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Searching for a role with exceptional perks? Becoming the Queen of England is hard to top. While it requires a unique set of circumstances to ascend to the throne, the benefits of leading the British royal family are unparalleled.
The British monarchy is an intricate system rooted in centuries-old traditions and laws, granting Queen Elizabeth II extraordinary authority. Hidden within British legal codes are privileges that allow the queen to perform astonishing acts, which we rely on her not to exercise.
If the queen ever decided to wield her full power, the results would be nothing short of extraordinary.
10. Legal Ownership of Every Dolphin
Any dolphin found within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the United Kingdom's coastline legally belongs to Queen Elizabeth.
The queen’s authority extends beyond dolphins; she holds legal ownership over all “fishes royal,” a classification that encompasses whales, porpoises, dolphins, and other marine creatures that aren’t technically fish. The law even grants her the right to consume them—meaning if a porpoise is caught or a whale washes ashore, Queen Elizabeth can claim it as her own.
This law dates back to the 1300s, established by Edward II. However, if Queen Elizabeth were to enforce it, there’s room for debate. According to the law, only a king can claim an entire whale. If the queen, as a woman, demands a whale, you could legally comply by sending only its tail to Buckingham Palace.
9. Obligatory Gifts of Goblets and Roses
If the marquess of Ailesbury invites Queen Elizabeth for tea, he must adhere to a peculiar tradition. A contract signed with King Edward VI requires him to blow a 0.6-meter (2-foot) hunting horn crafted from an elephant’s tusk upon her arrival. He must also serve her drinks in ivory goblets and offer them as gifts, or risk losing his estate.
While it may sound absurd, this law nearly cost the family their estate in the past. When King George III visited the marquess, he complimented the visit but then remarked, “You’ve neglected to blow your tenure horn. When a king of England arrives and the horn isn’t sounded, your property reverts to the crown.”
King George spared him with just a warning, but legally, he could have seized the property. This isn’t the only odd regulation of its kind. Other nobles are required to present the queen with roses upon meeting her, or, like the marquess of Ailesbury, risk losing their lands.
8. A Staff Member Breaks In the Queen’s New Shoes
The queen never wears a fresh pair of shoes straight out of the box. She avoids walking in new loafers until they’ve been broken in—so she employs individuals to wear them for her first.
Queen Elizabeth employs a dedicated staff member whose primary responsibility is to break in her new shoes before she wears them. She reportedly fears discomfort or blisters from wearing fresh footwear, and the royal protocol dictates that she must never be seen complaining about sore feet or swapping shoes.
Queen Elizabeth also has a team tasked with meticulously documenting her daily outfits to ensure she never repeats the same attire for the same event. Whenever she meets the prime minister, her team reviews her past wardrobe choices to avoid any repetition, ensuring she’s never seen in the same outfit twice.
7. The Queen Has the Right to Eat Swans
It’s worth noting that most British citizens are prohibited from hunting and consuming swans—a fact you might not know unless you’ve tried. Hasan Fidan learned this the hard way when he attempted it.
Fidan spotted a swan in a local park, chased it, decapitated it, stuffed its body into his backpack, and stored it in his freezer. He assumed this was acceptable—until the police arrived. In England, they explained, only the queen has the legal right to hunt, kill, and consume swans.
This law dates back to the 12th century, when the monarchy decreed that no ordinary citizen could consume British swans. It wasn’t about animal welfare; they simply considered swans a delicacy and didn’t want commoners depleting the supply.
Even today, Queen Elizabeth participates in an annual July ceremony called “swan upping,” where her swans are counted. The law remains active, and violators, like Hasan Fidan, face fines of £110.
6. The Queen Can Seize Boats
The queen holds the authority to commandeer any British vessel. If you’re a British yacht owner, you might want to keep it out of her sight. She has the legal right to take it from you—and she’s exercised this power in the past.
While it wasn’t done on a whim, it did occur. In 1982, a cruise ship company boasted that its luxury liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, often called the QE2, was “the greatest ship in the world.” In response, the British government invoked the queen’s authority to seize it.
They claimed the ship was essential for the invasion of the Falklands, stating its “speed, size, and facilities made it uniquely suited” for transporting troops. This was essentially the British military acknowledging that cruise lines built superior ships—and then deciding to take them.
It’s wise not to challenge the queen when she commandeers your vessel, as she wields additional powers. In the event of a “grave national emergency,” Queen Elizabeth can “take and destroy private property” without restrictions, so it might be safer to simply let her have your boat.
5. The Queen Doesn’t Need Identification
Despite her frequent travels and royal duties, Queen Elizabeth doesn’t carry a passport. As the queen of England, she is exempt from needing one.
All British passports are technically issued under the queen’s authority. They include a statement requesting that the bearer be allowed to “pass freely without obstruction,” made “in the name of Her Majesty.”
Since passports are issued in her name, Queen Elizabeth doesn’t require one—or any form of identification. She can drive without a license, purchase lottery tickets without age verification, and could theoretically be replaced by a doppelganger if someone were plotting an elaborate scheme.
Other members of the royal family, along with most world leaders, do need passports. The Danish royals and the U.S. secretary of state, who oversees American passports, are no exception. The queen’s exemption likely stems less from her role as monarch and more from her ability to insist on such privileges.
4. The Queen Can Request Snowballs in Summer
Queen Elizabeth holds the legal privilege to engage in snowball fights even in July. And if your surname is Fowlis, she can compel you to provide the snowballs.
Centuries ago, when the Fowlis family of Scotland purchased land from the monarchy, the king imposed a unique condition: if the English monarchs desired a snowball in the height of summer, the Fowlis family was obligated to deliver one.
This wasn’t an impossible task—but it was certainly inconvenient. The Fowlis family owned a mountain with perpetual snow at its peak. If the royals fancied snow, a Fowlis would have to climb the mountain, gather snow, and bring it back.
This power was actually exercised, though not recently. In 1746, the duke of Cumberland visited the Fowlis estate and demanded snow to cool his wine. Claiming it was the king’s order, he forced the family to ascend the mountain in summer just to chill his drink.
3. The Queen Is Exempt from the Law
In reality, the queen has the freedom to act as she pleases. She isn’t just granted a few privileges—she is entirely above the law.
British law includes a provision stating that “civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the sovereign” of the United Kingdom. This means Queen Elizabeth cannot be prosecuted, regardless of her actions.
The queen is the sole member of the royal family who could crash a Rolls Royce into a building and face no consequences. While her children can still be charged with crimes, she remains untouchable. Officially, police aren’t even allowed to arrest others in her presence.
Queen Elizabeth cannot be compelled to testify or provide evidence in court, a principle supported by legal precedent. In 1911, King George V was accused of bigamy and summoned to court. However, the lord chief justice ruled that, as monarch, King George could not be forced to testify. This ensures the queen is legally shielded from accountability and never has to justify her actions.
2. Laughter and Joy Are Banned Upon Her Death
When Queen Elizabeth passes away, British citizens will be prohibited from displaying humor on public television. For the 12-day period between her death and funeral, all BBC channels are mandated to avoid broadcasting anything comedic.
Her death has been meticulously planned in advance. Upon her passing, all BBC channels will interrupt their programming to announce her death. The network even keeps black ties and suits on standby to ensure anchors are dressed appropriately for the somber announcement.
The BBC also has a collection of documentaries and retrospectives about Queen Elizabeth’s life pre-recorded and stored, ready to be aired repeatedly until the nation adequately mourns her loss.
Other nations will also be required to participate. Commonwealth countries are expected to fly the Union Jack at half-mast for 12 days until the queen is laid to rest.
1. The Queen Has the Power to Veto Any Legislation
If she chose to, Queen Elizabeth could significantly disrupt the status quo. Whenever Parliament enacts a law, she technically holds the authority to veto it.
Every law in the Commonwealth is enacted in the queen’s name. While she may not have read them all, this technically grants her the power to reject any legislation. This authority isn’t limited to England; hypothetically, she could veto laws in Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and New Zealand, among other nations.
In 1999, Queen Elizabeth exercised this power. Parliament proposed a bill to transfer military strike authorization from the queen to Parliament, but she refused to sign it. Unwilling to relinquish her military authority, she bypassed the democratic process and halted the bill.
