Why Marilyn Monroe ‘Caused a Sensation’ and Went ‘Against the Rules’ When She Met Queen Elizabeth

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London caught Marilyn Monroe fever in 1956, when the American bombshell arrived to shoot The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier. Over the next four months, the press breathlessly reported sightings of Marilyn entering the studio, attending the theater with new husband, playwright Arthur Miller, and even meeting Queen Elizabeth II.

A recent book, When Marilyn Met the Queen, shares the story of the actress’ trip abroad. “Outside the studio, Marilyn seemed to be happy,” author Michelle Morgan exclusively tells Closer. “She often spoke to the fans outside her gate. She enjoyed watching cricket, cycling in the park and shopping in London.”

Marilyn had married Arthur, her third husband, just weeks earlier. “They both thought of their visit as some kind of honeymoon,” says Morgan. “But it didn’t turn out that way. Marilyn had a film to make, and it was extremely stressful at times.”

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The tug-of-war over The Prince and the Showgirl began early. Marilyn had purchased the rights to the play it was based on, The Sleeping Prince, through her new production company, and Olivier agreed to produce and direct the film they would star in together. “The first problem was that he insisted on rehearsals, which she hated,” says Morgan, who adds that Marilyn also bristled when the British thespian talked down to her. “When he told her that her teeth needed to be whitened, Marilyn started to rebel. She would be late on set, she would walk off halfway through the day, or sometimes she wouldn’t come in at all.”

Perhaps in retaliation, Olivier tried to block Marilyn from meeting Queen Elizabeth. “She was desperate to meet the queen and would often ask the publicist to set up a date,” says Morgan, “but Olivier scrubbed her request from the list of daily demands.”

Marilyn Monroe’s Royal Audience

Marilyn never got to sit down for tea with Elizabeth — which had been her dream — but she was delighted when she was invited to meet her along with other actors at a Royal Command Performance that October. “Marilyn (and the other female celebrities) were told to dress conservatively, but she wore a low-cut gold gown, which went against the rules,” notes Morgan. The cleavage-bearing dress “caused a sensation” that night, but Morgan notes that Queen Elizabeth never raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure she didn’t think a thing about it. She was a woman of the world, after all,” says Morgan.

The actress and the royal had a very pleasant chat on the receiving line. “They spoke about being neighbors,” says Morgan, “because Marilyn lived in Englefield Green and the queen lived in Windsor, just across the park.” Marilyn was also introduced to the queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, at the event.

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A month later, The Prince and the Showgirl wrapped, and Marilyn and her husband returned home. The film would not be among her biggest successes, but meeting Queen Elizabeth would remain one of Marilyn’s proudest moments. It’s said that Elizabeth never forgot it either.

“The queen was always very private about her feelings toward meeting celebrities,” says Morgan, “but according to a friend, she became quite a fan of Marilyn and watched all her movies.”