Queen Elizabeth Broke Protocol and Displayed the "Ultimate Sign of Unity" With a Once-in-a-Lifetime Move After the 9/11 Attacks

September 11, 2026 marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks that shook the United States and the world, with 2,977 people killed in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. In Britain, the Royal Family showed their solidarity with the American people in several meaningful ways, with Queen Elizabeth breaking protocol to show her solidarity with the United States at the time.

The most obvious sign of support she gave was requesting the Coldstream Guards to play The Star-Spangled Banner during the Changing of the Guard two days after the attacks. In footage from ABC News’s September 13, 2001 broadcast, thousands of people are seen gathered outside Buckingham palace waving American flags, singing, and crying during the performance.

But Queen Elizabeth also made a much more personal change to her routine in the days following September 11.

On September 14, the late Queen attended a special memorial service at St. Paul’s Cathedral to honor those who died, and when The Star-Spangled Banner played, she sang along. The gesture might not seem significant, but it was an unprecedented move for Queen Elizabeth.

At the time, Daily Mail journalist Richard Kay wrote (via the Independent) that the late Queen did “not 'sing' national anthems” of other countries, or even her own. “Her mouth never opens when they are played,” he added, noting that her act “was the ultimate sign of unity, friendship, and support for America."

In a letter read during a memorial service in New York, Queen Elizabeth issued one of her most famous quotes while reflecting on the "dark and harrowing times" many were experiencing.

"My thoughts and my prayers are with you all now and in the difficult days ahead," she wrote. "But nothing that can be said can begin to take away the anguish and the pain of these moments. Grief is the price we pay for love."