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The French royal family -

In the summer of 1791, the French king and queen, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, were forced to flee Paris in the midst of the peasant revolt.

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The French royal family -

They disguised themselves and their children as members of the German nobility and left for Varennes in a carriage. Unfortunately for them, the ruse was discovered.

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The French royal family -

Marie Antoinette had insisted on a big yellow carriage that could transport the whole family. It was so conspicuous that they were recognized and arrested upon arrival at Varennes.

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Mary, Queen of Scots -

When Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned at Loch Leven Castle for being an adulteress and a murderer, she unsurprisingly tried to escape. Her first attempt was unsuccessful.

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Mary, Queen of Scots -

On the first attempt she tried to flee the castle disguised as a washerwoman, but a boatman saw her white hands under the rags and recognized her as the Queen.

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Mary, Queen of Scots -

Her second attempt was more successful: she and her accomplices plied the locals with wine, rendering them so drunk that she was able to escape in plain sight.

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King Abdullah II of Jordan -

There are reports that King Abdullah II of Jordan posed as an undercover journalist back in 1999. His father, the previous king, also did this during his reign.

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King Abdullah II of Jordan -

It is thought that King Abdullah II wanted to hear the truth from businessmen about the kingdom's duty-free zone and he feared they wouldn't speak freely to the king.

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King Abdullah II of Jordan -

The king went disguised in a shaggy white beard, a white robe, and a red headdress, but he was uncovered when the zone's officials began asking for his TV crew's license.

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Princess Elizabeth -

In 1945, when Nazi forces surrendered to the Allies, the young future queen, Elizabeth, and Margaret were permitted by their father King George VI to leave the palace and join celebrations.

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Princess Elizabeth -

Although Princess Margaret joined celebrations undisguised, her sister opted to take part wearing her Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform.

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Princess Elizabeth -

Apparently, the party did not return to the palace until 6 am the next day, and the late Queen once described it as "one of the most memorable experiences of [her] life."

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King Charles II -

In 1651, a £1000 reward was issued for the capture of King Charles II, who had just lost a battle with Oliver Cromwell's army. Time for one of history's most impressive escapes!

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King Charles II -

The king was tasked with crossing the country and sailing to France. This was no mean feat at the time, particularly for a man so tall and conspicuous as King Charles II.

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King Charles II -

The king managed the journey in just over five weeks, largely due to his convincing disguise as a manservant. He trained himself in the local accent and adopted a walk.

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Emperor Nero -

Nero was barely out of adolescence when he became Emperor of Rome. Not surprisingly, he spent a considerable amount of time running around causing trouble.

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Emperor Nero -

Sources suggest Nero would head out disguised in a cap or wig and play pranks on people in the streets with his friends. Sometimes they would even beat people.

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Emperor Nero -

Nero wreaked so much havoc that he almost lost his eyes once. On one occasion he was almost beaten to death by a man of the Senate whose wife he had mistreated.

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King Charles XI of Sweden -

Sources suggest that King Charles XI of Sweden used to travel through the country in disguise, collecting intelligence from local people about perceived oppression.

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King Charles XI of Sweden -

It is said that the king, wearing a gray cloak to disguise his royal uniform, would also speak to local officials so as to learn about and uncover any corruption.

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King Charles XI of Sweden -

The Swedish king may have taken the idea for the disguise from Old Norse legend. His own actions quickly became legendary themselves and he became known as Grakappan (the "Graycoat").

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King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary -

King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary was crowned in 1464 and ruled during a time in which Hungary was at war with Turkey. He is known to have used disguises on multiple occasions.

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King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary -

Legend has it that on one occasion the Hungarian king disguised himself as a food seller and went to one of the Turkish camps, where he stayed for the whole day outside the general's camp.

The next day he sent a message to the Turkish general, describing the camp and everything about it. The general was so disturbed that he fled the country.

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Princess Diana -

According to comedian Cleo Rocos, Princess Diana pulled off an impressive disguise in the late 1980s when she went for a night out in London with Freddie Mercury and Rocos.

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Princess Diana -

Apparently she went to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern equipped with an army jacket, sunglasses, and a cap. It was hoped she'd be mistaken for a young, gay man.

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Princess Diana -

By all accounts the disguise was so effective that the princess was able to order drinks freely at the bar. In fact, she was the only one in the group who could do so!

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Prince William -

And Princes Diana is not the only member of the British royal family to go undercover in recent times. Her firstborn son has also dabbled in disguise.

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Prince William -

Prince William spent a three-week undercover stint with MI5, MI6, and GCHQ back in 2019. He has spoken publicly about the experience.

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Prince William -

To quote him directly, "Spending time inside our security and intelligence agencies, understanding more about the vital contribution they make to our national security, was a truly humbling experience."

Sources: (Listverse) (Marie Claire)

See also: The amazing residences owned by the British royal family

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