
The Royal Family is known for their unwavering ability to get the dress code right (opens in new tab) on each occasion. It therefore comes as no surprise that there are a list of wardrobe rules they have to adhere to. However, there's one rather strange stipulation in place for when a royal travels abroad, which is actually fairly morbid.
According to The Independent (opens in new tab), when anyone in the royal family travels to another country, they have to take a black ensemble with them. This is just in case someone in the family were to die while they were away. In that case, it would ensure that when they arrive back in the U.K., they are dressed appropriately to match the sombre mood of the nation.
This is now a compulsory rule that the family has to adhere to, but there was one occasion in which they were caught unprepared, which you will remember vividly if you are a fan of The Crown.
In 1952, the Queen was in Kenya with Prince Philip when they heard the news that her father had sadly passed away. She hadn't brought a black dress with her on the trip, meaning she had to wait on the plane for one to be delivered, so that she didn't arrive in the country wearing unsuitable clothing.
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Amy de Klerk is Harper’s Bazaar’s digital fashion editor. She covers everything from the latest style news to trend and shopping features, red-carpet fashion and designer profiles, as well as being responsible for styling celebrity and fashion shoots for the site. Amy acquired her love of all things fashion and her knack for digital while working at publications including The Telegraph, Vogue.co.uk and Look magazine.
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