The surprising word you'll reportedly never hear members of the Royal Family say - plus the alternative that could sound a little strange

Apparently this weirdly specific word is off the cards

word never hear royals say
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The weirdly specific word that you'll reportedly never hear a member of the Royal Family say might surprise you - and the alternative they go for might sound strange at times. 


While being a member of the British Royal Family undoubtedly gives you access to some of the biggest privileges the world has to offer, the elite position comes with lots of rules, protocol and behaviours that are to be followed. 

What with the rule that the Princess of Wales had to follow when she first gave birth to the odd sunglasses rule the royals have to follow, there's plenty of dos and don'ts that come with a life in the monarchy.

 And along with the rules and regulations followed, there's a number of words that members of the Royal Family reportedly aren't fans of using. 

word never hear royals say

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Along with the words 'toilet' and 'posh', the word 'perfume' is also said to be a no-go. 

While members of the Royal Family likely have access to the best of the best when it comes to luxury fragrance, the Mirror reports that royal expert and social anthropologist Kate Fox says they rely on a different word. 

Yep, it's not 'perfume' to the Royal Family, it's 'scent'. Although we imagine this might be tricky at times, as telling someone you like their 'scent' could sound a little strange. 

word never hear royals say

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There's also words that are off limits when it comes to the Prince and Princess of Wales's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

The Wales family's Norland Nanny, Maria Borrallo, is said to be against addressing George, Charlotte and Louis with the word 'kids' and must always refer to them as 'children' instead.

According to author Louise Berren, who spent time doing research at the Norland College where Maria trained, prospective nannies are taught to do away with the word 'kids'. 

Louise told The Mirror, "The word kid is banned. It's a mark of respect for the children as individuals."

Caitlin Elliott
News Editor

Caitlin is News Editor for woman&home, covering all things royal, celeb, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Caitlin started on local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree. She also worked in Fashion PR as a Press Assistant for Arcadia's Topshop before becoming a part of the Now team. Caitlin went on to add the likes of Woman, GoodtoKnow, WhatToWatch and woman&home to her writing repertoire before moving on to her current role.