The revelation is shared in Michelle Obama’s latest book Becoming Mrs Obama, where she shares intimate details of her time as the First lady.
“We were briefed on the protocol ahead of time: We’d greet the Royals formally before getting into their vehicle to make the short drive,” she wrote.
“I’d sit in the front next to ninety-four-year-old Prince Philip, who would drive, and Barack would sit next to the Queen in the back seat,” detailed Michelle.
But on one occasion, Michelle was thrown off by The Queen’s shock move.
“After we’d touched down in a field on the palace grounds and said our hellos, however, the Queen abruptly threw a wrench into everything by gesturing for me to join her in the back seat of the Range Rover.
“I froze, trying to remember if anyone had prepared me for this scenario, whether it was more polite to go along with it or to insist that Barack take his proper seat by her side.
“The Queen immediately picked up on my hesitations and was having none of it.
“‘Did they give you some rule about this?’ she said, dismissing all the fuss with a wave of her hand. ‘That’s rubbish. Sit wherever you want.’”
The Queen’s actions followed after the palace “fretted endlessly” over the “movements and interactions” of the Obamas to make sure “every last little thing looked right and went smoothly”.
Michelle also broke royal protocol while visiting the UK in 2009 when she hugged the Queen.
But according to Obama Her Majesty ‘didn’t mind.’