Queen Elizabeth II: Buckingham Palace banned reporters from revealing this on royal tour (Image: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II went on a royal tour to twelve countries after her coronation in 1953, with Prince Philip, now 98, at her side. It was a gruelling mission which saw the royal pair travel forty thousand miles around the world over the course of six months. The Queen was still young at the time and Buckingham Palace was keen to protect her. Royal reporters in the press contingent that accompanied the tour were censored by the Palace on what they could and could not say, Kitty Kelley revealed in her book The Royals.
Queen Elizabeth II: Buckingham Palace banned reporters from revealing this on royal tour
Journalists were not allowed to report on whether the Queen was looking tired or not.
Buckingham Palace did not want the more human side of the tour revealed, a royal reporter present said.
“[I couldn’t report any] personal details,” Kelley quotes royal reporter Gwen Robyns saying.
“When I noticed that the Queen always took her shoes off which seemed endearing and human, I noted in one of my dispatches: ‘The weary Queen slipped out of her shoes.’
“I got a rocket from my editor saying, ‘Lay off the Queen, Buckingham Palace is furious with you.’
“Another time I wrote that the Queen looked
