Dame Kelly Holmes admitted to breaking royal etiquette when she received her damehood in 2005.
Dame Kelly caused a panic among palace personnel when she declared she intended to kneel in front of Queen Elizabeth II, like knights do.
Dame Kelly, who came out last year, shared a tale about the ceremonial event after announcing her intention to attend London Pride this weekend.
On Thursday’s episode of Loose Women, the 53-year-old revealed to her co-stars that she had taunted palace employees about kneeling to receive her accolade, which is against royal protocol.
‘Getting a damehood is the equivalent to getting a sir,’ she started, ‘What’s the first thing you think about being knighted?’
Immediately the panel said ‘swords’, and let out a gasp as Dame Kelly said: ‘Women don’t get swords.’
‘Women don’t get it, you’re not allowed to kneel down in front of the queen,’ she explained.
On March 9, 2005, the double Olympic gold medallist was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, yet her rebellious character shone through.
Dame Kelly, feeling a little naughty, decided to kneel, much to the consternation of the guy escorting her into Buckingham Palace.
‘Well I wasn’t happy,’ she laughed, ‘So I had this guy on the entire time, this general through the whole of Buckingham Palace – which is huge – that I was going to kneel down for the Queen.’
He was scared and hyperventilating, she joked, since she was breaching royal protocol.
As her name was called to step up to meet the Queen, Dame Kelly turned to the general and said, ‘Watch me.’
‘He was like, “Dame Kelly! No, no, no, no, no!” but I didn’t, clearly,’ the Olympian concluded.
While she did choose to curtsy, as is customary for ladies greeting members of the Royal Family, the athlete was concerned about falling over because she isn’t used to wearing high heels.
Fortunately, she made it through the ceremony without incident, allowing the royal personnel to breathe a sigh of relief.
Denise Welch, another panellist, is getting ready to play a ‘campy’ and ‘fun’ version of Queen Elizabeth II in a new stage production.
Source My Celebrity Life.
