At least once in your life you must have wondered what it would feel like to be a royal. (ah,
the palaces, the yachts, the paparazzi!) Well, if you were a royal in the UK, you wouldn’t
be able to eat shellfish, play Monopoly or even say certain words. Yep, it’s not all
crumpets and tea parties for them; and some of the rules they must follow are just plain
weird, to say the least.
1. They must keep a minimum of 6 ravens at the Tower of London.
"If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall..." Legend has it that there should
be at least six ravens residing at the fortress to keep the Tower and the kingdom from falling.
To this day, they take really good care of the birds and make sure they always have well
above the minimum number.
2. They can’t be touched by non-royals or sign autographs.
Truth be told, this rule is more of a general guideline that younger royals break every
now and then. It’s not that easy to get close to a monarch, of course, but it happens
quite often at different events. They hug fans, pat kids on the head and even take selfies!
Those are on the no-go list, too, by the way. Her Majesty The Queen personally dislikes
them; mostly because it’s simply unthinkable to turn your back to the royals. One rule
the royals never violate, however, is the ban on autographs. In order to prevent forgery,
they’ll never give you their signature.
3. They aren’t allowed to say certain words.
I’m not referring to political opinions, but words you and I use every day. “Toilet”,
“perfume”, and “pardon”, for example, are off limits because of their French origins.
You know the French and English historically haven’t been best friends, right? So if
you’re ever invited to a royal reception and need the restroom, ask for the “loo”.
Compliment the way Kate Middleton smells by saying “I love your scent”. And if you
didn’t quite catch a word or two during a conversation, say “Sorry?” instead of
“pardon?”. And, if Her Majesty invites you for “tea”, it will most definitely
be a dinner in one of the “sitting rooms” (not a lounge or a living room), and you’ll
sit on a sofa, never a couch. After “tea”, you’ll have “pudding” instead of “dessert”.
If you want to say how beautiful everyone looks, say they look “smart”, not “posh”.
4. They can’t vote.
It’s unconstitutional for Her Majesty the Queen to vote, because she’s the reigning
monarch. The other members of the royal family don’t because it’s become a tradition
for them to stay politically neutral. They can’t have a say in these kinds of matters
because their vote would easily influence public opinion in an unfair way. Instead,
they get in front of scandals and focus on cooperating with the ruling party and keeping
political matters running smoothly.
5. They can’t hold a political office.
With their excellent education and love for the general public, you’d expect the royals
to make great politicians. But in fact, they aren’t allowed to run for office. This rule
ensures that no one of royal background is given the power to sway public opinion, or
use it to gain personal advantage from their position.
6. They can’t play Monopoly.
This was hinted at by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, while he was making a public appearance
several years ago. He was presented with the property trading game and admitted they’re
not allowed to play it at home. Why? You’re gonna love the answer, because it’s really
relatable. Prince Andrew explained it could get a little too vicious at times. Yeah I
can relate.
7. They can’t eat shellfish.
This is more of a precaution than an actual rule. Some royals, including the Queen, choose
not to eat shellfish or rare red meat to avoid allergic reactions or food poisoning. Others,
like Prince Charles, will gladly slurp an oyster. And, you should never expect even
a hint of garlic on the royal table. The Queen reportedly can’t stand it. Starch isn’t
exactly her favorite, either, so potatoes, rice and pasta aren’t served at royal receptions.
They’re more likely to have grilled fish with vegetables and salad.
8. They can’t sit with their legs crossed. The royals can’t just sit however they feel
most comfy. Both royal men, and especially women, never cross their legs! Crossing their
ankles is fine, but they have to keep their legs together. Keeping legs to the side is
also acceptable, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, has made it her signature position.
Beaumont Etiquette school even coined a special name for it: “the duchess slant”. Keeping
her ankles together and her legs to the side doesn’t only make her look graceful and
royal, but also makes her legs look longer.
9. They must keep the order of precedence for seating arrangements and processionals.
When it comes to the royal family, they can’t arrive at an important event in a random order
and sit next to whomever they choose. There are really strict rules concerning the order
of precedence at processions. If there’s a wedding, the royal family has to enter according
to the order of their ranks, with the Queen (or the reigning monarch), in the forefront.
As of now, the order is the following: Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince
Philip, Her Majesty's husband), the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (Prince
Charles and his wife, Camilla), the Prince and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and
Kate Middleton), and so on. Gee we should try that at my house…
10. Their clothing can’t send ambiguous messages. Huh?
Royals are expected to lead the way in fashion with their sophisticated and elegant style.
Their outfits are usually modest, yet fashionable, with no hidden messages. Ladies must wear
hats and tights whenever they attend official events. Of course, short skirts and dresses
that show too much skin are a big no-no. And, there are even rules for young princes: they
can’t wear pants, only shorts.
11. They can’t wear fur.
It was declared by Edward III way back in the 12th century that no one, including the
royal family, could wear fur. Centuries later, saying no to fur has become a way to stop
cruelty against animals. In 2000, all fur farms were officially forbidden in the UK.
In any case, this rule seems to have been forgotten, since some royals, and even the
Queen, have been caught sporting their furs.
12. They must accept gifts graciously.
Whatever the nature of the gifts, all the members of the royal family must accept them
graciously. Since all the gifts belong to the Crown, the Queen gets to decide who’ll
keep which gift.
13. The royal always leads the way.
Whenever on a walk with their spouse, the royals can’t hold hands and walk however
they want. Her Majesty the Queen is always seen a few steps ahead of her husband Prince
Philip. However, when the royal spouse is male, he can also take the common “ladies
first” rule into account and let his lady lead the way. This often happens when Prince
Harry goes out with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
14. They must spend Christmas together.
Traditionally, the members of the royal family spend Christmas with each other every year.
Catherine, however, broke this habit when she decided to spend Christmas with her family
instead. And, rumor has it, the Queen didn’t exactly like that.
15. They can’t eat after the Queen has finished eating.
Anyone dining together with the Queen, including the members of the royal family, must keep
this simple rule: they always have to follow Her Majesty’s every move and do what she
does. So if she stops eating, everyone else at the table must also stop. Her Majesty can
actually give everyone a hint a few minutes before she stops eating: she puts her purse
on the table to show it’ll soon be time to wrap it all up. So I guess you learn to
pick up the pace once she drops the purse, eh?
Which of these rules seems like the weirdest to you? Let me know down in the comments!
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