In the UK, it is against the law not to wear a seatbelt while in a car. If the police pull you over, you risk a fine. Despite this law, you will have noticed that members of the Royal Family are rarely seen wearing seatbelts when travelling.
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Have you ever wondered why that might be and why the police won’t pull over the royals? A security expert has shared the reasons for all of the above.
Why Royal Family members do not wear seatbelts
As mentioned above, in all of the photos from public engagements of a member of the Royal Family in a car, you’ll have noticed they never wear seatbelts. According to British security expert Michael Chandler, one of the reasons is based on security.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Michael explains that in each situation where a royal is travelling by car, there will be a ‘risk assessment’ to determine whether the royal travelling will need to be extracted.
He told the tabloid:
The main reason royals might not wear seatbelts is because of security considerations. As you might imagine, there are concerns about extracting a principal from a vehicle as quickly as possible.
It's likely there's a risk-based approach. There'll be a risk assessment, the outcome of which will determine whether or not there needs to be extra precautions.
Moreover, when a royal attends an event, they typically visit several places, meaning wearing a seatbelt during each car journey would be inconvenient. Michael Chandler also adds that for the men in the family, a seatbelt may crease their shirt, which would cause presentation issues.
Nonetheless, he does add that the family do wear seatbelts for long journeys or when they are travelling on motorways.
On those occasions when they're travelling relatively quickly through London or on motorways, they will certainly wear seatbelts.
Finally, Chandler explains that the King is exempt from the law under the Bill of Rights. However, following the Crown Proceedings Act of 1947, other members of the Royal Family aren’t exempt from lawsuits.
It doesn't legally exempt them if they're not travelling for a ceremonial duty, but they're unlikely to be arrested.
The King doesn’t need a driver’s licence
The monarch is indeed exempt from a few things that other members of the family are not. That includes needing a driver's licence. Yes, Queen Elizabeth never had a driver's licence and nor does King Charles.
However, all other members of the family do require a valid driver’s licence to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. It means when William becomes King, he will no longer need a driver's licence.
Since non-monarchs need a valid driver’s licence, the rest of the family had to pass a driving test, just like the rest of the world. Prince William passed his test in 1999 when he was 17. Last year (2024), the Prince of Wales bragged about passing his test in one go.
The father-of-three attended the BAFTA headquarters to meet those who were granted the BAFTA Bursary Fund and spoke with a student who revealed they had used some of the money for driving lessons.
The Prince swiftly responded that he only had to do the test once. He said, as per People:
Thankfully, I passed first time.
Read more:
The Royal Family: 30 Rules and traditions that the monarchy abides by
King Charles will not replace Queen Elizabeth on Australia's $5 note
Prince William and Kate Middleton could grant royal warrants for the first time in 2025
Sources used:
Daily Mail: ‘The real reason why royals don't wear seatbelts revealed’
Hello!: ‘Can the royal family drive? 14 times royals ditched their drivers and got behind the wheel’
People: ‘Prince William Relatably Reveals How Many Tries It Took to Pass His Driving Test’
