The Oddest Myths About The Royal Family You Still Think Are True

The royal family has faced countless rumors about their traditions and royal protocols. From the silly to the most outlandish, these myths have fans of the royal family fooled.

1. Kate Middleton loves almond milk

The Duchess of Cambridge was rumored to be a fan of almond milk. At an afternoon charity event, Kate was served almond milk by the volunteers after hearing that it’s the drink she preferred. “Don’t believe everything you read,” Kate said, shutting the rumor down herself. “I don't even like almond milk.”

2. Prince Charles demands seven hard-boiled eggs for breakfast

First published by Jeremy Paxman in his book “On Royalty” in 2006, this rumor states that the Prince of Wales demands seven hard-boiled eggs for breakfast every day but only eats one. Apparently, it’s to check the level of how cooked he wants his eggs.

The Prince dispelled the rumor on the family website in 2012. One question asked: “Does The Prince of Wales have seven boiled eggs cooked for his breakfast but only eat one, as claimed in Jeremy Paxman’s book ‘On Royalty?’” “No, he doesn’t and never has done, at breakfast or any other time,” a spokesperson wrote.

3. The Queen enjoys four glasses of alcohol a day

The Queen’s former personal chef, Darren McGrady, was misquoted in 2017 as saying the Queen likes to drink a strict four glasses of alcohol a day. After a bunch of media outlets picked up the story, McGrady quickly issued a correction, insisting he was only listing her favorite drinks, not the amount she has each day. “I’m pretty confident she doesn’t have four drinks a day,” McGrady told Reader’s Digest. “She’d be pickled.”

4. There is an infestation of rare spiders under Windsor Castle

In 2001, some not-so-reliable sources claimed that engineers at Windsor Castle found swarms of rare venomous spiders in the utility tunnels under the residence.

The spiders were said to be either a new species or a species told to have been extinct thousands of years ago. Supposedly, they are 9 cm long and had jaws strong enough to penetrate on human skin. This rumor was quickly shut down for the visitors of the castle. It turns out that the spiders were ordinary species, harmless and only about 4 cm long.

5. Prince Charles will never be king

Because of the popularity of Prince William and Duchess Kate, there is the widespread belief that the Queen could skip Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and name the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as the next in line to the throne.

However, the Queen does not have the power to choose her successor, and Prince Charles will automatically become king upon the death of his mother. Also, the Prince of Wales is unlikely to abdicate the throne.

6. Meghan Markle must curtsy to anyone who outranks her

Around the Duchess of Sussex’s May 2018 wedding, a rumor circulated that she must curtsy to whomever in the royal family she passes by in the palace. This is only partially true.

“Whether or not the Duchess of Sussex must curtsy totally depends on formality and setting,” royal expert Myka Meier told news.com.au. “If it's in Buckingham Palace at a formal event, yes, she would curtsy. If she's just passing Prince Charles in their private home on a typical day, I don't think she would be expected to curtsy every time to his Royal Highness. He is, after all, family,” she added.

If Meghan is at a formal event, she must curtsy to Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

7. Harry and Meghan's child could be a royal and at the same time run for U.S. presidency

Some magazine and newspaper articles argued that Harry and Meghan’s child could be both a U.S. president and an heir to the British throne, pointing to a 2016 Harvard Law Review analysis of the term “natural-born citizen” by former U.S. solicitors general Neal Katyal and Paul Clement. But according to American law, this isn’t the case.

According to US law, “No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Kensington Palace has said that Meghan plans to become a British citizen, though it’s not known whether she intends to retain her U.S. citizenship. Children of Americans, including those with dual citizenship, have a U.S. citizen status at birth.