EXCLUSIVE: Inside Marilyn Monroe's Astonishing Obsession With Queen Elizabeth — And How Bombshell Shattered Royal Protocol When They Finally Met

Marilyn Monroe's fascination with Queen Elizabeth II culminated in one of the most remarkable Hollywood royalty-meets-actual royalty moments of the 20th century, with the big-screen bombshell donning a figure-hugging gown which stunned onlookers and breached royal protocol when the pair of icons ended up chatting.

RadarOnline.com can reveal Monroe, who – like the late Elizabeth – would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year, met the monarch in October 1956 during a Royal Command Performance at London's Empire Theatre in Leicester Square.

The actress, then 30, was in Britain filming The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier, while Elizabeth, also 30, was still in the early years of her reign.

According to accounts detailed in Michelle Morgan's 2022 book When Marilyn Met the Queen, Monroe had been eager to arrange a meeting with the monarch during her stay in England and had made her wish known to those around her.

A source familiar with accounts of the encounter said, "Marilyn had a real fascination with Queen Elizabeth long before they were introduced. She saw her as a figure of enormous grace, influence, and mystery. Although they came from completely different worlds, Marilyn was intrigued by the fact that they were both global icons navigating extraordinary levels of public attention at a remarkably young age.

"There was something almost symbolic about the meeting for Marilyn. Here were two women born in the same year who had become the most recognizable figures in their respective spheres – one the world's most famous actress, the other the world's most famous monarch. That connection genuinely captivated her."

According to Morgan's book, Monroe's publicist Alan Arnold found requests relating to a royal introduction on his daily to-do list.

At the time, Monroe was living with playwright Arthur Miller near Windsor Castle, placing her close to the royal household, although the pair did not meet until several months after the actress' arrival in Britain.

Another source said the actress appeared determined to make an impression when the long-awaited encounter finally arrived.

They added: "Marilyn approached the evening like a major occasion. She spent hours preparing and understood that the world's cameras would be watching. There was never any chance she was going to tone down her signature style."

That style came in the form of a tight gold lamé gown with a plunging neckline. According to Morgan, event organizers had encouraged female guests to dress appropriately for meeting royalty and avoid excessively revealing outfits. Monroe's dress, however, was widely viewed as pushing those boundaries.

On arriving to meet the Queen, Monroe's raunchy outfit was partially obscured by a glittering cape – but once inside, Morgan said she "smiled broadly, then threw back her cape to reveal her spectacular dress."

While the movie star's tight gold lamé number with a plunging neckline was a trademark of Monroe, it shattered royal rules for the meeting.

Morgan said organizers had asked female guests to "dress in a suitable manner to meet royalty – for example, they should not wear gowns that were so low-cut that they showed too much cleavage."

The writer added: "But the dress Marilyn chose to wear when meeting Queen Elizabeth II was like nothing they had in mind."

Despite concerns about protocol, footage of the encounter shows the actress curtseying before taking the Queen's hand and chatting with her. Elizabeth wore an elegant black off-the-shoulder gown and the Vladimir Tiara.

After the event, Monroe spoke warmly about the monarch. She said, "The Queen is very warm-hearted."

Monroe added, "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 Windsor, we were neighbors. So, I told her that Arthur and I went on bicycle rides in the park."

According to accounts later recounted by a friend, Elizabeth said, "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."

During the same event, Monroe was also introduced to Princess Margaret, then 26. According to the National Portrait Gallery, Monroe recommended Margaret attend a performance of Miller's play A View from the Bridge – advice the princess later followed.

Unlike Elizabeth, who died peacefully aged 96 in 2022, tortured Monroe met her tragic end in the early morning hours of August 5, 1962, at her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, aged only 36.

An official investigation concluded she died of acute barbiturate poisoning from an intentional or accidental overdose, officially ruled a "probable suicide," though ongoing conspiracy theories exist about the circumstances of her passing – including widely-believed ones the Kennedy political dynasty had her bumped off to hide the dirty secrets of their affairs with the actress.

The Monroe-Kennedy murder conspiracy suggests President John F. Kennedy and/or his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, orchestrated or covered up her death.

Theorists allege she was murdered because her affairs with the Kennedys made them fear she would publicly leak classified government secrets or sensitive personal information.

Monroe was found dead in her bedroom, lying face down on her bed with a telephone in her hand, by her housekeeper, Eunice Murray, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson.

The autopsy and toxicology report revealed lethal levels of chloral hydrate and Nembutal (pentobarbital) in her blood.

Numerous empty pill bottles were found scattered on her bedside table, indicating she had ingested a significant amount of sedatives in a very short span of time.

In the days and hours leading up to her death, Monroe was reportedly deeply depressed and struggling with severe insomnia. She spoke to several friends on the phone that evening, with some reporting her speech was heavily slurred.

Because she was the most famous woman in the world and no suicide note was ever found, her death spawned decades of conspiracy theories.

Investigators and biographers, however, largely dismiss rumors of foul play or political assassination – such as involvement with the Kennedy administration or the mafia – instead attributing the tragedy to an intentional suicide or accidental overdose.