Only a very select few individuals are permitted to touch the actual Crown Jewels, whether they are on display in the Tower of London or, as in the case of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, resting on a coffin.
They have been kept in the Tower of London under lock and key since the 1600s2 and only three people are allowed to touch them – the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the crown jeweller.
Touching a member of the royal family when they have not initiated contact is considered a breach of royal protocol. Bowing or curtsying isn't strictly necessary when greeting a royal, but the royal family's official website says that "many people wish to observe the traditional forms."
Yes, it's true that Beyoncé is distantly related to Queen Elizabeth II, specifically as her 25th cousin, once removed, connected by their shared ancestor, King Henry II, making "Queen B" a real-life royal relative. Their lineage traces back through French and Acadian roots, linking them through centuries of family lines.
King Charles III has been the sovereign since 2022, and his heir apparent is his elder son, William, Prince of Wales. William's three children are next, in order of birth: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
When Prince William becomes King, if her husband King Charles has passed, Camilla will likely become the Queen Dowager, a title for the widow of a king, transitioning from her current Queen Consort role, and while still retaining high status and potentially patronages, her public duties and living arrangements (like residences) would be decided by William as the new monarch, paving the way for Catherine to become Queen Consort.
You'll never see a Royal wearing jeans to an important social event. Women should wear dresses, not trousers, on Royal occasions: This is because Queen Elizabeth preferred dresses to pants. Meghan has broken protocol regarding trousers a few times, but has rarely worn them to a Royal event.
Discover Meghan and Harry's shared lineage
Markle, however, is indeed of royal descent.
Madge and Camilla can both trace their history back to a man named Zacharie Cloutier, which makes Madonna and Queen Camilla 10th cousins. not only portrayed Richard III in the BBC's Hollow Crown series – he's also related to the ruler. Cumberbatch is the king's second cousin 16 times removed.
First off, Pitt and Queen Elizabeth II were 25th cousins. And that's how they share a common ancestor—Henry II of England. As per reports by Business Insider, Pitt and the late Queen are 25th cousins, twice removed. This places the actor in a royal lineage dating back to the 12th century.
Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in separate beds primarily due to the constraints of the Royal Train (which has only single beds) and as part of a long-standing aristocratic tradition of separate sleeping arrangements for better rest or privacy, though they likely share a bed at home, with their dog sometimes joining them for extra comfort, aligning with modern trends for "sleep divorce".
According to Sir William Heseltine, one of Queen's private secretaries, when staying with Her Majesty, members of the royal family should wait until the Queen retires to bed before they also hit the hay.
Meghan Markle's jewelry collection includes several heirloom pieces from the late Princess of Wales. The Duchess of Sussex wore Diana's iconic "divorce ring" to her 2018 wedding reception, for example. She has since stepped out in earrings, bracelets, and necklaces that once belonged to her late mother-in-law.
Occupied Royal Palaces, such as Buckingham Palace, are not the private property of The Queen. They are occupied by the Sovereign and held in trust by Crown Estates for future generations. The Queen privately owns two properties, Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, which are not publicly funded.
In 1671 Thomas Blood was the first and only man who attempted to steal them. After that, the Crown Jewels were kept under armed guard in a part of the Tower known as the Jewel House.
Queen Camilla was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia following a chest infection in late 2024, which caused fatigue and led to her missing some public engagements, though she continued with indoor duties and worked towards recovery, managing lingering post-viral tiredness with rest. Her illness was initially described as a "nasty bug," but she later confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis herself, requiring a modified schedule for a period.
Irrfan Khan, the actor with an unmatched talent, belonged to the royal family of Tonk, Rajasthan. Born as Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan, the late actor's mother belonged to the royal family of Tonk, while his father was the Zamindar of the village.
Madonna suffered a life-threatening bacterial infection in June 2023, leading to a severe case of sepsis, which put her in intensive care and required a ventilator, causing her to be unconscious for four days and forcing the postponement of her "Celebration" tour. She's since recovered, describing it as a near-death experience and reflecting on her "miraculous recovery" and the importance of support from her family and team.
Meghan Markle has publicly shared that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a serious and rare condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurred after childbirth, describing it as a "huge medical scare". She revealed this on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the disorder, which can happen weeks after delivery and impact new mothers' ability to care for their newborns.
Is Meghan Markle a princess or just a duchess? Meghan Markle is technically a princess because she married a prince. However, just like Kate isn't officially Princess Catherine but Princess William of Wales, Prince Harry's wife is not Princess Meghan.
Birth, family and infancy
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born at 05:26 (BST) (04:26 UTC) on 6 May 2019 at Portland Hospital in London. He is the first child of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Unlike previous royal births, there was no immediate photocall on the hospital steps.
This one is slightly more obvious. Instead of using “toilet,” royals use the word “loo” when they need to use the facilities. “'Toilet' is French by origin, so it is apparently avoided,” The Mirror writes.
The 3-3-3 clothing rule is a simple styling method for creating many outfits from few items: choose 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes, which allows for 27 potential combinations (3x3x3) and reduces decision fatigue, often used for travel or building a minimalist capsule wardrobe. It's a versatile concept, sometimes expanded to include 3 layers (like jackets or cardigans) for even more looks, making dressing easier by focusing on mix-and-match versatility with core pieces.
A royal biographer and editor wrote that Queen Elizabeth reportedly told friends she thought Meghan Markle's wedding dress was "too white." The monarch felt that such a gown wasn't appropriate for a divorcee who was remarrying, the reports suggest.