Lord Altrincham, later known as John Gregg, wrote an article in 1957 criticizing the British royal family. He said the Queen was unable to think without a counselor and had the personality of a "fan girl" He did not regret or apologize for his criticism, but stuck to it.
The impact of the criticism reached inside the palace, where some realized that there was a salient truth in what he had said. The Queen's annual Christmas message was also changed to make it less formal.