General Questions & Random Facts about the British Royal Family

[Mbruno]

When they both were born (During World War II); their grandpa, King George V, was already dead; The King was already their uncle, King George VI.

We will need Tatiana Maria to sort this one out, but, apparently, grandchildren in male line of any sovereign of the United Kingdom have the dignity of prince, even if that sovereign is already deceased when they are born. Richard and his brother, as a fact, were actually styled from birth as princes.



That is indeed different from the situation in Belgium for example, where, under the 2015 royal decree, a person has to be born as a child or grandchild of a living monarch (or the heir apparent) to be a prince/princess of Belgium.


In any case, you made an interesting point, Biri, as it is actually confusing. Thanks !

 

[wbenson]

We will need Tatiana Maria to sort this one out, but, apparently, grandchildren in male line of any sovereign of the United Kingdom have the dignity of prince, even if that sovereign is already deceased when they are born. Richard and his brother, as a fact, were actually styled as princes in the court.

Yes, this is true. Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael of Kent were also born after George V died.

 

[Gawin]

The 1917 Letters Patent of George V state that "the children of any Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the children of the sons of any such Sovereign and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess."

It doesn't matter whether or not the Sovereign is living when the son's children are born. They're still the children of a son of a Sovereign.

Royal Styles and Titles of Great Britain: Documents

 

[Gawin]

I heard something today about a 6th in line for the throne when Queen Elizabeth was crowned and possibly his wife having passed this year on a news snippet during the royal wedding. Anyone have any idea who that might have been?

The Dowager Countess of Harewood, widow of the Queen's first cousin, died on May 4. Her husband wasn't sixth in line when Queen Elizabeth was crowned (I think he was eleventh), but maybe that's who the news snippet referred to?

 

[Mbruno]

The 1917 Letters Patent of George V state that "the children of any Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the children of the sons of any such Sovereign and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales shall have and at all times hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess."

It doesn't matter whether or not the Sovereign is living when the son's children are born. They're still the children of a son of a Sovereign.

Royal Styles and Titles of Great Britain: Documents

Yes, the boldfaced phrase seems to explain it.

 

[Iluvbertie]

ALL male line grandchildren of a monarch of the UK are entitled to HRH (unless the Queen's will has been made known to be different as is the case with the Wessex children).

You don't have to have been born while that monarch was alive so ALL male line grandchildren of George V were born HRH regardless of whether they were born before or after his death.

It would have been totally unfair, for instance for the eldest son of Prince George of Kent - the late Duke of Kent - to have been born HRH Prince Edward of Kent (born October 1935) while his sister born December 1936 to have been born as Lady Alexandra Windsor (she wasn't - she was born as Princess Alexandra).

In fact if they had been born with that styling they would never have been raised to HRHs and yet William, Richard, Alexandra and Michael were born HRHs and have been their entire lives.

 

[Lee-Z]

The Dowager Countess of Harewood, widow of the Queen's first cousin, died on May 4. Her husband wasn't sixth in line when Queen Elizabeth was crowned (I think he was eleventh), but maybe that's who the news snippet referred to?

Ah, good catch! It seems that the reference is indeed to him, but with some variations to the original question
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lascelles,_7th_Earl_of_Harewood
His widow died this year and *at birth* he was 6th in line of succession...

 

[Kataryn]

That is indeed different from the situation in Belgium for example, where, under the 2015 royal decree, a person has to be born as a child or grandchild of a living monarch (or the heir apparent) to be a prince/princess of Belgium.

Isn't it similar to the Netherlands? The members of the Royal House have to have straight line relations with the current king or queen? I think after Willem-Alexander became king, his cousins fell out of the line because they were only directly related to Beatrix through their mothers (children of sisters of the queen) but not to the new king. Please correct me if I got that wrong.

 

[Denville]

Ah, good catch! It seems that the reference is indeed to him, but with some variations to the original question
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lascelles,_7th_Earl_of_Harewood
His widow died this year and *at birth* he was 6th in line of succession...

yes that is probably it, I can see why confusion might have arisen as Lady H died very recently....

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I never expected there to be any commemorative items put out for sale for the birth of Harry and Meghan's first child. One reason is that it seems clear that this child will not be born a HRH prince or princess. I don't believe there were any items sold for Louise and James' births either.

Exactly, and it's not the child of a future King.

Were there any official differences (e.g., number of salutes) between the births of the Phillips (Princess Anne's) children, the York children, and the Wessex children?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Were there any official differences (e.g., number of salutes) between the births of the Phillips (Princess Anne's) children, the York children, and the Wessex children?

Who officially gets an easel announcement in the RF anyway ? I assumed the Earl of Dumbarton wouldn’t get one, so maybe you are right that was a different type of announcement.

Was there an easel announcement for the York, Wessex, and/or Phillips children respectively?

 

[travelguy]

Question

I have a question. When there is a royal baby there is a notice outside Buckingham palace. Well my question is how far down the line of succession does it go until there won't be a notice.

For example of Princess Euginie has a baby will there be a notice then. Thanks

 

[Blog Real]

I think this only happens with the babies who are sons / grandsons of the monarch or the heir to the throne.
I doubt that happens to the children of Princess Eugenie and Beatrice, as neither happened to the children of Zara Philips for example.

 

[tommy100]

TBH I was surprised it happened for the Sussex baby, in fact I was surprised when it was done for Charlotte and Louis.

 

[Susan999]

Was it done for Beatrice and Eugenie?

 

[tommy100]

appears so...


BBC ON THIS DAY | 8 | 1988: Prince Andrew becomes a father

The as-yet-unnamed baby, whose title is the Princess of York, weighed 6lb 12 oz.

Celebrations began as soon as details of the birth were posted on the gates of Buckingham Palace in keeping with tradition.

 

[Blog Real]

Does anyone know if they did the same thing when the sons of the Counts of Wessex were born?

 

[tommy100]

I can't find any mention of it occurring for Louise or James. Its worth bearing in mind that for Louise at least the birth was very early and something of an emergency. Edward was out of the country on an official tour and the Countess was taken by ambulance to hospital for an emergency procedure.

For both children the couple had broken with precedence and decided not to use royal titles for even though they were entitled to them so it may well be they didn't want to have such a formal announcement made.

That said someone else may have found out otherwise

 

[LauraS3514]

Was there an easel announcement for the York, Wessex, and/or Phillips children respectively?

York yes, I can't remember about the Wessex kids, but the Phillips girls no.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

York yes, I can't remember about the Wessex kids, but the Phillips girls no.

Thanks!

By the "Phillips children" I meant the births of Princess Anne's children, Peter and Zara. I seem to have heard somewhere that Peter Phillips received a salute despite his technical rank of commoner, though I do not know if that is correct.

 

[PssKatie]

Thanks!

By the "Phillips children" I meant the births of Princess Anne's children, Peter and Zara. I seem to have heard somewhere that Peter Phillips received a salute despite his technical rank of commoner, though I do not know if that is correct.

Peter’s birth was posted at the gates of Buckingham Palace and there was a 41 gun salute at the Tower of London, but that was because he was the first grandchild of the reigning monarch. I think these traditions have much more to do with the relation to the current or future monarch than where the child is in the line of succession.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 15 | 1977: Princess Anne gives birth to Master Phillips

 

[Blog Real]

Were the births of Zara, Beatrice, Eugenie, James and Lady Louise also posted at the gates of Buckingham Palace?

 

[travelguy]

Royal Events i will see

Hello i am 27. Providing i live to 100 what major royal events am i likely to see in my lifetime. Could I even see Prince George become king?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Depending upon how old you are yes...you might see King George VII.

 

[travelguy]

2020s decade

Hello, do you think this might be the decade that prince Charles becomes king

 

[Blog Real]

Almost certainly Prince Charles will become king in this decade. The Queen turns 100 in 2026 ....

 

[travelguy]

Royal Events

What will happen in the future for royal events. Will we ever see crowds outside the palace again because of the virus or will they be history

 

[Blog Real]

I think we'll see, you don't know when.
But I think when things calm down, we can see these crowds.
Perhaps in Spain and the United Kingdom it will take longer to happen, because then the situation is more serious.
But in Norway, Sweden, Denmark or Luxembourg this could happen faster, I think.
In Holland and Belgium I'm not sure how the situation is right now.
But of course we should only see those crowds again, perhaps, next year.

 

[Durham]

I was thinking about this the other day. The next big event involving The Queen will either be her jubilee or something a lot sadder. It would be eerie not to have crowds at either occasion.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The next 'big' event could be the 100th birthday of Prince Philip next year - although I suspect he will insist on spending it quietly at Sandringham and refuse to allow any fuss.

Until there is a vaccine, which may be never, I don't think we will see the big crowds again ... not only at royal events but anywhere.