How do the Royal Houses Compare/Contrast?


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Tyger

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When I came on TRF I was very narrowly interested in Royals. I have had a long and complex 'relationship' with the Swedish Royal Family - but my main exposure was with the British Monarchy, for obvious cultural reasons.

Since coming on TRF my 'Royal World' has considerably opened up to the point that I have a question that I hope is taken in the spirit it is asked: I notice - in my limited way - that the European Royals seem to hob-nob more amongst each other - while the British Monarchy appears to keep to itself.

For example, here is a video (below text) of the Danish Monarch's 70th birthday dinner - awash with tiaras and jewels and all manner of Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses. Why does not the British Monarchy have this kind of splash and social whirl?

I was reading on a blog and came upon this comment in reference to the Danish Monarchy: 'And I shall never, ever blame her for finding a way to have a third tiara, especially since she belongs to a family that actually throws events that require three tiara appearances in a row.' And I couldn't help but notice that the same Danish family seems to have glittering New Years Balls that everyone shows up at - but the British don't. Why is that?

Is this an accurate observation or am I suffering from a derth of exposure to the facts? If it is so, why is it so? Is it rooted in some historical situation that makes the British Royals less 'worldly'? Less connected to the continental Royals?

My impression is the continental Royals have a far more glittering social life and mix with each other socially in an almost 'old world' way. Am I correct?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy57ACh27sA&feature=player_embedded
 
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Its a case of different horses for different courses. The Scandinavia countries, and in particular Denmark, do have a lot of white tie events for events like weddings, jubilees and birthdays. The Scandinavian monarchs are also very closely related to each other. The Benelux countries and Spain are a bit more like the British and do not do white tie and tiaras as much. Its just different national sensibilities and how they want their monarchies to function.
 
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Its a case of different horses for different courses. The Scandinavia countries, and in particular Denmark, do have a lot of white tie events for events like weddings, jubilees and birthdays. The Scandinavian monarchs are also very closely related to each other. The Benelux countries and Spain are a bit more like the British and do not do white tie and tiaras as much. Its just different national sensibilities and how they want their monarchies to function.

Thank you. I saw that certain monarchies are related - extended family really - but that doesn't explain why the British Monarchy doesn't show up at continental celebrations. Spain shows up.

BTW - 'Benelux countries' - what are those?

Also - has these 'national sensibilities' always been so? Meaning in particular how the monarchies 'put on the Ritz' - or is it of recent times? And has the British Royal Family always remained aloof from the continental Royalty?
 
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Queen Elizabeth II usually sends a representative to important events when invited. She herself does not, with the exceptions of Queen Julianas 25th wedding anniversary and the funeral of King Baudouin. That has pretty much been the practice of British monarchs since WWI. I think at QMII's birthday party we saw royals from Scandinavia and The Netherlands but not the other monarchies. Prince Philp did attend one of her birthday parties, perhaps her 65th but not sure. When QMII celebrates a jubilee, as she did last week, she only invites the Scandinavian Heads of State (monarchs & Presidents) as well as her Greek and Berlberg sisters and their families.
BENELUX= Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg.
 
:previous: Monarchs and royals from other countries (i.e. Spain, etc.) were invited to the Queen's 70th birthday celebrations. However, due to the Icelandic volcanic cloud that grounded all air traffic right before and during Denmark's celebrations, some were unable to attend after accepting their invitations. IIRC The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg made it to the 70th birthday celebrations. As you said, Margrethe's Jubilee was a Scandinavian affair only.
 
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Yes, I forgot about that troublesome volcano. The Dutch as I recall took the train.
 
Also - has these 'national sensibilities' always been so? Meaning in particular how the monarchies 'put on the Ritz' - or is it of recent times? And has the British Royal Family always remained aloof from the continental Royalty?

By sensibilities I meant that each nation seems to have a way they expect their monarchy to appear, some grand some less so.
I don't necessarily look at The British monarchy as being aloof from the continental monarchies but certainly since WWI, and to some extent even before that, it has not been the custom for the monarch to go partying on the continent but to send a family representative to continental royal events as needed.
 
The British royals were heavily involved with their European relatives up to 1914 but after the first world war George V didn't encourage his children to mix with the Europeans as much - particularly the German branches of the family.

He did still have regular contact with the Danes as his mother was still alive and visited her sister in Denmark quite regularly. After Alexandra died in 1925 the contact reduced even further.

From then onwards the foreign royals really had to come to Britain to mix with the British royal family. Philip was able to do so because his grandmother lived in KP and he had other Mountbatten relatives in Britain but the active involvement in the social events of the continental royals ended in 1914.

Britain had been quite isolated, except for Edward VII through most of the latter part of Victoria's reign as she didn't do the tours herself. The foreign royals had to visit grandmama in Britian and it reverted to that practice after WWI.

The Brits are related to all the other families of course - with the others virtually all in line to the British throne (unless barred due to marrying or being RC - the Spanish and Belgian monarchs for instance). The Norwegians are in about the 60s due to their descent from Edward VII while the others are all descendents from Victoria.
 
Yes, I forgot about that troublesome volcano. The Dutch as I recall took the train.

Yes, they did. I believe Henri and Maria Teresa caught part of their journey with the Dutch RF. IMO it shows how close all of them are that they took the effort to make it there...
 
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For Tyger: The Benelux countries are Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
 
Ugh, all this talk makes me wish the Russian Royals with all their jewels on top of jewels were still around. I recall that there were people who were really impressed with the Swedish royal wedding because of how the ladies were dressed, the tiaras, and the recognition that the visiting royals were given.
 
Comparing The Spanish and British Royal Families

Hello! My name is David and I am a student from the United States studying in Spain right now. Ever since my arrival in Spain, I have had a fascination with the Spanish Royal family; I find it extremely interesting and want to learn as much as I can about them while I am here. I am writing a thesis paper comparing and contrasting the Spanish Royal Family's role, influence, and relations with their people, as well between each other. I would also like to compare and contrast the British Royal Family to the Spanish. If anyone has and ideas or sources that you would deem useful and viable information, I open to it all.
I also think it would extremely interesting to compare and contrast the "royal lifestyle" of the Kennedy's of the United States, so if anyone has information on them, that would be great as well!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and hope to hear from you soon!!
 
I think in the UK the royal family is heavily involved with charities on both the national and local level, while in Spain that might be viewed at the role of the state and perhaps not something for the SRF to take part in.
The BRF is also a larger group of people almost all of whom take part in public life and public engagements while in Spain the active royal family seems to be the King & Queen and the Prince and Princess of Asturias.
 
I have read a lot about the SRF in the Spanish newspaper and magazine. And I think that now they are going through a transition, where people are starting to know them well. Year ago the media protect them, but now those days are gone.
The same thing happens to the BRF years ago ( we all know what I'm talking about). Thanks that British people know them best, and also gave them the right to be themselves in public.
SRF will have to find another way to get to the people, as the Windsor did.
 
the SRF is indeed more low key.. the BRF has more scandals in their resume compare to other royal families.. the SRF is more reserved and is more discreet.. in Spain, the House of Alba seems to fill in that role as the go to family for high society scandals..
 
Why aren't the Spanish and British royals close? Aren't Philip and Sofia related?
 
Why aren't the Spanish and British royals close?

They are relatively close. Charles and Diana spent summer vacation with the Spanish royal family when William and Harry were kids.
 
They are relatively close. Charles and Diana spent summer vacation with the Spanish royal family when William and Harry were kids.

Yeah but thats it. None of the british younger royals are close to any of the European royal families and the Spanish one too. Weird.
 
I don’t know why the onus is put on the British royals to be close to their European counterparts.

Relationships are a two way street. We found out today there will be no Swedish royals at Harry’s wedding because they have no personal relationship with Swedish royals. Who’s fault is that?

The Norwegian royals are the closest relationship the British royals have with Europe but in an age of Parliamentary democracy what difference does blood relationship make.
 
I don’t know why the onus is put on the British royals to be close to their European counterparts.

Relationships are a two way street. We found out today there will be no Swedish royals at Harry’s wedding because they have no personal relationship with Swedish royals. Who’s fault is that?

The Norwegian royals are the closest relationship the British royals have with Europe but in an age of Parliamentary democracy what difference does blood relationship make.
First of all Harry’s wedding(?) is private and I don’t believe all the royals will attend. Also, whyblame the them? I believe it’s the BRF at fault. Or maybe it’s the younger royals. Why aren’t they close to the Spanish royals like Diana and Charles were? Maybe British monarchy think they are better than all the European monarchies.
 
But I think it's also a question of age. Felipe of Spain is much older that Prince William and Harry, for instance.
 
But I think it's also a question of age. Felipe of Spain is much older that Prince William and Harry, for instance.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia were much older than Charles and Diana.
 
King Felipe of Spain is William & Harry's third cousin. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway is their third cousin once removed.

How close are any of us to our third cousins? I have a large, extended family and knew my first and second cousins while I was growing up. But now that we're adults, many of us have moved away, started our own families, gotten on with our lives, and I've lost touch with many of them. I don't even know my third cousins!
 
I wish there were strong friendships/relationships between the BRF and other royal Houses besides King Harald and Queen Sonja, as there are between all the Scandi royals and between some Continental Houses. I think it would be fabulous.

One reason is that relationships between relatives etc have frayed over the generations. (For instance Queen Ena of Spain, daughter of Princess Beatrice of Battenburg and grandmother of King Juan Carlos was very close to the BRF. Same with the Swedish Crown Princess Margreit, grandmother of the present King, who was a British Princess.)

Another is that the BRF has concentrated on the Commonwealth rather than Europe since WW2. As well, there is an age gap between Queen Elizabeth and other sovereigns, and between Charles and other Crown Princes, some of whom have acceded to thrones. Many of the other heirs are around the same age.

The Queen and Prince Charles have attended few weddings, christenings, special birthdays etc, preferring to leave attendance at such things to the Wessexes. I guess over time that all gets noticed.
 
Yeah but thats it. None of the british younger royals are close to any of the European royal families and the Spanish one too. Weird.

There isn't really a closeness to any of the BRF with the Continental Royals - there hasn't been for a long time now. I believe the Queen and DoE remain on friendly terms with Margrethe II of Denmark and Harald V of Norway, but I think that's it. There's actually a fairly clear generational gap if you look at it - the Queen is a decade or more older than any other reigning monarchs, Charles is a decade or more older than many of the Continental monarchs, let alone their heirs; William and Harry are typically either a decade or more younger than the heirs, or twenty years older than them. The exception is the Swedish Royals; Carl XVI Gustaf is about the same age as Charles, Madeleine is only a couple weeks older than William, and the children of Victoria, Madeleine, and Carl Philip are all similar in age to the Cambridge children.
 
There isn't really a closeness to any of the BRF with the Continental Royals - there hasn't been for a long time now. I believe the Queen and DoE remain on friendly terms with Margrethe II of Denmark and Harald V of Norway, but I think that's it. There's actually a fairly clear generational gap if you look at it - the Queen is a decade or more older than any other reigning monarchs, Charles is a decade or more older than many of the Continental monarchs, let alone their heirs; William and Harry are typically either a decade or more younger than the heirs, or twenty years older than them. The exception is the Swedish Royals; Carl XVI Gustaf is about the same age as Charles, Madeleine is only a couple weeks older than William, and the children of Victoria, Madeleine, and Carl Philip are all similar in age to the Cambridge children.
Yet Charles and Diana made a close bond with the Spanish royals.
 
The British royals do have relationships with the continental royals. Its just of little interest to many followers, because it isn't the 'senior royals'. It is Edward and Sophie. For years they have been the ones sent to weddings and events on the continent, that in the past would have been attended by the heir. They are the ones who have established the relationships with the continental royals. Charles and Anne did years ago, Anne is Haakon's godfather I believe.

Both Charles and his son are in awkward positions. Charles is more of age with the sovereigns or former sovereigns. He is only 10 years younger then JC. He doesn't fit in with the other heirs. How out of place he and Camilla would look and likely feel if invited when the heirs get together at times (like we see the Scandinavians and Lux royals). Other then being heir, he would have little in common with them.

William is closer in age to them, but he isn't the heir. He is not being sent out to events like his Uncle Edward. And now he has a young family and his focus is on them. He isn't an heir like those close to him in age, and those in the same position as him, are children.

It would be nice if since there are royals living in the UK, we saw some more interaction. Not blaming either side on the failure to do so.


I actually think Harry and Meghan may eventually take over where Edward and Sophie do right now. With William and Kate eventually attending major events calling for the heir (like coronations like Charles does), but weddings and such being attended by Harry and Meghan. Not being the future monarchs, and having the added duties at home, they can travel more. I do hope we see these two, or the Cambridges if I am wrong, slowly spending some more time on the continent.

At the very least, they are close in age to Daniel/Victoria and Guillaume/Stephanie.
 
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