14 Strict Rules All Members Of The British Royal Family Must Follow

Royalty

From what socks to wear to wearing mourning on trips to avoiding selfies, these are some of the protocol obligations that the British royal family must follow

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In the view of a simple citizen, being a member of the royalty is nothing more than its many advantages and privileges, but the truth is that there are some unbreakable rules, either by protocol or by tradition.

While many have some flexibility, others are followed as if they were divine laws. Or at least that's the way it is in the British royal family. That country's edition of Hello! he listed a total of fourteen royal “commandments.” Which are?

little physical contact

Royals rarely kiss or shake hands in public. In the case of couples, it would also be quite uncomfortable to go hand in hand because they, in turn, in their public commitments, must greet other people with their hands.

bow

When greeting the queen , men should bow their heads, while women should bend their knees slightly. Gestures do not need to be long or exaggerated.

gift acceptance

There are specific rules about what a royal may or may not accept as a gift. The gift policy established during 2003 says: "Gifts, including acts of hospitality or services, which may or may appear to place the member of the royal family under any obligation to the donor, should not be accepted." The royalty rejects gifts offered by companies but they can accept them from public bodies, such as the military or charities, especially those with which they have an established connection. When it comes to members of the public, flowers, some reasonable food and non-controversial books can be accepted, but royals cannot accept anything worth more than £150

Christmas at Sandringham

Only couples who are engaged or married are invited to spend Christmas with the Queen in Norfolk.

wearing stockings

This is one of the cases in which the rule does not apply to the letter. It is said that the queen prefers royal ladies to wear pantyhose to formal events.

marriage proposals

As outlined in the Royal Marriages Act 1772, any prospective bride or groom of senior royalty requires the monarch's official seal of approval. Before Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017, he spoke to his grandmother. " Prince Harry is one of the first six people in line to the throne, so he needs the queen 's permission to marry," said Carolyn Harris, royal historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting. .

Respect for the order of rank

The royal family generally arrive at formal events, such as the Easter Sunday service and weddings, in rank order with the most important arriving last. That is to say that, normally, the queen would be the last to arrive, with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall before them, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before them, and so on.

selfies are prohibited

You can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of times a royal has voluntarily stopped to pose for a selfie with a follower. In general, royals kindly decline photos because when they are working they focus on what they should be doing.

no autographs

Royals can sometimes be seen signing a guest book or special notes, from message attachments to flower crowns. But you will never see them signing autographs for fans during a ride. A long-standing rule remains in place for all royals, due to the risk of a forged signature.

You have to wear a black outfit when you go on a trip

Protocol dictates that members of the royal family must pack a black garment when going on a royal tour in the unfortunate event that someone dies while abroad. In 1992, for example, when Princess Diana's father, Lord Spencer, died, he was in the Alps skiing with Prince Charles . On their way back, the royal couple followed protocol and dressed in all-black attire.

Royals are not allowed to hold political views (at least in public)

The British parliament's website says: "Although not prohibited by law, it is considered unconstitutional for the monarch to vote in an election." As Head of State, the Queen is expected to “remain strictly neutral with regard to political matters” and “does not vote or stand for election”. That is why Elizabeth and members of the royal family will never be heard expressing their political views in public.

You can't cross your legs

It is frowned upon for royal women to sit with their legs crossed at the knees. The legs and knees should be kept together, which means crossing the ankle is fine. Kate 's preferred position has been dubbed the "duchess lean," where she keeps her knees and ankles close together and tilts her legs to the side. Her posture makes her legs appear longer and she strikes a more modest pose. Princess Diana was known to sit the exact same way when she was out on engagements and Meghan adopted the pose as well when she joined the royal family.

The teacup rule

Only on very special occasions do we see members of the royal family drinking tea in public. Proper etiquette here is to hold the top of the mug handle with your thumb and forefinger and only drink from the same spot, to avoid multiple lipstick stains. And finally, the little finger always inside.

About the flights

In theory, the heirs to the throne should not take the same flights to protect the royal line. Only the queen has the power to allow the opposite. She has happened with Prince William and with Prince George. In the same way, when William was a child he accompanied his father on world tours.

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