Queen Elizabeth Insists on Monogrammed Tableware and 1 Specific Brand of Water When She Flies
During her nearly seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth has traveled all around the globe. Her Majesty has covered thousands of miles by air, land, and sea during her reign, so it makes sense that she has some well-established travel rules and protocols. According to the queen’s former flight attendant, the monarch insists on monogrammed tableware and one specific brand of water when she flies.
The death of Queen Elizabeth’s father resulted in a royal travel rule
As Cheat Sheet has previously reported, the royal family has a travel rule that requires all family members to pack a black outfit when traveling abroad. This rule dates back to 1952 when Her Majesty was visiting Kenya with Prince Philip.
While the then-Princess Elizabeth was in Africa, her father King George VI passed away. After receiving notification of her father’s death, the queen realized she had not packed a proper outfit for mourning.
As royal fans know, Queen Elizabeth is known for her brightly-colored outfits and hats. Because she didn’t have a black outfit to wear, Her Majesty waited on her plane after it landed in London so staff could bring her a black dress.
Ever since King George VI’s death, all royal family members pack black outfits when traveling abroad just in case there is an unexpected death in the family.
The top three senior royals always travel with a blood supply
One of the creepier royal travel rules involves the royal blood supply. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William always carry a personal supply of their blood when traveling abroad.
The royal travel rule makes sense because family members do sometimes travel to the most remote parts of the world. In case of a medical emergency, the queen has her own blood supply on hand. She also travels with three physicians who have the job of keeping those blood packets safe during the trip.
Before the queen and the princes leave for a trip, they donate to their own blood supply to avoid any possible contamination.
Other items the Queen never travels without include her own stash of toilet paper and a homeopathic remedy for jet lag. She also brings along a massive entourage of bodyguards, royal valets, and hairdressers.
Queen Elizabeth’s flight attendant spills secrets from the royal plane
Flying around the world on a private jet is something most people won’t experience. But for Queen Elizabeth, it was a regular part of her job for decades. According to Express, Her Majesty is one of the most well-traveled monarchs in UK history. But fans don’t really get a glimpse at what happens onboard the royal plane.
Dave Wright worked as a flight attendant for the royal family’s private plane between 1990 and 1995. He says that every single detail of the Queen’s travel experience was attended to. Even her knife and fork.
In the documentary Secrets of the Royal Flight, Wright revealed that the royal plane had space to store “silver, china, and cutlery” for the queen to use during cabin service.
“Monogrammed tableware would be polished to perfection and drinks served in sparkling crystal glasses,” Wright said.
Another detail that the staff could not overlook was the Queen’s preferred type of food and drink. In the 1983 book Andrew: The Playboy Prince, author Andrew Morton wrote that Queen Elizabeth travels with a crate of Malvern water “on every trip abroad.”
Graham Laurie, a former royal plane pilot, says that the royal family prefers to enjoy creature comforts while flying. Some royal family members “bring their own slippers” and other comfortable clothes to travel in.
“As far as the royal family are concerned, they come up those steps into something which is effectively home,” Laurie said. “On a royal tour the Princess of Wales, for example, would get changed out of what she was wearing into something a little more relaxed.”
