With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the British royal family is once again in the headlines. I thought it would be a good time to share this list of Superstitions Of The British Monarchy. I assume King Charles III will continue the traditions.
Most of us have our family traditions and even superstitions that we've upheld through the years, maybe even several generations. Ours, however, aren't declared for the whole world to know. But if you're a member of the British royal family, it seems your family superstitions are out there for the world to see regardless of how old or obsolete they are.
Here are some of the weirdest superstitions the monarchy still upholds.
The Tower of London ravens
It's believed that ravens took up permanent residence in the
Tower of London back in the 1800s. To the royal family, they have been looking
out for the monarchy since it was reinstated in the 1600s with King Charles II
following the time of Oliver Cromwell. It's believed that if the ravens flew
away, it would bring bad luck. The legend says: "If the Tower of London
ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it."
There are still ravens that live in the tower and serve as a tourist
attraction. There are people assigned to full time duty of taking care of the
ravens.
Wedding dates
Are you wondering why it was cause for concern that Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle were getting married on May 19, 2018? It's because the
month of May is considered unlucky, at least according to royal family
superstition. This belief dates back to Queen Victoria's reign. The late
monarch's line on the matter was: "Marry in May, and rue the day."
(Queen Victoria makes multiple appearances on this list because she was so superstitious.)
The gems and jewels
Kate Middleton's gorgeous sapphire ring isn't just an ode to
her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The royal family has long believed that
gemstones hold magical powers. Sapphires are a particular favorite because they
are believed to bring on financial success and stability. Queen Victoria also
wore a sapphire.
The Ceremony of the Keys
Modern security systems keep the crown jewels under tight
security at the Tower of London. Even though the monarch hasn't lived there in
ages, the Ceremony of the Keys continues its centuries-old installment. Every
evening, a ceremonial guard (one of the Beefeaters) walks the halls of the
tower and locks all the gates to insure that thieves don't break in.
The monarch's residence
For the last couple of centuries Buckingham Palace has been
recognized as the home of the reigning monarch. This wasn't Queen Elizabeth
II's official address. Her official residence was technically St. James'
Palace in London. The reigning monarch lived at St. James' Palace prior to
Buckingham House becoming Buckingham Palace. The first monarch to live at
Buckingham Palace but keep St. James' Palace as the official residence was
(surprise, surprise) Queen Victoria.
Paying the rent
No one actually pays rent at Stratfield Saye House. This is
an annual ceremony paying homage to the Duke of Wellington and the 1815 Battle
of Waterloo when the British defeated Napoleon. The Duke was given Stratfield
Saye House as a gift for the victory. Every year the current Duke delivers a
silken French flag to the queen to commemorate the win, i.e. "pay his
rent." A new flag is produced every year and is draped over the bust of
the first Duke of Wellington.
The royal touch
Dating back to the Middle Ages, it was believed that being
touched by the monarch could cure you of any illness. This act was put into
practice by King Charles II, with the belief that his touch was God-given and
could cure a skin disease called scrofula. Needless to say, modern medicine has
made this "divine" practice a bit obsolete.
No touching the royals
One tradition the monarchy has not been able to shake is the
superstition that the members of the royal family cannot be touched by
non-royals. This belief dates back to the Middle Ages. From medieval times,
monarchs were divinely appointed to rule by God, so they were seen as gods and
demanded to be treated as gods. Everyone from LeBron James to Michelle Obama
has been criticized for throwing a friendly arm around the royals.
Searching the cellars
In 1605, Guy Fawkes
and a group of co-conspirators called the Gunpowder Plotters enacted a plot to
assassinate King James I while making his speech to Parliament. The plan was
foiled when Fawkes was apprehended in the cellars below the House of Lords the
night before the speech. To this day the tradition continues as the queen's
royal guard still searches the cellars for Fawkes.
No shellfish allowed
One of the better-known superstitions among the royal family
is that they don't eat shellfish. This old-school tradition, which Queen
Elizabeth II upheld throughout her reign, comes from the fear of being poisoned
or having a severe allergic reaction. Shellfish still doesn't appear on the
Buckingham Palace menu, but some members of the family eat it. (Prince Charles
and Kate Middleton are known seafood fans.)
Holding a hostage
Once upon a time, the monarch and Parliament didn't get
along very well. They didn't trust each other to the point that the royal
family didn't trust the safety of the sovereign while with Parliament. So, in
exchange, Parliament would have to send over one of its members to be
"held hostage" to insure the monarch's safe return. Even now, when
Queen Elizabeth II gave her speech at The State Opening of Parliament, a member
still stayed at Buckingham Palace as a hostage.
Pricking
Towards the beginning of each year, Queen Elizabeth II
selected High Sheriffs during a meeting of the Privy Council. This is referred
to as the Pricking Ceremony. She selected names from a list by poking through
paper with a sewing needle. The origin isn't clear, but many believe this odd
tradition was started by Queen Elizabeth I. She was asked to choose her High
Sheriffs while she was in the middle of embroidering. She used her needle as a
selecting tool.
Anne Boleyn's ghost
Of all the figures in the monarchy's history, Anne Boleyn
continues to be the most intriguing. With that in mind, perhaps it's not
surprising that the royal family supposedly believes that her ghost walks
around. According to family superstition and local lore, there are at least
seven different locations where her ghost has been seen. They include the Tower
of London where she was executed. Her ghost allegedly walks around without a
head.
The royal 'we'
As mentioned above, monarchs of times gone by believed they
were chosen by God to rule. So when Queen Victoria spoke, she used the pronoun
'we' instead of 'I' showing that she was speaking for both herself and her
divine creator. Queen Elizabeth II used the plural when she addressed
Parliament, but to convey that she was speaking for both herself and the
nation.
The Coronation
For centuries the royal family has believed that the coronation of a new monarch has to go perfectly without even the slightest hiccup. One mistake can be a sign that the monarchy is in trouble.