9 royal rules you had no idea existed

1. They’re not allowed to vote

Exercising your basic human right to vote doesn’t apply to members of the royal family.

In essence, they are above politics as they already hold so much power and influence.

The King is the Head of State and the Church of England, therefore he must remain neutral when it comes to politics.

“The King’s role is to provide continuity and the focus for national unity, and the Royal Family’s public role is based on identifying with every section of society, including minorities and special interest groups,” the British Monarchy’s official website explains.

2. Direct heirs are forbidden to travel together

Before the aviation industry evolved, direct heirs were never put in the same plane together in case it went down for fear of losing two potential rulers at once.

While quite a morbid strategy, these days you’ll often see Prince William and Prince George jetting about in the same aircraft.

However, that may change in July 2025 when he turns 12, just like how William no longer travelled with King Charles once he turned 12.

The King’s former pilot, Graham Laurie told OK!, “We flew all four: the Prince, the Princess, Prince William and Prince Harry, up until Prince William was 12 years old.

“After that, he had to have a separate aircraft and we could only fly all four together when they were young with the written permission of Her Majesty [Queen Elizabeth II].”

3. Public displays of affection are frowned upon

You’ll rarely, if ever, see senior members of the royal family displaying affection while in public, especially when travelling.

The idea behind it is to ensure people from other, more conservative cultures are not made uncomfortable.

However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have notably almost always deterred from this rule, and are often spotted holding hands and kissing.

4. Nicknames are not allowed

Members of the royal family are expected to be addressed by their full names, rather than a nickname.

Before she married Prince William she was known as Kate Middleton, but now Catherine, Princess of Wales is referred to as just that.

5. Wedding bouquets must include myrtle

Royal weddings are a lavish affair, and there’s one strange custom that is required: the bridal bouquet has to include myrtle.

This dates back to Princess Victoria, and myrtle symbolises hope and love.

6. They don’t celebrate Halloween

The royal family celebrates many holidays each year, but there’s one they used to be “banned” from acknowledging: Halloween.

The rule dates back to Queen Victoria’s era, when the then-Queen told her family they should “uphold total class and sophistication” at all times, according to royal expert Christina Reeves.

Queen Victoria wanted members of The Firm to have “complete self-respect and good behaviour when in front of the general public,” which in her eyes meant not celebrating Halloween!

Nowadays, the rule has been loosened, and Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Prince William and Prince Harry reportedly all dressed up in costumes in celebration of the spooky holiday when they were younger.

9. They can’t accept food during walkabouts

Have you ever noticed when royals are doing meet-and-greets with the general public, they politely decline offers of food and drink?

When Prince Harry was in Sydney in 2017, he turned down scones, tea and Tim-Tams.

It’s not because he doesn’t have a sweet tooth, it’s simply because it’s too much of a security risk to accept food from strangers.

In fact, the royal family used to employ “food tasters” to test their meals for poison.