Many publications write in their educational columns that Queen Elizabeth II does not have a British passport. We doubted the veracity of this statement and decided to check if it was true.

Many collections of interesting facts about the royal family write that Queen Elizabeth II is the only British citizen who can travel around the world without a passport. To identify herself, she just needs to say: “I am the queen” ("Around the World", Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Bright Side, Mental Floss).

In search of accurate information, we turned to the official website royal family.

In the "Passports" section written: “The Queen does not need a British passport to travel abroad.” Next comes a description of the document’s appearance: “The outer cover is burgundy and decorated with the royal coat of arms.” By the way, after leaving the European Union in 2020, Great Britain came back the 1921 cover is dark blue, which is not yet reflected on the royal family's website.

New passport (after 2020) from the UK Home Office website

On the first page of the passport it is written: “Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests, on behalf of Her Majesty, all who may be concerned to ensure free and unimpeded passage for the holder of this passport, and to provide him with the necessary assistance and protection.”

So why doesn't the Queen need a passport? Every British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, so there is no point in the Queen herself having one. How wrote The Atlantic, “The Queen is her own passport.”

*The Queen inspects troops upon arrival in Brisbane, Australia, 1977.*
*Source: WikiCommons*

Most often, Queen Elizabeth travels abroad as part of an official delegation. Each of its movements requires comprehensive security measures that involve domestic and foreign services. Based on the experience of the author of this publication, who has worked for several years with official international delegations within the UN and diplomatic missions, it can be assumed that the Queen’s passport control process is the same as that of persons of similar status - for example, other heads of state. Upon landing of the plane with the delegation, the Queen's assistants meet with customs officers in advance and provide the necessary documents for the entire delegation. In the case of the Queen, this could be, for example, an invitation letter from the host.

*With Russian President Boris Yeltsin during the Queen's official visit to Russia, 1994. Source: The Times*

By the same logic, the Queen also does not have a driver’s license, despite her 77-year-old driving license. experience. However, we did find one official document issued to Queen Elizabeth in the public domain: her 1947 marriage certificate to Prince Philip, which published Royal family website