In the morning, I drink nothing but tea (don't you dare offer me a cup of coffee!), and I
always take a window seat on the plane. I'm sure we all have our own unique, everyday
routines. But it turns out that not only us mere mortals have our little quirks! Her Majesty,
Queen Elizabeth II has habits she sticks to as well!
Have you ever wondered why the Queen always carries her purse with her wherever she goes?
According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, there’s a practical explanation to
this mysterious phenomenon: in her handbag, the Queen always has a pen, a lipstick, a
mirror, her reading glasses, and some mints. But wait, there’s more to a simple purse
than that! In the Queen's hands, it turns into a sort of social indicator which Her
Majesty uses at different events and gatherings. That's how she lets the staff know her intentions.
For example, when the Queen is talking to someone and, in the process, starts to shift
her purse from one hand to the other, it means she's ready to finish the discussion. This
gesture is so subtle, that if you were talking to Her Majesty, you wouldn’t even notice.
Someone would just come up to you and politely mention that, let's say, the Archbishop of
Canterbury would like to talk to you. Also, if you were having a conversation with
the Queen, and she put her purse on the floor, that would be an ominous sign for you. This
action means that Her Majesty isn't enjoying your little chat and needs a lady-in-waiting
to give her a hand. When the Queen puts her purse on the dinner
table, she’s subtly informing everyone that she wants the event to be wrapped up within
5 minutes. But the one thing I hope you'll never see
if you ever have a discussion with the Queen is the ring-twisting thing she sometimes does.
This gesture means Her Majesty needs an immediate "rescue."
You didn’t think those are all the Queen’s little quirks, did you? Let me tell you about
some other, even more unusual ones! - When Her Majesty travels, she’s typically
accompanied by as many as 34 people, including her private secretary and his deputy, their
secretaries, two dressers, a hairdresser, two ladies-in-waiting, a valet, press officers,
eight police bodyguards, the Foreign Secretary and their people, and many others.
- Queen Elizabeth is officially recognized as one of the most well-traveled heads of
the country in history. Surely, she must have a tip for how to avoid jet lag? Rumor has
it that the Queen copes with jet lag with the help of... barley sugar! It gets boiled
down in the form of sweets and helps to alleviate the sleepiness most travelers suffer from
after long flights. No idea how it works, but look at the Queen! It seems barley sugar
IS an effective jet lag remedy! - One more proof that Her Majesty likes traveling
in comfort is the fact that she drinks only her Earl Grey tea and only from her monogrammed
kettle. She has both these things in her baggage wherever she goes. On top of that, she never
heads off for another country without her pine-scented soaps, Harrods' sausages, her
personal hot water bottle, and framed family photos.
- Also, the Queen seems to be the only member of the royal family who has never taken a
scheduled flight. She only flies by private jets. As for the rest of the family, there’s
a chance that you might see one of them on a commercial flight, probably even in economy
class! For example, they say that Prince Harry flew economy from Memphis to Dallas in 2014,
and the Duke of Cambridge was once spotted on a Ryanair flight to Glasgow.
- But back to Her Majesty! The Queen never travels anywhere without a Royal Navy doctor,
whose task, among others, is to research the hospitals in the area in advance. The thing
is that the countries the Queen visits might have problems with a reliable blood supply.
That's why both Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales bring packs of their own blood wherever
they go. On top of that, their personal doctor is always nearby with all kinds of emergency
medicine, including a portable defibrillator. - The Queen frowns upon open windows in Buckingham
Palace. Well, to be precise, only the ones that decorate the outside of the building.
The problem is that when you open those windows, you can ruin the view of the Palace. Thus,
the windows on that side can be opened only at particular hours.
- The Queen's extensive wardrobe has long become the stuff of legends. Not only does
Her Majesty prefer brilliant, vibrant colors and classic styles, but she also can't appear
in public in the same outfit or even color two times in a row! That's why there’s a
special journal where it's noted when and where the Queen wore this or that outfit.
By the way, not to be confused, each of these outfits has its own number.
- And how about this one: Queen Elizabeth II doesn't need (and doesn't have) a passport!
Well, it makes sense since all British passports are issued in her name and on her authority.
When she passes an identity check leaving or returning to the country, she just needs
to provide immigration authorities with her full name, address, age, gender, nationality,
and place of birth. - One more paradox is that Her Majesty loves
raspberries but won’t eat them in public. The explanation for this mystery is simple:
tiny raspberry seeds often get stuck in teeth, and that's unacceptable for the Queen. For
the same reason, blackberries are never served at official receptions either. As for tomatoes
and cucumbers, their seeds get removed in advance!
- Do you like ice cubes in your summer drinks? Well, the Queen doesn't. She hates the sound
ice cubes make inside a glass. At the same time, if they’re not ice cubes, but ice
balls, Her Majesty doesn't have anything against them: she finds ice shaped in balls much more
musical. - The Queen has a female servant who breaks
her new shoes in for her. Mind you, Her Majesty has been wearing footwear of the same brand
and style for many years, and still, she dislikes the discomfort new shoes may bring.
- In her handbag, along with other necessary things, the Queen always has... a hook! As
you remember, Her Majesty uses her handbags and purses to communicate with servants. She
attaches the hook under tables every time she needs to hang her bag. This prevents some
confusion, since placing her bag on the floor would mean she wants to leave.
Now, are any of your habits similar to the Queen's? Let me know down in the comments!
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