While most of us can't set foot in another country without a passport, there is a unique travel exemption in place for the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. The reason? Read on to find out why the King doesn't need a passport to travel.
Does the King need a passport to travel?
The short answer is no, the King of the United Kingdom (or any ruling monarch) does not need a passport to travel internationally.
This is because British passport are issued in the monarch's name. The first page of all British passports contains the Royal Arms, the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, together with the following wording:
"His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His 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."
In Commonwealth countries where the King is Sovereign, a similar formula is used – except that the name mentioned is the realm's Governor-General, as the King's representative in that realm.
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Does the rest of the Royal Family need passports to travel?
The exemption for the reigning monarch needing a passport does not extend to the remaining members of the British royal family. They require passports for international travel, unlike the King.
Top image: King Charles III and Queen Camilla board their plane at Bordeaux-Merignac Airport (credit: Getty Images)