British royal children are born with pomp and circumstance, but they have to follow a set of rules. From strange dress codes to strict etiquettes, here're the dos and don'ts for the junior Windsors.
1. They Can't Call The Queen Grandma
This doesn't mean the Queen's grandchildren or great-grandchildren have to call her Your Royal Highness. In fact, they simply call the monarch "Granny" or "Gan-Gan."
2. They Must Curtsy To The Queen
Royal protocol states that royal women must curtsy to the Queen the first time they see Her Royal Highness on any given day, and young girls are no exception.
3. They Are Issued A Passport At Birth
Royal babies are supposed to travel internationally at any moment, so they are issued a passport as soon as they're born.
4. Two Heirs Can't Travel Together
It's quite understandable. To preserve the succession line, two heirs aren't allowed to travel by plane together unless the Queen permits.
5. Boys Should Wear Shorts
Royal young boys should wear shorts in public. This protocol is based on the concept that pants for young boys were considered middle class in the past.
6. Girls Should Wear Dresses
Royal young girls are supposed to wear dresses in public, and this is a tradition traced back to Princess Anne.
7. Siblings Tend To Match In Public
Royal parents tend to dress young princes and princesses in complementary outfits while carrying out public engagements. It's an unofficial rule, but most royals abide by it.
8. They Don't Eat Canned Baby Food
This is understandable, too. After all, they have private chefs to make their first meals.
9. They Don't Eat Shellfish, Either
Shellfish is strictly off the table of the entire royal family, including children, because it's the most common seafood that can cause food poisoning.
10. They Can't Wear Black To Daytime Events
For royals, black is reserved for mourning, so they are banned from wearing it to daytime events. But there is one exception. Prince George donned the black military suit as the page boy at his uncle, Prince Harry's wedding.
11. They Should Always Have A Black Outfit At Hand
This protocol was instated by the Queen after she was caught sans a black dress during a tour in Africa when her father suddenly passed away. Since then, all royal members have to travel with a black outfit at hand if someone dies unexpectedly.
12. They Must Accept Gifts But Can't Keep Them
Royal members, children included, must always accept the gift a well-wisher gives to them, but they can't keep them unless the Queen allows.
13. They Aren't Allowed To Play Monopoly
This board game was banned from the Palace because the family used to become overly competitive while playing it.
14. They Must Be Baptized
Because the Queen is the head of the church, all royal family members have to be baptized, and even Meghan Markle was anointed before her wedding.
15. They Can't Open Presents On Christmas Day
Royal members, including children, aren't allowed to open presents until Christmas Eve.
16. Unmarried Royal Women Can't Wear Tiaras
For all we know, princess equals tiaras, but in fact, only married royal women can wear tiaras.
17. They Need To Learn A Second Language
It's a tradition that royal children learn a foreign language from a young age. Prince George has been learning Spanish since he was two years old.
18. Royal Men Are Expected To Serve In The Military
It's a tradition for royal men to rise through the ranks in the military. Prince Charles joined the Navy, while Prince William chose the Air Force and Prince Harry opted for the Army.
19. They Have To Undergo Etiquette Training
Royal children are required to go through etiquette training "as soon as they're old enough to sit at a table," said etiquette expert Myka Meier. This training covers everything like how to wave to the public, how to walk, sit, and eat, and how to curtsy and bow.
20. They Are Given Different Last Names
Royals technically have no last names, but nowadays, they usually adopt their titles as their last names. For instance, Prince George and Princess Charlotte took the name "Cambridge," while Archie was given Prince Philip's surname, Mountbatten.
