Meghan Markle can’t fly without her tea tree oil – what are the British royal family’s rules for air travel and do they really slum it in economy class?

Jul 30 , 2020

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip wave farewell to Australia at Perth International Airport in October 2011, one of her last major international trips. Photo: AFP

You must pack black just in case and no stepping down the steps in sweatpants – the dos and don’ts of right royal air travel for Queen Elizabeth, William, Catherine, Harry, Meghan and the rest

Meghan Markle always makes sure to pack her personal holy grail tea tree oil, which she uses to protect her skin from the dry air on the plane. What or who else can’t she travel without?

STYLE answers all the questions you may have about how the British royals fly.

The royals take commercial flights, just like regular people

If you think the royals fly on private jets – think again! More often than not, members of the royal family fly commercial, usually with local airline British Airways, with the exception of Queen Elizabeth who no longer takes scheduled flights. They don’t make a habit of flying first-class either, like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle who roughed it out in British Airways’ economy seats from London to Nice, France, on New Year’s Eve back in 2018.

Royals must always travel with a black outfit in their suitcase

It’s compulsory for every royal to travel with a black outfit packed in their suitcase, just in case there’s a death in the family while they’re away. The spare black ensemble ensures that these royals will have an outfit that matches the tragic occasion when they arrive back in the UK for the funeral proceedings.

This protocol was made after Queen Elizabeth’s father passed away in 1952 while she was in Kenya. Upon her arrival back to England, she had to wait for an outfit to be delivered to her on the plane so she could look appropriate for the occasion.

The royals always arrive in style