Perhaps the most oft-transgressed maxim is touching a member of the royal family in a manner that goes beyond a formal handshake—a guideline that likely dates back to the Middle Ages, when, as the British historian Kate Williams has noted, “monarchs were divinely appointed to rule by God, so they were kind of seen as ...
This is because it is generally frowned upon for members of the public to touch royals. “If you are a member of the public meeting a member of the royal family, you should never offer your hand to shake — wait for them to initiate the handshake,” Harrold added.
An unwritten rule saying royals must act professionally could be why they rarely engage in PDA. During rare occasions, the pair's been seen holding hands or touching each other's backs.
The prohibition against royal autographs is in place because there's a risk of royal signatures being copied or forged. So, you won't see Prince Harry signing autographs for well-wishers either, although that hasn't stopped him in the past.
The likes of King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales have all shed a tear in public. Share this: The royals are known for their cool, calm exteriors and traditional stiff upper lip. And in general, they're a family with a lot to celebrate.
These include chocolate, coffee, and garlic — all ingredients that can destroy your breath. Charles' wife confirmed this during an episode of "MasterChef Australia." Camilla Parker Bowles said garlic was the one food she wouldn't want to see at a royal reception, due to Charles' distaste for it (via Twitter).
There are no official rules forbidding public displays of affection, but the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip set a precedent encouraging royals to keep touching to a minimum.
No shellfish or rare-cooked meat
This one doesn't seem too silly given that both dishes are known to cause food poisoning if they're not prepared correctly. Although it's not strictly a royal “law”, it is strongly advised to avoid shellfish and raw meat when possible. King Charles though occasionally can't resist.
Princess Eugenie is one of the only royals with visible tattoos. She showed off her small tattoo, a delicately inked circle behind her left year, at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. However, it is unclear when she first got the piece of body art.
According to The Sun, the British Royal family are under a strict protocol that dictates only two royal mothers can wear orange. However, the other more common reason is it doesn't photograph well, and for royals with pale complexion, it can wash them out. Luckily, that's a problem a healthy dose of bronzer can fix.
She says: "These gestures reflect high levels of affection and attraction, so there might be a practical reason to avoid the hand clasp. "As senior royals at events, the hand clasp might be seen as a clumsy ritual when there are many hands to shake and so many people to greet one at a time."
The queen sets the precedent.
There's no written rule that says that William and Kate can't kiss or hold hands in public, but as we know, the royal family is taught to follow the queen's lead.
The monarch isn't a fan of a deep bath either, she is said to bathe in “no more than seven inches of water”, according to royal author Brian Hoey for the Daily Mail. Seven inches is equivalent to 17.8 centimetres.
In truth, the act of removing her outermost layer of clothing in public would be considered “unladylike,” per royal standards. Should she feel a little stuffy underneath all those layers, she must at least step out of sight of the cameras before taking off her coat.
"The one thing they talked about a lot was no selfies, and the reason was that they didn't want people turning their backs to the Royal Family and the Queen. And that was very important to them," Greg Agnew said. "You do not turn your back on the Royal Family, and you do not attempt to walk up and talk to them."
Women who have famously refused to curtsy to the Royal Family include Cherie Blair, when husband Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
Royal etiquette expert Myka Meier told Fabulous, "Underwear and bras are also considered private intimate wear, and for royals to put intimate apparel on display would simply not be done."
Traditionally, royal mothers didn't breastfeed their babies, but all that changed when the Queen welcomed her own children, as royal historian Amy Licence told The Guardian. "Royal breastfeeding mothers are a relatively new phenomenon," Licence explained.
Royal women like Meghan and Kate often keep things casual at official events, wearing affordable brands and easy-to-wear styles, and that includes blue jeans. Here, 20 times royals have worn denim, from Prince Philip and Princess Alexandra in the 1950s to Meghan and Kate today. The Queen isn't one to wear denim.
Harry and William love fast food, especially McDonald's
Former royal family personal chef Darren McGrady told Marie Claire, “I remember Princess [Diana] came into the kitchen one day and said, 'Cancel lunch for the boys I'm taking them out, we're going to McDonald's.
Does the Queen ever cook for herself? McGrady says that while Prince Philip was an “amazing chef” and regularly enjoyed cooking on the grill and having family BBQs on the Balmoral estate, and the younger royals like William, Kate, Meghan and Harry, all enjoy cooking, the Queen herself stays out of the kitchen.
For Queen Elizabeth, pizza was off the menu
The former palace chef explained he began to make the classic Italian dish when he moved to Kensington Palace to cook for Princess Diana, sharing that Prince William was a big fan of the food.
The Queen receives kisses from both the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales.
As an old tradition dictates, royal couples never share the same bed or bedroom, allowing them to move freely while asleep. It allows them much needed alone time after hours of being in the limelight.
Prince William defied royal protocol at the King's Coronation when he chose not to bow to Queen Camilla at the Coronation Concert.