Former first lady Michelle Obama said in a new interview that Queen Elizabeth II called royal protocol "rubbish" when the Obamas visited England in 2016.
According to the UK's Press Association, Obama made the remark during a book appearance in London on Monday.
She recalled at one point touching the queen's back, which is against protocol. On the 2016 visit, the Obamas exited Marine One and walked to a car driven by the queen herself, who drove them a short distance to Windsor Castle.
"Of course your head is spinning because first of all I'm trying not to fall, which is a major thing that I think about in public," Obama said. "If you're thinking about my thoughts when I come out on stage it's 'don't fall.' One of my primary goals for the eight years was to never become a meme.
"So I had all this protocol buzzing in my head and I was like 'don't trip down the stairs and don't touch anybody, whatever you do' and so the Queen says 'just get in, sit wherever' and she's telling you one thing and you're remembering protocol and she says 'Oh it's all rubbish, just get in.'"
Obama is visiting several cities as she promotes her book, "Becoming: Michael Obama." She canceled a stop this week to attend the funeral of former President George H.W. Bush.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.