It has been well reported that the Royal Family obeys a clear and broad set of rules. The word ‘protocol’ rings a bell in the minds of many even if they don’t necessarily know what it entails.
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Over the years, reports of the most important rules and the most morbid pieces or protocols have fascinated us but turns out there is more. In an article published on 29 January by Express, they shed light on an archaic and slightly humiliated Christmas tradition.
An old and outdated tradition
Express reports that at Christmas, the members of the Royal Family are subjected to an ancestral tradition. They write:
It’s been reported that on arriving at the lavish Sandringham Estate, where the royals spend most of their Christmases, an antique scale is brought out for each guest to be weighed before they can consume the sumptuous holiday dinner.
If you think that is bad enough, brace yourself for what comes next. The article goes on:
Each weight is then reportedly noted in a special book and once the visit has concluded, everyone is weighed again to check that they have all ‘enjoyed themselves’ and ‘properly indulged’.
According to the tabloid this tradition dates back to King Edward VII who was king for nine years between 1901 and 1910. The rumour says that Edward VII wanted ‘concrete proof’ that his guests had enjoyed themselves.
Other strange rules followed by the Royal Family
The Christmas double weighing might be the strangest but it is far from the only one. For instance, CBS reported that royals are supposed to be banned from wearing black outside of funerals.
That is a rule many royals do not follow. For instance, Princess Diana was known to wear black outfits to attend functions at night. However, during trips, royals should always pack a black outfit. That became a rule after Queen Elizabeth failed to do so on a trip to Kenya. While she was there, her father passed away and while she left the country a Princess, she returned a Queen – a Queen that couldn’t step out of the plane in any other colour than black.
CBS continues on the fashion rules (turns out there are many) and reveals that hats must be worn imperatively for certain occasions. A rule that has slightly backfired when Princess Beatrice showed up at Prince Willam and Kate Middleton’s wedding wearing a vertical bow.
Read more:
⋙ Royal Family: Diana’s ex-butler Paul Burrell makes new wild claims about the future of the monarchy
⋙ King Charles' schedule is worrying his staff as insider says it's 'a struggle to keep up with him'
⋙ Meghan Markle: She may no longer be a working royal but she remains a Princess, here’s why
Sources:
Express: The royal’s ‘archaic’ tradition of weighing their guests at the holidays
CBS: Weird rules about being a British royal
