Royals

Queen Elizabeth II was ‘alien’ to emotional responses

Queen Elizabeth II experienced difficulty when she met with emotional challenges

Published May 03, 2026

Queen Elizabeth II did not like emotional confrontations.

Her majesty, who passed away in 2022, met a tough spot when late princess Diana brought her marriage troubles into her knowledge.

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In the book My Mother and I, royal expert Ingrid Seward wrote: "She would wait in the page's vestibule next to The Queen's sitting room and as soon as any visitor had departed, she would push her way in and throw herself on The Queen's mercy, frequently sobbing and telling her mother-in-law how much Charles hated her."

Seward continued: "Not surprisingly, The Queen had no idea what to do. Emotional confrontation of this sort was totally alien to someone whose upbringing insisted that manners were more important than feelings. As a result, she did nothing."

"It was a low point in her relationship with her son and, as the marriage spiraled out of control, Charles was reduced to shouting down the telephone at his mother to try to make her understand," Seward shared.

Eleen Bukhari
Eleen Bukhari is a London-based journalist and MSc graduate from Brunel University with over five years of experience. Specialising in the British Royal Family and global entertainment, she provides expert analysis of monarchy traditions, celebrity culture, and the evolving media narratives surrounding the world’s most high-profile figures.
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