Yahoo Lifestyle 
The unusual way the Queen starts her day
Despite being 91 years old, Queen Elizabeth is a very busy woman.
She’s the head of state of 16 Commonwealth countries after all, and attends more events than her famous grandchildren Princes Harry, William and Kate Middleton combined.
So although sleeping in isn’t really an option for the monarch, she has a very unusual way of starting her day each morning.
An alarm clock isn’t her Majesty's preferred way of being woken up, neither is a polite phone call or a rap on the door – no, the Queen arises every morning to a different noise altogether; the sound of bagpipes playing outside her window.
It’s a tradition that has its origins in Queen Victoria’s day, when she installed a royal piper after becoming enamoured with the idea of a personal musician in 1843.
The piper’s duty is to play for 15 minutes while walking outside of the Queen’s bedroom.
This isn’t the only odd tradition that the royal abides by, and according to a recent report in The Telegraph, she never leaves Britain without packing some of her own blood and taking a royal navy doctor.
Her trusty team also make sure they’ve researched all hospitals in the area, just in case something were to suddenly happen with the Queen’s health.
Another sombre item she must pack when travelling is black clothing in the event that someone passes away.
That tradition is said to stem from the Queen’s trip to Kenya in 1952, where she was informed her father, King George VI had died.
Unfortunately, all she had with her was a summer dress so she had to wait on her plane on the tarmac until a suitable black outfit was brought onboard for her to wear in public.
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