Hardly you would know that only three people in the world do not require a passport to go anywhere. They have the privilege that they can go anywhere without these documents.
When they travel abroad no one asks them about their passport. Despite this he is given full respect. In earlier times, there was no consensus among the countries of the world that documents would be required while traveling to other countries, but it was only during the First World War that every country started understanding the importance of passport.
Everything changed suddenly in the year 1920. The United States took the initiative to create a worldwide passport-like system to prevent illegal immigrants from entering their country. This was also discussed in the League of Nations and in 1924, the United States issued its new passport system.
Now passport has become the official identity card for a person traveling to another country. This includes their name, address, age, photo, citizenship and signature. This became a simple way of finding out the identity of a person in the country he was visiting. Now all countries issue e-passports.
However, there are still 3 special people who do not need a passport to travel anywhere in the world. These three special people are the King of Britain, the King and Queen of Japan. Before Charles became the king of Britain, this privilege was with the late Queen Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth was queen, she had the privilege, but her husband, Prince Philip, was required to have a diplomatic passport. In Britain, the first respect is given to the person sitting on the throne, whereas the Queen’s husband is always called a prince.
When Elizabeth was queen, she had the privilege, but her husband, Prince Philip, was required to have a diplomatic passport. In Britain, the first respect is given to the person sitting on the throne, whereas the Queen’s husband is always called a prince.
The British monarch has this right, but not his wife. They have to carry their consular passport with them when they travel to another country. Similarly, important members of the royal family are also entitled to hold diplomatic passports. By holding this type of passport they are given special respect.
Let us now know why and how the Emperor and Empress of Japan got this privilege. The current emperor of Japan is Naruhito. His wife Masako Owata was the Empress of Japan and assumed the position after her father Akihito abdicated as Emperor.
As long as his father was Emperor of Japan, he and his wife were not required to hold passports. 88-year-old Akihito was the Emperor of Japan until 2019, after which he decided to retire. In such a situation, now they will have to carry consular passport while traveling abroad.
Government documents of Japan show that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs started this special arrangement for its Emperor and Empress in 1971. The Foreign Ministry of Japan and the King’s Secretariat in Britain send information to the concerned country in advance in case all three go abroad.
It is mandatory for all the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the world to have a passport while traveling from one country to another. Their passports are consular passports. These leaders have also been exempted from security checks and other procedures. In India, this status is given to the Prime Minister, President and Vice President.
