Why do royal family members always carry black clothes while travelling?

Members of the British royal family must be ready for all kinds of situations at any moment, even the most somber. That’s why every time they travel, they bring along a black outfit. The idea is to be prepared in case of a sudden death in the family, so they can appear in proper mourning attire or attend a funeral if needed.

Members of the Royal Family have a rather interesting travel rule

As royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams explained, “They have to bring a black suit and tie, a dress or similar to be prepared if someone in the family dies while they’re away. This is a rule that has been in place for over seven decades and is closely followed.” The tradition began in the mid-1900s, stemming from an incident involving Queen Elizabeth II.

Back in 1952, when Elizabeth was just 25, she was on her way to Australia with Prince Philip and had stopped in Kenya. That’s when she received news of her father King George VI’s unexpected death in his sleep on February 6. At the time, she had just returned from a safari, where she’d seen wild animals like rhinos and elephants, and there was little time to process the event before she had to fly back to Britain.

She was still dressed in blue jeans when the news came. But since mourning attire hadn’t been packed for her, she had to remain on the aircraft until suitable black clothing was brought on board—fully aware that a crowd of photographers would be waiting when she landed in the U.K. “Her staff hadn’t packed any mourning outfit, so she had to wait in the plane until someone fetched her black clothes, knowing she’d be greeted by dozens of photographers,” says Fitzwilliams.

Since then, it has become a strict and unwavering protocol that no royal travels without black clothing—just in case.

As for whether the outfit must be completely black, the expectation is yes. While other dark shades might technically be acceptable, black remains the standard. “Black is considered ‘the funeral color,’” says Fitzwilliams, who adds that it’s also why royals avoid wearing black to celebrations like weddings: “It wouldn’t be appropriate, due to its connotation.”

That said, not every royal has always strictly followed the rule. “Princess Diana had her own dress code and ignored the ‘no black’ rule more than once,” Fitzwilliams says. This includes her famously bold "revenge dress" and a striking black gown she wore during her first trip to the U.S. in 1985, when she danced with John Travolta at the White House.

The Queen Mother also deviated from the norm—but for a different reason. During a 1939 state visit to Paris, shortly after her own mother had passed away, she appeared in white, not black. “It wasn’t acceptable to wear black at a state visit, but she found out that there was a tradition in some European countries to wear white for funerals,” Fitzwilliams says. “She took full advantage of that.”

The protocol of carrying mourning attire applies to all working royals, though it is especially vital for the most senior members of the family—those who are constantly in the public eye. That means King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Princess Kate never travel without black garments. “No matter where they go,” Fitzwilliams says, “they always have to be prepared.”