Queen Elizabeth expressed sympathy for Marilyn Monroe following their one and only encounter, according to the author.

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly "expressed sympathy" for America's most renowned sex symbol upon their encounter in 1956.

In London to film "The Prince and the Showgirl," Marilyn Monroe's main goal was to meet the king.

But the encounter wasn’t picture-perfect.

According to Michelle Morgan, author of "When Marilyn Met the Queen," the queen expressed her admiration for Marilyn but also felt sympathy for her.

"Morgan explained that the Hollywood star had licked all of her lipstick off. "When you see the footage, you see the queen coming up the line. Marilyn is licking her lipstick off because she’s nervous. And the queen picked up on that. I thought that was an interesting thing for the queen to notice.""

Although the women only met once, their face-to-face encounter is still a topic of discussion today.

Morgan claims that Monroe, invited to the Royal Command Performance at the Empire Theatre in London's Leicester Square, was determined to make a lasting first impression, even if it meant challenging royal etiquette. She shared the stage with some of the most renowned film stars of the era.

WATCH: QUEEN ELIZABETH ‘FELT SORRY’ FOR MARILYN MONROE: AUTHOR

Marilyn was instructed to wear something conservative when meeting the queen, but she disregarded the memo.

"Morgan stated that she had an idea of what she wanted and went to a theatrical dressmaker. She presented them with a little diagram of her desired look. The dressmaker made it for her, including a gold cape and a little gold bag. The dress was very low cut."

"When Marilyn was asked to meet the queen, a memo went [a]round to everybody … that said, ‘You must wear something conservative. You must think about the neckline.' And that went straight over Marilyn’s head." — Michelle Morgan, author of "When Marilyn Met the Queen"

"When she emerged from the car, she wore the cape and subsequently removed it. Despite being criticized by several people, including Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe remained unbothered. Ultimately, her purpose for being there was to meet the queen."

Morgan's book reveals that Crawford had been "vocally hostile" towards the younger actress before they shared the same room with the queen. The Oscar winner had previously claimed that she turned down a job teaching Monroe to "dress properly" because it would be "impossible to help her."

Monroe was determined to make headlines with her curve-hugging gold lamé gown, which was so low-cut that the tops of Marilyn's breasts were on full display. Several staff members were needed to assist Monroe in fitting into the gown.

She expected the monarch not to be fazed.

Morgan stated that the queen had watched Marilyn's films, including "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." At one point, she met one of Marilyn's co-stars and discussed the film with Prince Philip.

"The queen, being highly aware of Marilyn, knew the kind of gowns she wore and was likely starstruck. However, the queen met millions of people and was not easily shocked, as nothing could surprise her."

Monroe was not ready for France's own sex symbol to overshadow her, as she believed.

Morgan stated that Marilyn was upset because Brigitte Bardot had made headlines in the papers that day. However, he believes that Marilyn did not truly feel miffed about it. He has read all the newspapers and found that there were pictures of Brigitte in them, along with small columns about her.

"Although it was mostly Marilyn, there was a small amount of professional envy present. She desired more publicity than Brigitte, but I believe she had nothing to be concerned about."

Morgan expressed her fascination with the queen and hoped for a tea meeting at Buckingham Palace.

Marilyn wanted to meet the queen," said Morgan. "I spoke to one of her assistants who told me that when she was working with Marilyn, Marilyn would often say to her, ‘Where does the queen buy her perfume?’ "Where does the queen buy her gloves?’ The assistant was ... kind of miffed that all Marilyn was asking her was about the queen. ... She [said], ‘I was supposed to be an authority on the queen, and I wasn’t!’

"Marilyn was captivated by the queen, and she requested a meeting with her through a PR person on her film. However, every time she asked Lawrence Olivier to present her request, he dismissed it as unimportant."

"As it turned out, the palace wanted Marilyn to meet the queen. They were organizing a big event in London and were looking for famous people to come and meet the queen, shake hands with her. Marilyn was on the list."

Before the big night, Monroe practiced her curtsy, feeling "quite nervous" while staying at Englefield Green, which is four miles from Windsor Castle.

Morgan stated that Marilyn spoke to the press after their meeting, and she was very enthusiastic while sharing what they discussed. The queen remarked to Marilyn that she had heard they were neighbors. Marilyn's initial response was "Eh?" The queen then explained that she resided in Windsor Castle, while Marilyn lived in Englefield Green, which was adjacent to the boundary. Marilyn was thrilled and giggly, exclaiming that she and her husband often rode their bicycles through the queen's park.

"When Princess Margaret arrived, she conversed with her briefly. Later, someone else brought up Arthur Miller's play. Marilyn exclaimed, 'You must come and see my husband's play!' She was thrilled that they were still interested in her."

The actress and the queen never met again after their initial encounter. The actress passed away in 1962 at the age of 36 from a barbiturate overdose, while the queen died in 2022 at the age of 96.

The queen never forgot the star, Morgan insisted.

"Morgan stated that a friend from the palace said the queen was intrigued by Marilyn after their meeting. Since the queen rarely spoke publicly about others, her motto being "Never complain, never explain," we only have this small piece of information from an anonymous palace friend."

Morgan aims to reveal a new facet of the American icon through her book.

"Marilyn was mesmerized when she met the queen," said Morgan. "It was a significant moment in history for her. As a child, she lived in an orphanage and didn't know her father. Her mother was not very present in her life. Despite this, she grew up to become a movie star. Now, as she met the queen, the little girl inside her was absolutely captivated."