The grim reason why the royals always pack an extra outfit when they leave the country

There's no denying the royals are known for their immaculate dress sense... Kate Middleton in particular.

But there's one extra outfit the royals have that we didn't know about (until now) and the reason for it is pretty gloomy.

Every time any member of the royal family leaves the country they must take a black outfit with them in case one of their relatives dies.

This is because it's royal protocol that all members of the family wear black to show they are in mourning.

While it's compulsory, there has been one occurrence when the royals weren't prepared with a mourning outfit.

According to The Sun, in 1952, the Queen was caught out by this requirement after forgetting to pack a black outfit.

She was in Kenya when she found out that her father, King George VI, had passed away.

Upon her return to the UK, because she was dressed in 'unsuitable' clothing, she was not allowed to leave the plane untill a black dress was delivered for her to change into.

But it's not just the royals who have to wear a black outfit.

Newsreaders also have to wear black if they are reporting on the death of a senior royal.