Princess Diana, the beloved Princess of Wales, tragically lost her life in a tragic car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. She was in the car with boyfriend Dodi Fayed, their driver Henri Paul and her bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones. Jones, who suffered severe injuries, was the lone survivor of the car accident. Investigations later revealed that none of the car’s occupants had been wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. Experts estimated that had they been buckled up, their chances of survival would have been around 80%. This makes one wonder why Princess Diana and others were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident.
A British security expert Michael Chandler in a recent conversation with Daily Mail sheds light on why British royal family including Prince William, Kate Middleton don’t wear seatbelts.
Security concerns
According to Chandler, one of the primary reasons why royals don’t always wear seatbelts is security. Protection officers must consider the speed at which they can extract a royal from a vehicle in case of an emergency.
“As you might imagine, there’s concerns about extracting a principal from a vehicle as quickly as possible,” Chandler said.
“It’s likely there’s a risk-based approach,” he added. “There’ll be a risk assessment, the outcome of which will determine whether or not there needs to be extra precautions.”
Comfort
Apart from security, comfort and presentation also play a key role. Royals frequently attend high-profile events that require them to wear military uniforms or formal attire. Seatbelts can wrinkle clothing, which can affect the flawless royal appearance that is required for public engagements or photographs.
“If they’re in and out of a vehicle, royals will be less inclined to fit their seatbelt every time,” Chandler explained. “With men, for example, a seatbelt can crease shirts and so that might also be a factor.”
Legal exemptions
While a commoner is required to wear a seatbelt, the royal family is unlikely to face legal repercussions for not doing so. King Charles, for example, is immune from prosecution due to an old law dating back to the 1689 Bill of Rights.
For other royals, law enforcement tends to defer to security protocols. Security decisions made by protection officers are unlikely to be challenged by other members of law enforcement, Chandler noted.
Additionally, an exemption in the U.K.’s Road Traffic Act of 1993 allows emergency services, including diplomatic protection units, which are part of the Metropolitan Police to decide whether seatbelt use is necessary for security purposes.
Do royals ever wear seatbelts?
Despite the images of royals riding without seatbelts, Chandler said that they do, in fact, wear them more often than people assume. “They do actually wear seatbelts, probably much more than people realize,” he said. “On those occasions where they’re traveling relatively quickly through London or on motorways, they will certainly wear seatbelts.’