Once upon a time, royals could pretty much do whatever they wanted. None of that is the case for today’s British royal family, who as some of the world’s most famous people and a global brand, are obsessed with image. Yup, even Queen Elizabeth, Kate Middleton, and the rest of the Mountbatten-Windsors live by a strict set of rules — which cover everything from how they dress, to the special things they take with them when they travel.
That’s not to say that the royals have done away with ancient traditions altogether. (Nope, not a chance.) They still adhere to rules that have been in place for a thousand years. Every move they make is about moving forward with the times, kinda, while also clinging to royal rules of the past. Honestly, how they live their extraordinary lives while we watch, fascinated, amused, and sometimes confounded, is what keeps them relevant and mysterious at the same time. While the royals have broken their own rules many a time, when it comes to the most important things — how they present themselves and behave in public, how they keep their bloodlines going and ensure stability, and how they stay away from controversy (or try, anyway) — is of major importance. Their rules may sometimes seem absurd to us, but there’s usually a reason for them. Here are 20 rules that the royals have to follow.
No Political Talk
The Queen and senior royals like Kate and William may meet heads of state all the time at events, like state banquets, but they’re not supposed to make any public statements about politics. That’s because their role is all about diplomacy — as opposed to the prime minister and parliament, which are the ones responsible for the actual governance of the country.
Not Allowed to Vote
Although it’s not illegal for members of the royal family to vote, the Queen does not. (We’re guessing it would be mighty embarrassing for someone to leak a pic of her ballot!) We bet at least the senior members of the family follow her lead, given that Prince Harry recently admitted that he’s never voted.
Don't Run for Office
This is, again, more of a convention than a hard and fast legal issue. No royal has ever run for office, and it would surely be a major scandal if one did. The optics are simply bad on this one, given the already outsize influence royals have. Also, a royal running for office would mean open season on digging up dirt about the person, as happens in every election. No way the royal family would be OK with that.
Everyone Curtseys or Bows to the Queen When They First See Her
Contrary to what we see in movies, royals don’t spend all day bowing to Queen Elizabeth. Instead, they — and anyone else — have to curtsey or bow when they encounter her for the first time on a given day, or at a given event. The only other rule: While women bend their legs with one knee placed behind the other while looking at the Queen (a curtsey), men simply stand and bow their heads in her direction.
No Eating Garlic
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously said how much they enjoy a good curry, a decidedly garlicky staple of England’s takeout food scene. But when dining during official events, dishes that include the pungent bulb are a no-go. The reason is fairly obvious: No one wants to gas or have bad breath while speaking to special guests.
Stay Away From Shellfish
While we’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has gotten seriously ill from a steak cooked medium rare, we definitely know plenty of people who have had a horrible reaction to shellfish. The royals must, too, because they avoid eating shellfish while at events or traveling abroad. Prince William surprised fans when he let it slip that he and Kate love sushi while on a visit to a Japanese cultural center in London, so either he skips the crab roll, or the rule is not that serious — at least while royals are at home.
Certain Royals Must Get Permission to Marry
When Princess Eugenie and her sister, Princess Beatrice, got engaged to their now-husbands, they probably told the Queen as a courtesy. Until just a few years ago, they would have had to get her permission, as per an ancient law. But in 2011, the law was relaxed, and now, only the first six royals in the line of succession have to have the monarch’s OK to wed.
No Signing Autographs
We see it all the time: Royals signing guestbooks at embassies and historic sites. While that’s totally fine by royal rules, what’s not fine is signing autographs for admirers. That’s a mistake the Meghan made when she went on her first outing as Prince Harry’s fiancée, which is understandable, given that she had been an actress for a long time.
It's OK to Accept Gifts … Sometimes
Back in the day, royals accepted gifts of all kinds, including extravagant jewelry. But that’s changed over the years, because not only does it make them look greedy, but it could be seen as putting the royals under obligation to the gift-giver. These days, royals can accept gifts from businesses if it’s a small souvenir of, say, a factory tour — from government bodies or charities with which it has an established connection (as in small gifts from visiting US presidents). Generally, they’re not allowed to accept gifts from unknown people — unless it’s, say, an uncontroversial upcoming book from an author.
Can't Keep Official Gifts
An official gift — anything that royals receive while on an official outing or overseas trip — is automatically the property of the Crown. The royal who received it can use it, consume it if its food, display it, or loan it out. (Stuff that doesn’t get immediately used is placed in storage.) Palace staff then decide whether it should enter the royal collection, is suitable for being donated, or if should just be destroyed so no one gets it.
Seriously.
Royals May Now Marry Catholics
For centuries — ever since King Henry VIII broke away from the Vatican and started the Church of England in 1534, so he could get a divorce — royals in the line of succession were strictly forbidden from marrying Catholics. Y’all can see why: To prevent the Catholic Church from regaining control. But that law recently changed — so, should future king Prince George, or his siblings grow up to love a Catholic, they can feel free to do so and remain in the line to the throne.
... But the Monarch Can't Be One
While royals are now free to love and marry Catholics, the monarch can never be one. That’s not exactly a shocker, because the British queen or king is also the head of the Church of England — so it would be basically the definition of a conflict of interest to belong to a different church.
Have to Get a Driver's License
It’s a well-known fact that the Queen loves to drive. After training to be a driver and mechanic during her World War II military service, she never gave up the joy of getting behind the wheel in her Range Rover, especially during family holidays in Balmoral and Sandringham. While Queen Elizabeth doesn’t need a driver’s license (she’s the Queen after all!), that doesn’t extend to other royals — so they have to apply and take a test like everyone else.
Passports Are a Must
British passports are issued in the name of Her Majesty … so it would be redundant for her to have to get a passport. But as with driver’s licenses, once again, the privilege does not extend to the rest of the royal family. So everyone from Prince Charles and Prince Philip on down packs a passport when traveling overseas.
Top Royals Also Pack Blood on Trips
Can y’all picture the Queen getting a blood transfusion from a random donor? (Nope, neither can we.) That’s why she, as well as Prince Charles and Prince William, the next two family members in line for the throne, always travel with a fridge full of their own blood, in case of an accident or illness. We’re guessing that Prince George will soon do the same, if it’s not already happening. No waiting to be matched, and no chance of an adverse reaction. Smart.
Heirs to the Throne Have at Least Two Kids
Ever heard of the term “an heir and a spare?” As brutal as it sounds, it’s how monarchs and future monarchs have planned their families for millennia: Make sure they have a child to keep the family line going and inherit the throne, and at least one more in case baby No. 1 doesn’t, ya know, make it. Queen Elizabeth had four kids, Prince Charles had two, and Prince William, three. Consider the throne secured.
Royal Kids Wear Specific Clothes
It’s 2020, but if we looked at the way Kate and William’s kids dress on official outings, we might not know it. Princes George and Louis generally wears shorts and Princess Charlotte invariably wears dresses. That’s been the custom in the royal family — and the aristocracy — since time immemorial, though we’ve seen them rock more normal-kid clothes in informal family pictures and IG posts.
Don't Open Presents on Christmas Day
Y’all know that the royal family has deep German roots that go back centuries? Not surprisingly, that has found its way into lots of aspects of royal life, including the fact that the family opens presents on Christmas Eve, a German tradition. On Christmas morning, when the rest of us are tearing through mountains of gift wrap, they get dressed and walk from the Queen’s private estate of Sandringham to church for a special service.
Keep PDA to a Minimum
Although the no-PDA rule has been broken more and more in recent years, in general, the royal family tends to keep their distance from each other, and from the public. Health and safety concerns are a couple of reasons they don’t get overly huggy with the public, and looking professional is on official outings is apparently the reason that royals like Kate and William keep their hands off each other.
Strict Order for Entering & Exiting Rooms
Entering and exiting rooms in order of precedence — in other words, by rank from highest to lowest — is mostly a thing of the past for informal events. But when it comes to formal events, the royals definitely go by the book: The Queen enters and exits state dinners, banquets, and churches first, followed by the rest of the royals in descending order of rank. In case of a wedding or funeral, she enters and exits last.
