Why Is There Always An Empty Seat Next To The Queen At Royal Events?
When you're peeping photos of the British royal family at official events, you might have noticed something slightly odd. Why is there always an empty seat next to Queen Elizabeth? Some of the more romantic royal watchers have speculated it's a symbolic empty seat meant to honor the late Princess Diana. Frankly, we're a little skeptical that the queen is anywhere near that sentimental. But we are curious as to the reason behind the empty chair.
The British monarchy is famed for its long, confusing, and sometimes straight-up weird royal rules and customs. Could it just be that nobody is allowed that close to her majesty (is that what we're supposed to call her)? We weren't able to get ahold of the queen herself to ask her directly, obviously, but we did discover the reason for the rather lonely seating arrangements. And it's actually not as goofy a reason as you may have thought.
The queen apparently doesn't like the first row
If you were to look back at photos from Princess Eugenie's wedding, you will notice that the seat in front of Queen Elizabeth is empty. This is because of, you guessed it, royal protocol. According to "the rules," nobody is allowed to sit in front of the queen because this would obstruct her view, per Cosmopolitan.
Why doesn't she just sit in the front row then, you may be asking. Good question! The very simple answer: She doesn't like it! And honestly, preferring to sit one row back, rather than right upfront, is one of the more relatable things we've heard about Queen Elizabeth.
Less relatable are some of the other rules for royal events. For example, the royal family's 'fits must all be approved of by the queen, nobody gets to walk in front of her period, and there's even a right and a wrong way to drink your tea. And most shocking of all, the queen does not like garlic, so if you're ever at a royal dinner party, expect a totally garlic-free meal, according to Harper's Bazaar.