RSS
Home
Royalty 101: Who is the British royal family?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Royal Profile: The British Royal Family
The House of Windsor
The members of the British royal family
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Heir Apparent
HRH Prince Charles followed by his son HRH Prince William and then his younger son HRH Prince Harry
Members of the Royal House
The Queen, Prince Phillip, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Prince Harry, The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, Viscount Severn, The Princess Royal, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke and Duchess of Kent, The Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra
Succession
Male preference primogeniture. Those in the line of succession lose their right to the throne if they marry without the permission of the monarch. In addition, anyone who is Roman Catholic, becomes Roman Catholic, or marries a Roman Catholic is permanently excluded from the succession.
Bio
The monarchy of the United Kingdom has a storied past, more familiar to most than the other royal families of Europe. The history begins with the Anglians and Saxons, who came to England in the 4th century. King Alfred the Great united the various kingdoms in England. The initial Anglo-Saxon kings were driven away by the Danish and in 1066 William I the Conqueror became King of England after winning the Battle of Hastings. Many houses reigned afterward, with familiar names each. The Tudors’ reign started in 1485, their last monarch was Queen Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen. She died with no heir and the crown went to James VI of Scotland who reigned over both Scotland and England as James I. The crown passed down the line of descendents to more modern times when Queen Victoria began her reign in 1837. She is known as the Grandmother of Europe and has more than 1000 descendents.
It is in 1910 where we arrive at an unlikely set of events that lead to the reign of the current monarch. It was in this year that King George V ascended to the throne. After his death in 1936, his popular and groomed eldest son, took the throne and became King Edward VIII. He, however, fell in love and wanted to marry an American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The idea of the marriage was not accepted on moral, religious, legal and societal grounds, and after much torment – the King abdicated. This lead to his younger brother who was more reserved and, frankly, less prepared becoming King George VI. The brothers had lived their whole lives thinking they understood the roles they would play as adults and neither could have believed what would happen. King George was married to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later known as the Queen Mother) who was thankfully the strength and poise that he needed. Also thrust into completely different roles were his young daughters Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. They were young, and therefore able to grow up preparing for the role they would play as adults. The King and Queen are remembered as having stayed in England during WWII and being a source of strength and inspiration for the people during the conflict. In 1952 Elizabeth’s beloved father died, and she became Queen Elizabeth II.
Recent years have been spotted with tragedy and joy. The death of Princess Diana was devastating to the country and the family. The life and times of the young royals William, Harry, Beatrice, Eugenie, Zara etc., now dominate the tabloids as the public wait for news of an engagement.
Recent News
Charles and Camilla arrive for Canadian visit
William and Kate on secret date
Queen finds balloon on at her castle
Interesting Facts
- The present style of Queen Elizabeth is: "Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
- Since 1958, Charles’ major title has been HRH The Prince of Wales. However, he may use other titles depending on where he visits, for example The Duke of Rothesay when visiting Scotland, or The Duke of Cornwall when visiting South West England
- The Prince of Wales is at present the oldest man to hold the title since it became one that is granted to the heir apparent. He is also the oldest heir apparent in Commonwealth realms' history, the third longest serving heir apparent, and the third longest serving Prince of Wales in British history
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
Single, married or something in between? Find what you need for Valentine's Day.
