Members of the Royal Family are recipients of great prestige, power and privilege and their positions come with a lot of responsibility. Express.co.uk has compiled a list of some of the laws the Royal Family is permitted to disregard.

To travel abroad you need a passport

A passport is usually a condition of international travel.

In order to travel, many people are expected to present a passport as a form of identification.

While millions travel without passports, such as refugees, the expectation is that most people travelling abroad should have a passport unless unable to do so.

The Queen is the only person who is not legally required to have a passport to travel.

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To drive you need a driving licence

Driving without a licence is a criminal driving offence.

If you intend to drive a motor vehicle, you are required to have a full driving licence for the vehicle you intend to operate.

The only time you can drive without licence is when you are learning to drive and you must be accompanied by a full licence owner.

However, the Queen is exempt from this law.

She has been comfortable driving since her teenage years but has never undertaken a driving test or received a licence.

The Queen could “theoretically” get away with murder

While the Royal Family is not above the law, the official royal website says civil and criminal proceedings “cannot be taken against the Sovereign as a person under UK law.”

This essentially means the law does not apply to the Queen and if she were to break it, she could not be charged for her wrongdoing.

The royal website says the royals endeavour to always behave in accordance with the law, however.

The website says: “The Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacity are carried out in strict accordance with the law.”

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The Queen is exempt from taxation

When a commoner seeks to avoid paying taxes when they ought to, they are in breach of the law and can be charged with tax evasion.

The Queen, however, is exempt from paying income tax.

While the Prince of Wales is not obligated to pay taxes on his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, which generates millions of pounds of revenue each year. 

The duchy was created in the 14th century to provide the heir to the throne with an income, which is why it is tax exempt. 

Prince Charles does voluntarily pay income tax on the duchy, however. 

The Queen, who receives her income primarily from the government and from private estates, has also voluntarily paid taxes since 1992.

Royals can disregard jury service orders

Avoiding jury service can result in a fine of around £1,000.

If you are summoned you are legally required to attend court.

Jurors are not compensated for their time but can be reimbursed for some food, transport and childcare costs, as well as lost earnings.

But members of the Royal Family are excused from jury service – just because they are royal.

This exemption also previously applied to all royal household staff.

However, in 2003 this exemption was restricted to the Queen and her immediate family.

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Members of the Royal Family may not pay for TV licences

To watch live television or BBC iPlayer, you are legally required to pay for a TV licence which costs £150.50 a year.

Failure to make this payment can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

In 2013, a BBC journalist wrote to ask if the Royal Family pay for TV licences.

The BBC refused to reveal the answer, stating the information was personal and did not need to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act.

While it has not been confirmed, it is thought the Royals are exempt from TV licence payments.

Breaking the speed limit

Members of the Royal Family are permitted to legally break the speed limit – but only when driven by police while on official duty .

In the same vein as with emergency services vehicles, the Royal Family are permitted to break speed limits in order to perform the tasks of their job, where it is deemed necessary to do so.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act gives permission for police, fire, ambulance and other enforcement agency vehicles to break speed limits.

As both the Prime Minister and Royal Family are always driven by police while on official duty, their vehicles are also exempt from regular speed limits.

While this does not mean the royals themselves can break speed laws, it does mean their drivers are able to do so on their orders, in special circumstances.

When royals do break the speed limit themselves, they can be penalised.

Princess Anne has previously been caught speeding 93mph in a 70mph zone in Gloucestershire and was fined £400 and had five penalty points added to her licence. 

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