The Royal Family have strict rules and protocols for a reason.
The Royal Family are renowned for their organisation and their adherence to tradition and protocol.
That’s why, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, plans came together so seamlessly.
These many coded operations – which cover everything from the death of a monarch (Operation London Bridge) to the coronation of King Charles (Operation Golden Orb) – are just part of the complex and intricate set of rules in place for a family who have learnt how to be prepared for anything.
One such rule is always travelling with a black suit.
Read on to find out why…
When anyone from the royal family travels, they must take a black ensemble with them in case someone in the family dies.
With protocol such a big part of being a royal, having the correct mourning attire to hand ensures that they can appropriately catch the mood of the nation.
This rule could explain why the Queen’s four children and grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry were so quickly able to make their way to Balmoral after news of Her Majesty’s failing health was announced.
Fans of Netflix’s The Crown might already be familiar with this particular rule of the royals.
The show’s first season portrayed a moment in history when the then-Princess Elizabeth was caught out without mourning attire.
In 1952, the Queen was in Kenya with Prince Philip when they heard the news that her father had died.
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She hadn’t brought a black dress with her on the trip, meaning she had to wait on the plane for one to be delivered, so that she didn’t arrive in the country wearing unsuitable clothing.
Lady Pamela Hicks, Philip’s cousin and a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, confirmed this really happened on a podcast with India Hicks, goddaughter to King Charles III.
Lady Pamela explained how they had to improvise quickly upon landing back in the UK.
She said: ‘A black dress was quickly smuggled on board, because we didn’t have a black dress. So she quickly had to change.’
The Royals will likely to wear black until a week after the Queen’s funeral on Monday, September 19.
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