General Questions & Random Facts about the British Royal Family

Dane · #1 01-02-2006, 11:13 AM

Security

Not long ago Al Qaeda named Her Majesty as one of the ememies of Islam, please share your thoughts about the reactions of the world/goverments if Al Qaeda acted on these statements and kidnapped/assisnated The Queen or Prince William etc... or any other assult on the Royal House of Windsor such as bombing royal residenses?

BeatrixFan · #2 01-02-2006, 11:27 AM

If I found them I'd drag them into Parliament Square and hang, draw and quarter them. As to what the government would do - sadly, I don't think they really care.

auntie · #3 01-02-2006, 11:34 AM

Yes, the problem is, as they stated to Putin in the terrorist attack in Moscow Theatre "We want to die more than you want to live"

BeatrixFan · #4 01-02-2006, 11:40 AM

Very true. But you have to try to set the precedent . An attack on our Queen (God forbid) is an attack on every single British subject. They should be punished accordingly but as you rightly say - they want to die. What do you do?

Elspeth · #5 01-02-2006, 11:46 AM

You put pressure on Islamic governments and high-profile clerics and other leaders to make their enterprise as difficult as possible. The IRA attack on Lord Mountbatten didn't make a great deal of difference politically, but if a terrorist group attacks the Queen it might be enough to get the attention of the government. Of course, it depends on whether the US government decides that it's worth doing anything about as well.

ClassicRoyal · #6 12-25-2006, 08:43 PM

Who do the royals use to handle their funeral arrangements?

Warren · #7 12-25-2006, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClassicRoyal

Who do the royals use to handle their funeral arrangements?

According to the Paget Report Levertons & Sons are the independent funeral directors appointed to the Royal Family.

Clive Leverton, a co-Director of the firm, travelled to Paris with two embalmers to assist in the repatriation of Diana's body.

"There are plans in place for funerals of any member of the Royal Family...
In 1997 Operation... was utilised to repatriate the Princess of Wales. Within this plan Lavertons staff would travel on a separate aircraft to any member of the Royal Family, and arrive at the destination airfield in advance of the coffin."

Paget Report, ch 9, p550-551

kpusa1981 · #8 06-13-2007, 06:45 PM

What subject are degrees in, classifcation or GPA (if any of them went to University in the US) and did any of them master degrees? Also list what University they attended and what year they finished.

Peter Phillips
Prince William
Alexander Earl of Ulster
Lady Davina Windsor
Lady Rose Windsor
Lord Fredrick Windsor
Lady Gabreilla Windsor

NGalitzine · #9 06-13-2007, 06:50 PM

Peter Phillips has a degree (in sports I think) from Exeter. Freddie Windsor studied at Oxford but not sure if he received his degree. Prince William has an MA from St Andrews and Gabriella received her degree from Brown in the US.

kpusa1981 · #10 06-14-2007, 01:06 AM

Does anyone know if she graduated from Brown with Honors meaning Latin Honors?

sophie25 · #11 06-14-2007, 04:16 PM

Freddie graduated with a degree in Classics and Ella's degree is in Comparative Literature and Hispanic Studies. They were both at University for four years and (in Britain anyway) an ordinary degree is gained in 3 years and an Honours degree in 4.

Elspeth · #12 06-14-2007, 04:21 PM

Things might have changed since I was at university, but honours degrees were given after three years to the students who passed their exams with high enough marks (they would graduate with first, second, or third class honours). Scottish universities had four-year degrees, but English ones standardly had three-year degree courses. As I said, things might have changed, or some universities might do things differently from others, but I don't recall the system where graduating with honours required an extra year.

Principality · #13 07-05-2007, 05:09 AM

We know the British Royals have had the best Education that money can buy.

Does anyone know what they got from University and what they studied? the Thai king is a well qualified engineer and has made use of hs expertise for the people.

What degrees, A levels etc has our s got?

Leto · #14 07-26-2007, 05:27 PM

I'm starting this thread to get some answers to some rather strange questions actually. The first of which has to do with the law of witnessed births. I understand that switching babies was a real fear of the royals and that was why it was put in place. However, I had heard that King George abolished the Parliamentary witness law some time after the birth of Margaret. "She was the last Royal born in England that required a Parliamentary witness for the Royal birth; the practice ended when her father decreed that there was no longer need for such 'anachronistic nonsense'." I was just curious if anyone knew the exact date or any further details on the abolishment of this strange law?

iowabelle · #15 07-26-2007, 05:47 PM

I have to say, Margaret wasn't born in England.

Elspeth · #16 07-26-2007, 08:14 PM

Well, you know - England

, Scotland

- same island...

I don't know that it was a law as much as a tradition, but we have some very knowledgeable people around here who will be able to give you more details.

Ranunculus Rex · #17 07-26-2007, 08:38 PM

Shortly before the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the hope that the deeply unpopular (and Catholic) James II would die without legitimate heirs was confounded by the birth of James Edward--the future Old Pretender.

Confronting the stark reality of a Catholic dynasty, rumors quickly abounded that the birth was a sham and that the newborn Prince was actually an imposter smuggled in a warming pan that had been used by James's Queen at her lying-in.

William of Orange declared that he was convinced that the rumors were true, and used them to partly excuse his invasion of England to defend the Protestant religion.

As a consequence, future Royal births in Great Britain, up until the mid 20th century, had to be witnessed by a Minister of the Crown...a rather onerous duty!

Apparently, this requirement was a constutional convention only, and there was no statute law involved.

RR

Iluvbertie · #18 07-27-2007, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranunculus Rex

Shortly before the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the hope that the deeply unpopular (and Catholic) James II would die without legitimate heirs was confounded by the birth of James Edward--the future Old Pretender.

Confronting the stark reality of a Catholic dynasty, rumors quickly abounded that the birth was a sham and that the newborn Prince was actually an imposter smuggled in a warming pan that had been used by James's Queen at her lying-in.

William of Orange declared that he was convinced that the rumors were true, and used them to partly excuse his invasion of England to defend the Protestant religion.

As a consequence, future Royal births in Great Britain, up until the mid 20th century, had to be witnessed by a Minister of the Crown...a rather onerous duty!

Apparently, this requirement was a constutional convention only, and there was no statute law involved.

RR

A small correction or two to the story.

James II most definitely did have legitimate heirs - two of them in fact. They were the daughters of his first wife, Anne Hyde. However, a younger brother moved them from 1st and 2nd in the order of succession to 2nd and 3rd.

The eldest of these daughters was married to William of Orange (who was very high in the order of succession in his own right). William's invasion was as much about getting the throne for his own wife - Mary, who was James II's eldest daughter as it was about getting it for himself. When he died the throne then passed to Mary's younger sister, James II's 2nd daughter, Anne.

Ranunculus Rex · #19 07-27-2007, 04:11 AM

Chrissy57, thank you for catching my inadvertent error...I meant to say legitimate male offspring by James's Queen, Mary of Modena.

My best wishes to you.

RR

CasiraghiTrio · #20 08-05-2007, 11:22 AM

This is a great idea for a thread. I have some "strange"/silly questions.

Questions on the silly legends that get bantered around....
1) Does the Prince of Wales really have a prized loo cover collection? (This would be dead useful, as those dreadful paper covers I hate but always use in public facilities; it must be awesome to have cozy ones to travel with!)

2) Did Prince William really once flush his father's shoes down the toilet? How does one do that precisely?