Privileges and unusual rules for King Charles III
The new king, Charles III, who will be crowned on Saturday September 10, enjoys certain unusual privileges, but must also observe some special rules. Overview.
- He has no license or passport
The king can travel without papers. Unlike other members of the royal family, he will not need a passport, on the grounds that this document is issued in his name. For the same reason, the British head of state enjoys a very privileged status in terms of driving, since he is the only Briton who can drive without having a license.
The king never slips a ballot into the ballot box: he must observe strict political neutrality. He therefore does not vote and he cannot stand for any ballot. However, the monarch opens parliamentary sessions and dubs the prime minister, with whom he meets regularly.
- He celebrates his birthday twice
Elizabeth II blew out her candles twice each year – on the day of her birth, April 21, in private, and during official celebrations of her birthday, traditionally the second Saturday of June –; King Charles III should do the same. As explained on the Royal Family’s official website, celebrations marking a sovereign’s birthday often take place on a different day from the day of birth, particularly when that day is not summer, such as case for Charles, born on November 14, 1948, in order to escape the whims of the English weather.
- He owns all the swans, dolphins, sturgeons and whales in the kingdom
For centuries, swans roaming in open waters across the country have been considered the property of the British monarch. Each year, they are meticulously counted in the Thames, a tradition that is now part of a preservation approach. The royal prerogative also applies to sturgeons, dolphins and whales in UK waters.
The king bestows this honorary position every ten years, with a barrel of sherry as the reward. In 2019, Simon Armitage, now 59, was named “poet laureate”. He succeeded Carol Ann Duffy (66), the first woman to be named since the start of this tradition, dating back to the 17the century. She thus wrote poems for the wedding of Prince William, in 2011, the 60e anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, in 2013, or even the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, in 2018.
