There's a good chance that the most eagle-eyed fans of the British royal family have noticed that some of them aren't often seen wearing their seatbelts when they are driving.
Though the royal family are not exactly exempt from the law, there are a plethora of reasons why we see Prince William and Princess Kate without their seatbelts.
Namely, there are a fair few exemptions within the law that slightly complicate things. One of these is listed as when "a person [is] involved in a procession organised by or on behalf of the Crown or which is commonly or customarily held."
Even when the Prince and Princess of Wales are not taking part in an official procession, they are frequently surrounded by a number of police or personal protection officers as part of an official motorcade when they are on duty. In terms of the law, this might constitute a 'procession'.
© Getty ImagesFor example, when arriving at Buckingham Palace ahead of Trooping the Colour with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis last summer, the pair were pictured without their seatbelts.
This could either have been counted as a procession due to the cars surrounding them escorting them, or this could have been for security reasons.
Dai Davies, the former head of royal protection at Scotland Yard who was in charge of keeping the family safe in the 90s, explained the reasoning behind this in an interview with Reader's Digest.
"It's all about assessing the location, the journey and the risk factors. For ceremonial duties, when they go short distances at a slow pace and the roads are blocked off, you’ll often see them not wearing seat belts. It’s because if there are no other vehicles involved, there is no or very little risk of a traffic incident," she said.
These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis
HELLO! spoke to former royal protection officer Simon Morgan, of Trojan Consultancy, in 2019; he explained that these kinds of decisions were always being made on a case-by-case basis.
© Getty Images"There are always anomalies," Simon explained. "In the threat and risk matrix, it's a matter of looking at each individual situation to decide what is the best way of achieving what needs to be achieved.
"For example," he continued, "considering that a quick entry or exit to a vehicle is easier when people aren't strapped into seatbelts."
For glamorous state visits and occasions where the royals are dressed to the nines, a decision could be made on the basis of fashion needs. "When there's potential for a perceived threat, they may well not wear seat belts, particularly if they're in their finery," Dai Davies explained.
© Getty ImagesQueen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were often photographed in moving vehicles without wearing seatbelts, however, these photos were usually taken on their private estates. “Like you and me, they can do whatever they want to on their own lands. So if they decide to not wear a seat belt, it’s their choice," said Dai.
Sometimes, an unfastened seatbelt is better for security
When Prince William and Princess Kate arrived at the annual reception for Members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace in December 2022, they could have had their belts unfastened to make a quick exit into the building.
Simon also noted other factors that need to be taken into account, such as personal preference, the significance of a situation and whether an individual's appearance is particularly important on that occasion.
"Protection is a very unique area of policing and there are a lot of grey areas," he added, "but you are always judging each situation to weigh up the risks and threats with the outcomes you are trying to achieve."
European royals are mostly seen wearing their seatbelts
For the most part, the other British and European royals are seen buckled up when they're out and about. Queen Mary of Denmark, for example, was previously seen wearing her seatbelt as she drove to a talk with business school students.
© Getty ImagesEqually, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were pictured with their children on the way to King Charles III's Christmas lunch last year, with their seatbelts safely fastened.
