Queen Elizabeth Never Wears a Seatbelt for This 1 Surprising Reason
Members of the British royal family have to follow a bunch of weird rules that most of us commoners barely understand. For example, women may never cross their legs at the knee and must always hold their teacups a certain way. Certain words — such as “pregnant” and “abdicate” — are forbidden in the queen’s presence.
Some rules seem arbitrary while others have strange yet specific purposes that royal fans may not even realize. That’s exactly the case for the rule about Queen Elizabeth never wearing her seatbelt. It’s all for security reasons.
Queen Elizabeth is still driving her car at the age of 93
Prince Philip only recently gave up his driver’s license after getting into a minor accident while driving. But unlike her 98-year-old husband, the queen still enjoys getting behind the wheel on occasion. In January 2020, she was spotted driving her car at Sandringham Estate.
The photos showed the monarch behind the wheel looking quite pleased. But one thing fans pointed out was how the queen was not wearing her seatbelt. Was it safe for her to be driving without one?
The queen skips wearing a seatbelt for safety
Though it seems dangerous to be riding around without a seatbelt, Queen Elizabeth is more concerned with making a quick getaway than getting into a car accident. That’s why she never wears a seatbelt while in the car.
Royal safety expert Simon Morgan explained to Hello magazine that no one in the royal family wears seatbelts in case they need to exit the car quickly. That’s why you’ll never see her wearing her seatbelt in the back of chauffeured cars, either.
This rule is also why royals don’t close their own car doors
A few months ago, Prince Harry made headlines for closing his own car door while attending the Invictus Games. Fans thought it was silly that everyone was making a big deal about such a small event, but royal experts insist there’s a good reason for this protocol.
Royals are asked not to close car doors at events in case an emergency happens while they’re arriving. Since the doors usually lock behind them, they won’t be able to get into the vehicle quickly and safely. This puts extra pressure on their security detail and could mean the difference between them getting injured and escaping.
It’s similar to the protocol for royals not wearing seatbelts while traveling in the car.
The royals don’t follow the same rules as commoners
It’s just one of many differences between the British royal family and the rest of the world. Another interesting tidbit is that Queen Elizabeth doesn’t require a driver’s license to get behind the wheel, nor does she need a passport to travel.
Even though her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, relinquished his driving privileges, the queen is still happy to drive occasionally when the mood strikes her. Just don’t expect her to buckle up before she goes on her next adventure.
It’s good to be queen!
