40 Royal Pregnancy Traditions The Public Isn't Supposed To Be Privy To

If fathers wanted to be present for their baby’s birth, they were out of luck. Until recent years, it’s been a royal tradition to keep them out of the delivery room. But at least Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, allegedly ignored this rule on multiple occasions. After all, who was going to tell him not to?

In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was commonplace to inundate royal mothers-to-be with pictures of male babies. That’s pretty weird, but it gets stranger. People thought a woman’s imagination shaped not only their baby’s development but also its gender. Because of this, pregnant women also avoided images of animals, which were thought to cause birth abnormalities.

Everybody’s got feet, but not everyone wants to see them. At least, that’s the royal protocol, and it doesn’t matter if you’re pregnant and have swollen feet. So regardless of whether the future royal mother is bloated, she still has to wear the traditional closed-toed footwear. That’s gotta hurt.

In the world of nobility, the Queen must know about a new royal baby first — aside from the mother and doctor, of course. In fact, all top-ranking royals are informed prior to the public. So when Prince Archie was born in 2019, the royals issued a statement saying members such as Prince Charles, Prince Phillip, and even Princess Diana’s sisters had “been informed and are delighted with the news.”

Do the royal family get baby showers? In a 2018 interview with the Business Insider website, royal historian Marlene A. Koenig explained that they’re “largely something done in North America, not the U.K.... Baby showers are not a U.K. tradition, and have nothing to do with being royal.” Meghan did get one in New York City, but it’s one of the few examples of a royal baby shower.

Royal mothers-to-be in the Tudor era and Middle Ages were in for a bizarre treat. When their labor started, midwives took them to a chamber designed to replicate the womb in all its glory. That means the attendants kept the noise down, the heat up and blocked out as much light as possible by covering windows with drapes. Apparently, it was thought that the eyes of women who were giving birth were light-sensitive.

Even when hospitals became more widespread, home births were still the preferred method for royalty. Queen Elizabeth II, for example, went through labor in Buckingham Palace — four times! These days, the expectant mother decides if she gives birth at home. Meghan was allegedly considering a home birth initially, but Archie’s late arrival changed those plans.

According to reports surrounding the deliveries of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the royal family has a huge medical team. Yet despite the team’s size — it was composed of 23 people — all the members are sworn to secrecy. They had to be available at a moment’s notice for three months before the babies were born, and none of them could say anything publicly about their work.

Though being part of the royal birthing team carries huge prestige, its members’ personal lives are somewhat limited. Dr. Johanna Bray, anesthesiologist to Princess Kate, told People as much in 2016. “You never know when you need to be called,” she revealed. “You need to be in town and available. If you are at a party you need to have your car keys at the ready. No drinking!”

Air travel and pregnancy don’t mix, especially towards the baby’s due date. This is particularly true for royals, who generally don’t use planes at all during pregnancy. Modern Meghan was an exception to this rule, though. She toured several nations on official duties while carrying Archie, including Fiji and New Zealand.

Instead of choosing one or two couples as godparents, royals take this up a notch and select five or more people for their safety net. In 2015 the Evening Standard’s royal correspondent, Robert Jobson, informed ABC News, “There’s a feeling that because of their role as members of the royal family that they need as many confidants as they can get apart from their parents.”

Royals are free to call each other shorthand or affectionate names behind closed doors, but it’s all business in public. Ever wonder why Prince William always calls Duchess Kate “Catherine” or why Prince Harry doesn’t call his wife “Meg”? That’s why. They only use formalities in front of others.

High-ranking royals don’t need baby-name books, because their options are limited to traditional choices. The author of Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting, professor of history Carolyn Harris, told Vogue in 2018, “The further down the line of succession, the more likely you are to have a more unique or untraditional name.”

Dads giving their baby mommas gifts isn’t a new concept — it goes way back. It was originally a way for prosperous royals to show their appreciation for extending the royal bloodline. Elizabeth Woodville got a jewel-encrusted trinket for giving birth to Edward IV’s daughter, for example. And Marie-Louise — Napoleon’s second wife — received diamond jewelry for providing him with an heir.

When a royal announces her pregnancy, it’s protocol to be completely honest with the public regarding her general health. Any hitches are announced on the official royal website, the most recent example being the Duchess of Cambridge. She had hyperemesis gravidarum — a kind of severe morning sickness — every time, and used press releases to make sure everyone was informed.

When a royal baby arrives, the birth’s announced in several ways. First, a framed certificate is traditionally displayed outside Buckingham Palace. For the more tech-savvy, a statement’s also launched across social media, as with Princess Eugenie’s son in 2021. Lastly, a town crier calls the news out from the hospital entrance. This particular custom’s been around since the Middle Ages, but the royals still practice it today.

Even though it isn’t a job per se, the crown still gives expectant mothers exemption from their royal duties. The period differs from person to person. For example, Princess Diana had just a month off after Prince William was born, whereas the Duchess of Cambridge had five months to recover. Kate still attended some big public ceremonies, though. That’s dedication!

As with new mothers, royal fathers also get an equivalent to paternity leave. Sort of. The recent tradition originates with Prince William, who was serving in the Royal Air Force during the births of his children. When they were born, HRH Wills took an unpaid break from his duties to spend time with the family.

The royal family guards its titles closely, and there’s still an old rule about them from 1917 that’s still active today. The Letters Patent in question states that only royal grandchildren on the male side are given automatic titles. This is seen as a bit antiquated now, and many royals outside this bracket receive titles anyway.

Yes, you heard right — the royal family has its own OB-GYN. They’re responsible for tending to all the royal family, so no pressure or anything. Marcus Setchell used to fill the role, and he even stayed past his retirement date to attend Prince George’s birth. Now the job belongs to Alan Farthing.

Babies don’t travel much, but the royal family’s different. Their parents are expected to attend important events all over the globe. So it stands to reason babies of The Crown need to be ready to travel as early as possible. This means that they get passports alongside their birth certificates, and Prince George was traveling as royalty well before his first birthday.

In 2014 Diane Morris of Moorgate Books described caudle as “a warm drink made by mixing a thin gruel of oatmeal with wine or ale, spices, and sugar.” Royal mothers in the Regency era drank it to heal themselves after giving birth, Back then, pregnancy was considered more social than it is today — mothers even gave the drink to loved ones as a celebration.

Until recent years, the royal family had excluded non-royal grandparents from the lives of royal babies. They were left out entirely. But these days, The Crown’s slowly embracing the modern world — and grandparents — by involving them more. The development came at a great time for Archie, who’s shared special occasions with his grandmother, Doria Ragland.

When a royal baby’s born, gun salutes celebrate the occasion. And the number of shots is very particular. A regular salute is 21 shots, but the Tower of London fires an additional 21 as a royal building and another 20 for being in the nation’s capital. The home of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, London’s Green Park, also fires an extra 41. Thankfully, though, the rounds aren’t live.

You’ve probably heard how male royal children are restricted to wearing shorts. But did you know that from the 16th century it was protocol for royal infants of any gender to be clothed in dresses? After a few years, the kids would then start to wear more traditional gender-specific clothes. This was the case even during Prince Charles’ childhood, though it isn’t current practice with modern royals.

Royal mothers-to-be typically reveal their pregnancy when they’re 12 weeks in, but this isn’t always the case. If a health issue affects their schedule, they may reveal the news a bit earlier. This happened in 2017 when the Duchess of Cambridge was carrying Prince Louis. Exact due dates are left vague as well — for instance, Meghan’s date for Archie was simply announced as springtime 2019.

Although royals don’t have baby showers, there is an equivalent. Their babies get gifts from all over the world instead, and not just from the general public. World leaders traditionally send presents, too, so altogether they can number in the hundreds. Prince George got a whopping 610 gifts just from fans in 2013.

Holy girdles are among the strangest of birthing artifacts, and they weren’t just owned by the nobility. Pregnant women used girdles blessed with religious tokens and prayers for a successful and safe childbirth. Royals had the rarest of them, though. Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III, wore a girdle said to have been blessed by the Virgin Mary herself.

Despite having so many babies, Queen Victoria famously disliked childbirth. She got through some of the deliveries with the help of ether, which she described as “soothing, quieting and delightful beyond measure.” It acted as an anesthetic, and since the queen used it many mothers requested similar aids. So she basically popularized the tradition of childbirth anesthetic.

It’s no secret that most kings preferred male heirs, but the world’s changing — and so are royal traditions. In 2013 the throne instituted a new decree called The Succession to The Crown Act. It changed the law and grants succession to the oldest child, regardless of gender. Preference is no longer given to a male heir. And about time, too!

It’s only in recent generations that new royal mothers got some privacy. Up until 1948 there was always at least one other person aside from the birthing team present — the U.K.’s home secretary. Bizarrely, witnessing royal births was one of their official duties, but Queen Elizabeth II changed that for Prince Charles’ arrival.

Outside the royal family, it’s unusual for babies to have more than one middle name. But for kids born under The Crown it’s tradition to choose at least two or three, which are first referred to the Queen. In 2021 Kate Williams, a royal commentator, told the MyLondon website that the topic of names is “an informal conversation.” If the Queen doesn’t approve, royal parents will seriously reconsider their choices.

The Crown is a cleavage-free zone, hence Diana’s clever use of clutch bags to conceal the area. This becomes more of a problem for pregnant royals, for obvious reasons. Instead, they adopt a more self-conscious approach to outfits designed to cover their chests. You’ll see a lot of ensembles incorporating heavier coats and subtler necklines on pregnant royals for just that reason.

As if giving birth in Tudor times wasn’t enough, royal mothers were considered dirty afterwards and so needed to be “cleansed.” This meant that for several weeks, they were given bed-rest away from their baby, and plenty of prayer time. Interestingly, the recovery period was longer if the infant was a boy, after which mom could return to royal duties as usual.

Sure, the general public love a royal baby now, but it was worse a few centuries ago. The birth itself was more of a spectacle, and queens regularly had to go into labor in front of a big crowd. It was so vital to continue the bloodline that people thought the act had to be observed. As a result, other nobles crowded inside the labor room to stand witness.

Surnames aren’t given to royal babies like they are to us commoners. Technically, they don’t have one, because everyone knows who they are. Instead, they use their first name, title or, at a pinch, their house. This is the case with Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who use the name Cambridge at school.

Have you ever noticed how all royal babies get baptized? Well, since the Queen is the Church of England’s leader, it makes sense. This basically means that any royal baby of the House of Windsor has to get christened. There’s also a baptism gown set aside for just such an occasion.

The tradition of breastfeeding newborn royals has actually changed over the years. Queen Victoria, reluctant mother that she was, chose against it and referred to it as a “repellent act.” More recent royals, on the other hand, are all for it. Ultimately, the only protocol seems to be that there is none and it’s up to the discretion of the mommy.

Being a royal is more work than you might think, and like any of us they can’t do everything themselves. That’s where the royal nannies come in, though they tend to stay out of the limelight. But they’re still a big part of the children’s lives, enough that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex named Archie’s nanny Tiggy Pettifer as one of his godparents.

Modern life may be stressful, but at least you don’t generally have to worry about organ theft. Back in Tudor times, though, midwives had to swear they wouldn’t steal either the umbilical cord or placenta after birth. What would they do with these squishy souvenirs, you ask? Sell them? Oh no, the royal family were concerned they’d get used for witchcraft, of course. Luckily for Queen Elizabeth II, rules about witchcraft were far gone by the time she became a mother. But what’s more intriguing than the nonsensical rules she has to follow are the truly bizarre things she owns.

You’d think being the Queen would be all tiaras and banquets in your honor. Alas, it’s so much more complicated than that. And owning a bunch of weird possessions can’t make her job any easier. From peculiar churches to blood bags and a McDonald’s restaurant, there’s nothing the British monarch hasn’t got at least one of.

The Queen is famously very fond of corgis. She’s reportedly had more than 30 over the course of her life and even bred some of them herself. But she – or rather, one of her corgis – created a new breed of dog when the mutt got a bit amorous with Princess Margaret’s dachshund. The monarch is now a proud owner of two of the resulting puppies.

Clearly, if we’re talking about the Queen, then we don’t mean an ordinary bagpipe-shaped alarm clock. No, for the British monarch, we’re talking about a real person who plays actual bagpipes outside her window every morning, according to Tatler. Yes, you read that right. He doesn’t start until 9:00 a.m. though, so at least she gets a lie in!

The British postal stamp – special issues notwithstanding – features the Queen’s most reproduced image. You would think, then, that stamps would be the last thing that Elizabeth would want to collect. Alas, you’d be wrong. Ranker notes that the royal has actually amassed the largest collection in the Commonwealth. That’s 54 countries! And it includes the world’s very first postage stamp. Known as the Penny Black, it features a rendering of Queen Victoria.

You might think, “She’s the Queen, of course she has a lot of handbags.” You wouldn’t be wrong, either. Though there is a twist. According to CEO Gerald Bodmer of Launer London, Elizabeth has a cool 200 handbags from the classy manufacturer. She’s got them in every color and style, too. Apparently, the Queen keeps them forever and even still has some of her mother’s Launers. Yet more than that, the Daily Mail reports that when they’re damaged, she sends them for repair. Even the British monarch likes to make do and mend!

Yes, the Queen owns Westminster Abbey. But that’s not the weird part. That beautiful location of every coronation since the 11th century and symbol of the monarchy doesn’t actually belong to a local diocese. Basically, it does what the Queen says. There’s a very specific term for churches like that, too: they’re called Royal Peculiars. Westminster Abbey is officially one of them, and it belongs to Elizabeth.

Now, you’d think someone as important as the Queen would have someone to make the tea for her. But it turns out that while traveling, the monarch much prefers her own brew. The royal travel kettle is monogrammed, so every one knows who it belongs to. Because even the Queen needs a cup of tea every now and then. According to Buzzfeed, it’s Earl Grey – and no milk or sugar. 

The Queen has a serious amount of property on her books. Yet she occasionally adds to the Windsor portfolio herself! And that’s how she comes to own a massive 3,000-square feet apartment in the Big Apple – close to the U.N. headquarters. It boasts three bedrooms and what we can only assume are views to die for. Fun fact: she once knighted the architect who designed the building that houses her New York City base.

No, the Queen did not release an album while you weren’t looking. At least, not on her own. During her Golden Jubilee year in 2002, there was an enormous concert at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen’s 50 years on the throne. Acts including Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Eric Clapton played their hearts out at the Party In The Palace. The resulting live album sold an incredible 100,000 copies in just seven days, according to Film Daily. Sales like that are rewarded with a gold record, and she’s the only royal who has received one.

While you may not think of the Queen as one for retail therapy, that doesn’t mean she can’t help us out with our shopping habits. And Elizabeth does that by owning a ton of retail space. It includes more than a dozen retail parks and three shopping malls, Mental Floss reports. It adds that the Queen owns around four million square feet of prime commercial real estate. 

Swans are beautiful, aren’t they? These majestic creatures are a joy to behold, and apparently, to eat. Until the 18th century swans were actually considered something of a delicacy. All the mute swans on the River Thames were also deemed to belong to the Crown. Thankfully, none of the royals eat them these days, and it is actually illegal to kill them in the London river and its tributaries.

One of the perks of being the Queen is access to all the cool stuff left behind by those who preceded you. Take this suit of armor from the 16th century, for instance. It shows in detail just how much Henry VIII enjoyed a feast. According to Mental Floss, the suit had to be adjusted so it could accommodate the king’s expanding waistline! It’s not massively subtle, mind you.

Don’t ever say that being the Queen isn’t glamorous. In a deal that goes all the way back to the 1400s, the monarch has ownership of the public bogs around the River Thames. Why? Well, these days it’s to conserve the natural wildlife specific to the wetlands. But back in the 15th century? Let’s face it, it was probably for feasting. 

Elizabeth, it seems, is quite fond of bats. Yes, bats. Film Daily notes that there’s a colony which lives in Balmoral Castle: the monarch’s summer residence. But they don’t just live there. The Queen has enjoyed catching them with a butterfly net, getting acquainted and then letting them fly off in the past. 

Now, you expect that as the British monarch, the Queen owns a lot of land. And you’d be right. But it’s not all palaces, castles and shopping malls. In addition to all of that and more, she also owns an enormous amount of rural land. And included in that is a whopping 25,000 acres of woodland, Mental Floss notes. Apparently, the Queen’s personal forest is the same size as Florida’s Disney World!

In addition to owning some pretty weird stuff, the Queen is also the holder of four Guinness World Records. Ready to have your mind blown? Well, the first one is as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. The second is that she is the oldest in history, while the third one’s for having the most currencies showing the same person – it’s 45 if you’re wondering. Finally, Elizabeth is the world’s richest queen. In 2012 the Sunday Times Rich List reported her wealth to be over $500 million!

First of all, who knew there was gold in Scotland? Well, apparently, there most definitely is. The problem for the Scots is that Elizabeth owns the rights to all gold mining activities in the country, according to Mental Floss. And if you’re lucky enough to find some of the shiny stuff there, you’ll need permission from the Crown to remove it. 

Have you ever needed an ATM and ended up wandering around like an idiot trying to find one? Well, the Queen doesn’t have to worry about that. Her London home in Buckingham Palace has its very own ATM – just in case she ever needs some quick cash. Yet according to The Sun, no one is sure if the matriarch has actually ever used it! 

While the Queen has many cars, her preferred mode of transport for getting around the U.K. is by train. She even has her own: a nine-car locomotive with highly polished Royal Claret bodywork. That’s red paint to you and me. One of the cars is Elizabeth’s personal carriage and features, among other things, a desk and a full sized bathtub, the Northern Echo notes. But the weirdest part? It’s only got a single bed. You’d think she’d be sleeping in a Queen-sized one at the very least…

You’ve no doubt heard of the Royal Box on center court at Wimbledon. Naturally, they are the best seats in the house. And the Queen owns them. You are not alone if you’re not a massive fan of the sport, though. Apparently, Elizabeth isn’t either! A visit to the tournament in 2010 marked 30 years since she’d last been. Mind you, the younger royals enjoy it much more. 

The royal family has, among other things, a tartan design that is theirs. Known as Royal Stewart in a nod to the Crown’s Scottish heritage, family members are often seen sporting it on official Scottish business. The Queen, though, has a tartan all her own. The black, red and grey design is called Balmoral. And this tartan is for the reigning monarch only – unless she gives you permission to wear it. So, you have been warned.

If there’s one thing the Queen loves more than animals, it’s probably cars. She’s got an enormous collection worth over $10 million, Mental Floss reports. And yes, there are a lot of luxury vehicles among them – including Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Aston Martins and Land Rovers. Though she’s also got some, er, less luxurious motors in her garage. Ford Zephyr, anyone? How about a Vauxhall Cresta Estate? No, we didn’t think so.

Clearly, the Queen is a lover of animals, from Corgis and bats to horses and, apparently, racing pigeons. In a tradition dating back 100 years, more than 200 of them are kept on Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate. But she doesn’t just give them room and board. Those pigeons earn their keep by racing twice a week and partaking in the estate’s breeding program. And birds from the matriarch’s Royal Loft even became carrier pigeons during the world wars. 

There are, of course, lots of official royal flags, though this one is a little different. Commissioned by Elizabeth in 1960, the royal blue and gold pennant features the initial E in the center and has a very specific purpose. It’s apparently used on cars, trains, boats and planes used by the monarch. The flag can only be flown by or on behalf of the Queen, so if you see it, make sure you wave…

Being the head of the Church of England means the Queen owns a ton of religiously themed stuff – including her own font! But this isn’t just any old lettering, of course. Known as the Lily Font, it was commissioned in 1840 by Queen Victoria herself. And it’s been used for almost every royal baptism ever since.

Did you know that the site of Buckingham Palace used to be a mulberry grove? It’s true, and perhaps in a nod to her home’s history, the Queen did something unusual in the garden. She personally requested her head gardener to plant the definitive collection of the fruit-bearing bush. The grounds are now home to 29 different types, according to Mental Floss. Apparently, Elizabeth is now the holder of Britain’s National Mulberry Collection as a result of this vast array.

The House of Fabergé does a fantastic line of expensive trinkets which include those incredibly famous eggs. Yet the company actually creates all sorts of shiny objects. Mental Floss notes that the Queen is the proud owner of over 600 of its pieces – including snuff bottles, dogs and, of course, eggs. Apparently, the enormous collection is considered to be one of the world’s most important Fabergé repositories.

It seems the Queen has loved races horses for most of her life. Elizabeth not only owns the animals, she breeds and trains them as well. And the monarch clearly knows what she’s doing. According to Mental Floss, horses from her stable had won over 450 races and earned more than $9 million as of 2017. The winning habit is something which began back in 1949 when a horse she co-owned alongside her mother claimed a historic victory on a U.K. course.

You know you’re loaded when you can employ your own personal poet and they’ll accept a barrel of sherry as part-payment. Believe it or not, this is a real thing. Known as the Poet Laureate, the position was created in the 17th century for artists of national significance. The U.K. government’s official website notes that there have been 21 such people in Britain – including William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Sir John Betjeman. These days, these pros create poems to mark national occasions. And they still get the sherry, of course.

In addition to being the British queen, Elizabeth is also head of the Commonwealth. Any country which is part of that grouping also has the monarch as its head of state. And in the past, this has given her the power to fire prime ministers – though this is extremely rare. Nevertheless, this is exactly what her officials did in Australia in 1975. 

This is definitely one to file under, “Cute, but I have no idea where I’ll keep them.” Back in 1961 the Queen was gifted not one, but two pygmy hippopotami. They were a present from the then-president of Liberia, yet the pair sadly didn’t get to live like royals at Buckingham Palace. Rather than have pet hippos, the Queen instead sent them to ZSL London Zoo, where they wouldn’t ruin the antiques. 

You may not be surprised to learn that the Queen owns the planet’s biggest diamond. So, how just how big is this gem? It’s a mind-blowing 530 carats, according to The Sun. To put that in perspective, the average size of an engagement ring is just over one carat. In fact, the stone is so heavy that the scepter had to be reinforced to stop it falling out! But at the beginning of its life, the diamond was even bigger. Before the smaller pieces were cut, the parent stone was an incredible 3,106 carats. 

Naturally, the Queen spends an enormous amount of time on her feet. And she has done so for decades. How does Elizabeth get away without blisters, bunions and all the other things wearing shoes for a long time brings, then? Well, she reportedly has a person to break in all her footwear! We assume their job involves lots of toe curling and walking up and down the hall. However they do it, the Queen’s shoes are always comfy and her feet free of blisters. 

Okay, so this sounds really weird, we get it. Carrying bags of your own blood around for us mere mortals probably means the Twilight obsession has become dangerous. But for the Queen, it means extra security. If she ever needed a transfusion or surgery while abroad, Buzzfeed notes that she’s got a handy travel pack of blood should a transfusion become necessary. Talk about being prepared…

Remember the Big Mouth Billy Bass – that animatronic fish which warbled old-timey tunes while flapping about? Horrendous, weren’t they? Well, the Queen apparently felt differently. Elizabeth actually thought the products were hilarious when they went on sale back in 2000, and she actually bought one! We’ll let that sink in. According to Ranker, it now adorns a piano Balmoral Castle – presumably to torture anyone attempting to leave during dinner.

Believe it or not, there is a very special McDonald’s around 80 miles outside of London, England. It’s got digital menus, designer chairs, leather sofas and table service. The establishment is, frankly, more than up to royal standards. And that is just as well, because Elizabeth owns it! The branch – located in Oxfordshire – is actually open to the public, so if you’re ever in the area, grab a Big Mac and fries like a queen!

The British monarch celebrates her actual birthday in April, but she also gets to celebrate her official birthday in June. There’s a very good reason for the latter date, too. According to The Delite, June is chosen as the date because that month is essentially the beginning of summer in Britain, so there is a better chance of good weather! 

Yes, you read that right: the Queen has rights over the U.K.’s dolphins, whales, porpoises and Sturgeons. At some point, these incredible creatures were deemed sufficiently important to be classified as Royal Fish. According to My London, this means that if you’re fishing a few miles of the U.K. coast and catch one, you’d better offer it to the Crown before doing anything else. Also, you have to do it in person – at Buckingham Palace or at the very least on the phone. 

Being a Monarch definitely comes with some perks. Though did you know that one of them is owning the seabed? Ranker notes that the ocean floor around Britain – 12 nautical miles to be precise – belongs to the Queen. But it gets better. She also owns whatever lies 200 nautical miles straight down. So, if you hit oil, don’t celebrate too much.

It seems that the Queen has been given some strange things in her time on the throne. One of them is an Aberdeen Angus cow, which she received from Canada. Why? Well, Elizabeth paid a visit to the Calgary Stampede during her 2005 official trip to the north American nation. This is a yearly rodeo and country show, and the organizers gifted the monarch a prize specimen. Apparently, he’s now part of the Calgary Stampede Centennial Herd.

In addition to a very private cash machine, the Queen also has her very own branch of the Post Office. Located somewhere on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, we assume it provides all the usual services but without the need for any ID. Which is just as well because the Queen doesn’t carry any. Why a Post Office, though? Well, even the Queen needs stamps. And a TV license. And maybe some rubber bands.