“Unveiling the Bizarre: The Secretive Duties and Unwritten Rules of the British Royal Family!”
They (Or Rather, Their Employees) Respond To Fan Mail
Did you know that Royals have to respond to fan mail? More specifically, they appoint an employee to answer the letters. That way, the Royals get to read most fan mail, but they do not have to spend time writing responses and mailing them.
Queen Elizabeth tells a lady-in-waiting what she would say, so each letter receives a personal response from the monarch. In 2019, Meghan Markle even responded to an American fan, with the letter written by the head of general correspondence for royals, Claudia Spens.
They Cannot Say “Common” Words
It’s no surprise that Royals must follow a certain manner of speech. Notably, they cannot use slang, referred to by the Crown as “common speech.” Unsightly words like “toilet” and “bathroom” are off-limits, but the list also gets weirder.
Royals cannot use the words “perfume,” “couch,” “living room,” “tea,” or “pregnant.” Instead, they replace them with more “sophisticated” terms such as “scent,” “sofa,” “drawing-room,” or “expecting.” They can’t even say certain polite words such as “pardon.”
No Queen, No Parliament
Some people believe that the Queen is only a status symbol and that Parliament holds all the real power. This isn’t necessarily true. For one thing, Parliament sessions cannot begin until Queen Elizabeth opens it. The monarch must open Parliament by addressing both Houses with a speech drafted by the Government.
