{"id":5281,"date":"2020-04-01T11:17:50","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T10:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/?p=5281"},"modified":"2025-10-02T17:19:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:19:59","slug":"unusual-facts-about-royal-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evanevanstours.com\/blog\/unusual-facts-about-royal-family\/","title":{"rendered":"10 unusual facts about the Royal Family"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To many, the private world of the British royals<\/a> is a source of intrigue and fascination. However, behind this veil of privacy are some weird and wonderful facts you wouldn’t believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intrigued? Find out why Queen Elizabeth II had not one but TWO birthdays, how she created a new breed of dog and other weird and wonderful facts about the royal family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queen Elizabeth II had TWO birthdays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Of course, even monarchs can only be born once. But that didn’t stop Queen Elizabeth II from celebrating two birthdays. She preferred to spend time with family members on her actual birthday, the 21st<\/sup> of April. Her “official” (not actual) birthday, which can vary throughout the commonwealth, usually took place on the second Monday of June and was marked by parades in the Capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason Queen Elizabeth II had 2 birthdays? The good old British weather. In 1748, King George II (born in October) decided to combine the annual summer military march with his own birthday celebrations. Since then, every monarch has followed suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re not supposed to touch them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s long been a rule that nobody but a royal should physically touch a member of the royal family, especially the Monarch. That rule, though, is often ignored nowadays. Michelle Obama famously hugged Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2009. That\u2019s supposed to be a big \u2018no-no\u2019, but she seemingly embraced it \u2013 some even say she initiated it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t get to the Throne by marrying one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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There\u2019s no point in planning to marry a royal, hoping you can mastermind a plot to take the throne. Nobody who marries royalty can ever ascend to the top. If you married a monarch, your title would be either queen or king-consort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The King sets the tone at dinners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Eating with kings and queens can seem like a bit of a race to guests, only because everybody must put down their knives and forks as soon as the monarch stops eating. Of course, royal dinners are pretty lavish, but if you don\u2019t want anything going to waste, you\u2019d better keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They DO make their own money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people believe the royals only have money thanks to the taxpayer, but they actually have numerous sources of income. Their primary income is derived from the Duchy of Lancaster, a portfolio of residential, agricultural and commercial properties. And then, of course, plenty of people visit London just to see royal abodes, such as Kensington Palace<\/a> and Clarence House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The King doesn\u2019t need a passport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Despite being a little-known fact, it makes sense when you think about it: all UK passports are issued in His Majesty\u2019s name. Why would His Majesty need permission from himself to go abroad? King Charles III is one of the only people in the world who require no passport for international travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They can’t play Monopoly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It may sound bizarre, but royal family members aren\u2019t supposed to play Monopoly. It seems that, like the rest of us, not even royalty is immune to the inevitable rifts and infighting. In 2008, the Duke of York revealed that the traditional Christmas game gets a bit too vicious in the Mountbatten-Windsor household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of them are buried in Westminster Abbey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Coronations, weddings and indeed royal funerals have taken place at Westminster Abbey<\/a>. Seventeen British monarchs are buried within its grounds, the first being King Edward in the 13th<\/sup> century. All Tudor monarchs except Henry III are there too. Pay your respects by visiting the Royal Tombs on a tour of the abbey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queen Elizabeth II invented a breed of dog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Queen Elizabeth II famously loved corgis, and when one of hers mated with a Dachshund, she created the new mixed-breed Dorgi species of dog. Thanks to their loyalty, intelligence and friendliness, almost all Dorgis are said to be as adorable and loving as they are cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They own a LOT of property<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The holdings of the Crown Estate<\/a> are worth an estimated \u00a314 billion and extend all over the UK into all sorts of niches, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n