

Understanding The Royal Family

The British Royal Family Hierarchy Revealed

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The Royal Family is frequently in North American headlines. A source of mystery and intrigue to the American public, the exploits of the Royal Family provide fodder for gossip and water cooler discussions across the United States. American interest may be partially fueled by the system of titles and honorifics that make little or no sense to us. We do not understand how one becomes a Duke of York or Princess of Wales. The system is old-fashioned, not exclusively hereditary and sometimes difficult to follow. Here is a basic guide to understanding the titles and positions of the British Royal Family.

Her Majesty, the Queen
Tracing the Royal Family begins with the current monarch. The monarch may be male or female, and is officially known as His Majesty or Her Majesty. The current queen is Elizabeth II. She is commonly referred to as the Queen of England, but this is not her sole title. Elizabeth II is actually Queen Regnant of sixteen states and their related dependencies and territory possessions. Queen Regnant is a female monarch who holds the power of rule, as opposed to a Queen Consort, who is the king’s wife but holds no independent power. Elizabeth II holds numerous other titles as well. She was born third in line to the throne. Following the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, and death of her father, George VI, Elizabeth II became queen on February 6, 1952.

Queen Mother
Queen Elizabeth was the Queen Consort (wife) of King George VI, the previous monarch. When her daughter, Elizabeth II, became queen, she became known as the Queen Mother.
A Queen Mother is both the Queen Dowager (widow of the former monarch) and mother of the reigning monarch. The highly popular Queen Mother passed away in 2002 at the age of 101. Any widow of a previous monarch is considered a member of the Royal Family and is known as a Queen Dowager, but is only the Queen Mother if she is also the mother of the reigning monarch.

His Majesty, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
The spouse of the reigning monarch generally receives the honorific His Majesty or Her Majesty. However, he or she does not necessarily gain the title of queen or king. Prince Philip was born a prince of Denmark and Greece, but renounced those titles. His British titles are created, designed in acknowledgment of his marriage to the Heiress Presumptive and her later ascension to the throne.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he is heir apparent to the thrones of the sixteen states of which his mother is Queen Regnant. However, he will not necessarily become head of the commonwealth. His title at birth was His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh. He became Duke of Cornwall when his mother became queen. The title Prince of Wales was created under British precedence.

Diana, Princess of Wales
Lady Diana Spencer was born into a solid line of aristocracy. Nonetheless, she prided herself on living a normal life, maintaining an apartment and working a line of unglamorous jobs from cocktail waitress to dance school instructor. In 1981 she became the “People’s Princess” upon her marriage to Prince Charles.
Diana was a champion for human rights and used her new position to further a number of social causes. Rather than sit at home and donate money, Diana worked tirelessly in the field. She was sometimes controversial, but more often loved for her human qualities and devotion to improving the lives of others.

Diana was officially titled Her Royal Highness Princess of Wales, along with several other titles, such as Duchess of Cornwall, following her marriage to Prince Charles. However, the couple’s fairytale marriage gradually fell apart and the two separated in December 1992. Their divorce was finalized in 1996. Nonetheless, Diana remained an official part of the Royal Family until her death in 1997. Her title changed, however, losing the honorific Her Royal Highness. Her new title was simply Diana, Princess of Wales. Upon her death, Diana was granted a royal funeral.

Her Royal Highness Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall
Acceptance of Camilla Parker-Bowles was slow amongst the Royal Family. She was a long-time companion of Prince Charles, dating him before Charles and Diana were married. Both Camilla and Charles admit to an affair during Charles and Diana’s marriage. Following that divorce, the two resumed a low-key public presence, although this was halted by the death of Diana. Camilla and Charles were not seen together in public for two years following Diana’s death. Family pressure kept Charles from marrying Camilla for several more years, although they were eventually married in a small civil ceremony in 2005. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, Charles’ parents, did not attend the wedding.
Although Camilla technically assumed the position of Princess of Wales following her marriage, the Royal Family elected not to give her the title officially. The title is still heavily tied to Diana in the minds of the people, so Camilla simply assumed the title of Duchess of Cornwall. She is, however, referred to as Her Royal Highness.

Their Royal Highnesses, Princes William and Harry of Wales
Prince William and Prince Harry are the children of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. As the eldest son, William is the second in line for the throne. His younger brother Henry is third in line. The exploits of both boys are followed with great interest by the American media. Both were young teens when their mother passed away in 1997, and the two grew up in the public eye. Both are now serving in the British military, with some possibility of being deployed to Iraq. Both will likely receive additional titles and honorifics when they marry, and it is likely that one or both will eventually ascend to the throne.

Additional Direct Descendants of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II has three additional children besides Prince Charles. They are Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; and Princess Anne, Princess Royal. According to the traditions of the Royal Family, the second-oldest son, Prince Andrew, is next in line for the throne after Prince Harry. His two children, in order of birth, are next. The youngest son, Prince Edward, is next in line, followed by his two children. This makes Princess Anne, the second-oldest child of Queen Elizabeth II, ninth in line for the throne.
The reason for this is that succession passes first to male children in order of birth, then female children in their order of birth. Each successor’s children are his immediate successors. All are, however, active members of the Royal Family, carrying a variety of titles and positions.

As grandchildren of a former monarch, several of the reigning queen’s cousins are also official members of the Royal Family. These include the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra. Their spouses and children also hold royal titles.

The Royal Family is complicated and interrelated. Even amongst members of the family, it is not always clear precisely who is and is not considered an official member of the Royals. It is clear, however, that the reigning monarch, the widows of former monarchs, and the current monarch’s children and grandchildren are part of the official family. Many of them are unlikely to ascend to the throne, but each plays a very important official role in the family and is expected to follow certain traditions. However, the family has shown the willingness to reinterpret the rules as necessary to absorb modern realities such as divorce and remarriage. Although it is difficult for someone outside the family to fully grasp the intricacies of the relationships, the above explanations should make it a bit easier to follow news of the British Royal Family.

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