly good fun,' and 'frightfully nice to meet you.' This weird voice comes out."

Kate Middleton gets another title from an Oscar winner

Kate Middleton has many titles. Officially Catherine, Princess of Wales, she's also been known by the Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Strathearn. However, she received a new title rather unexpectedly - and from an unlikely source.

Whilst appearing on James Corden's US chat show, I, Tonya actress Allison Janney revealed she accidentally found herself bestowing another title on Kate.

At a BAFTA party, Allison revealed she bumped into a pregnant Kate, and she was embarrassed to have already taken off her heels. Allison recalls telling the Princess, "I told her she should take her shoes off 'cause she's pregnant. It was an awkward moment... As I did, I called her 'honey,' and that might not have been royal etiquette."

Margot Robbie teases a prince

At one point in history, mocking a Prince might have led to being imprisoned in the Tower of London - or worse. But, fortunately for Barbie star Margot Robbie, she got away with a cheeky encounter with Prince Harry.

Margot once shared with Jimmy Fallon that, while attending model Suki Waterhouse's housewarming party, she teased a redhead who answered the door about looking like Ed Sheeran.

"He got really offended... He was like 'Shut up!'" It was only later she discovered the Ed Sheeran lookalike was, indeed, Harry.

One actor has to explain a rather modern concept to King Charles

David Duchovny is known for solving some eerie, mysterious and out-of-this-world cases on The X-Files, but having to be the one to explain to the future King what a 'booty call' was might have been one of his strangest moments.

After the British girl band, All Saints, performed their track, Bootie Call, at a charity concert the two were attending, David told James Corden that he noticed the then Prince Charles looking confused.

"[Charles] said 'bootie call...' And I said 'Well, I can explain it to you, it's a little off-colour, but I can do it,'... Well, it's when a man or woman calls a man or woman to come to their home late at night for the express purpose of getting together and then leaving right afterwards.'"

Charles' response? A simple "oh."

Dame Joan Collins forgets protocol (but she was, of course, forgiven)

Dame Joan Collins is basically royalty, so her slight gaffe forgetting to curtsy to the Princess of Wales was soon forgiven.

In her 2023 memoir, Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends, the Dynasty icon revealed she broke protocol during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in 2022.

She wrote, "Suddenly, a vision appeared in a red dress. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, with her two young children in tow. "'Hello, Joan,’ she said sweetly, holding out her hand. ‘Hello, ma’am,’ I gulped, forgetting to curtsy."

Dame Emma Thompson's ‘loud, inappropriate’ reaction

When accepting her Damehood from Prince William in 2018, Nanny McPhee star Emma Thompson revealed her somewhat embarrassing reaction.

"I made a very loud and inappropriate noise in Buckingham Palace," she previously shared on the US chat show, Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Continuing, she revealed she asked William, "'Darling, how are you? I'm so proud of you, can I give you a kiss?' because I've known him since he was little.

"And he said, 'No, don't do that, otherwise everyone will want one.'"

Queen Camilla’s son has a memorable first meeting with Queen Elizabeth II

While his mother might now be the Queen, Tom Parker-Bowles wasn't quite as prepared to meet Queen Elizabeth II... but, in his defence, his first embarrassing incident with her took place when he was just a child.

Speaking to The Independent, Tom recalled meeting the Queen as a child, and the hilarious, endearing mistake he made.

"I was so scared that I curtsied rather than bowed."

The next time he would meet the late Queen would be on the occasion of Queen Camilla's wedding to King Charles, when he and his sister Laura Lopes "snuck out for a fag or something" and got lost in Windsor Castle. The pair were found by the late Queen, who helped them get back to the party.

Lewis Hamilton's lesson in royal protocol

Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton is used to being in the driving seat, but he had something of an embarrassing reminder of his place in the grand scheme of things during a lunch with Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.

While appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Lewis shared that he had the honour of sitting right next to the Queen - but he didn't realise there were rules in when to talk.

"She was to my right and I started to talk to her and she's like, 'No, you speak that way first and I will speak this way and I come back to you,'" he explained. "So she spoke to the guy next to her for like five minutes and then she spent the rest of time talking to me."

Queen Elizabeth doesn’t recognise some pretty famous faces

For many, Madonna might be one of the most famous women of the last century - eclipsed, perhaps, only by the likes of Queen Elizabeth II. So when the two met, it was a true moment.

But the incident could have taken an embarrassing turn when the Queen let slip she didn't really know who she was meeting.

Reports suggest that, after the premiere of James Bond movie Die Another Day in 2002, the Queen was informed that Madonna had performed the movie's theme song, to which she simply replied, "Oh really, did you?"

Actor John Cleese didn't fare much better. She reportedly moved down the line to him and asked, "And what do you do?"

Only a royal can checkmate a celebrity's star power!

An awkward silence with Shawn Mendes

Canadian pop sensation Shawn Mendes had the privilege of performing at the Queen's 92nd birthday celebrations in 2018. And while the heartthrob singer might be used to screaming fans, royal protocol led to a more sombre, silent moment.

Talking of his meeting with the Queen on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Shawn shared, "I'm looking at her, and you can't say anything... You're not allowed to speak to her unless she speaks to you first. So, it was like this 10 minutes of very awkward silence between me and the queen."

Princess Anne politely ‘claps back’

Anne, the Princess Royal, might be celebrated for her work ethic and dedication to giving back, but that doesn't mean she won't - politely - put people in their place.

One incident in 1990 proved embarrassing for a student who tried to ask something of a loaded question. While the Princess Royal was in Moscow, a student asked her "How does it feel having Buckingham Palace as your private property?"

The Princess gave a wry smile before replying, "Well, I don't know because it isn't. No, it's a state-owned establishment. I wasn't actually born there, I have my office there and the Queen lives there but it's not really private property."

A clash of divas with Princess Margaret and Elizabeth Taylor

Royals might be prim and proper, but some can pack a punch with their words. Case in point - Princess Margaret.

According to Elizabeth Taylor biographers Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, Elizabeth's love for large jewels led to a memorable and awkward encounter between the two divas.

Admiring the infamous Krupp Diamond ring boasting the Asscher cut 33.19 carat diamond, Princess Margaret is said to have remarked, "Is that the famous diamond? It’s so large! How very vulgar!"

However, after trying it on and reportedly being dazzled, Elizabeth is said to have quipped, "Not so vulgar now, is it?"

George Bush gets the Queen’s age wrong - by a couple of hundred years

Not even US Presidents are immune from an embarrassing goof around royalty, as George W Bush discovered in 2007.

During an official White House ceremony, the President accidentally stated Her Majesty was on hand to celebrate America's bicentennial in 1776, rather than 1976. Which would make her about 200 years older.

At a state dinner later, the Queen quipped back, starting her speech by saying, "I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, 'When I was here in 1776...'"

The French First Lady has a hilarious gaffe in 1960

A state visit from French President Charles de Gaulle and his wife, Yvonne de Gaulle, might not sound like the basis for great comedy, but there was one of the most embarrassing gaffes.

It was reported that the French First Lady had an awkward accent issue.

In the book, You Look Awfully Like the Queen: Wit and Wisdom From the House of Windsor, author Thomas Blaikie shared, "Somebody asked Madame de Gaulle what she was most looking forward to in her retirement, which was imminent. Not speaking English much at all, she replied, 'A penis.'"

Cue - awkward silence. Fortunately, the always shrewd Queen Elizabeth knew what the issue was - a lost in translation moment. Her Majesty reportedly cut the silence by clarifying, "'Ah, happiness.'"

Marilyn Monroe's dress could've caused a few blushes

One of the most famous women in pop culture met one of the most famous women in history on October 29, 1956.

Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II met at London's Empire Theatre - and while the moment was glamorous and civil, many pointed out that Marilyn's dress could have caused some shock and embarrassment for the more reserved royal crowd.

America's blonde bombshell opted for a low-cut gown boasting ample cleavage, and in one amusing photograph, the Queen appeared to be caught sneaking a glance.

Fashion icon Twiggy and Princess Margaret weren’t a perfect fit

Sixties icon Twiggy has previously revealed to The Express that her run-in with a royal was less than regal - and left her rather embarrassed.

Twiggy explained, "Princess Margaret asked, 'What's your name?' I said, 'My name's Lesley Hornby, Ma'am, but everyone calls me Twiggy.'"

"She just looked at me and said... 'Oh, how unfortunate,' then she didn't talk to me again. I was mortified."

Miles Teller falls under a royal spell

Hollywood star Miles Teller might be used to leading blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick, but even he felt starstruck by the royals - and it left him feeling rather foolish.

Speaking about meeting Prince William and Kate Middleton at the London premiere of the Top Gun sequel, he told Jimmy Fallon how he almost immediately broke royal protocol after being briefed on it.

"You're not supposed to, like, extend your hand right off the bat unless - unless they do. But I felt the vibe, so I was like 'I'm going in, I'm going in,' and to their credit they were very disarming."

He also joked that, while looking back at photos from the event, he was "honestly lost in Prince William's eyes."

Judy Garland has a less than regal run in with Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret has many an anecdote involving causing awkwardness with her blunt comments and diva personality.

Well, after a royal tour visiting the United States in the 60s, Margaret left a rather poor impression on Judy Garland, who reportedly labelled her "a nasty, rude little Princess."

One embarrassing incident allegedly involved Margaret demanding a sing-song from Judy, who quipped back "Tell her I’ll sing if she christens a ship first."

Prince William spoils a movie

Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham has worked with Prince William in the past for his Earthshot Prize, and she wasn't afraid of giving the Prince a playful telling off.

During an encounter caught by reporters at the event, William was talking about Hannah's role in the blockbuster, The Fall Guy. In front of cameras, William - spoiler alert! - let it slip that Hannah's character is revealed to be the secret baddie. Indeed, the Prince told her she made a "good baddie" but Hannah was quick to playfully scold him, saying "Spoiler alert! Don’t say that."

Sam Smith goes OTT with their bowing

Some celebrities embarrass themselves by forgetting royal protocol. But singer Sam Smith made a gaffe by going overboard with their following etiquette.

While appearing on Watch What Happens Live, the pop star shared a memory of meeting Prince Harry. "They told me to bow, and I really bowed. I was at a right angle."

"He looked at me like, 'Why are you bowing that low?'"

The Queen leaves Simon Pegg sweating

Shaun of the Dead star Simon Pegg shared his awkward encounter with the late Queen Elizabeth at a film premiere.

The actor met Her Majesty at the premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. Following protocol - where one must wait to be spoken to first - Simon ended up in an awkward silence.

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show, he said, "She came up to me and... I was just waiting for her to speak. I swear it was like 30 seconds, I started to bead sweat and eventually she said ‘And what do you do?'"

Prince William shares a memorable encounter with a pop queen

Being forced to get up and do karaoke is an embarrassing moment most people dread. But being selected to get on stage and sing with the future King is something nobody can decline.

Luckily, Taylor Swift is no stranger to singing for crowds. But she revealed the slightly awkward encounter where William sprung a singalong on her.

"Jon Bon Jovi was about to sing 'Livin On a Prayer,' and he kinda pointed at Prince William and said something like, 'I hear you like to do this at karaoke night, karaoke boy,'" she revealed on The Graham Norton Show. "He starts the song and Prince William looks at me and he's like, you gotta go with me," she continued.

"I died."

Emilia Clarke is left speechless

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been reported to be huge fans of the TV show, Game of Thrones, so they must have been starstruck to meet the Queen of Dragons herself, Emilia Clarke.

However, it was a mutual thing, as the actress revealed she was so overwhelmed meeting the Prince of Wales, her voice literally gave out.

She told Seth Meyers, "For whatever reason, probably because I was so scared, I couldn't manage to get out 'your royal highness,'" she told the host, comparing her voice to a squeak.

Princess Diana's "guttural" laugh shocks Billy Crystal

Less an embarrassing gaffe and more a delightful story about Princess Diana letting her goofy, comic side out, Billy Crystal revealed to People magazine that the late Princess of Wales' laugh was so shocking, it almost stole the show at the premiere of When Harry Met Sally.

Speaking of that famous scene in the diner, he revealed, "She starts laughing this incredibly guttural sound... Over and over, couldn’t catch her breath. It was stunning. I thought, here’s this unbelievable person, but if it was a date, I don’t think I’d see her again. Just because the laugh was just - I can’t. She’s beautiful, she’s a princess, guys, but the laugh. You know what I mean."