It is expected that Queen Elizabeth II will break a royal protocol due to a heartbreaking reason. Her Majesty received some shocking news, as one of her close friends recently passed away.
The monarch is said to be "deeply upset" after hearing that one of her long-serving aides, Annette Wilkin, died. She worked for the Queen for 40 years and became the head housekeeper, but she suddenly died at the age of 72 due to a short illness.
Now, Queen Elizabeth is expected to break a royal protocol by attending Wilkin's funeral to pay her respect to her close friend. The Daily Mail reported that Her Majesty would likely attend the funeral even though there's a rule of not attending such. The reason behind this is that Her Majesty didn't want to be the focus of attention.
But then, the monarch might now follow this protocol now. The Queen is reportedly close to Wilkin, and she even gave her one of her corgis. Aside from that, Her Majesty reportedly allowed her to stay in a cottage at the Windsor Castle just to be close to her.
On Sunday, a royal insider told the Daily Mail that Wilkin was considered a Queen since she had a regal air about her and a lovely cut-glass accent. She's said to be always "immaculately dresses," and kind to her staff and fully in control of her job - she's reportedly in charge of three teams of maids across Winsor Castle and Frogmore House.
The insider added that Queen Elizabeth and all the royals adored Wilkin and she's "almost part of the family." She's never been married because she was devoted to her job, and she gave her life to the royal family.
And although she retired in 2014, Wilkin remained working for the monarch as her assistant dresser. The source also said she's working until very recently, but became ill and was treated to the hospital. Wilkin is reportedly very fit, so her death comes as a great shock.
Normally, Queen Elizabeth only attends the funeral of personal friends and family members, so she's expected to visit Wilkin funeral. Her Majesty has also been to the funerals of former Prime Ministers, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher.
Just last month, the Queen also attended the funeral of her close friend, Jeanie, the Countess of Carnarvon, who died at the age of 83. But then, in all other cases, the monarch just sends a personal representative to pay respects on her behalf.
