Queen Elizabeth II to become Britain's longest reigning monarch: The many things the Queen can do that the rest of us can’t

Such as having her own private cash point in her basement

Mollie Goodfellow
Thursday 03 September 2015 17:23 BST
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The Queen's Christmas Broadcast, 1957

Being Queen Elizabeth II opens you up to certain privileges that the rest of us can only dream of. Not only does she get to live in Buckingham Palace, milling between 700 odd rooms on a daily basis, but there are a few other actions that the Queen and only the Queen can pull off.

Here are the things that the Queen can do that you can’t, not that she’s showing off or anything:

· If you’re the Queen acquiring a driving license like every other British 17-year-old is not necessary. The Queen is the only person in Britain who can drive without a licence. Because they are issued in the Queen’s name, it would be unnecessary for her to give herself a license. But that doesn’t mean she can’t drive – Elizabeth operated a first-aid truck for the Women’s Auxillary Territorial Service during WWII.

· As well as not having to have a licence, she also does not have to bother with a registration plate for her car.

· The Queen can travel abroad without any travel documents or a passport, since these are issued in her own name. This is something that even other members of the Royal Family can’t get away with, so passports at the ready Charles et al.

· Her majesty is entitled to two birthdays per year. While her actual proper legit birthday is on 21 April, her ‘official’ Queen’s birthday is celebrated on a Saturday in June

The Queen turns 90

· Most of us have to walk outside to draw cash but unlike the average citizen, the Queen has her own private cash machine installed in the basement of Buckingham Palace, supplied by exclusive fancy bank Coutts.

· The Queen does not have to pay taxes, unlike the rest of us peasants. However, she has been voluntarily paying tax since 1992 because she’s nice like that.

· The Queen holds the ability to fire the entire Australian government since she is technically the Head of State in Australia.

· We can be arrested; Queen Elizabeth II cannot as she is immune from prosecution. Because the courts are under the power of the Sovereign, i.e the Queen, she is unable to prosecute herself because that would be ridiculous.

· Also, she cannot be compelled to give evidence in court since all prosecutions are carried out in the name of the Sovereign.

· The Queen and members of the Royal Family are exempt from Freedom of Information requests, meaning you can’t request to find out all her secrets – although earlier this year Prince Charles ‘spider letters’ were revealed to the public after a court ruling.

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