No Selfies: Rules of the British Royal Family
ON DAYS, MEGAN MARCLE REMOVED ITS ACCOUNTS IN ALL SOCIAL NETWORKS. This is one of the requirements of the British royal family, with whom the actress will soon intermarry, having married Prince Harry.
The court etiquette has dozens of prescriptions: many of them during their record-long, sixty-five-year reign, were established by the current Queen Elizabeth II, and some do not change over the centuries. Some are strictly fixed, others are more like recommendations, which, however, are more strict for members of the royal family than the law. Some may seem ridiculous, eccentric, and even absurd, but for each one guesses, if not logic, then a long-standing tradition. A tradition in Britain made to honor. We understand what other rules to learn the future princess Megan.
Don't wait for Christmas
The main duty of a member of the royal family is to be the representative and deputy of the monarch where he (a) cannot be present. This also applies to diplomatic visits abroad, and therefore Megan Markle will most likely have to pull up a couple of foreign languages. Being a polyglot for a member of the royal family is not necessary, but desirable.
After the wedding, Markle is likely to receive British citizenship, but not the ability to vote in elections: the royal family members are still deprived of this right, as are the rights to be elected. Formally, they represent the highest authority, and therefore must be "above the fray": they cannot discuss the political situation in the country or, say, criticize the actions of the ruling party.
Plans for the New Year holidays at Megan, one might say, are painted for years ahead: Elizabeth II took it a rule to gather the royal family for Christmas in her estate in Norfolk.
Tiaras and Capron
Probably the oldest rule regarding the dress code for British monarchs and their family members was legalized by Edward III, forbidding them to wear fur in the 14th century. True, they repeatedly violated the old decree, which incurred anger not only the ancestors who were tossed about in their graves, but also environmentalists.
A strict dress code for the royal family is not devoid of its features. So, the royal offspring until the age of twelve is supposed to wear shorts (no pants, even in cold weather). Dresses with a neckline are categorically unacceptable for women in the family, and under the skirt it is imperative to wear tights. The release to official events like royal races is only in a hat. After six o'clock in the evening, you can change it to a tiara, but only married ladies can do it (tiara is a sign of marital status).
Finger positioning
The tastes of Elizabeth II naturally reflect on the Windsor menu. It is known that the reigning queen dislikes garlic, long pasta (for example, spaghetti), rice, potatoes and "complex" tomato sauces. In addition, members of the royal family are ordered to refrain from overly spicy or exotic foods, including seafood. Not only for reasons of diet, but also from a simple medieval precaution: it is easier to disguise poison with spicy spices. Places at the dinner table for members of the royal family are not only pre-arranged - they determine the order of conversations with the queen.
Tea at the court is still popular, because Markl will have to learn how to hold a cup, as is customary in the British royal family: the thumb and index finger hold the handle, the middle one supports the bottom of the cup.
As befits her highness
Britain remembers the times when the slightest manifestation of disrespect for the monarch could be taken for an attempt on the throne and cost the head. Therefore, for members of the royal family, etiquette is perhaps stricter than for mere mortals. The basic rules relate to communicating with the reigning queen: no one has the right to sit down until she has sat down; she starts and ends the common meal (it is forbidden to eat after the queen) and she also decides when to end the conversation (to turn her back on the queen before she does it herself - an unheard of insult). Bending knee to the ground in front of Elizabeth II, Megan Markle will not have to, but a lightweight crotch as a greeting is still required.
The new princess will have to appeal to other members of the family not by their names, but exclusively by titles ("Your Majesty / Highness / Grace"); Of course, familiarity in an informal setting has not been canceled, but only if it is not about Her Majesty. And yes, the question of "change or not change the name after marriage" for Markle is not worth it: in a few months she will officially become known as "Princess Henry of Wales", by name and husband’s title.
For security reasons, adult members of the royal family should not travel together (the rule does not apply to married couples and their children under the age of twelve). In addition, their suitcases should always be mourning attire - in case of sudden death of any of the relatives. This rule was introduced by Elizabeth II, having learned a bitter lesson from her own experience: during her visit to Kenya in 1952, her father George VI died, and she didn’t have the “appropriate” clothes at hand at that moment.
In public, the royal person should behave with dignity: keep your chin straight, sit cross-legged, avoid any physical contact with people outside the family (basketball player LeBron James, who met Kate Middleton three years ago, was clearly not in the know about such formalities) and favorably accept gifts. Selfies with fans? Forget it once and for all, Megan: the British princess doesn’t take a selfie or give autographs.
Monopoly banned
On one of the strangest taboos for the representatives of the monarchy, Prince Andrew spoke about in 2008. Having received a set for the "Monopoly" as a gift from the Leeds Building Community, he said that members of the royal family are "forbidden" to play it. "It never brings to good," added the prince. Obviously, the game was banned after some particularly exciting evening, when family gatherings turned into one big quarrel. Well what can I say? Nothing human is alien to monarchs.
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