15. A Royal Wedding Bouquet Must Contain Myrtle
Reason: It symbolizes luck, fidelity, and love
Exception: None
Myrtus communis, better known as Myrtle, is a flowering evergreen shrub that is native to Europe, West Asia, India, North Africa, and Micronesia. It is beautiful, and there is a Royal tradition that requires all wedding bouquets to have this flower in them.
A Royal Wedding Bouquet Must Contain Myrtle ©Fox Photos/Getty Imags
After Queen Victoria got married, she planted myrtles from her own wedding bouquet in her personal garden. The plant has thrived over a century later, and it is still used in Royal weddings to this day. Reportedly, myrtle symbolizes fidelity, luck, and, of course, love.
16. Marriage Comes With a New Name
Reason: It’s part of Royal protocol
Exception: None
As this list has proved thus far, there are quite a few strict rules that the Royal Family must follow, particularly when it comes to marriage. For example, there is no keeping your maiden name when you get married as a Royal woman.
Marriage Comes With a New Name ©Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Women who marry Royal men in the line of succession must take their husbands’ titles. In the late 1910s, King George V chose to make “Windsor” the Royal surname, titled after Windsor Castle. And so it has remained ever since, with women marrying into the Royal family legally taking that surname upon their nuptials.
17. Only Married Women Wear Tiaras
Reason: Donning a tiara is a sign of “adulthood”
Exception: None
Diamond tiaras aren’t something you can just throw on willy-nilly, even if you are a member of the Royal Family. The Royal Family’s jewelry collection is worth millions, with diamond tiaras making up some of the most expensive pieces of the bunch.
Tiaras Are Only Worn by Married Women ©Chris Jackson /Getty Images
Tiaras are only to be worn at nighttime at the most formal events (this makes sense, as they wouldn’t exactly make a sensible accessory for a trip to McDonald’s). Only married women are permitted to wear these million-dollar accessories, which is why you never saw Kate Middleton down one until she got hitched to Prince William.
18. Every Royal Wedding Party Must Include a Crop of Children
Reason: It’s British tradition
Exception: They can have a best man/maid of honor
If you’ve ever noticed, pictures of Royal wedding parties tend to have a lot of kids in them. In some weddings in the States, brides and grooms request that there be no kids allowed, but that would be a major no-no in the Royal Family.
Every Royal Wedding Party Must Include a Crop of Children ©Dave Cannon/GP /Getty Images
Elle states that it is British tradition to have kids as pageboys and bridesmaids. Though Royal weddings can have maids of honor, they don’t have the usual bridesmaid/groomsmen arrangements that most other nuptials have.
19. The Family Can’t Have Political Views or Speak Publicly on Them
Reason: They have to be above politics
Exception: Humanitarian causes (banning landmines, for example)
As stated on this list, the Royal Family does not vote, as they are all expected to stay above politics. They don’t get down in the mire with the MPs, as these heads of state must keep neutral on any and all political matters.
The Family Can’t Have Political Views or Speak Publically on Them ©WPA Pool/Getty Images
While the Royal Family can advocate for general humanitarian causes (the kind that cannot be debated), they are not allowed to voice their political opinions on tax bills, pressing issues, or controversies. The media has often run itself ragged trying to speculate on which way the Royal family leans, to no avail.
20. Dinner Conversations Are Formulated
Reason: It preserves the etiquette of the event
Exception: None
When dining with the Royal Family, there are strict rules in place for dinner conversations. King Charles, for example, talks to the person on his right during the first course. During the second course, he then turns to the person on his left to have a conversation.
Dinner Conversations Are Formulated ©Tim Graham /Getty Images
Elsewhere at the table, people are expected to quietly have a conversation with the person seated next to them—there will be no yelling across the table to get a point across. The King is careful about his seat selection, preferring to sit with people with whom he knows he will have an interesting conversation.
21. The Family Can’t Eat Shellfish
Reason: The risk of food poisoning is too high
Exception: King Charles III sometimes can’t resist
Shellfish and rare meat are both major culprits for food poisoning, an ailment that can cause cramps, nausea, vomiting, and a host of other unpleasant symptoms. In severe cases, food poisoning can even be fatal, particularly for those who are elderly or infirm.
The Family Can’t Eat Shellfish ©Pool / Getty Images
Though not a hardline “law,” the Royal Household largely stays away from shellfish and raw meat because of their tendency to cause illness. That said, according to reports, King Charles III occasionally cannot resist the allure of these risky foods.
22. They Leave the Table Discreetly
Reason: Disrupting dinner is a no-no
Exception: An emergency situation (choking, heart attack, etc.)
“Excuse me, I need to use the restroom,” is an announcement you’re not likely to hear when dining with the Royal Family. One custom during Royal dinner is to always be discreet if you need to excuse yourself from the table.
They Leave the Table Discreetly ©Chris Jackson /Getty Images
While bathroom breaks are inevitable, it is expected that a Royal slip away as quietly as possible and return, equally-discreetly, to his or her seat. This rule is put in place so as not to disrupt the formality and etiquette of the dinner (hey, at least they don’t ban bathroom breaks outright).
23. No One Can Eat After the King Has Finished His Meal
Reason: It’s considered part of dining etiquette to show respect
Exception: None
There are plenty of Royal Rules that go with a formal dinner. While gathering around the table as a family might seem like it could be casual, such is not the case for the Royals. For example, when dining with King Charles III, no one can start eating until he begins.
No One Can Eat After the King Has Finished His Meal ©Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Likewise, no one can continue eating after he finishes eating, no matter if the meal is takeaway from KFC or a ten-course dinner. According to Tasting Table, the late Queen was known to push her food around on her plate, even when she was full, so as to give everyone else a chance to finish.
24. They Can’t Wear Fur
Reason: The Fur Act of 1337
Exception: None
The Fur Act was passed in 1337 during King Edward III’s reign. Enacted for class-distinction reasons, it banned people who weren’t barons, earls, knights, or Church of England prelates from wearing fur. The only exceptions were those wealthy civilians who spend more than $124 a year.
They Can’t Wear Fur ©Samir Hussein / Getty Images
This included Royal Family members, too. For seven centuries, the Royal Family has held fast to this rule. Additionally, the Act also required all British people to wear Britain-made cloth, though the Royals have largely discarded that part of the law.
25. They Always Travel With an All-Black Ensemble
Reason: In case they need to attend an important funeral or a Family member dies while they are abroad
Exception: None
If you look in Princess Kate’s suitcase when she travels on Royal Tours, you’ll always find at least one all-black outfit. When any Royal travels to another country, they must bring an all-black outfit, just in case.
They Always Travel With an All-black Ensemble ©Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
If someone important dies in the host nation or a Family member dies while they are abroad, the Royal will need to don their all-black outfit immediately to show respect. Though Netflix’s The Crown didn’t explain this, black is the Royals’ traditional color of mourning, popularized by the late Queen Victoria after her husband, Prince Albert, passed away in 1861. She wore black for forty years straight to honor him.
26. Absolutely No Selfies
Reason: Royals don’t want people turning their back on/approaching them
Exception: None
Prince William sticks to this rule, as does the entire Royal Family. It makes sense when you think about it. You don’t really see Royals taking selfies, even if their legions of adoring fans beg them to.
Absolutely No Selfies ©Cameron Smith/Getty Images
This is because, according to Cosmopolitan’s Greg Agnew, the Royals don’t want people turning their back to them, a common thing you have to do to get a good selfie. They also don’t want people to be encouraged to randomly approach and talk to them, as that could be dangerous for their (the Royals’) safety.
27. The Queen Picks Out A Bride’s Wedding Tiara
Reason: The tiaras belong to the monarch
Exception: None
When Queen Elizabeth II was still alive, she had a very particular Royal Rule—she always picked the tiara for a Royal woman who was getting married. Rather infamously, this rule was made public when the Queen said “no” to Meghan Markle’s request to wear an emerald and diamond tiara.
The Queen Picks Out a Bride’s Wedding Tiara ©Pool/Samir Hussein /Getty Images
It wouldn’t be appropriate, according to the late Queen, for Meghan to wear the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, so Meghan had to choose a different one. The Queen wasn’t one to exert a lot of control over others’ fashion choices, but, when it came to tiaras, she was a stickler.
28. Royal Robes Are A Thing Of The Past
Reason: Senior Royal Family members changed protocol
Exception: None
Historically, coronation robes have a rather priestly role. According to Historical UK, the robes symbolize the “divine nature” of being king. But, as of 2023, the new protocol states that royal robes are no longer required for coronation ceremonies.
Royal Robes Are A Thing Of The Past ©WPA Pool/Getty Images
Most of the Royals wore suits to the coronation in 2023, which represented a huge change to protocol. According to news sources, the “senior members” of the Royal Family decided it was time for a change to the etiquette.