Queen Elizabeth II Banned Several Items From Her Homes Prior To Her Passing

Apr 26, 2021 by apost team

To most people who have not grown up royal, the rules and regulations that govern the royal family and household may seem somewhat arbitrary. Simple things such as how a person has to sit in public, for example, follow strict rules that cannot be broken. However, there are also other, more recent directives that show that the royal family is conscious and growing with the times. 

Specifically, Queen Elizabeth banned the use of all plastic straws and bottles on every one of her royal estates to be more environmentally conscious and do her part to be more green, reports Independent UK. Since this decree in 2018, the royal estates have been able to begin tackling the issue of plastic usage and its severe impact on our planet by getting rid of plastic altogether in the royal kitchens.

Queen Elizabeth was reported to have developed a personal interest in the issue of plastic waste after working with Sir David Attenborough on the 2018 documentary "The Queen's Green Planet." The two of them worked together on the conservation documentary which dealt with wildlife in the Commonwealth, and it seems to have deeply impacted the queen to make her own changes.

During the program, the queen laughed and joked along with the high esteemed Attenborough while discussing plans to create a network of national forested parks across 52 countries of the British Commonwealth. While those plans may take a long time to come to fruition, her ban on plastic straws and bottles certainly made a more immediate difference in how the royal estates conduct their day-to-day activities. 

Sadly, The Queen passed away on Sept 8. 2022 at Balmoral Castle. Even though she has passed away, her legacy will live on forever.

The Independent UK reports that the initiative to ban plastic products on the royal estates was in line with the movement to cut back on the use of plastics "at all levels" as per a statement by Buckingham Palace. The palace outlined new waste plans at the time and stated there was a “strong desire to tackle the issue” in the royal household after the queen worked with Attenborough on the documentary. 

"Across the organisation, the royal household is committed to reducing its environmental impact," said a spokesman for Buckingham Palace. "As part of that, we have taken a number of practical steps to cut back on the use of plastics. At all levels, there's a strong desire to tackle this issue."

The news outlet reported that the new measures included a gradual phasing out plastic straws in public cafes but banning them altogether in staff dining rooms in the royal household. The caterers at Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and Buckingham Palace were only allowed to use recyclable paper cups as well as china plates and glasses. 

The announcement came around the time when the European Union was making plans for a widespread plastic strategy to tackle the issue of plastic waste. The queen wasn't the only one concerned about the issues of plastic dumping; King Charles III, too, is passionate about helping the environment according to The Guardian. It is wonderful to see that the royals are addressing the pressing issues of today and are doing their part to make a bigger difference. 

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While this ban on plastics certainly makes sense to everyone and could create a major difference in the UK, some other royal bans are specific only to the royal family members. For example, even if you’re lucky enough to meet Kate Middleton in person and want her signature as a souvenir, the Duchess of Cambridge is banned from signing autographs. 

The reasoning behind the long-established rule — one of many seemingly random royal regulations — is that handing out royal signatures to strangers would increase the risk of forgery. In fact, all members of the royal family such as Prince Harry and Prince William are forbidden from giving out their signatures, according to Reader’s Digest. The queen was also banned while she was alive.

The magazine also details a whole slew of strict and seemingly arbitrary royal regulations. Children of the royal family, for example, are banned from playing with certain toys and wearing pants. And if the Duchess of Cambridge finds herself with a craving for lobster while vacationing off the coast of Cape Cod, according to the rules, the royals are not allowed to eat crustaceans in public. 

Again, the logic behind the rule isn’t as ridiculous as you might think. According to The Sun, members of the royal family aren’t only discouraged from eating shellfish while traveling, but also from eating rare meat and drinking tap water — all in service of avoiding food poisoning.

While these rules might seem like silly guidelines from the past that no one follows anymore, The Sun reports that the queen has always stuck to the rules, though younger members of the royal family have had more liberal interpretations of the regulations. However, the ban on the use of plastics is one rule that is sure to benefit a large number of people in the long run. 

What do you think of the queen banning plastic products in all royal households while she was reigning? If you found this article informative– be sure to pass this on to your friends to see what they think as well.