Why King Charles celebrates two birthdays, and different quirky Royal Household traditions

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King Charles will have a good time his first birthday of the yr subsequent week on the annual Trooping the Color occasion.

The ceremony on June 17 marks the official birthday of the British sovereign, and regardless of Charles being born in November, the grand navy parade will honour the King in a convention that dates again to the seventeenth century.

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Also called the King’s Birthday Parade, King Edward VII, who dominated from 1901 till his demise in 1910, stored Trooping the Color in Could or June for the chance of higher climate, in comparison with his precise birthday of November 9.

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Queen Elizabeth, who was born in April, additionally adopted the custom of celebrating each her precise birthday and the monarch’s model.

This yr’s occasion will see the King and Prince William experience on horseback whereas different members of the Royal Household will watch from carriages and the Buckingham Palace balcony.

When Prince William turns into King, nevertheless, it’s unlikely he’ll have a good time two birthdays as he was born in June.

Forward of the annual occasion, listed below are a couple of extra quirky Royal Household traditions.

Christmas weigh-ins

Every member of the Royal Household will get weighed earlier than and after Christmas dinner. If a member of the household weighs extra after supper, it’s proof they actually loved themselves on the desk, studies CBS.

On the subject of eating, the royals don’t use the time period ‘portion’ when referring to meals however desire ‘serving to, in response to Kate Fox, creator of Watching the English: The Hidden Guidelines of English Behaviour.

Dinner desk etquitte

If a member of the Royal Household wants to go to the toilet throughout dinner — Fox additionally revealed the phrase ‘rest room’ is frowned upon because of its French origin — there’s a collection of steps to comply with.

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First, they need to by no means clarify that they’re off to the bathroom, however as an alternative, merely say “excuse me” earlier than exiting. In the event that they’re not finished consuming, they cross their utensils so their place setting just isn’t disturbed. Once they do end their meal, their utensils are positioned at an angle, with the handles going through the underside proper of the plate.

Relatedly, an historical custom for the royals is to keep away from shellfish, as the chance of getting sick is taken into account too excessive. Whereas Queen Elizabeth adhered to the rule, the present Royal Household is not required to comply with it.

Black clothes ought to solely be worn at funerals

Diana Princess of Wales discovered herself on the centre of controversy when she wore a black gown to a fundraising live performance in 1981 in her first public occasion after getting engaged to then-Prince Charles.

Diana, who was 19 on the time, later mentioned she felt black was the “smartest color” to put on to the occasion. “It was an actual grown-up gown.”

She additionally recalled Charles’ response upon seeing her within the gown for the primary time.

“You’re not stepping into that, are you?” Charles reportedly mentioned, earlier than including that “Solely folks in mourning put on black.”

Regardless of black clothes being discouraged in public, the royals are required to pack black clothes whereas travelling within the occasion that they should attend a funeral or seem in mourning.

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Heirs can’t fly collectively

Whereas this rule just isn’t strictly adhered to, two heirs should not alleged to journey on the identical flight to guard the road of succession within the occasion of a crash. It’s much like the “designated survivor” rule employed by the U.S. authorities, the place a cupboard member refrains from attending occasions that might be extremely concentrated with authorities officers, such because the State of the Union, so somebody might be in place for succession if tragedy had been to happen.

Each reward obtained have to be tracked

All items obtained by Royal Members of the family have to be stored “recorded and be traceable always.” Actually, Buckingham Palace releases a listing of official items the Royal Household receives annually, whether or not it’s a PhD thesis, an computerized rifle or 12 bins of mangos.

Members of the Royal Household are discouraged from accepting any items that might place them “underneath any obligation to the donor.”

“On this regard, earlier than accepting any reward, cautious consideration ought to all the time be given, wherever practicable, to the donor, the explanation for and event of the reward and the character of the reward itself,” in response to the official tips and procedures governing the acceptance, classification, recording, retention and disposal of items.

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For items which are accepted, the donor shouldn’t count on an autograph in return, as royals are barred from signing autographs because of the opportunity of their signatures being cast. This rule was on show on the Chelsea Flower Present earlier this yr, when Catherine, Princess of Wales, was unable to signal sketches from kids throughout the inaugural Kids’s Picnic in London.

Whereas she was pressured to relay that she couldn’t signal her title, the Princess of Wales as an alternative opted so as to add a private sketch to the drawings, together with illustrating a flower, a tree and a pond surrounded by crops for 3 of the kids in attendance.

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