Although she had mastered the nod, she paid little attention to the dress code.
A dream came true for Marilyn Monroe when she shook hands with then Queen Elizabeth II in 1956. However, the world star did this entirely in her own style: she paid little attention to the clothing rules.
Marilyn and Elizabeth
According to Michelle Morgan, author of the book When Marilyn Met the Queen, Marilyn Monroe’s fervent wish was to have a cup of tea with the Queen of England. That royal afternoon tea never happened, but the two icons were allowed to shake hands during a performance in London in the autumn of 1956.
Glamorous dress
For the event, all celebrities in attendance were asked to “dress appropriately for meeting royalty – for example, avoid wearing low-cut gowns that would show too much cleavage,” Morgan writes. “Although organizers asked female attendees to dress conservatively, Marilyn Monroe’s dress was not exactly what they had in mind. The gold lamé gown was cut so low that the top of Marilyn’s bosom was completely visible.”
The Queen didn’t seem particularly offended by it, although according to Morgan she looked at the movie star “from head to toe.” At the meeting, “the actress took Her Majesty’s hand and gave a deep, well-rehearsed nod.”
Pleasant conversation
Nor did the ‘violation’ of protocol stop polite small talk between Marilyn and Elizabeth. The two chatted about Windsor, where the actress lived nearby. “The Queen is very cordial,” Marilyn is said to have said afterwards. “She radiates kindness. She asked me how I felt about living in Windsor, and I said, “What?” She explained that since I lived in Englefield Green, near Windsor, we were actually neighbours. And I told her that Arthur and I liked to go cycling in the park.”
After the meeting, Queen Elizabeth did not comment on Marilyn’s dress to a friend, but about her makeup. “I thought Miss Monroe was a very nice person. But I felt sorry for her because she was so nervous that she licked all the lipstick off her lips.”
Source: People, Glamial archive | Image: NL Image
