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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Rebecca Russell

Queen and other royals always have to pack bag of blood when they travel abroad

When it comes to travelling abroad, a myriad of rules exist to protect the Queen and other members of her family when they fly overseas and some of them are downright unbelievable.

Whether it is bringing their own alcoholic drinks for fears of poisoning or always packing a black dress in case they are required to return quickly because of a death, all the rules are in place for a reason.

And there is one other rule that has been brought in for a very sensible reason and it certainly isn't something that most people would think to pack for a trip.

One of the most severe and planned for risks that could take place while the royals are travelling is an illness. This means that a supply of blood is an essential item in Her Majesty’s luggage.

Even though the Queen stopped travelling abroad in 2015, if the event where there were no blood donations available, they would be able to use the Queen’s personal supply.

The Queen would always brings a bag of her blood when she travelled abroad (Bettmann Archive)

This trend is something that was done by the Queen and the late Prince Philip and has been carried on by Prince Charles and Prince William.

The Queen has also always travelled with a doctor and several emergency treatments in case anything should happen to her.

Royal expert Adam Helliker told Fabulous Digital: "She will have kept the supply topped up with regular deposits on the months before a trip abroad.

"So it’s just like someone making voluntary blood donations - the difference being that she will be the only recipient if it’s ever needed - that ‘blue blood’ will never find its way to an ordinary patient."

Another crucial rule that is followed was started by the Queen after the sudden death of her father in 1952. When King George VI died, the Queen was in Kenya on a royal tour and did not have a black dress packed for her return to the UK.

When her plane landed at London Airport, a suitable dress was brought aboard for her to change into before she disembarked.

Ever since then, it has become a custom for royals to travel with a black dress or appropriate mourning attire in the case that someone should die while they are abroad.

The Queen returned to London the day after her father died (Getty Images)
There are many rules that the royals have to follow (WireImage)

A third important travel rule is that two or more heirs to the throne cannot travel in the same plane without prior consent from the monarch.

Once a royal child turns 12 it is important that they do not travel with another heir in case a plane crash occurs.

This rule was broken when Prince William travelled with young Prince George on the royal tours to Australia and New Zealand in 2014, Canada in 2016 and to Poland and Germany in 2017.

While plane crashes rarely happen nowadays, three royals have previously lost their lives in air accidents. Prince Philip’s sister, Princess Cecile died in a crash in 1937, the Queen’s uncle Prince George of Kent died in 1942 and her cousin, Prince William of Gloucester died while competing in an air show in 1972.

Prince George has always flown on the same plane as his father (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

On a standard tour, the royal entourage will visit hundreds of locations, as well as sample several different foods and drinks. From a safety perspective, this is a huge concern because there is ample opportunity for their royal charges to be poisoned.

This is why royals, such as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, opt to bring their own drinks along to have as they travel.

It is reported that Prince Charles’s tipple of choice is a gin and tonic and Camilla enjoys a glass of red wine.

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