It’s not much of a surprise that the Queen is against same-sex marriage.

Queen Elizabeth II is opposed to same-sex marriage, according to one of her supposed close friends. The reason why, she says, is because of her Christian beliefs. While she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, she is okay with partnerships and unions. This is because while she doesn’t agree with same-sex relationships, she doesn’t want to impose her views on another person. This supposed friend, who has not been identified, has seemingly exposed the queen by revealing details of a private conversation.

Same-Sex Marriage in the United Kingdom

Despite the church’s heavy opposition to same-sex marriage, it has actually been legal in most of the United Kingdom since March of 2014. Wales and England legalized same-sex marriage after Scotland did in February of 2014. Of all of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is the only member who has not yet legalized it.

Church of England and Same-Sex Marriage

As queen, Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the church. It’s really not much of a surprise the church is against same-sex marriage. Because of this, same-sex marriage ceremonies cannot be performed in the church, and other religious organizations have the ability to refuse to perform any same-sex marriage ceremony if it interferes with their religion.

Confusion on Her Stance

Some people are confused because when she signed the act legalizing same-sex marriage, she was quoted as saying, “Well, who’d have thought 62 years ago when I came to the throne, I’d be signing something like this? Isn’t it wonderful?” People assumed when they heard that quote that the queen was in support of same-sex marriage. Now that this “friend” is saying the queen actually opposes it, some people are confused and disappointed.

The Queen’s Reign

The queen, who will be 90 in April, has been ruling in England since she was 25 years old. Because she doesn’t give interviews very often, people don’t know a lot about her personal or political feelings. While many see her as a symbol of grace and tradition, she hasn’t been known to express herself. Members of royalty are not supposed to express their political opinions, as they are supposed to remain neutral as much as possible. Perhaps the only confirmed statement the queen has made on same-sex marriage was the one mentioned above, when she signed the act into law.

Can She Do Anything?

According to her friend, she was talking with the queen when she expressed her concerns about same-sex marriage. The source said the queen thinks marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman, despite signing the act into law that legalized same-sex marriage. As queen, her friend thought she would be able to do something about it, but the queen simply said all she can do is warn people and advise them on what to do.

Palace’s Response

According to palace insiders, the fact that the queen is against same-sex marriage is simply not true. Whether they are saying this because they are trying to avoid creating a stir or because the source is simply not credible is unknown. However, there are several reasons why the source doesn’t seem terribly credible:

• It seems odd that the friend would willingly discuss a private conversation with the tabloids. This could be a serious violation of trust between the queen and this friend.
• The queen’s supposed opposition to same-sex marriage would seemingly go against what the queen has said in the past.
• The queen is turning 90 this month, and so the tabloids are looking for stories on her. This source may have just been looking for his or her fifteen minutes of fame.

Regardless, same-sex marriage is legal in England and that isn’t going to change. Whether or not the queen personally agrees with it doesn’t seem to matter much at this point.