Rules of royal etiquette that Meghan Markle will have to accept. Royal etiquette - or who should bow to whom and how

It is not easy for members of the royal family to choose clothes. They can't just open a closet and choose what they like. Strict rules of dress etiquette apply to everyone. Including the queens.

Do you want to dress like at the court of the British queen? Then remember following rules. First of all, they refer to women.

1. Everything in moderation

For members of the royal family, there is one basic rule: there should be nothing flashy and provocative. Elegance comes first. So no deep cuts. Dresses should always cover the shoulders. It is permissible to open the shoulders only at an evening event, but in this case, long gloves should hide part of the arm. The ideal skirt should touch the knees or be slightly higher. Of course, miniskirts are out of the question.

2. Practical case

It is recommended to wear a sheath dress, but it should not be too tight. There is such a rule in royal protocol, mainly due to the fact that the naughty wind does not lift the skirt of the dress and does not expose those parts of the royal bodies that should be hidden (which, for example, happened to the Duchess of Cambridge)

3. Lady in stockings

In public places, ladies are required to appear in pantyhose. Flesh-colored or light gray, without patterns. These stockings do not draw attention to the legs, which is important during events when you have to stand for a long time.

4. Discreet heels

Shoes should be inconspicuous, classic with a closed and slightly tapering toe. The protocol does not recommend wearing shoes with too high and narrow heels. The queen should symbolize stability and confidence. And what will the queen look like, staggering in high heels?

5. Free hand

When choosing a bag, preference must be given to a clutch or a strict handbag on a chain so that at least her hand remains free: a representative of the royal family must shake hands with his subjects and greet them from the balcony, waving his hand.

6. Luxury only in small doses

Clothing should be made from high quality natural materials(denim, of course, is not even considered as possible variant). The exception is fur. It is considered too obligatory and luxurious, so the protocol does not recommend fur except in special cases. but fur collar on the coat is considered the norm.

Fur as an accessory is acceptable. But the fur coat is too chic.

7. No black

Black color for members of the royal family is almost taboo. Black is intended exclusively for mourning events. It is believed that the tradition of color in clothes was introduced by the Queen Mother during the Second World War: with her colored clothes, she wanted to add joy and optimism to the British. If members of the royal family go out in dark clothes, they choose dark blue or dark gray.

An example of a violation of the "No Black" rule was the first official event of the future Princess Diana after her engagement to Prince Charles. Then at the gala dinner she appeared in a black dress that bared her shoulders. The princess's toilet was heavily criticized.

8. Shorten your mane

Recommendations also apply to hair. They should be either so long that they can be collected in a bundle, or short. Only in this way the wind will not be able to constantly blow off the hair and cover the face with it, which does not look attractive at all in the photographs.

9. Be careful with accessories

Jewelry and makeup should also be strict. Recommended wedding rings. During the day, you can wear, for example, a pearl necklace or brooch. In the evening, a tiara, a more expressive necklace or necklace, and a bracelet are allowed. In makeup, red lipstick is banned, as well as dark and too bright eye shadow.

Is the most famous in the world! In 1917, the Windsor dynasty was established by King George V, and since then has been the only royal family in this country.

The attention of not only devoted Britons, but of the whole world is riveted to the life of the royal family - for many years now they have been an example to follow. In addition to Queen Elizabeth II, there are still a lot of people in this family who are also forced to fulfill their duties and observe ancient traditions. And often they are quite strange!

1 Don't travel together

Family flights are not allowed for the royal family, so Charles will never fly on the same plane with his sons as ordinary relatives. This rule, although unpleasant, is quite logical - disasters often occur, and even the royal family is not immune from this. Therefore, losing several family members and potential heirs to the throne at once is simply unacceptable. The rule was broken only once, when Prince William flew to Canada with George. True, this required the consent of the queen.

2 Always take a black set of clothes with you


The royal family cannot break the rules of etiquette, so they must always be ready for any surprise. So while traveling in the suitcase of a royal person there should be a black set of clothes. It may be rather gloomy, but the queen will never get off the plane in case of mourning in a neon outfit. By the way, black color in clothes is allowed only for mourning days!

3 The Queen takes a hostage at the Opening of Parliament


A strange tradition, because the Queen has long been on good terms with Parliament. However, each time at the annual opening ceremony, both sides pay tribute to the old tradition. Previously, when the monarch and parliament did not get along, the royal family took hostage one of the members of parliament. He was escorted to Buckingham Palace, where he was under guard by staff. Thus, the safety of the monarch in the parliament building was ensured.

4 Competition for the most ridiculous gift


The royal family does not give each other expensive gifts, so they have a competition for the most ridiculous and terrible gift. On when the whole family gathers at Sandringham Palace, they exchange their gifts. Prince Harry managed to stand out more than the rest, who gave his grandmother a shower cap with the inscription "Life is not a fair thing." Another time, Princess Anne managed to surprise her family when she gave Prince Charles a white leather toilet seat.

5 They are very humble


If you think that the royal family can afford anything, then you are greatly mistaken! They save even on small things, for example, Queen Elizabeth II never throws away her used gift paper. Agree, most of us crumple the wrapper and boldly send it to the trash. But not the Queen of Great Britain... Obviously, this habit was formed in her youth, or she simply cares about the environment.

6 Cooking their own food


With the exception of Queen Elizabeth II, whose food is prepared by a personal chef, all other members of the royal family cook for themselves. The time has passed when royal people were served by staff, now they even go to the store themselves. Of course, they have many duties and special occasions, but they cook dinners like ordinary families. Kate Middleton has repeatedly said that Prince William's favorite dish is fried chicken.

7 The royal family flies economy class


Queen Elizabeth II, of course, always flies on state aircraft, she is supposed to do so by status and for security reasons. But the rest of the royal family can easily get on an economy class plane. Often, passengers just suddenly find a royal person nearby, and this is absolutely normal. One of the latest such flights to hit the press is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry flying to Nice on New Year's Eve.

8 Royal children also wear clothes from relatives


Anyone who has ever received clothes from relatives at least once in their life knows about this feeling of disappointment. Don't worry, as it turns out, royal children also have to wear clothes from someone else's shoulder! For example, Princess Charlotte recently stepped out wearing shoes that Prince Harry wore over 30 years ago. And Prince George wore the suit his father wore to his brother's christening in 1984.

9 Monopoly game banned


A very unusual ban, and it is not known what it is associated with. But this was first discovered in 2008, when Prince Andrew (Elizabeth II's third child) was given a Monopoly board game at an official reception. To which the prince refused the present and replied that they were forbidden to play this game at home. An amazing rejection, because usually members of the royal family cannot but accept a gift!

10 No autographs allowed


You will never get to see an autograph from any member of the royal family. This is strictly prohibited, because the signature of the royal person in this case can be forged. According to etiquette, any of the Windsors should politely refuse if someone suddenly asks for an autograph. To this rule, you can add a ban on selfies - you can’t take a picture with Kate or William. As well as touching any member of the royal family - only an official handshake initiated by him!

11 The royal machinist is not allowed to drive over potholes in the morning


A queen is a queen, and sometimes her quirks can be taken for granted. For example, she has a specific requirement for the royal train drivers. When she takes her morning bath, the driver is not allowed to drive on the bumpy road. Elizabeth doesn't like bumps in her bathroom, so from 7:30 a.m. the train must only travel on level ground. It sounds very strange, but who can violate the order of the queen?

12 Royal dinners according to tradition


Yes, official dinners in the royal family are held according to all the rules! There are strict rules that must not be violated in any case. For example, the guest of honor of the evening always sits to the right of the Queen. First, she will talk with him, and only then can she go to the interlocutor who is sitting on the left. Once Lewis Hamilton was invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace and spoke first, although he was sitting on the left. Queen Elizabeth II immediately explained to him that he was wrong.

13 Queen Elizabeth II is the most portrayed person in history


Each stamp is an image of Queen Elizabeth II. Since 1967, when the stamp was first developed, more than 200 billion postage stamps have been issued. Thus, the image of the queen is the most popular in the whole world, it is not surprising that her face is familiar to almost every inhabitant of the Earth!

14 They don't vote


Despite the fact that by law any member of the royal family can vote in elections, they have never done so. The fact is that the Windsors are seen as people who represent the UK as a whole, so their choice can influence the opinion of society. In addition, they always remain politically neutral. For example, after Meghan Markle becomes the wife of Prince Harry, she will no longer be able to prove herself in the political field.

15 Six ravens live in the Tower


No, it is not a myth that seven crows should always live in the Tower. This tradition dates back to the era of Charles II and has been rigorously followed for many centuries. In fact, there are six ravens, and one spare, in case of death. It's all about the legend that predicted the fall of the kingdom in the event of the death of all the ravens.

The royal family observes many traditions, which, at times, seem very strange. But certain obligations to the whole country force them to strictly follow the rules, even if they have ceased to be relevant.

Like the article? Support our project and share with your friends!

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thanks for that
for discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us at Facebook And In contact with

The life of the British Queen and her family consists not only of all sorts of privileges, but primarily of numerous rules, restrictions and duties.

website will tell you about 9 such rules and about which of the relatives of Elizabeth II still dared to break them.

Little princes always wear shorts

Recently, Internet users wondered: why does Prince George wear shorts in any weather? The reason is simple: in high European society, it has long been accepted that trousers should be worn by men, and boys are supposed to wear less "serious" clothes - at least until they are 8 years old.

Renunciation of suffrage

Everyday black for many people in the royal family is considered exclusively mourning. Therefore, you are unlikely to see the wife of Prince William in a black evening dress. But his mother, Princess Diana, dared to break this rule.

In 1994, still in de facto marriage to Prince Charles, she showed up in a gorgeous black dress at a party at the Serpentine Gallery. This outfit was later called the "dress of vengeance", because it was on that very day that the Prince of Wales publicly admitted his long-term relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles.

It is undesirable to eat shellfish

The health code states that it is highly undesirable for the Queen and her relatives to eat shellfish. They are probably considered dangerous because of the toxins that mussels and oysters can accumulate. Usually this rule is not violated, but here Prince Charles distinguished himself: he specially went to the Oyster Festival in Kent to feast on the "forbidden". Certain other products are also undesirable. Ice cream, fortunately, is not included in this list.

Heirs to the throne are not allowed to travel together

In this case, everything is very logical: unfortunately, planes sometimes crash, trains collide, and ships sink. Agree, it would be doubly terrible to lose two potential heirs to the throne at once. Therefore, it is unlikely that Charles and William can go on a trip like an ordinary father and son.

No autographs

The British royal family is friendly to their fans and willingly communicates with them during official meetings, but you will not be asked for an autograph from them. It is believed that leaving your signature anywhere other than official documents is unsafe for monarchs. But even here Prince Charles excelled: in 2010, he left a pseudo-autograph "Charles 2010" for one of the victims of the flood in Cornwall.

You can not adhere to any other faith than Anglican


The UK canceled one of the the oldest traditions- now all subjects and foreign diplomats have the right to turn their backs on the queen after the audience. This innovation does not concern only two people.

Behind the Queen

According to tradition, subjects, diplomats, guests and servants must leave the room in which the British monarch is located, backing to the exit. In this case, it is necessary to continue to look at the queen until the doors of the room are closed. This norm of etiquette originated in the Middle Ages, when turning away from the ruler was considered very indecent.

The decision to partially abolish this norm of etiquette was made for security reasons, reports lenta.ru with reference to The Daily Telegraph. Experts considered that leaving the room backwards could cause injury to a visitor to Elizabeth II.

After a long debate, the Queen resigned herself to reforming the rules of etiquette, which had been in place for hundreds of years, but insisted that two people still followed them. The senior royal stableman Andy Kalam and the master of ceremonies of the diplomatic corps Charles Gray will take the rap for everyone: leaving the room after talking with Elizabeth II, they still cannot turn their backs on her.

The "untouchability" law for the Queen of Great Britain was once violated by former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating, for this offense he even received the nickname "Australian lizard" ("Lizard of Oz") from the press.

And once, during the Queen's visit to Canada at the residence of the Governor General of Ottawa, one of the guests, cyclist Louis Garneau, asked the royal person to take a picture with him as a keepsake. Elizabeth II quickly agreed, and while the cyclist's wife pointed the camera, the champion put his hand on the queen's shoulder, reports the BBC.

By the way, according to the protocol, it is strictly forbidden to touch the queen, but she herself can touch any of her subjects, but for this she is supposed to wear gloves, clarifies lenta.ru.

It is believed that French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his beloved Carla Bruni got married thanks to the Queen of Great Britain.

The decision to marry was taken suddenly, Sarkozy even canceled a planned visit to a military base in Crail, north of Paris. Journalists considered that one of the reasons for the hasty ceremony could be Sarkozy's upcoming visit to the UK. If Bruni had not become his official wife at that time, he would have had to come to the queen with a "cohabitant", which the rules of etiquette do not allow.

One of the first "sacrileges" against the unshakable royal traditions, writes "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", was the decision to half-mast the flag of Buckingham Palace after the death of Princess Diana, which has never been allowed in history during the presence of the monarch in the residence. But the people decided so as a sign of mourning for "Lady Dee", and the queen was ordered to obey.

The material was prepared by the editors of rian.ru based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

You cannot turn your back on the queen. As a rule, after the end of the conversation, she leaves first.

When the queen gets up, everyone in the hall also gets up.

The representatives of the royal family have a strict dress code: no casual clothes, even at the most relaxed events.

Even Prince George has a dress code: he always wears shorts, never trousers.

The royal family is not allowed to take part in elections and speak publicly about politics.

Every member of the royal family is required to take black things with them on a trip in order to put on mourning in the event of someone's death.

Men greet the queen with a bow, and women with a curtsy.

On each royal wedding there must be many children.

Elizabeth's confidant - be it Prince Philip or her new aide-de-camp - is required to walk two steps behind the queen.

Strangely, the royal family is forbidden from playing Monopoly.

Until 2011, members of the royal family had the right to marry only a person of the Catholic faith, now there are no such restrictions.

After marriage, the name of a new member of the royal family becomes more complicated twice.

All members of the royal family hold the cup in the same way: holding the handle with their index and thumbs, and the little finger supports the lower part.

The Queen is the only person in the UK who can drive without a license.

As soon as a child is born in the family, he is taught special royal gestures and noble intonations.

The royal couple should never hold hands, but it is allowed to take the spouse's arm.

The queen is required to dress brightly so that she can be seen in the crowd.

Under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, a member of the royal family cannot propose to a lover without the approval of the monarch.

The wedding bouquet of a court bride must contain an evergreen plant - myrtle.

When the queen puts her purse on the table, the business lunch begins, when she wishes to end the meeting, she removes it.

Garlic is banned at Buckingham Palace.

And for dinner, the royal family never eats rice, pasta and potatoes.

All representatives are required to know several languages. So, Prince George already knows Spanish quite well.

Elizabeth's favorite corgis have a more varied menu than the Queen's, with their own dedicated chef and footman.

The Queen's menu is very classic: in the morning she has an English breakfast, and then cereal with milk.

The family traditionally celebrates Christmas at the residence in Norfolk, where the Queen arrives a week in advance to prepare.

Instead of opening Christmas presents on time, the royal family exchanges them over tea in the living room on Christmas Eve.

In the 12th century, King Edward III forbade the royal family to wear fur, although this rule was repeatedly violated.

No one in the royal family can eat shellfish due to possible food poisoning.

Women must wear a hat for all formal occasions.

If the event is held after 6 pm, the women take off their hats and put on tiaras.

By the way, the diadem is always put on at a certain angle - 45 degrees.

The royal family is not allowed to sign autographs or take selfies with anyone.

During a dinner party, the queen first talks to the person sitting to her right, and during the second course she switches to the interlocutor to her left.

The royal family must accept all gifts, even the strangest and most ridiculous.

Up