Queen Elizabeth II: she’s funny, she’s a boss, she’s salty, and—believe it or not—she’s quite the mysterious figure. For someone whose face is etched into currency, the current reigning monarch of England and its territories carries with her some personal details that are odd, to say the least…

Lately, we’ve been riding the all-too-powerful wave of Royal Family-related personal interest stories, and, in our research, we’ve constantly been left surprised by the way the Queen uses her power to sway the masses in nearly imperceptible ways.

Don’t believe us? Well, did you know that the monarch has final say on what color NAIL POLISH other royals wear?! That’s right, the fashion maven that is Duchess Kate can only wear nude-colored manicures per her grandmother-in-law’s direct orders.

It’s a random fact, but one that perfectly illustrates our point—the Queen may be as public of a public figure you can get, but there’s still a lot about her that is hiding in plain sight! Here are some of the strangest things that people don’t know about Queen Elizabeth…

1.  She bought her wedding dress with coupons

   Following World War II, Britain took measures to rebuild the economy and that included the use of rations. Royals weren’t exempt from the measures, and the then-princess saved up her clothing ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress.

   Locals also wanted to pitch in and help but, since it was against the law to transfer rations, they were returned with a thank you. Instead, the British government aided the young princess with a ration supplement to pay for her gown.

2. Her Royal Highness has two birthdays

   Yep, the Queen sure is a lucky duck; she was born into one of the most powerful monarchies in the world AND she gets to celebrate her birthday twice a year, once on April 21st (her real birthday) and once on the second Saturday of June.

   HRH gets this bonus bday so that the Royal Family and her commoners can celebrate her special day outdoors in warm weather for the annual Trooping the Colour parade. A benevolent ruler, if we’ve ever seen one!

3. She made history as a host

   In a Buckingham Palace first, the Queen hosted a luncheon in 2004 to celebrate “Women of Achievement” with all women attendees. The event was the first of its kind held at the palace, and guests of honor included the likes of J.K. Rowling, Kate Moss, Margaret Thatcher, and the Duchess of Gloucester.

   But not everyone was famous. Ladies from all walks of life and industries were invited, including lawyers, social justice advocates, artists, and charity workers.

We don’t know about you, but we certainly won’t be able to look at the Queen the same way again! To get further perspective AND score 7 more of these surprising royal deets, be sure to watch the video below. What we would give to be a fly on the wall in Buckingham Palace…

We’d love to hear your thoughts on all things Queen Elizabeth II! Which revelation surprised you the most? Do you think Prince Charles will be a good king once he takes the throne? Do you know of any other lesser-known details about the Queen that you would like to share?

Sources: BBC
Express
Travel and Leisure