The royal protocol on tattoos is not what you would expect

Being a royal entitles you to certain privileges - a designer wardrobe, personal chefs and if you’re the Queen, staff members employed to break in your shoes.

But it doesn’t come without its downsides, subjecting members to a life of obligation and rules, with an extremely large royal rulebook to follow.

From when Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis should start bowing to the Queen to a ban on talking politics and no shellfish while on royal tours, there are too many to keep track of. It even emerged this week that Meghan Markle still struggles to understand one, with female members of the family not permitted to wear trousers in front of the Queen.

You would think therefore that the royal protocol on tattoos would be similarly restricted, so when the royal take on it was unearthed this week, the public was very surprised.

Zara Tindall recently opened up about the royal take on tattoos during an interview with Saga Magazine, explaining how it wasn’t up to anyone but the person in question whether or not they would be inked.

‘He absolutely hasn’t got a tattoo,’ Zara explained to the publication when asked if her husband Mike Tindall had any body art of his own. ‘I’d also rather one of my daughters came home with a piercing than a tattoo because at least a stud can be removed. I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if they did though.’

So royals can have tattoos, and more than that, they might already have some.