Twenty years ago, Diana, Princess of Wales died in a catastrophic car crash in Paris – a moment that shocked the world. It is widely believed that if Diana were wearing her seatbelt at the time of the incident, she would have most likely survived.
So what seems even more shocking to me is despite the late Princess’s untimely death, The Queen still often still travels in her car without buckling up.
Her Majesty’s lack of wearing a seatbelt has been picked up in the press this week after a resident of West Yorkshire dialled 999 reporting the 91-year-old Monarch for not wearing fastening up when she was travelling to and from the State Opening of Parliament.
Of course, the person who phoned 999 is clearly several fries short of a Happy Meal, but the question still has to be asked – why didn’t she buckle up? It is the most simple of tasks which save countless lives, and as previously mentioned, it is not unprecedented for a member of The Royal Family to be involved in a serious car accident!
Her Majesty should lead by example. If she wears her seatbelt, others will notice this and will likely also wear theirs. Likewise, if she doesn’t wear her seatbelt, the easily impressionable might think if it isn’t good enough for The Queen, it isn’t good enough for me either.
It is illegal not to wear a seatbelt, whether you are the driver or a passenger in either the front seat or back. If you don’t wear a seatbelt, you are liable to pay a £500 fine.
In reality, you will never see a police car pulling up Her Majesty on the side of the road and impose a fine. The Queen is, in essence, the law and she cannot be charged for either civil or criminal proceeding taken against her.
The Royal Family’s website says: “The Queen is careful to ensure that all her activities in her personal capacities are carried out in strict accordance with the law.”
In general, I consider myself to be a supporter of the Monarchy and The Queen as I am sure most people reading this opinion piece are. But I struggle to understand how people can simply look the other way or laugh it off when The Queen breaks the law.
It is not trivial or amusing, it is dangerous and sets a bad example.
Got too much time on your hands?
No, do you?
You bring up a good point, Mr. Proctor, but Diana was not insiders a member of the Royal Family after her divorce
Phooey!! QEIIs car travels at a pretty sedate pace and, certainly when in London, has police outriders blowing whistles to clear traffic and traffic controls are altered for her routes. I think her car trips are probably the safest on the UKs roads and comparing her car journeys to the one that led to Diana’s untimely demise is like comparing apples and pears. I think it highly unlikely that anyone with a grain of common sense is going to think “if the Queen can get away with it so can I”.
Several fries short of a happy meal? This article lacks common sense just as much as the concerned citizen in West Yorkshire.
Pretty much sums up my thoughts .
Diana would have survived the crash (as would Dodi Fayed) if she had been wearing her belt. The only person wearing his belt, her security officer in the front offside passenger seat, survived albeit with serious injuries (due to deformation of the front of the car). The rear passenger structure was unaffected and both rear seat passengers died through impacting the front seat structures. In Diana’s case, due to a torn aorta.
Yes all of this is true and the drive they were undertaking was very different to the journeys undertaken by QEII, who does not tear around a city like a bat out of hell in an effort to evade photographers and doesn’t sit forward in her seat looking backwards at them.
‘Slowly processing to the opening of parliament’ and ‘playing cat & mouse games with paparazzi at over 100MPH to hide a sordid affair’ are not quite the same thing. Charlie Proctor should be fired for his ignorance.
For heaven’s sake leave the woman alone. Couldn’t agree more with Lesleyc, Wayne Rogers, Truthhurts, and Roo.
Strangely enough (or not), I have thought a thousand times or many more, why on earth were Diana, Dodie and Henri not wearing their seat belts, for God’s sake and the sake of all those who lost so infinitely much!?! So yes, the Queen should buckle up as well. Bless her–we must not worry about her dear life being threatened by a vehicular accident!
They had the roads closed off and no other cars were on the road, i think she will be fine
I disagree. She does not need to wear a seatbelt. She’s the Queen. Beware of all of the far-left anti-british German extremists and the Remoaners who will be trying to exploit this matter.
Ridiculous, how do any of us know she wasn’t wearing a lap belt? She usually has a blanket over her knees so there is absolutely no way anyone can say one way or another she was or was not. Add to that the fact she is travelling in an armoured car under police escort along closed off roads… Glad to see the writer adding fuel to fire and even managing to bring in a Diana link. Royal central really is going in a different direction of late isn’t it.