Black Outfits Are a Required Item on the Packing List

Queen Elizabeth was famously on a royal tour herself, Kenya specifically, alongside husband Prince Philip on Feb. 6, 1952, when word arrived that her beloved father, King George VI, had died unexpectedly — making her the new monarch.

The royal, just 25 at the time, had no mourning clothes with her, “and as a result, she wasn’t allowed to be photographed until a suitable outfit had been brought to her,” according to the Mirror.

In an effort to make sure that never happens again, members of the royal family must pack a black outfit with them when going on tour in the event that someone should die when they’re away. In 1992, when Princess Diana’s father died, the late Princess of Wales was on a skiing holiday with her husband, then-Prince Charles. They quickly returned to the U.K. — and were photographed in mourning clothes when they did so.

Changing Clothes on the Plane

In a similar vein, members of the royal family change clothes while in flight to look put together and polished on arrival — where photographers are always waiting.

“Last minute briefings are given on the plane, and the royals will change out of traveling clothes into their outfits at the last minute to avoid wrinkling or spills,” royal family biographer Marcia Moody told Town & Country.

Try to Fly British Airways

This rule makes sense, as British Airways is the U.K.’s flagship airline — but flying BA isn’t always possible. For example, when the current Prince and Princess of Wales — then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — flew to Pakistan in 2019 for a royal visit, they flew in an RAF jet for security reasons.

The Mirror points out that this rule is reserved for royal tours and official business — “for holidays, royals are fine to fly with whichever airline they desire if they choose to fly commercially,” according to the outlet.

Undergo a Crash Course on the Country You’re Visiting

Members of the royal family represent the U.K. all the time, but especially when on a royal tour. Royals are expected to learn basic greetings in each country’s native language before visiting — as King Charles has been doing with aplomb in Samoa — and “internal palace aides will always be on hand to prepare each royal before an important visit,” etiquette expert Myka Meier told Reader’s Digest.

“It is the correct protocol to practice the etiquette of the country or culture you are visiting in order to show respect, so each royal knows how to make the best first impression,” she added.

In order to preserve the line of succession, heirs to the throne don’t fly together — meaning you won’t see King Charles and his heir, Prince William, on the same flight.

Speaking on A Right Royal Podcast, former royal pilot Graham Laurie said that when Prince William turned 12 in 1994, he could no longer fly with his father. (If the same rules apply to Prince George, that means that William and George will no longer be able to fly together after the 11-year-old turns 12 in July 2025.)

“Interestingly, we flew all four — the Prince [of Wales], the Princess [of Wales], Prince William and Prince Harry — up until Prince William was 12 years old,” Laurie said. “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].”

“When William became 12, he would fly normally in a 125 from Northolt, and we would fly the 146 out with the other three on,” he continued.