Too many girls go through a phase of ‘wanting to be a princess’. Many of you have been following icons like Duchess Kate Middelton or Queen Rania of Jordan and know those icons who just happened to marry into royalty and become royals themselves! To us commoners, it seems like they’re living a fantasy life. Everyone wants to be part of the life of glamour, the life of a royal. No one stops to question what that life might be like from up close.

Reality is that there are rules of life that royals have to abide to. It’s not Disney where you can just do what you want! Existence is not as easy as it seems to be. It’s not an easy list to learn overnight. To help you feel better about your “common” life, we’ve listed down 10 absurd rules royal have to live by that you fortunately don’t.

1. They’re Not Allowed to Sign Autographs or Anything Unofficial for that Matter

No surprise here, but despite their fame the royals are not allowed to use their signature on an autograph or any unofficial document (not sure how they send out cards or letters)! This stems from the fear that someone might forge their signature.

2. Direct Heirs Might Not Travel Long Distances Together

Family vacations might not be that simple. This comes from the fear of the risk of an attack or an accident involving the ship or plane carrying that supposed heir. While the British are definitely deviating from that rule with recent sighting of Prince William and Prince George traveling together, most royals still stick to this rule to always have a spare heir!

3. Female Royals Are Not Allowed to Wear Bright Nail Polish

Have you ever seen Queen Rania wearing bright nail polish or even a classic red? Nope. Royal ladies are confined to nude or rosy nail polish. No reds, no dark hues, definitely nothing trendy. While younger royals like Princess Iman are starting to rebel against this rule, one has to keep in mind she’s not heir to the throne and has no possibility so far of being Queen, maybe that’s why she’d prefer to… well stick her tongue out at the rules every once in while ?

4. All Gifts Presented to a Royal Belong to The Crown

All gifts presented to any royal individual belong to the crown they represent. For example, anything that is presented to individual of the British royal family becomes property of the reigning monarch. That’s why it’s common to see a lot of late Princess Diana’s jewellery on other members of the royal family, since it didn’t necessary belong to her in the first place. Queen Elizabeth II can loan it to other family members as she pleases.

5. They’re Not Allowed to Choose What to Wear

Imagine not being able to choose your own clothes or style! If you follow royal ladies before and after they marry into royalty, you’ll find drastic changes in their fashion taste. It’s not because their tastes have changed overnight, it’s because they have now appointed a royal stylist to choose their outfits and hairstyles for them.

6.They’re Not Allowed to Run Personal Social Media Accounts

Yes you heard correctly, no Facebook! That’s because they don’t want personal information flying around publicly. Yes, I know you follow Queen Rania diligently. I hate to burst your bubble, but official social media pages attributed to royal family members are controlled by professionals who specifically curate the photos and text they want the public to see.

7. They Work Hard

You thought royalty meant lounging around getting pampered all day?! Well, think again! They have a full day schedule running the countries they lead, even the royal wives have to be in multiple locations working on charity dinners, school and hospital inaugurations. Queen Rania, for example, has both a domestic and global agenda to support education and community empowerment. She’s also written several children’s books. Princess Deena of Saudi Arabia, who’s an icon in the fashion industry, is married into the Saudi royal family but didn’t quit her work. She still runs her store, and worked for a while as Vogue Arabia’s Editor-in-chief.

8.They Must Spend the Holy Holidays with the Royal Family

Yes, even princesses and queens have to spend the holidays with their in-laws, see you have a lot in common already! It is said that one Christmas Kate Middelton chose that her family spend the holiday with her parents. Let’s just say it didn’t sit well the Queen.

9. Forget Surnames

Quick off the top of your head, do you recall Princess Lalla Salma’s surname? You might also not recall King Mohammed of Morocco’s surname! That’s normal because royals cease to use surnames. It’s just the title followed by the first name. I know you’re thinking but Kate Middelton… we know that name because we were following her rendezvous with Prince William before she got married. Now she is referred to as Duchess Catherine in public.

10. They’re Not Allowed to Vote

I know you might not care much for this one, but isn’t democracy a good thing?! Royalty worldwide might lean towards one political party or another, but legally in most countries royals don’t vote. They either form together governments themselves or refrain from taking part in political action all together.