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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Ellie Fry

Queen 'felt sorry' for Marilyn Monroe after movie star's awkward mishap when they met

Since the sad news of the Queen's passing, people across the world have stopped to grieve and pay their respects to the beloved monarch. Tens of thousands of mourners are flocking to London to see the late monarch's coffin as she lies in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. The longest reigning sovereign in history, Queen Elizabeth II was renowned for her keen ability to work a room, fostering important and relationships with politicians, hosting world leaders and bonding with film stars and musicians over the years.

The late monarch met countless celebrities throughout her 70-year reign, but one remarkable encounter involved Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe who was so nervous meeting the Queen that she 'licked all her lipstick off' in an awkward blunder.

Marilyn Monroe and her husband Arthur Miller (PA)

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The iconic pair met in 1956, when Marilyn spent four months in the UK to shoot her new film, The Prince and the Showgirl, where she starred alongside Laurence Oliver.

The late film star, who was coincidentally born the same year as the Queen, lived with her husband Arthur Miller in Englefield Green on the periphery of London.

During her stint in the capital, Marilyn was invited to attend the Royal Command Performance at the Empire Theatre in London, where she eagerly lined up to be received by the late Queen and her sister, Princess Margaret.

The queue was peppered with high profile celebrities which seemed to only add to Marilyn's nerves when meeting the beloved monarch.

When the Queen finally approached Marilyn, they exchanged small talk about being neighbours during the actresses' stay in London.

The monumental encounter between the sovereign and film legend was detailed in Michelle Morgan's new book, titled When Marilyn Met the Queen.

The Hollywood star was nervous to meet the monarch (Getty Images)
Marilyn Monroe broke protocol with her outfit (Mirrorpix)

The author writes: "The two then chatted for several minutes, and covered subjects including being neighbors and the Queen's beloved Windsor".

The film star also broke protocol when she met the monarch after plumping for a silk low-cut dress that didn't adhere to the dress code.

This didn't deter the Queen, who continued to have a conversation with the Some Like It Hot star despite her fashion faux pas.

One thing the monarch did focus on, however, is Marilyn's make-up as her lipstick was a sure-fire giveaway of her nerves on the night.

According to People, the Queen reportedly admitted to a friend, " I thought Miss Monroe was a very sweet person. But I felt sorry for her, because she was so nervous that she had licked all of her lipstick off".

You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here.

Video footage from the evening appears to support the Queen's claim, as Marilyn can be seen licking her pout as she waited for the royal to greet her, as reported in Morgan's book W hen Marilyn Met the Queen.

Morgan also noted that following the awkward mishap, the iconic actress spoke of her encounter with the Queen, saying: " The Queen is very warm-hearted. She radiates sweetness.

"She asked how I liked living in Windsor, and I said, 'What?!' and she said that, as I lived in Englefield Green, near to Windsor, we were neighbours. So, I told her that Arthur and I went on bicycle rides in the park".

The late monarch allegedly became 'fascinated' with the actresses work after they met, and swiftly watched all of Marilyn's films.

You can now buy Friday's historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative

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