THIS week, South Africa has been suffering from an acute case of royal fever as Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and baby Archie graced us with their first international visit since the birth of the seventh royal in line to the throne.
Arriving in Cape Town on Monday, the family has toured the country, meeting with NGOs and charities, interspersed with some visits from the president, Graca Machel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Prince Harry is also visiting organisations in Botswana, Angola and Malawi while the Duchess of Sussex stays in South Africa, advocating women’s rights.
For some, the royal family is considered an anachronistic leftover, leeching off British public funds.
Others are in awe of the status and history embodied by these modern celebrities.
But whatever your opinion, there is no denying the British royal family does attract attention – good or bad.
So, just in case you run into them on the travels, here are some interesting facts about the royals you could drop in conversation.
Non-royals can’t touch
No members of the public are allowed to touch the British royal family, although this is one rule that is often violated – particularly by celebrities.
Birthday celebrations
The Queen celebrates her actual birthday on 21 April, usually with a private family affair. However, as the reigning monarch, she also has an official birthday which is celebrated on different dates in countries of the Commonwealth.
Once you marry a royal, you can’t rule
The spouse of the ruling monarch will not take over the throne in the event of the monarch’s death. The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, is the King-Consort and would never take on the title of ‘King’.
The Nazi connection
Prince Philip’s three sisters were not at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Prince Philip as they were married to German princes – some of whom had connections to the Nazi party. As the wedding was held just as the war ended, it was felt that Prince Philip’s German relatives should not be in attendance.
What happens in Vegas…
…gets spread all over the media. Or so it was for Prince Harry when photographs published showed him completely naked after having played strip billiards.
The set up
The current Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, met Harry on a blind date. The two were set up by a mutual friend who clearly has something of a knack in matchmaking.
Some sacrifices
When Megan agreed to marry Harry, she had to study to become a British citizen, delete all social media platforms and be baptised into the Church of England. Probably worth it though.
If you do happen upon the Royal couple during their trip, feel free to give them a gift. Members of the Royal family have to accept all gifts with sincerity, but the fate of the gifts is determined by the Queen because all gifts belong to the Monarchy.
