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Members of the British Royal Family are public figures. That is why they spend a lot of time in front of everyone during social events, diplomatic receptions, or trips abroad.

The British Royal Family has belonged to the House of Windsor since 1917, and Queen Elizabeth II has been Head of State since 1953.

1. The Queen travels with her royal doctor everywhere, but also with her own bag of blood. This is normal if she is traveling to a place where blood supply is questionable.

2. In 2008, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, said that the Royal Family was not allowed to play Monopoly because it could become an addiction.

3. A documentary that was broadcast in June 1969 about the Royal Family will never be presented to the public again. Queen Elizabeth II and her advisers felt that showing the public the daily life of members of the Royal Family could be dangerous.

4. Conservative when it comes to dresses, Queen Elizabeth II prefers to add more color to her clothing. Thus, she can often be seen in public wearing brightly colored clothes: fuchsia, lemon yellow, light blue. The choice of colors for the Queen’s clothes is determined not only by her taste and style, but also by the fact that it is easier to recognize her in a crowd.

5. Along with her royal doctor, the Queen travels with 34 people, including a private secretary, a hairdresser, press officers, eight bodyguards, and others.

6. The Queen celebrates two birthdays. The first is an official birthday that is celebrated on different days in different Commonwealth countries. The second is her real birthday: April 21st. The Queen prefers to celebrate her birthday privately with her family, and the official one is a national day marked by a parade and mass celebrations.

7. In the past, when flying was risky, two royal heirs were not allowed to travel together. In the event of a fatal accident, the line of succession was protected.

8. Ethics obliges members of the Royal Family to sincerely accept all gifts received. The fate of the gifts is decided by the Queen because all gifts belong to the Monarchy.

9. When the Queen gave birth to Prince Charles in 1948, Prince Philip played squash in the palace. At that time, a royal birth was considered a completely feminine event, but now fathers can be present in the delivery room.

10. As soon as the Queen finishes eating, everyone will stop eating. This rule applies to all members of the Royal Family.

11. During travel, the Royal Family is not allowed to eat seafood, as it can cause food poisoning.

12. As a British passport is issued in Her Majesty’s name, it is not necessary for the Queen to hold one when traveling abroad. This exception does not apply to other members of the Royal Family, it is mandatory that they have passports.

13. Despite the Queen’s colorful clothing, she will never have her nails with colored nail polish. The rule is that women in the Royal Family have light-colored nails.

14. The Queen is the only person in the United Kingdom who has the right to drive without a driving license.

15. Prince George appears only in shorts, regardless of the season, being an English tradition since the 16th century. It is a condition according to which boys up to 8 years old must wear shorts, while the older boys and men wear long pants.

16. According to the latest revision of the Succession Act, the first six persons in the line of succession up to the age of 25 must obtain the marriage consent from the Queen. If she opposes, the marriage will not take place.

17. The Royal Family sends 800 greeting cards during the Christmas holidays. For those close to her, the Queen signs them with her nickname ″Lilibet″, while for politicians and other heads of state she signs ″Elizabeth R″ (″R″ stand for ″Regina″, the Latin word for queen).

18. Prior to 1917, members of the British Royal Family did not have a family name. The Royal Family later changed their last name to Windsor when King George V announced that he and his family would become part of the House of Windsor. From 1960, after a long debate, the Queen and Prince Philip were given permission to give their direct descendants the name of Mountbatten-Windsor, combining both last names.

If you want to find out about the flag of UK, check out our article on this topic: 10 interesting facts about the flag of UK.

[Photo from Unsplash]