10 Everyday Things Prince William Is Not Allowed to Do as the Prince of Wales
Prince William is now the heir to the British throne, and that makes him the new Prince of Wales. In his first speech as sovereign, King Charles III announced that he had given William and his wife, Kate Middleton, the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales — a tradition in the royal family for the heir apparent and spouse.
But being just one step away from the throne comes with a lot of restrictions. Now that William is the new Prince of Wales, here are 10 everyday things he cannot do.
1. Prince William can’t travel on the same plane as his father
The rules on this one may have changed slightly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but for his entire life William was not allowed to travel with his father by plane without permission from the queen.
According to The List, the late queen did not want those in the royal order of succession traveling on the same aircraft because of the history of crashes in the family. The late Prince Philip lost his sister, Princess Cecile of Greece and Denmark, along with her children in 1937 when their plane crashed in Belgium.
In 1942, Prince George, Duke of Kent lost his life in a tragic plane crash. And in 1972, Prince William of Gloucester — the queen’s cousin — died in a plane crash at the age of 30.
Now that William is the heir, there is no doubt that he and his father will never travel on the same plane. And, there’s a strong possibility that rule has been extended to William and his son, Prince George.
2. The Prince of Wales can’t show public displays of affection
Royal fans witnessed William and Kate share a kiss on the palace balcony on their wedding day in April 2011. But since then, the amount of PDA the couple has shared has been almost zero. As a general rule, public displays of affection are looked down upon in the royal family. This is why we rarely see a hug or a gentle touch between the parents of three.
3. Prince William can’t eat shellfish
It’s been reported that the Prince of Wales has enjoyed seafood, like sushi, on occasion. But, William and other members of the royal family are not allowed to eat shellfish because of the risk of food poisoning.
“It is a very sensible move to abandon having seafood when out and about on public duties. We don’t want a member of the Royal family having a serious reaction to food poisoning, especially if she is on an overseas tour,” royal butler Grant Harold explained to Woman & Home magazine.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, there were even more food rules at Buckingham Palace. Former royal chef Darren McGrady says they could “never serve anything with garlic or too much onions,” and “no potatoes, rice, or pasta for dinner.”
King Charles also made a palace menu change in 2008 when he banned the French dish foie gras over concerns for animal welfare.
4. Fans can’t take selfies with the Prince of Wales
Working royals regularly meet with members of the public while performing their duties. But a handshake and greeting is all royal fans should expect when meeting Prince William, or any other royal. Snapping a selfie with the prince just isn’t allowed.
As royal commentator Victoria Arbiter explained to Insider; “Royals would always rather have a personal interaction than have people clamoring for selfies”.
5. No autographs from Prince William
Fans frequently ask members of the royal family for a selfie or an autograph — but neither will happen. Royals are not supposed to sign autographs because of the risk of copies and forgeries. Under the rules of the crown, William can only sign official documents previously authorized by the sovereign.
6. The Prince of Wales can’t travel without this one thing
After the tragic death of King George VI in 1952, a rule was put in place that a member of the royal family could not travel without packing black mourning attire. The then-Princess Elizabeth was on a royal tour in Africa when she received the news that her father had died in his sleep, and she was suddenly the sovereign.
She did not have a black outfit with her to wear on the plane back to England. So, royal staff brought the queen her mourning clothes to the airport and she changed on the plane before disembarking.
Now, whenever Prince William and his family travel anywhere in the world, they must pack black mourning clothes — just in case.
7. Prince William can’t turn his back on his father
There were rules for William when he was in the presence of Queen Elizabeth, and we are assuming those rules still apply now that his father is king. First, British royal protocol dictates that it is disrespectful to turn your back on the sovereign. So, when William takes his leave from the monarch, he must back up, angle slightly away, and then make a 180-degree turn.
8. He can’t leave an event before King Charles, either
Another strict rule for William when he is at an event with King Charles is that he can’t leave before his father does. The only way around this rule is to get permission from His Majesty, which can be arranged through his private secretary.
9. The Prince of Wales can’t play Monopoly
According to The Telegraph, royals are not allowed to play the board game Monopoly because of a rule from the late queen. We know this because in 2008, the Leeds Building Society attempted to give the Duke of York a game of Monopoly as a gift — but he declined it.
“We’re not allowed to play Monopoly at home. It gets too vicious,” the duke revealed.
10. Prince William can’t vote
Members of the royal family are not allowed to share their political opinions with the public — not even the king. They must remain neutral in the affairs of the British government. So by convention, the Prince of Wales is forbidden from going to the ballot box for any political election.
Members of the royal family are also banned from running for political office, as Prince Harry noted when he moved to the United States ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.
“But many of you may not know that I haven’t been able to vote in the UK my entire life,” Harry said, per The UK Independent.
