The Queen Doesn’t Own a Passport

by John Webber

Preparing for international travel almost always involves a last-minute scramble to locate one’s passport — unless of course you are the Queen of England. That’s right, her Majesty the Queen has no need for plebeian items like passports when she travels abroad.

As the official website of the British monarchy describes: When traveling overseas, The Queen does not require a British passport. The cover of a British passport features the Royal Arms, and the first page contains another representation of the Arms, together with the following wording:

“Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.”

As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for the Queen to possess one. All other members of the Royal Family, including The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales, have passports. In realms (Commonwealth countries where The Queen is Sovereign), a similar formula is used, except that the request to all whom it may concern is made in the name of the realm’s Governor-General, as The Queen’s representative in that realm. In Canada, the request is made in the name of Her Majesty by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Traveling without a passport isn’t the only law that Queen Elizabeth is exempt from. Because all U.K. licenses are also issued in her name, the Queen has no need for a driver’s license in order to legally drive, according to TIME Magazine, and doesn’t need a license plate on any of her vehicles either. The Queen is additionally exempt from any prosecution, though we likely never need to worry about that. As the official site of the Monarchy said, “Although civil and criminal proceedings cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under U.K. law, the Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law.”

If you are a U.S. citizen looking to live like the Queen and travel sans passport – then you have a few options. All U.S. citizens can freely travel (just make sure you travel direct and not land first on any foreign port or airport) to Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Swains Island, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas; without carrying additional passport identification.

“Do not go where the path leads, travel instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”   @wbbrjp

LastMinuteFlight.com / Phone   213-387-4345 / 3407 W 6th Street, Los Angeles CA