Education is exceedingly important to the royal family, and for good reason. Knowing more than one language is imperative for royals. When dealing with leaders, dignitaries, and the public of foreign nations, it looks better if you already know how to at least hold a conversation in their home language. Due to his mother's fluency in Spanish, many expected Archie to start with that one.
Spanish is a perfectly good language to start learning a second language with as it has many similarities to other Latin based languages. Maybe after learning Spanish, the little prince will learn Italian! Either way, learning multiple languages this young means he’s one smart cookie.
What kid doesn't love junk food? Sadly, royal babies aren't allowed to indulge. The queen has specifically banned junk food and genetically modified foods in order to enforce a healthy lifestyle and diet for the royal family.
As a child, avoiding these foods is probably best for establishing a healthy lifestyle and life habits for the young royal. However, hopefully, someone is sneaking him a few yummy snacks now that his parents have gone their own way.
All royals are banned from having personal social media accounts, only allowed to appear on the official Kensington Palace accounts. The only exception to this rule is Princess Eugenie because she doesn't have a formal working role in the royal family.
(Image via Facebook/Instagram)
This rule totally blows because we think an Instagram for the royal kiddos would be totally amazing! They’re royals, they’re accustomed to the attention, right? Let the world be a part of the next generation of royalty…it’s what the people want!
Gifts that weigh less than 150 pounds are to be donated to charity, no matter where or who they come from. Official royal guidelines explicitly state that any gift given by someone not personally known by a member of the royal family must be declined. This is mostly done for security reasons, but there are a few things that can be kept. Food, flowers, books, and other stuff like that can be kept. Diapers cannot be, strangely enough.
Due to the Royal Family’s world renowned notoriety, accepting gifts from strangers definitely seems like a risk they shouldn’t take. It’s wonderful that they donate gifts to charity! We hope that even after Harry and Megan left their royal responsibilities behind that they kept this rule in place…it’s probably what’s best.
Tablets are a staple in the lives of most modern children, so this one immediately seems a little strange. It has little to do with security risks, though that is still a concern in a family with such a high profile. It's mostly imposed by the parents themselves, wanting to have their children have unplugged childhoods as far from the media and attention they'll get as adults.
Dubbed “Tablet Kids,” children who grow up with constant entertainment in their hands could have unforeseen consequences in life when it’s…a little boring. When that kid grows up, screens will dominate their adult life. So, giving the kid a break from this when they are young is a luxury a royal could certainly afford.
By the age of 5, all royal children are expected to follow most royal protocols. These include bowing and curtseying to the Queen, attending royal events, and having mastered the "Windsor wave".
British sensibilities don’t stop with the Queen! It’s imperative that royal children know these rules very well when they become a part of the royal life. These kids are in the public eye their entire lives, so it’s better they learn how to conduct themselves when they are younger, rather than look like a fool when they’re older.
Every kid knows the struggle of the kids' table—being stuck at a tiny table shoved in the corner of the room with all your younger cousins and siblings while the adults have a good time at their table. Even royals don't escape that trend, apparently. Until Archie and all of his cousins have learned the "art of polite conversation," they're stuck at the kid's table with their nannies.
Anyone with a small child knows the struggle of wrangling a disorderly child at the dinner table. Imagine trying to keep your child in sorts while you’re also working to maintain proper etiquette and conduct. It’s probably best to excuse the children to their own table while the adults handle their dining.
Have you ever noticed that Prince George always wears shorts? And Princess Charlotte always wears dresses with Peter Pan collars? There's a reason other than parents' preference. Little royals are expected to follow a dress code set in tradition (pants were considered too 'common' for royals to where hence why you see pictures of old princes in dresses).
Maintaining tradition is a crucial part of being royalty. The royal family is quite literally the embodiment of tradition, so it’s not shocking that they forced the children to play a part. Now that Archie is on his own terms, we’re curious about how his little fashion will change.
This wave is so iconic it actually has a name, and the kiddos have to master it. The 'Windsor wave' is a must for every royal to learn as early and quickly as possible. Archie's cousins Prince George and Princess Charlotte have both got it down. Maybe they'll give him some pointers.
The wave is a subtle turn of the wrist that gently waves through the air like a falling leaf. It’s truly lovely. Archie might lose practice if his parents, Harry and Megan, don’t make him use the wave consistently. To them, this wave is probably muscle-memory by now! There may not be much use for this wave in the U.S.!
Traditionally, only the eldest son of the Prince of Wales received a royal title. Still, Archie can expect no title unless the Queen makes an exception (which is possible, as she did give all of Prince Harry's children have the titles of prince or princess).
This could be quite the controversy as the situation with Harry and Megan continues to unfold, at this time the future of Archie’s royal status is a bit murky. Maybe at some point in time, he could pursue his royal responsibilities, but that would be quite an ambitious task to accomplish.
You usually only have one or two godparents, royals, on the other hand, can have up to seven. Archie and Lilibet’s cousins Prince George and Princess Charlotte have seven and five godparents, respectively.
We’re sure these precious angels are facing no shortage of people willing to babysit every once in a while, but we wonder how the agreements to godparenting have changed since Harry and Meghan’s decision to leave the palace.
It's scary to imagine your child needing bodyguards whenever they go outside the palace doors, but it's an unfortunate reality for royals. Prince George has two that accompany him everywhere, occasionally more. Always better to be safe than sorry.
Many high-profile people, even in America, need bodyguards and heightened security. There’s no doubt that Harry and Meghan would still need to invest in the security of their family, but it would be on their own dime of course. No wonder they’re taking all those talk show deals.
If the parents of the baby want to take the royal tyke on tour (similar to Kate and William with Prince George), they must first ask the queen to approve.
Since Harry and Meghan aren’t taking tours for the royals any longer, we would imagine that this rule doesn’t apply to their children. One would think that they would still seek the advice of the queen for some things, but who knows…maybe the communication just isn’t available to the now outsiders of the crown.
All royal babies must be christened by the Church of England, and everything about the process is ceremonial. Each baby wears a lace and satin gown that is a replica of the one that Queen Victoria's daughter wore to her baptism in 1841.
The babies are then baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest-ranking Church of England official, with water from the Jordan River (the same river that people theorize Jesus was baptized in). Yeah, it's a process. Christening is a serious ceremony for the traditional, so we would think Harry and Meghan would opt to have their children undergo the same ceremony.
This one is pretty understandable. A lot of random civilians touching the royal baby could lead to sickness and gross germs, which should just be avoided in general. Not to mention, if some random person gets close enough to touch a member of the royal family that poses a significant security risk.
Children are at higher risk of contracting air-born and physically spread viruses and bacteria, so this rule is something the parents should follow regardless of their royal status. They’re still of famously royal, so the threat of physical harm isn’t removed from their situation.
This tradition dictates that everyone must attend the Christmas celebration in the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. In addition, gifts are to be opened on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day like the rest of us.
The Queen values family, that’s why she does what she can to encourage engagement amongst the family in both public and private spaces. Like us “normal” people, the holidays can get a little complicated, and for Harry and Meghan that’s the nicest way to put it. Maybe the children could go to Christmas with the Queen, but it may not be a possibility.
This is one thing that is taught as soon as the kiddos are old enough to understand. Straight, perfect posture is expected when you have the eyes of the world on you. Apparently, it's frowned upon to even put their hands in their pockets!
Posture is a physical sign of status and high pedigree. It would be jarring to see a royal with slouching posture, even if that royal is a child. The children of the royals are the future of the royal legacy, so it’s important for those children to look their best.
If the adults have to do it, odds are the royal tots have to too. This includes bowing or curtseying to the queen. This particular rule kind of follows the Age Five rule, but the earlier they start, the better.
Manners are crucial in the royal family, and without the respect for the crown what’s the point at all? When greeting a member of the royal family, it would be necessary for Harry and Meghan’s children to bow and curtsy even though they are no longer obliged to their royal duties. Even the general public follow these rules when conversing with a royal.
As soon as they’re able to sit at a table, Harry and Meghan’s children will begin etiquette training. In this training, the young royals will learn everything from voice levels, bowing, and how to dress appropriately.
It can get intensive, for the two royal weddings in 2018 Prince George and Princess Charlotte had to cram and have rehearsals. They handled themselves beautifully, of course. We assume Harry and Meghan’s children will maintain etiquette training regardless of their royal titles.
The only person exempt from having a passport in the royal family is the queen herself since all passports are technically issued in her name. So even the little babies have to have passports to leave the country with mom and dad.
Now that Harry and Meghan have left their royal responsibilities, traveling under the Queen’s business isn’t necessary. Requirements for the children to have passports are no longer necessary, however Harry and Meghan probably will obtain passports for their children.
This is a little morbid, but every member of the royal family must pack an all-black outfit. That way, they have a mourning outfit in case someone dies. Like we said, morbid.
It’s kind of wild that this is an enforced rule for the royal family, but it is understandable. It’s sad to think of the little children having an all-black outfit in their closet waiting for a funeral, but nevertheless it is necessary.
Events like the Queen's birthday or royal weddings must be attended by everyone, including the little ones. Exceptions are also very, very rare. This is where those etiquette courses come in handy.
Harry and Meghan made the decision to excuse themselves from their royal responsibilities, so attending these events will more than likely be rare because by title…they’re no longer royal. This also means that their children will not be required to attend at this time.
This one isn't as enforced as heavily as it used to be, but it's another morbid one. Heirs are not allowed to travel with each other in case something horrible happens (God forbid). The queen is known for making exceptions to this rule in most cases.
Due to many assassinations attempts over the years, as well as tragic accidents, this rule is intended to preserve the longevity of the royal family. Losing a parent or child in the royal family could have unforeseen consequences for decades. However, since Harry and Meghan no longer abide by the royal rules, they will not observe this requirement.
When dining with the queen, there's a specific set of rules that must be followed. One such rule is all eating must stop once the queen has stopped. Weird right? This rule dates back centuries, and it applies to everyone, including the kids.
We’re quite sure Harry and Meghan’s children will dine with the Queen, or members of the Royal Family, at some point. So, this means they will also need to observe this rule while engaging in this way. No one is excused from these rules when in the presence of the Queen.
Packaged food kind of falls into the same category as fast food and GMOs. Besides, why eat something in a package when the queen has 20 personal chefs to make something fresh?
Again, these rules were put in place to preserve the health of the Royal Family. While this rule would not be enforced on Harry and Meghan’s children, it would be best for the parents to keep this rule a place in their own household, but who are we to judge while we have our hand in a bag of Doritos.
This is easily the weirdest one on this list (in our opinion). Like, who doesn't love a good game of Monopoly? Apparently the royal family. This classic board game was banned, so the royal family could avoid unnecessary arguments that could cause tension.
It’s no surprise that a family formed around conquering lands and building a literal world empire would get quite competitive while playing a thrilling round of Monopoly. If you think about it, the game’s decisions would mimic those the royals may need to make at some point, so real-world problems could bleed over into the game.
