(son of late HRH Princess Mary of Great Britain, Princess Royal)
• HRH The Duke of Gloucester (Prince Richard of Great Britain) (b. 1944)
  (son of late HRH Prince Henry of Great Britain, Duke of Gloucester)

• HRH The Duke of Kent (Prince Edward of Great Britain) (b. 1935)
• HRH Princess Alexandra of Great Britain, the Hon Lady Ogilvy (b. 1936)
• HRH Prince Michael of Great Britain (Kent) (b. 1942)
  (children of late HRH Prince George of Great Britain, Duke of Kent)

N.B.: Her Majesty does not have any surviving aunts or uncles; Her Majesty does have a number of surviving maternal cousins, however.

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29. Was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark a British subject before he became naturalized in 1947?

Yes, Prince Philip was a British subject before he became naturalized in 1947.  In fact, he had been from birth because of the Sophia Naturalization Act .  This Act, passed in 1705, gave in perpetuity the right of British citizenship to Sophia's non-Catholic descendants. At the time of Prince Philip's naturalization in February 1947, no one seemed aware that this procedure was unnecessary, not even his uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten who "worked diligently towards the granting of Philip's British citizenship" (Prince Philip:  A Biography, by Denis Judd, London: Michael Joseph Ltd., 1980).  This fact was discovered only after the legal victory of his cousin, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, in which he won his right to British citizenship.  In 1956, HRH Prince Ernst August of Hanover (1914-1987) sought and won his battle to claim the status of British citizen because of the Sophia Naturalization Act.  Prince Ernst August's claim to this right was based on the fact that he was a lineal descendant of the Electress Sophia and a Protestant.

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30. Did Prince Philip renounce his Greek titles and his succession rights to the Greek throne before his marriage to HRH Princess Elizabeth?

Some alt.talk.royalty members feel quite strongly that Prince Philip did indeed renounce his right of succession to the throne of Greece in 1944 with permission of King George II of the Hellenes.  They also feel that Prince Philip renounced his titles of Prince of Greece and Prince of Denmark (he was born HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) when he became a naturalized British citizen and assumed the surname Mountbatten in February 1947.

However, other members of alt.talk.royalty feel just as strongly that Prince Philip did not renounce either his succession rights or his princely titles.  They believe that since there isn't any documentary proof showing Prince Philip renounced his titles or his rights these events did not occur.  Their argument rests on the fact that no one has been able to cite the text of the renunciation, the date it was executed, the date it became effective, or even the clause in the House laws of the Royal House of Greece permitting a Prince to renounce. (Prince Philip is the only Greek prince who is ever said to have renounced his rights and his titles.)  They view it as a case in which Prince Philip simply stopped using his Greek and Danish titles and that he never formally relinquished them.  (Foreign rules and regulation such as British Home Office naturalization procedures did not have any effect on Prince Philip's title or his style of HRH as a Prince of Greece.  As such, those who put forth these arguments say that he, his children and male-line grandchildren are Princes/Princesses of Greece and Denmark, in addition to any other titles they may hold.)  Other individuals take this argument further by pointing out that even if Prince Philip renounced his rights of succession to the Greek throne, it was not enacted under Greek law.  Lastly, they believe there isn't any primary documentary evidence that shows this so-called renunciation was accepted (publicly or privately) by the Greek Sovereign.

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31. Which members of the royal family have a ducal title and who inherits their titles at their deaths?

At the present time, seven members of the royal family hold a ducal title.  The titles and their holders are (in order of creation):

• Cornwall (cr. 1337, held by HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales since 1952)
• Lancaster (cr. 1362/1399, held by HM The Queen, as Sovereign, since 1952)
• Rothesay (cr. 1398/1469, held by HRH The Prince of Wales since 1952)
• Gloucester (cr. 1928, held by HRH Prince Richard since 1974)
• Kent (cr. 1934, held by HRH Prince Edward since 1942)
• Edinburgh (cr. 1947, held by HRH Prince Philip since 1947)
• York (cr. 1986, held by HRH Prince Andrew since 1986)
• Cambridge (cr. 2011, held by HRH Prince William since 2011)

• Wessex (held by HRH Prince Edward since 1999)

Cornwall

Since its creation in 1337, this dukedom has been reserved for the son and heir apparent of the Sovereign. The title was first created on 3 March 1337 when King Edward III bestowed it on his eldest son, Edward (later known as the Black Prince). When Edward, Duke of Cornwall died in his father's lifetime in June 1376, "all his peerage dignities (none of which devolved on his son in consequence of the spec. rems. thereof) lapsed to the Crown." (source: The Complete Peerage, volume III, page 437)  Edward's younger surviving son, Richard (the future King Richard II), became heir apparent of his grandfather King Edward III, but did not inherit the title Duke of Cornwall. A few months later, in November 1376, Richard was created Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester. When he acceded as King Richard II in 1377, all his peerage titles merged in the Crown.

Prince Charles became heir apparent in 1952 upon his mother's accession as Queen Elizabeth II.  Prince Charles, as the oldest son of the Sovereign, inherited the title Duke of Cornwall, as well as the (Scottish) titles Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

If Prince Charles dies in the lifetime of his mother the Queen, all of the peerages he holds (as heir apparent) would revert to the Crown.  No one inherits them, not even his son Prince William.  Following Prince Charles's death, HM The Queen could make her grandson, Prince William, "Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester" and these would be his for life or until he succeeded to the Throne.  Prince Charles's other titles (Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, etc...) would not be given to or inherited by Prince William as these are reserved for the oldest son of the Sovereign.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh was first created as a dukedom for Prince Frederick (1707-1751), eldest son and heir of  the future King George II.  On 26 July 1726, Prince Frederick was created Duke of Edenburgh (as it was then spelled), Marquess of the Isle of Ely, Earl of Eltham, Viscount of Launceston, Baron of Snaudon (as Snowdon was then spelled).  When his father acceded to the throne in 1727, Prince Frederick became heir apparent and inherited the title Duke of Cornwall.  When Frederick died in 1751 in his father's lifetime, his titles (Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, etc...) lapsed (reverted) to the Crown while his title Duke of Edinburgh devolved on (was inherited by) his son and heir, the future George III.  George was Duke of Edinburgh from 1751 until 1760 when he acceded to the throne as King George III and all his honours merged in the Crown. The second creation was for Victoria's second son Alfred (1844-1900), who was made Earl of Ulster, Earl of Kent, and Duke of Edinburgh on May 24, 1866. The titles became extinct with his death on July 30, 1900.

Lt. Philip Mountbatten (as Prince Philip was then known), was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich in the peerage of the United Kingdom in November 1947.

Peculiarities of the present dukedom of Edinburgh

The grant of a hereditary dukedom to a royal consort creates a peculiar situation, because of the confluence of two factors:

1. the dukedom of Edinburgh is hereditary
   (the Letters Patent specify the standard remainder of "heirs male of his body lawfully begotten");
2. any peerage inherited by the Sovereign ceases to exist, or "merges in the Crown":
   (the Sovereign, being the "fons honorum" or fountain of honour, cannot hold a peerage him/herself, because the Sovereign is higher than any peer).

Consider the most likely scenario, that the Prince of Wales survives both his parents (scenario A). At the death of his mother, he will become sovereign. At the death of his father, he will become duke of Edinburgh. Either event may happen before the other: in either case, the dukedom will merge when the last parent dies. A less likely scenario is that the Prince of Wales does not survive both his parents. Then: (a) if Charles dies after his mother but before his father, the dukedom will merge in the Crown at the death of Philip. (b) If Charles dies after his father but before his mother, the dukedom will pass from Philip to Charles to William, and merge when William becomes king. (c) If Charles dies before both his parents, repeat scenario A with William instead of Charles. Further, even less likely variations, can be imagined. (One exotic variant has Charles renouncing his rights to the throne in favor of his son; the dukedom would then pass to Charles while the Crown passes to William).

Note that the dukedom will not necessarily merge in the Crown. Here is one scenario where it doesn't: both Charles and William die after Philip but before Elizabeth II, and William leaves a daughter. In that case, the Crown passes to William's daughter and her descendants, the dukedom passes to Henry and his descendants. But, given that the Queen has a son who has two sons, it is far likelier that the dukedom will merge sooner or later.

On the day of the marriage of the Earl of Wessex (June 19, 1999) it was announced by Buckingham Palace that "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have also agreed that The Prince Edward should be given the Dukedom of Edinburgh in due course, when the present title now held by Prince Philip eventually reverts to the Crown."

The announcement makes clear that the grant of Edinburgh to Edward will only take place after the present title has merged (which, as discussed above, may not happen but is most likely to do so). What is slightly less clear, although it is implied, is that Edward will receive a new grant of the dukedom of Edinburgh. This ambiguity has been a source of confusion, because the announcement may be read to say that the present dukedom will be given to Edward. That is not the case: it cannot be given to anyone, it can only pass according to the remainder defined in the Letters Patent of creation, unless modified by an Act of Parliament (which is always possible, but unlikely).

The "agreement" between the Queen, Prince Philip, and the Prince of Wales, should be thought to be more of a commitment among mother, father, and son, rather than a legally binding contract. The Prince of Wales is involved because, in most likelihood, he (as HM King Charles III) will grant the (new) Dukedom of Edinburgh to his brother, after the death of their parents, and the reversion of the present title to the Crown. Prince Philip is involved in the agreement out of respect for his role as father, and his having been the Duke of Edinburgh for over 50 years, rather than any sense that he controls the inheritance of his titles. And the Queen's role is in explaining why she is not granting a dukedom to her son upon his marriage, as she had done when she created Prince Andrew as Duke of York.

Gloucester

Gloucester, with its long history as an earldom, was first created as a dukedom in August 1385 for Thomas "of Woodstock" (1355-1397), youngest son of King Edward III.  In later years, Thomas became dissatisfied with his nephew the King (Richard II) and sought to depose him.  Thomas was arrested and murdered while in captivity.  Because he had been declared guilty of treason and his estates and goods forfeited, his son did not inherit his title Duke of Gloucester.

The present creation of the dukedom of Gloucester dates from March 1928 when HRH Prince Henry (1900-1974), son of King George V, was created Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster, Baron Culloden.  Henry, whose elder unmarried son HRH Prince William (1941-1972) predeceased him in a flying accident, was succeeded by his younger son HRH Prince Richard (b. 1944) as Duke of Gloucester at his death in 1974.  Prince Richard will be succeeded in his turn by his son because this peerage is a hereditary one in the male line.

Kent

The first duke of Kent was HRH Prince Edward (1767-1820), son of King George III. Edward was created Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Earl of Dublin in April 1799.  At his death, all his honours became extinct as he had but one surviving legitimate child, a daughter, the future Queen Victoria.

The present creation of the dukedom of Kent dates to when HRH Prince George (1902-1942), younger son of King George V, was created Duke of Kent, Earl of St. Andrews, Baron Downpatrick in October 1934.  George died in a plane crash while on active service in W.W.II and was succeeded by his elder son HRH Prince Edward (b. 1935) as Duke of Kent.  Just like the dukedom of Gloucester, the dukedom of Kent is a hereditary one (in the male line) and Prince Edward will be succeeded in due time by his elder son.

Lancaster

As the dukedom of Lancaster has never been conferred again since the Middle Ages, it will be dealt with here only briefly.  In 1267, King Henry III's younger son Edmund (1245-1296) received the county, honour and the castle of Lancaster.  Edmund's grandson Henry was created the first Duke of Lancaster in 1351.  King Henry IV, a descendant of this first duke, declared that the Lancastrian inheritance would no longer form part of the other possessions of the Crown and would descend to his male heirs.  As such, it is considered the personal prerogative of the monarch and the title Duke of Lancaster is held by the Sovereign.  Today, the duchy of Lancaster comprises acreage in various counties and provides a source of income for the monarch.

Rothesay

Robert III, King of Scots created his eldest son, David (1378-1402), Duke of Rothesay on 28 April 1398.  This title and that of Duke of Albany (created for David's uncle Robert) were the first dukedoms to be made in Scotland.  David's peerage dignities reverted to the Crown at his death because he died in the lifetime of his father and without leaving any children of his marriage.

The title Duke of Rothesay and those of Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland have been reserved for the eldest son of the king of Scotland since an Act of Parliament made them so in November 1469.  (But as The Complete Peerage, volume XI, page 209, note "e" points out:  "The act of 1469, however, as far as regards the Dukedom of Rothesay, seems but a confirmation of the limitation of that title as [...] it was originally so granted in 1398 [...]").

Since the union of the Crowns of England and Scotland in 1603, these traditional titles belong to the Sovereign's eldest son.  Just as Prince Charles inherited the title Duke of Cornwall on becoming heir apparent in 1952 upon his mother's accession, he has inherited the titles Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

York

In August 1385, Edmund "of Langley" (1341-1402), son of King Edward III, was created Duke of York by his nephew King Richard II.  Edmund's successor as Duke of York, Edward, was killed at Agincourt. The title eventually merged when Edward IV came to the throne in 1461.

The present creation of the dukedom of York is a recent one and dates to July 1986 when HRH Prince Andrew (b. 1960), second son of HM Queen Elizabeth II, was created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh.  At the present time, Prince Andrew has two children, daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, who will not be able to inherit the dukedom as it was created with the remainder to his heirs male.  Should Andrew die without leaving any sons, his title (or more accurately, the 1986 creation of it) will become extinct.  The title still belongs to the Crown, however, and the Sovereign is free to create it anew for another member of the royal family.

Wessex

Wessex has no history as a peerage title. It was last held as a feudal title by Harald Godwinesson (d. 1066). It was announced on June 19, 1999 (the day of the marriage of Prince Edward with Sophie Rhys-Jones) that he would receive the titles of Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. It is the first time that a prince receives a title no higher than Earl. There is, however, a promise to grant him a title of duke of Edinburgh "in due course" (see above).

Important points

• these peerage titles (with the exception of Cornwall, Lancaster and Rothesay) are hereditary according to their Letters Patent which contain the standard remainder "heirs male of his body".

• Once a peerage is granted to a member of the royal family, that peerage title is not subsequently granted to anyone outside of the royal family.  It is possible, however, for the title to be created anew for another member of the royal family.

• two possibilities exist which would prevent the legitimate heir from succeeding to a peerage:  death and disclaiming.  Even if the legitimate heir was disqualified from succession to the Throne, he would not be disqualified from (for example) inheriting Prince Philip's Edinburgh peerage.  For such a disqualification to occur would require the legitimate heir being declared illegitimate.  Under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, the marriage of a descendant of the Sovereign which does not receive the prior written permission of the Sovereign in Council would not be legal if contracted in England.  For example, if Princes William or Henry of Wales married without prior permission from the Sovereign, their marriage would be null and void and their children would be considered illegitimate.  (Illegitimate issue can not succeed to honours or peerages.)  Thus, the children of William and Henry would be bypassed in favor of Prince Andrew and his heirs. Although the Royal Marriages Act 1772 will be repealed when section 3 of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 comes into force, the need to secure royal consent will remain for the next 6 persons in line; Prince William will never more than 2nd in line, Prince Henry is currently 4th.

• just because a member of the royal family entitled to the style HRH is a duke does not mean his dukedom is a 'royal' dukedom.  There isn't anything fundamental about ducal titles which make them royal dukedoms - it's a case of whether or not the particular holder of the dukedom is royal.  For example, when HRH Prince Edward (b. 1935) is succeeded as Duke of Kent by his elder son George, the dukedom of Kent will not cease to be royal but it will cease to be associated with royalty because George, as a great grandson of a Sovereign, is not entitled to the style of HRH.  (This situation applies equally to the present Duke of Gloucester and his son.)

• a peerage for a member of the royal family isn't any different to any other peerage.  All peerages are now created by letters patent.  It is the peerage that is created, not the title.

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32. What is the difference between an heir apparent and an heir presumptive?

The difference between an heir apparent and an heir presumptive is as follows:

Heir Apparent

- the next in line to the Throne whose right to succeed cannot be defeated by the birth of of someone with a superior right to succeed
- the eldest son of the Sovereign is always the heir apparent who becomes Duke of Cornwall by inheritance as well as becoming by inheritance Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
- the heir apparent is normally created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester
- Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is heir apparent to Queen Elizabeth II
- should Prince Charles die while Prince of Wales, his elder son William would become heir apparent because no other birth of any sort (male or female) to anyone in the line of succession could displace him from his place in succession (William is the eldest son of the eldest son of the Sovereign); also, William would not inherit the title Prince of Wales, but he could be invested as such, as he does not have to be the son of a monarch to become Prince of Wales (after the death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, King George II invested his grandson and heir, the future King George III, with the title of Prince of Wales)

Heir Presumptive

- the next in line to the Throne whose right to succeed could be defeated by the birth of someone with a superior right
- Queen Elizabeth II, when Princess Elizabeth, was heiress presumptive from her father's accession as king in 1936 until her father's death in 1952 because it was always possible that her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth might have had a son

It is possible for a woman to be heir apparent, under the following circumstances. Suppose king X has an eldest son Y, and Y has an only daughter Z. Suppose that Y dies while X is still reigning: then Z becomes heir apparent, because no one can ever displace her in the order of succession.

Also, it happened once that a woman was heir apparent, albeit due to a peculiarity of the Act of Succession: Princess Anne of Denmark (future Queen Anne) was heir apparent to her brother-in-law William III after the death of Queen Mary, because she had priority over his issue.

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33. How many Princes of Wales have there been and who were they?

Since the title was first created in 1301 for the son of King Edward I, there have been twenty-one English Princes of Wales.

The title is traditionally bestowed upon the heir apparent and he is usually the eldest son of the sovereign. There have been times when the heir apparent and Prince of Wales was not the eldest son of the sovereign but rather the grandson: Prince of Wales number 3 (future Richard II) and number 16 (future George III).

The title 'Princess of Wales' belongs to the wife of the Prince of Wales. It is not a title bestowed on a sovereign's daughter.

A Prince of Wales's role is to wait. He has no formal functions and has no constitutional powers (although he can act as the Sovereign's deputy). Today's Prince of Wales, however, receives cabinet papers and gives audiences to cabinet ministers (The Monarchy and the Constitution, by Vernon Bogdanor, 1995).

The Twenty-One Princes of Wales:

1. Edward of Carnarvon (1284-1327)

Son of: King Edward I
Date of Creation/Investiture: 7 February 1301/7 February 1301
Succeeded: his father as King Edward II on 8 July 1307
Note: the first English prince to be created Prince of Wales

2. Edward of Woodstock ('The Black Prince') (1330-1376)

Son of: King Edward III
Date of Creation/Investiture: 12 May 1343/12 May 1343
Note: died before his father on 8 June 1376

3. Richard of Bordeaux (1367-1400)

Son of: Edward 'the Black Prince', Prince of Wales
Date of Creation/Investiture: 20 November 1376/
Succeeded: his grandfather as King Richard II on 21 June 1377

4. Henry of Monmouth (1387-1422)

Son of: King Henry IV
Date of Creation/Investiture: 15 October 1399/15 October 1399
Succeeded: his father as King Henry V on 20 March 1413

5. Edward of Westminster (1453-1471)

Son of: King Henry VI
Date of Creation/Investiture: 15 March 1454/9 June 1454
Note: died before his father on 4 May 1471 (killed after the battle of Tewkesbury)

6. Edward of Westminster (also, of York) (1470-1483)

Son of: King Edward IV
Date of Creation/Investiture: 25 or 26 June 1471/
Succeeded: his father as King Edward V on 9 April 1483

7. Edward of Middleham (1473-1484)

Son of: King Richard III
Date of Creation/Investiture: 24 August 1483/9 September 1483
Note: died before his father on 9 April 1484

8. Arthur of Winchester (1486-1502)

Son of: King Henry VII
Date of Creation/Investiture: 29 November 1489/27 February 1490
Note: died before his father on 2 April 1502

9. Henry of Greenwich(1491-1547)

Son of: King Henry VII
Date of Creation/Investiture: 18 February 1504/18 February 1504
Succeeded: his father as King Henry VIII on 21 April 1509

10. Henry Frederick (1594-1612)

Son of: James I, King of Scots/James I, King of England
Date of Creation/Investiture: 4 June 1610/4 June 1610
Note: died before his father ca 6 November 1612

11. Charles (1600-1649)

Son of: King James I
Date of Creation/Investiture: 4 November 1616/4 November 1616
Succeeded: his father as King Charles I on 27 March 1625

12. Charles (1630-1685)

Son of: King Charles I
Date of Creation/Investiture:
Succeeded his father as de jure King Charles II on 30 Jan. 1649
Note: was designated Prince of Wales around May 1638 but was never formally so created

13. James ('The Old Pretender') (1688-1766)

Son of: King James II
Date of Creation/Investiture:
Succeeded: his father as de jure King James III & VIII on 6 September 1701
Note: was styled, though never formally so created, Prince of Wales from his birth (10 June 1688) or from 4 July 1688

14. George (1683-1760)

Son of: King George I
Date of Creation/Investiture: 22 or 27 September 1714/22 or 27 September 1714
Succeeded: his father as King George II on 11 June 1727

15. Frederick (1707-1751)

Son of: King George II
Date of Creation/Investiture: 8 January 1729/
Note: died before his father on 20 March 1751

16. George (1738-1820)

Son of: Frederick, Prince of Wales
Date of Creation/Investiture: 20 April 1751/
Succeeded: his grandfather as King George III on 25 October 1760

17. George 1762-1830)

Son of: King George III
Date of Creation/Investiture: 17 or 19 August 1762/
Succeeded: his father as King George IV on 29 January 1820

18. Albert Edward (1841-1910)

Son of: Queen Victoria
Date of Creation/Investiture: 8 December 1841/
Succeeded: his mother as King Edward VII on 22 January 1901

19. George (1865-1936)

Son of: King Edward VII
Date of Creation/Investiture: 9 November 1901/
Succeeded: his father as King George V on 6 May 1910

20. Edward (1894-1972)

Son of: King George V
Date of Creation/Investiture: 23 June 1910/13 July 1911
Succeeded: his father as King Edward VIII 20 January 1936

21. Charles (born 1948)

Son of: Queen Elizabeth II
Date of Creation/Investiture: 26 July 1958/1 July 1969

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34. Who were the princesses who bore the style "Princess Royal"?

There are seven princesses who bore the style "Princess Royal" since it was first used in the seventeenth century.

Background:

The style "Princess Royal" is usually bestowed upon the eldest daughter of the sovereign. It is "regarded as a style rather than a rank or title, as it is purely honorary, bearing no particular connotation of precedence" (The Royal Encyclopedia, edited by Ronald Allison and Sarah Riddell, 1991)

The style Princess Royal came into being when Queen Henrietta Maria (daughter of Henri IV, King of France and wife of Charles I, King of England) wished to imitate the way the eldest daughter of the French King was styled ('Madame Royale').

There can be only one Princess Royal at any given time because the style is held for life. It therefore cannot be bestowed upon the eldest daughter of the reigning sovereign during the lifetime of a current Princess Royal. The style is granted by Royal Warrant not created by Letters Patent. It is not automatically given to the eldest daughter, but is conferred at the discretion of the reigning sovereign.

There were two princesses who were eligible for the style but did not receive it (that is, there were no impediment preventing the style being bestowed): Princess Mary (the future Queen Mary II), daughter of King James II, who could have been granted the style between 1685 and 1688, and, Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia, daughter of King George I, who could have been granted the style between 1714 and 1727.

The granting of this style does not rest on any particular merit and does not confer any particular privilege to the holder. There isn't any investiture ceremony nor are there any specific duties attached to it. The style is not inherited on the death of a Princess Royal.

The Seven Princesses Royal:

1. Princess Mary (1631-1660)

Daughter of: King Charles I
Date Granted: unknown, perhaps 1642
Spouse: Willem II, Prince of Orange (1626-1650)
Note: Princess Mary was the first princess to known as 'Princess Royal'

2. Princess Anne (1709-1759)

Daughter of: King George II
Date Granted: 30 August 1727
Spouse: Willem IV, Prince of Orange (1711-1751)
Note: Princess Anne became Princess Royal in the lifetime of her aunt, Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia (d. 1757), who had been eligible for this honour but who did not receive it

3. Princess Charlotte (1766-1828)

Daughter of: King George III
Date Granted: from birth (officially designated on 22 June 1789)
Spouse of: Friedrich I, King of Württemberg (1754-1816)

4. Princess Victoria (1840-1901)

Daughter of: Queen Victoria
Date Granted: from birth (armorial bearings granted 19 January 1841)
Spouse of: Friedrich III, German Emperor, King of Prussia (1831-1888)

5. Princess Louise (1867-1931)

Daughter of: King Edward VII
Date Granted: 9 November 1905
Spouse of: Sir Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife (1849-1912)

6. Princess Mary (1897-1965)

Daughter of: King George V
Date Granted: 15 December 1931 (made public 1 January 1932)
Spouse of: Sir Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947)

7. Princess Anne (b. 1950)

Daughter of: Queen Elizabeth II
Date Granted: 13 June 1987
Spouse: 1st (later divorced), Mark Phillips (b. 1948)
2nd, Timothy Laurence (b. 1955)

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35. Where can I find the Acts, Proclamations and Instruments concerning the royal succession?

Some Acts , Proclamations and Instruments passed by the Parliaments of England and Great Britain are online.  The selected documents in the following list feature a brief explanation followed by an URL for online viewing (except for the Sophia Naturalization Act)

1. Bill of Rights, 1689

The "Bill of Rights" (its official name since the Short Titles Act 1896) was a statute passed in 1689 guaranteeing the rights of Parliament against the arbitrary rule by the Sovereign.  It limited the Sovereign's power and subjected Him to law, and decided that the succession to the Throne would no longer be based only on hereditary right but could be altered by Parliament.  Thus, succession to the Throne was denied to King James II , his heirs general and to those who were Catholic or married to Catholics.  (There isn't any ban on marriages to atheists, Hindus, Mormons, Muslims, Rastafarians, or any religion other than the "Popish" religion.)  Note that the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement, seen below, refer only to the disqualification of someone who marries a Papist. No provision is made for the disqualification of someone who (like HRH the Duke of Kent) marries someone who later becomes a Papist.

http://www.jacobite.ca/documents/16891216.htm
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/england.htm

2. Act of Settlement, 1701

The Act of Settlement was passed in 1701 in the reign of King William III.  It was designed to ensure a Protestant succession to the throne.  It set the succession as William III (the then sovereign) for his life, then Princess Anne of Denmark (later Queen Anne), then Princess Anne's descendants (the last had already died), then William III's descendants (he had none), then Princess Sophia, electress and duchess dowager of Hanover, then the heirs of Sophia's body being Protestants.  Note that it doesn't mention who, if anybody, was to succeed if Sophia's heirs died out.  This means that there is a finite number of persons who are eligible, under this Act, to succeed to the British Throne, that is, the descendants of Sophia. The non-Protestant disqualification, which is not actually laid out in the Act of Settlement but in a previous Act (see the Bill of Rights, above), is a personal disqualification, namely doing the wrong thing disqualifies that person for the rest of his life, but does not disqualify his children.

Noel McFerran has the original text at http://www.jacobite.ca/documents/1701settlement.htm with modernized spelling and punctuation. But the Act has been amended several times since. A scan of the text as currently in force (inclusive of various amendments made to it since 1701).

3. Sophia Naturalization Act, 1705

The Sophia Naturalization Act was passed in 1705.  It gave to Electress Sophia of Hanover and "the issue of her body" the right of British citizenship in perpetuity, that is "that they [...] should be naturalized, and be deemed [...] natural born subjects of England".

The Act is cited as "4 & 5 Anne c. 16", and the text is available in Statutes of the Realm (reprinted Buffalo, N.Y.: William S. Hein, 1993, vol. 8, p. 487).  However, this right of British citizenship is excluded to Roman Catholics, as can be seen in Article II of the Act which reads in part:

Provided always and be it further enacted [and declared] by the Authority aforesaid That every Person and Persons who shall be naturalized by virtue of this Act of Parliament and shall become a Papist or profess the Popish Religion shall not enjoy any Benefit or Advantage of a natural born Subject of England but every such Person shall be adjudged and taken as an Alien born out of Allegiance of the Queen of England to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever Any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

4. Royal Marriages Act, 1772

The Royal Marriages Act was an Act of Parliament passed in 1772 by request of King George III  after two of his brothers married without his permission women he considered unsuitable as wives of princes.  The RMA stipulates that all descendants of George II, other than the sovereign and the descendants of princesses who have married into foreign families, are required to obtain the consent of the Sovereign, signified under the Great Seal and declared in Council, before any marriage is contracted.  The Act contains a clause that states if consent is refused, those who are 25 years or older can inform the Privy Council of their intention to go ahead with the marriage; then, unless within twelve months both Houses of Parliament (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) show their disapproval, the marriage may lawfully take place.  If the marriage is not approved and still takes place, it is considered null and void and any children are regarded as illegitimate. The RMA can determine whether a marriage is valid or not, but it does not affect the constitutional position of the individual (that person retains his place in the line of succession) although it does affect those of his children (they do not have a place in the line of succession).  Further, it would seem that the RMA applies not only to marriages within Britain but outside of the country as well.  (Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex, son of King George III, married without permission, in Rome on 4 April 1793, Lady Augusta Murray.  Their marriage was held to be invalid in August 1794 by the Court of Arches, even though it had occurred out of Britain, because the permission had not been granted.) Lastly, the RMA, which is still in effect, extends to infinity (it has no cutoff point).

The RMA will be repealed when section 3, subsection 4 of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 comes into force. In its place, the requirement to secure royal consent will be required of the first 6 persons in line of succession only. Failure to obtain royal consent signified under the Great Seal, declared in Council, and recorded in the books of the Privy Council, will exclude the person and the person's descendants from the marriage from the line of succession.

Repeal of the RMA, however, will not retroactively confer validity on all marriages that were contracted in contravention to the RMA. By subsection 5, it will do so for a marriage (a) that was contracted by someone not among the first 6 in line of succession at the time of marriages, (b) for which no consent was sought or 12 months' notice given, (c) whose parties could reasonably be unaware that the RMA applied to them, and (d) for which no one took action on the basis that it was void. Moreover, even if a marriage becomes retroactively valid by subsection 5, subsection 6 provides that it does not affect the succession to the Crown. That a marriage meets conditions (c) and (d) seems difficult to prove; but since there are several thousand descendants of George II of which many are British, and only a small subset can be shown to have obtained consent, the repeal will probably restores the validity of many marriages.

http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/rma1772.html

5. July 17, 1917 Proclamation

On 17 July 1917, King George V issued a Proclamation which stated that the male line descendants of the royal family would bear the surname Windsor.

http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/windsor.html

6. Instrument of Abdication, 1936

King Edward VIII succeeded his father George V in January 1936.  He was determined to marry Wallis Simpson (they first met in 1931) following her October 1936 divorce from her second husband.  The government and leaders of the Church of England were convinced that neither the country nor the Dominions would accept a queen who had been twice divorced.  Despite all advice, King Edward VIII went ahead with his intention to marry the woman he loved.  He had to make a choice about his future and ultimately chose Mrs Simpson.  In early December 1936, King Edward VIII informed the Prime Minister of his decision to cease being king.  And so, the Instrument of Abdication was signed on 10 December 1936 and it became law the next day when Parliament passed the Declaration of Abdication Act.

http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/abdicate.html

7. Succession to the Crown Act 2013

This Act received the royal assent on 25 April 2013. However, only section 5 came into force on that date, and section 5 provides that the other provisions of the Act come into force "on such day and as such time as the Lord President of the Council may be order made by statutory instrument appoint," something that has not yet happened (and "different days and times may be appointed for different purposes", so all provisions may not come into force at the same time). The purpose of this clause is to postpone commencement of the full Act until all of HM's realms have enacted identical changes to the law of succession. Until such time the order of succession remains unchanged.

Once the provisions of the act come into force:

• gender (section 1): the gender of a person born after 28 Oct 2011 will not give that person or that person's descendants precedence over any other person whenever born
• religion (section 2): marrying a Roman Catholic will no longer disqualify, and those who had been disqualified will cease to be excluded if they are alive when the provision comes into force (if they aren't, the question is moot, since the disqualification does not affect anyone but the individual);
• marriage (section 3):
  • the Royal Marriages Act 1772 will be repealed;
  • a person's failure to secure consent of the sovereign for marriage will exclude the person and the person's descendants from that marriage from the succession only if the person is one of the 6 persons next in line;
  • marriages previously considered void under the Royal Marriages Act will be treated as never having been void if they fulfill certain conditions, but without any effect on the succession to the Crown.

Once these provisions come into effect, the following individuals will be affected:

• section 1: any male born between 28 Oct 2011 and the commencement of section 1 who has an older sister will cease to displace her in the line of succession (none so far);
  (for example, a hypothetical son of the Duke of York would currently be 6th in line, but would move to 8th place after commencement of section 1)
• section 2: the Earl of Saint Andrews and HRH Prince Michael of Kent will be restored to the line of succession (becoming 33d and 39th respectively);
• section 3: no retroactive effect on the line of succession.

See the official text of the Act at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/20/contents/enacted

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36. What is the Farran exemption?

In the 1950s, a man named Charles Farran found what he considered to be a loophole in the Royal Marriages Act.  He pointed out that since Queen Alexandra (wife of King Edward VII) was a descendant of a princess who had married into a foreign family, she was not covered by the Royal Marriages Act of 1772.  (This Act contains a clause which exempts descendants of all princesses who marry into foreign royal houses, even those descendants who marry back into the British line and their descendants, from requiring the Sovereign's permission before marrying).  As descendants of a British princess who married into a foreign royal family, Queen Alexandra and her descendants were exempt from the Act's requirements.  Therefore, depending on whether or not Queen Victoria can be considered to be a princess who married into a foreign royal house (that is, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), everybody who could be covered by the Royal Marriages Act has a Farran exemption (*) and so the Act is dead.  Farran's arguments do not seem to bother the present royal family who behaves as if there isn't any substance to them.  After all, there hasn't been any court ruling one way or another on this point.

It is worth noting that at no point does the Royal Marriages Act define precisely the word "princesses" or the phrase "into foreign houses".

The requirements of the Royal Marriages Act were applied when the present Duke of Fife (a descendant of HRH Princess Louise, daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) asked for permission to marry a Roman Catholic and was refused, leading to his subsequent marriage to a Protestant.  This is the only occasion when the Royal Marriages Act was recently applied.  In the cases of HRH Prince Michael of Kent and his nephew the Earl of St Andrews, both were given permission to marry Roman Catholics under the Royal Marriages Act.  The Royal Marriages Act is quite explicit about the exemptions and it would be inappropriate and wrong for a court to second guess what an 18th century parliament intended but did not say.  The only reason the Royal Marriages Act is applied where it shouldn't be (e.g. to the current royal family) is that none of those affected have felt the need to challenge it.

The Royal Marriages Act has not been repealed, and there aren't any plans at this time to do so.  The Farran exemption has never been applied to a British marriage, it is simply one man's opinion and carries no legal weight.  Members of the royal family, including their Hanoverian cousins, still seek permission to marry according to the Royal Marriages Act.

* a list of the individuals covered by the Farran exemption can be seen in an a.t.r. post called "Royal Marriages Act coverage", by William Addams Reitwiesner, dated Sep 7, 1996

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37. What is the address of HM The Queen?

Buckingham Palace
London SW 1
United Kingdom

When sending a letter to HM, the envelope should read as follows:

The Private Secretary to HM The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW 1
United Kingdom

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38. Does Prince William of Wales have an e-mail address?

If he does, he certainly hasn't posted it on our newsgroup. We sincerely doubt that Prince William, or any other royal for that matter, would want the world to know his e-mail address. We can't vouch whether he or other royals are lurking in a.t.r. or any other newsgroup.

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39. What are some of the royal palaces and places of burial?

The following information about palaces and places of burial of Britain's royal family is an excerpt taken from the "Royal Landmarks for alt.talk.royalty FAQ" (the remainder of this mini-FAQ can be seen at:
http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/landmark.html)

Palaces:

near Aberdeen	Balmoral	grounds (& house ?) open to the public. Bought by Queen Victoria & Prince Albert in 1852 from the Duff family. Prince Albert rebuilt the castle in 'Scotch Baronial' style the estate now extends to about 24,000 acres on the River Dee & includes Abergeldie, Birkhall, Braemar (where the Highland Games are held in Sept.) and Crathie village church where the Royal Family worships when in residence in August and September
Edinburgh	Palace of Holyroodhouse	official residence of The Queen when she goes to Scotland every year; open to the public
King's Lynn, Norfolk	Sandringham House	open to the public
London	Buckingham Palace (including The Queen's Gallery and The Royal Mews)	official residence of The Queen; open in summer
London	Kensington Palace	former residence of Diana Princess of Wales. Several members of the Royal Family have apartments in this palace. Parts are open to the public
London	St. James's Palace	closed to the public; residence of some members of the Royal Family
London	Whitehall Palace	destroyed by fire in the 17th century; only Banqueting House survived and can be visited
Castle of Mey (northern tip of Scotland)		the gardens open to the public in the summer months. Acquired and renovated by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in the 1950s following the death of her husband King George VI
Windsor, Berkshire	Windsor Castle	parts open to the public

Places of Burial:

Frogmore, Berkshire	Royal Mausoleum	Victoria, Albert and a few others
Great Brington, Northamptonshire	Althorp Park	grave of Diana Princess of Wales. The Althorp estate belongs to Earl Spencer, but it will be open to the public from July 1 till August 30 2001
London	Westminster Abbey	open to the public; mostly medieval royals, with some Hanoverian kings and family members
Windsor, Berkshire	Windsor Castle (St. George's Chapel)	Hanovers, Windsors and others

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40. Mini-biography of Diana, Princess of Wales

A mini-biography of Diana, Princess of Wales in the form of questions and answers (such as when was Diana born, who are the members of Diana's immediate family, what was Diana's title during her marriage and after her divorce, and was Diana stripped of "HRH" following her divorce) can be found at the website called "Diana, Princess of Wales". To view the site, please follow the link at this URL: http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/diana.html

41. Is a new king free to choose a new name, or does Charles have to reign as "Charles III"?

This is a matter of tradition. No sovereign has reigned in England under a name not given at baptism, and only one did in Scotland (John Stewart reigned as Robert III from 1390 to 1406, because of the dislike for king John Baillol).

Until the advent of the Hannoverian dynasty in the 18th century, British princes received only one name at baptism. Since 1714, monarchs have always had a choice. Several monarchs chose to reign under a name that was not their first:

• Alexandrina Victoria was known as, and reigned as Victoria;
• Albert Edward was known as, and reigned as Edward VII;
• Albert Frederick Arthur George was known as Albert, but reigned as George VI.

Only George VI reigned under a name under which he was not known; this can be explained by the desire to bridge over the unpleasant memories of Edward VIII's abdication back to the long and stable reign of George V. (Edward VIII himself was privately known by his last given name David, but Edward was his first name and the one under which he was publicly known before he acceded.)

The current prince of Wales has four to choose from: Charles, Philip, Arthur, George. Tradition suggests that he will choose one of the four, and that some special reason would have to impel him not to choose "Charles". Should he choose Philip, he would be the second of the name (Mary I's husband was proclaimed king). Should he choose Arthur, he would be the first of the name since the conquest.

42. What is the title of a Queen's husband?

There are too few cases in English or British history to establish a rule. Here are the precedents:

• Matilda (d. 1167) should have succeeded her father Henry I in 1135 but a civil war broke out and she never effectively ruled, although the crown ultimately passed to her son. Thus the question of the style of her husband, Geoffrey Plantagenet, never really arose.
• Mary Tudor married in 1554 Philip, king of Naples. He became king of England and Ireland by right of his wife. Parliament was called in their names, acts are dated from the year of their joint reign. His reign ended with her death in 1558, as stipulated by the marriage contract and by act of Parliament (1 Mar I 3 c.2).
• Mary Stuart, queen of Scots, had two husbands who held the title of king: François, dauphin then king of France, (d. 1560) and Henry Lord Darnley (d. 1567).
• Mary II and William III became queen and king jointly and each in his own right, by virtue of the Bill of Rights; after her death, he ruled in his own name. Thus, his title did not derive from being the husband of a queen.
• Anne's husband, prince George of Denmark, was created duke of Cumberland in 1689, before her accession.
• Victoria's husband received the title of Prince Consort in 1857. He never received a peerage.
• Elizabeth II's husband had been created duke of Edinburgh in 1947, before her accession. He was also made a prince of the United Kingdom in 1957.

One can also note a near-miss: when George IV's daughter and heiress presumptive married prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, a dukedom of Kendall was mooted for him, but he apparently turned it down.

In short, no two husbands of queens were treated alike. However, it is unlikely that the case of Mary I's husband will arise again.

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43. How are sovereigns numbered?

Scottish and English sovereigns were numbered separately, as long as the kingdoms were separate. Note that English and British sovereigns are numbered since the Conquest; also, they are usually numbered only if that Christian name has been born by more than one ruler (thus one says "Queen Victoria" and not "Queen Victoria I").

With the personal union of the crowns in 1603 sovereigns used dual numbers when applicable, e.g., James VI and I (6th of Scotland and 1st of England). Since the union of the kingdoms in 1707, a single numeral has been used for each sovereign, and it has been the one consistent with the English rather than the Scottish sequence of sovereigns: William IV (rather than III), Edward VII (rather than I). Soon after the accession of Elizabeth II, it was announced that, henceforth, the highest numeral from either sequence would be chosen, so that the next Richard will be the 4th, but the next James will be the 8th.

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44. What happens when a king dies and his widow is pregnant?

The case is interesting only if the king does not already have a son (who would then immediately succeed). There are two possibilities: (a) if the deceased king left a daughter, she could be displaced by the birth of a brother, but not by the birth of another daughter. (b) If he left no children, the child, male or female, should logically succeed.

But neither case has ever occurred, nor is either addressed explicitly in legislation, so any answer is speculative. The case occurred in Spain in 1883, where a similar succession law existed, and a regency was put in place (see the ATR FAQ for how other countries handled the same situation). But the Regency Act has no provision for a regency without a sovereign (or with an unknown sovereign).

In cas (a) above, the eldest existing daughter could be proclaimed conditionally. This is suggested by the accession of Victoria in 1837. William IV had died, leaving Queen Adelaide, a 45-year old widow. Victoria was proclaimed queen "saving the rights of any issue of his late Majesty King William IV. which may be born of his late Majesty's consort". While not a legally binding document, the proclamation hints at how the matter would be handled.

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Part III: British Noble Families

1. What is the peerage?

In UK law, a peerage is an incorporeal heriditament (a non-corporeal form of property, a sort of virtual real estate), being one of the several dignities, including baronetcies and knighthoods, which can be created by the Crown.

At one time, the term nobility applied to all ranks above commoners and included earls, barons, knights and esquires.  With the establishment of the House of Lords came a distinction between hereditary nobility (that is, the peerage) and the lower ranks with gentry still considered as noble.  By the 19th century, however, the gentry was excluded from the term nobility.  (The English and Irish gentry are not recognized in British law as nobility, but the Scots are.)

The Peerage is made up of two parts:  one part is the separate ranks in the peerage (see question 2 below) and the other part is the five separate peerages.  These separate peerages are the peerage of England, of Scotland, of Ireland, of Great Britain, and of the United Kingdom.  Peers were created in the "peerage of England" or the "peerage of Scotland" up until 1707 when these two kingdoms combined under what is known as the Act of Union.  Peers created after this date were in the "peerage of Great Britain".  Peers continued to be created in the "peerage of Ireland" until 1801 when Great Britain and Ireland were combined in a second Act of Union.  Peers created after this date were in the "peerage of the United Kingdom".

Exceptions and interesting points worth noting:

• it is possible to have two peerages with the same title:  for example, one could be "Baron XYZ, in the Peerage of Ireland" and also "Baron XYZ, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom"; in other words, it is not the title of the peerage that is important but the existence of the peerage itself.

• some peerages were still created in the peerage of Ireland after 1801 but these peers were not allowed to sit in the House of Lords

• one could be created a peer of Scotland or Ireland without being necessarily a Scotsman or Irishman

• the rank of baron does not exist in the peerage of Scotland because in Scotland a baron means a Barony in land; the equivalent rank for baron is Lord of Parliament (shortened to Lord)

• a peer is usually known by the highest peerage title he possesses (there are a few exceptions to this rule); if a peer has more than one peerage of the same grade (for instances, two or three ducal titles), he chooses the one by which he wishes to be known

• the Sovereign can create a peerage title regardless of whether the place named has ever been under British rule or not (example:  Earl Mountbatten of Burma, in which the suffix is a description of the lord in question; it serves as a reminder of the historical associations the peer has with the area in question and does not represent any sort of territorial claim or suzerainty over Burma)

• until 11 November 1999, peers of hereditary titles sat in the House of Lords, with the exception of life peers and peers in the peerage of Ireland (unless they held a peerage in one of the other four Peerages); since the House of Lords Act of 1999 (1999 c. 34) came into force, the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl Marshal and 90 hereditary peers continue to sit in the House of Lords; the final state of the House of Lords, and the role that hereditary peers might play in it, has not yet been decided (as of Sep 2000)

• life peers or peeresses (Barons or Baronesses) are addressed as if they were hereditary peers or peeresses; their children have the same style as those of hereditary peers or peeresses; the first life peer was Sir James Parke, Knight when he was created Baron Wensleydale in 1856 (life peerages were introduced to help increase the numbers in the House of Lords and were a way to ennoble those who did not have the financial means to support a hereditary peerage)

• peeresses in their own right are women, usually Countesses and Baronesses, who have either succeeded to a title or have been created a peer (in Scotland, a baroness would be a Lady of Parliament, shortened to Lady); peeresses can be holders of hereditary titles or life titles; the husband of a Countess or Baroness in her own right is not allowed to use his wife's title as his courtesy title.

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2. What ranks are there in the peerage?

The five British peerage ranks in order of seniority are duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron.

Duke

- the title of duke (from Latin Dux, a leader) was created by King Edward III in 1337 and is the most senior rank in the peerage.  Edward of Woodstock (later known as the Black Prince) was created Duke of Cornwall in March 1337 by his father Edward III.
- the wife of a duke is a duchess
- in correspondence, a duke is addressed either as "His Grace the Duke of N..." or "The Duke of N..." with the salutation being either "My Lord Duke" or "Dear Duke N...".  When meeting in social situations, a duke is addressed as "Your Grace".
- the name of the dignity is dukedom
- the adjective is ducal

Marquess

- the title of marquess (from the term Marchio), now ranks between duke and earl. During Norman times (ca 1066-1154), marchio was given to earls and barons who guarded the Welsh or Scottish marches or border territories.  It lost its territorial meaning in the 1100s.  The first 'marquess' was Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, when he was made Marquess of Dublin in 1385.
- marquess is sometimes spelled the French way 'marquis'.
- the wife of a marquess is a marchioness
- in correspondence, a marquess is addressed either as "The Most Hon. the Marquess of N..." or "The Marquess of N..." with the salutation being either "My Lord" or "Dear Lord N...".  When meeting in social situations, a marquess is addressed as "My Lord".
- the name of the dignity is marquisdom, marquisate, or marquisship
- the adjective is marchesal, marquesal, or marquisal

Earl

- the title of earl, derived from Scandinavian jarl, is the oldest English title and rank.  In the Middle Ages, it was placed below the rank of marquess.
- the wife of an earl is a countess
- in correspondence, an earl is addressed either as "The Right Hon. the Earl (of)  N..." or "The Earl (of) N..." with the salutation being either "My Lord" or "Dear Lord N...". When meeting in social situations, an earl is addressed as "My Lord".
- the name of the dignity is earldom
- the adjective is comital

Viscount

- the title of viscount (with its origins in Vice-Comes, a deputy or lieutenant of a Count) ranks between an earl and a baron.  John Lord Beaumont was created Viscount Beaumont (in England and Viscount Beaumont in France) in 1440 by King Henry VI
- the wife of a viscount is a viscountess
- in correspondence, a viscount is addressed either as "The Right Hon. the Viscount N..." or "The Viscount N..." with the salutation being either "My Lord" or "Dear Lord N...".  When meeting in social situations, a viscount is addressed as "My Lord".
- the name of the dignity is viscountcy, viscountship, or viscountry
- the adjective is viscontal, or viscontial

Baron

- the lowest rank of the peerage is the title baron.  It was introduced into England by the Norman kings.  The first baron created by patent was John Beauchamp de Holt who was created Baron Kidderminster by King Richard II in 1387
- the wife of a baron is a baroness
- in correspondence, a baron is addressed either as "The Right Hon. the Lord N..." or "The Lord N..." with the salutation being either "My Lord" or "Dear Lord N...".  When meeting in social situations, a baron is addressed as "My Lord".
- the name of the dignity is barony
- the adjective is baronial.

Note that baronet (which is a hereditary dignity, however), knight, esquire and gentleman are not titles of nobility and do not form part of the peerage.

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3. Is everyone in a peer's family noble?

In Great Britain, a peer is a noble. The status of nobility does not extend to his wife or to his children.  Unless they possess a noble title in their own right, family members are considered commoners.  It is only when a peer dies that the eldest son inherits his father's title and becomes noble.  Daughters do not usually succeed to their father's titles unless it is specifically included in the creation of the title.

The eldest son of a duke, marquess or earl is allowed to use one of his father's (or mother's, if she is a peeress in her own right) subsidiary peerage titles as a social courtesy, while the eldest son of a viscount or baron is allowed Honourable before his Christian name.  (Note that while the eldest son and heir might have the use of his father's secondary title, his father remains the actual holder of such a title, and that as a courtesy peer the heir is legally not a peer but a commoner.)

The younger sons and the daughters of a duke or marquess are allowed the use of Lord or Lady before their Christian names.  The younger sons of an earl are allowed the use of Honourable before their Christian names while the daughters are allowed the use of Lady before their Christian names.  The younger sons and the daughters of a viscount and a baron are allowed the use of Honourable before their Christian names.

If a daughter of a peer marries a commoner (a non-titled person), she retains her precedence as a daughter of a peer.  If she marries a peer, however, her precedence becomes that of wife of the peer. In other words, if she marries "down" (a non-titled person), she keeps her precedence.  If she marries "up" (a titled person), she takes on her husband's precedence.

Children of married daughters of peers do not have any titles or courtesy styles unless their father is a title holder or their mother is a title holder in her own right.  Also, if a peer marries a spouse with children from a previous union, those children do not have a right of inheritance to the peer's titles nor do they enjoy the precedence of children of the peer.

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4. Who is a commoner in Britain?

Anyone who is not the sovereign or the holder of a substantive (as opposed to courtesy) peerage. This includes all members of the royal family who are not peers, and all members of peerage families except the actual peer: for example, Prince Harry of Wales, the Princess Royal, the earl of Arundel (son of a duke) are all commoners.

While this definition is legally correct, it seems counter-intuitive to many, in part because it is so different from the continental usage. This tends to generate confusion and debates, and use of the word should perhaps be avoided where possible.

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5. Can a peer renounce his peerage titles?

Peerages (such as "Duke of Edinburgh") cannot be renounced.  The second Viscount Stansgate tried to do that but it didn't work.  As a consequence, there is now a procedure called "disclaiming" a peerage.  The Peerage Act 1963 allowed hereditary peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain or the United Kingdom  to be disclaimed for life.  (It also allowed hereditary peeresses to be members of the House of Lords, and for all Scottish peers to sit in the House of Lords.)  In the example of Lord Stansgate, he has disclaimed his peerage and is now known as Mr. Anthony (Tony) Wedgwood Benn. The new peer has to disclaim within 12 months of succeeding or reaching the age of 21, whichever came last, and once he has applied to sit in the House of Lords he cannot disclaim.

Once a peerage is disclaimed it is an irrevocable decision and the peerage no longer exists during the lifetime of the disclaiming peer.  Further, no other hereditary peerage is conferred on the disclaiming peer.  A life peerage, on the other hand, can be bestowed on one who has disclaimed his hereditary peerages (as in the examples of the former 2nd Viscount Hailsham and the former 14th Earl of Home).  Life peerages cannot be disclaimed, however.  As soon as a peer has disclaimed his peerage, he reverts to the status held before he inherited the peerage.  The wife of a disclaimed peer also reverts to the same style as her husband.  If the wife inherited any courtesy style from her father, she may revert to its use.  The children of a disclaimed peer retain their precedence as the children of a peer, and any courtesy titles and styles borne while their father was a peer.  It is open to any child of a disclaiming peer to say that he or she no longer wishes to be known by these styles.

Succession to the disclaimed peerage is not accelerated (that is, the oldest son does not get the peerage as soon as his father has disclaimed it), nor is it diverted (to a brother or cousin, for instance).  The peerage is in suspended animation until the disclaimed peer dies.  The next person is then eligible to succeed normally under the terms of the remainder.

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6. Can a woman inherit a peerage?

Some peerages are inherited in the male line, while others can be inherited by females. Other peerages fall into abeyance when there are sisters, and others have sliding remainders.  Each peerage is (or can be) different.

The most important piece of information is the exact text in the patent creating the peerage.  There it will usually say what is to happen to the peerage on the death of the grantee.  The usual phrase in hereditary peerages (not life peerages) is something which means "and the heirs male of his body legitimately born".

Peerage law determines what is meant by "heirs male", "of his body", and "legitimately born", but doesn't affect the devolution of the peerage as defined in the patent.  Since the Sovereign in the "fons honorum" (fount of honour), the Sovereign can issue whatever peerage he/she wants with whatever remainder he/she wants.

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7. Can a person buy a title and became a noble?

The only titles which can be bought legally in Europe are Scottish baronial titles.  These feudal titles are eligible for purchase and can change hands by contract between ordinary citizens.  Further, these titles confer heraldic privileges and precedence.

Peerage titles are created by the Crown unlike manor titles which can be bought from a previous owner or from a firm specializing in the selling of these feudal titles.  (Often, the sale of feudal titles are held at auctions to the highest bidder.)  The purchase of a 'lord of the manor' title does not make one a nobleman because it is not a peerage title.  It is a feudal title only, although it might carry some historic association.  It does not confer any status, nobiliary rights or privileges.  Possession of such a title (or even a coat of arms) does not make one a noble, although it does in Scotland.

There isn't anything wrong with buying or selling lordships of the manors, but it is wrong to refer to them as "British titles".  The holder of a manorial lordship is not styled "Lord (or Lady) of the Manor", although he/she can describe himself/herself as such, just as one describes oneself as a "chartered accountant".  A lordship confers no style or precedence whatsoever, nor carries prestige or social advantage.

More information on this topic can be found at the following web sites:

The European Nobility

http://www.chivalricorders.org/nobility/index.htm

A Glossary of European Noble, Princely, Royal, and Imperial Titles

http://www.heraldica.org/topics/odegard/titlefaq.htm

A Glossary of Titles in 35 languages by Alexander Kirschnig

http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/titel.htm

Manorial and Other Feudal Titles

http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/manor.html

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8. If I buy a coat of arms, am I noble?

Buying a coat of arms does not make one a noble.  Websites that advertises the selling of coat of arms should be approached with caution.  If the website says something like "a coat of arms is a pictorial representation of a name", be aware that this is simply untrue. Further, selling a "coat of arms for a name" is dishonest.  Selling someone with a particular name a coat of arms as if it is theirs is fraudulent.  In some countries, using a coat of arms which does not rightfully belong to you as an individual is illegal.

A coat of arms is a pictorial form of identification belonging to a person, a particular family or a corporate body.  It does not belong to a name.  For most names, there is more than one coat of arms, but most people with that name will have no association whatsoever with the arms, unless they are of proven descent from an individual who possessed or was granted the arms in the first place.

If you have the surname Spencer, for example, you are no more entitled to associate yourself with the arms of the Earl Spencer than you are to claim the earldom itself. Conversely, if you are called Smith and you do have a coat of arms, you could change your name to Jones and still use the same coat of arms.  The arms belong to you and your heirs as people, not to your name.

More information about coat of arms can be found in the rec.heraldry FAQ (especially Question 3: How can I find my coat of arms or my family's coat of arms?) which can be viewed on the WWW at:  http://www.heraldica.org/faqs/heraldry.faq

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Part IV: Resources

1. On-line Sources of Information

It is amazing what one can find on-line about British royalty, nobility and related topics. The following sites are but a sampling of what one can discover while surfing the 'Net. This list is not meant to be definitive; rather it is a starting point for research. The FAQ compiler and maintainer does not make any judgements as to the contents or opinions found at these sites. If you are using the World Wide Web (aka WWW, W3, Mosaic, Netscape, Lynx), you can reach these pages at the following URLs:

I - Official Website:

United Kingdom:

http://www.royal.gov.uk

II - Websites which predominantly feature British royalty and nobility:

Aaron's Royalty Research Project:

http://www.gilmer.net/royalty

Althorp House (the late Diana, Princess of Wales's ancestral home):

http://www.althorp-house.co.uk/

The Ancestry of the HRH duke of Cambridge (Prince William of Wales):

http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/william.html

The Baronage Press:

http://www.baronage.co.uk/contents.html

Britain's Royal Family and related European Lineages:

http://www.seattleboys.com/royalweb/00.html

The British Heraldic Archive:

http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/index.html

The British system of aristocratic honorifics:

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/honrific.html British Titles of Nobility - An Introduction and Primer to the Peerage http://www.chinet.com/~laura/html/titles01.html#N_7_

Buckingham Palace Press Releases:

http://www.coi.gov.uk/coi/depts/GQB/GQB.html

Diana, Princess of Wales:

http://www.gale.com/gale/cwh/diana-pw.html

Diana, Princess of Wales's BBC Interview:

http://scoop.evansville.net/diana.html

Duke of Gloucester Page (The Most Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem:

http://www.saintjohn.org/duke.htm

Dukes of the United Kingdom:

http://wwwtc.nhmccd.cc.tx.us/people/crf01/history/duke.html

Hereditary Titles of the British Empire:

http://www.hereditarytitles.com/

The Jacobite Heritage:

http://www.jacobite.ca/

The Lineages of the Royal Princes of England:

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/4793/

Manorial and Other Feudal Titles:

http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/manor.html

Monarchs of England:

http://www.britannia.com/history/h6.html

Personal Flags and Standards of the Sovereign and Members of the Royal Family:

http://canada.gc.ca/canadiana/etiqu/chap3-e.htm#royal

The Prince's Trust:

http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/n2-index.htm

The Princess Diana Chronicles:

http://www.ukfirst.com/diana/links1.html

U.K. Picture Album: The Royal Family:

http://www.neosoft.com/~dlgates/uk/ukspecific.html?pix_windsors

UK-Royalty Mailing List:

http://www.etoile.demon.co.uk/Rmail.html

United Kingdom Parliament:

http://www.parliament.uk

Unofficial British Royal Family Pages:

http://www.etoile.co.uk/Royal.html

Yvonne's Royalty Home Page:

http://users.uniserve.com/~canyon/royalty.html

III - Websites with some British royalty and nobility content:

Brigitte's Royal & Nobility Genealogy:

http://www.genealogy.com/brigitte/index.html

Canadian Monarchist Online:

http://www.interlog.com/~rakhshan

Charlotte's Web: Roots - Noble & Royal Genealogies:

http://www.charweb.org/gen/noblesse.html

Christine's Royal Families Page:

http://wwwedu.cs.utwente.nl/~kersten/royal.html

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet - Royalty and Nobility:

http://www.oz.net/~cyndihow/royalty.htm

Die Welfen (House of Hanover):

http://www.welfen.de/

The European History Web Page:

http://www.eurohistory.com

The European Nobility:

http://www.chivalricorders.org/nobility/index.htm

European Royal Houses:

http://www.chivalricorders.org/royalty/index.htm

The EuroStamm Home Page:

http://members.aol.com/eurostamm/index.html

A Glossary of European Noble, Princely, Royal, and Imperial Titles:

http://www.heraldica.org/topics/odegard/titlefaq.htm

Heraldica: François Velde's Heraldry Site:

http://www.heraldica.org/

Manorial and Other Feudal Titles:

http://www.kwtelecom.com/heraldry/manor.html

Marivi's Royalty Page:

http://www.serv.net/~marivim/royalty.html

Monarchy Home Page:

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3417/monarchy.html

Paul Theroff's Dynastic Genealogy Files:

http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff

and his Online Gotha:

http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/gotha.htm

Royal Descents of famous people:

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/mh10006/FamTree/famous.royal.html

Royal Families of the World:

http://www.royalfamily.com/

Royal & Noble Genealogical Data on the Web:

http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/GEDCOM.html

Royal & Noble Lineages:

http://www.uq.edu.au/~zzhsoszy/index.html

Royal Network:

http://www.royalnetwork.com/

Royalist's Home Page:

http://www.themonarchist.com

The Royalty in History Site:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/kings.htm

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2. Useful Addresses.

I - Associations:

The Monarchist League

P O Box 5307 Bishop’s Stortford Hertfordshire CM23 3DZ, UK
URL: http://www.monarchy.net
(you will find addresses of other leagues and associations at this website)

II - Mail Order:

Hatchards

Attention: Robin Piguet
187 Piccadilly
London, W1V 9DA
United Kingdom

e-mail: 187picc@hatchards.co.uk

Heraldry Today

Parliament Piece
Ramsbury, Wiltshire SN8 2QH
United Kingdom

e-mail: heraldry@heraldrytoday.co.uk
URL: http://www.heraldrytoday.co.uk
(specialists for books on genealogy, heraldry and royalty)

International Historic Films, Inc.

Dept. S
P.O. Box 29035
Chicago, IL 60629
U.S.A.

(videos of such categories as 'British Heritage' and 'European Royals' for sale)
URL: http://www.viamall.com/ihf/index.html

Librairie des Editions Christian

14, rue Littré
75006 Paris, France

URL: http://www.karolus.org/christian/index.htm

Rainy Day Books

P.O. Box 775
Route 119
Fitzwilliam, NH 03447
U.S.A.

Rosemary Bennett Rare Books

1077 SW13th Avenue
Albany, OR 97321
U.S.A.

(specializing in books about royalty; write for free brochure)

Rosvall Royal Books

Enasen-Falekvarna
S-52191 Falköping
Sweden

e-mail: ted.rosvall@falköping.mail.telia.com
(new and antiquarian royal books in various languages)

III - Commemoratives:

Audrey Zeder

6755 Coralite M
Long Beach, CA 90808
U.S.A.

(write for a 'Commemorative For Sale List' from Queen Victoria to the present, including ceramics, tins, ephemera, novelties)

IV - Periodicals:

C.E.D.R.E. (Cercle d'Etudes des dynasties royales européennes)

12, allée des Jonquilles
F-60260 Lamorlaye, France

(quarterly bulletins, in French, about various royal and noble families)

The European Royal History Journal

Art Beeche
285 Van Buren Avenue #5
Oakland, CA 94610
U.S.A.

(six issues per year)

e-mail: arturo@slip.net

URL: http://www.eurohistory.com/journal.html

Journal of Royal & Noble Genealogy: An International Journal of the Augustan Society, Inc.

The Augustan Society, Inc.
P.O. Box P
Torrance, CA 90508-0210
U.S.A.

Majesty Magazine

P.O. Box 301069
Escondido, CA 92030
U.S.A.

(for American and Canadian subscriptions)

Majesty Subscriptions
Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street
Market Halborough
Leicester LE16 9EF
United Kingdom
(for UK and overseas subscriptions)

(a monthly magazine focussing on royal families)

Point de Vue

Service Abonnement
70, rue Compans
F-75019 Paris, France
URL: http://www.pointdevue.fr

(a weekly magazine focussing on British and European royalty and nobility, in French)

Royal Book News

Marlene Koenig
5590 Jowett Court
Alexandria, VA 22315
U.S.A.

(bi-monthly newsletter for and about royal books)
e-mail: makoenig@delphi.com

Royalty

P.O. Box 3278
803 Finchley Road
London NW11 8DP
United Kingdom

(a monthly magazine, similar to Majesty magazine)

Royalty Digest

Church Street
Ticehurst, East Sussex TN57 AA
United Kingdom

(a monthly magazine available on subscription)

V - Publishers:

Heraldry Today

Parliament Piece
Ramsbury, Wiltshire SN8 2QH
United Kingdom

e-mail: heraldry@heraldrytoday.co.uk
URL: http://www.heraldrytoday.co.uk
(specialists for books on genealogy, heraldry and royalty)

Back to Table of Contents

3. Magazines and Videos

I - Magazines:

This section features a selection of electronic (on-line) magazines that occasionally feature articles about members of British royal and noble families.

Hola/Hello (Spanish- and English-language)

http://www.hola.es

Paris Match (French-language)

http://www.parismatch.com

Britannia - Gateway to the British Isles:

http://www.britannia.com/

II - Videos:

Notes:

- the following video titles are not available for purchase or rental from the FAQ compiler and maintainer (please do not email the FAQ compiler and maintainer asking to buy or rent these videos)
- videos are listed in alphabetical order according to title
- the format shown is: title, brief description, year released, narrator, running time, format (PAL: for viewing in the U.K., Europe and Australia; NTSC: for viewing in Canada, the U.S.A. and Japan)

Videos:

• "Annus Horribilis", 1992
• "The Coronation: 2nd June 1953" (narrated by Robert Powell)
  52 minutes; PAL & NTSC
• "The Crown Jewels" (narrated by Derek Jacobi)
• "Diana - Queen of Hearts"
  approximately 50 minutes; PAL & NTSC
• "Dimbleby Interview with the Prince of Wales"
• "The Divorce: Fairytale Romance, Nightmare Marriage"
  approximately 60 minutes; PAL & NTSC
• "Elizabeth R" (BBC's 6-part series about Elizabeth I, starring Glenda Jackson)
• "The Glittering Crowns"
• "Her Majesty The Queen: 70 Glorious Years"
  approximately 60 minutes; PAL & NTSC
• "HRH The Duke of York" (biography of Prince Andrew)
• "Kings & Queens",  Vol. I, Vol II (kings & queens of Great Britain)
  approximately 55 minutes each; PAL & NTSC
• "A Prince for Wales"
• "Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: 90 Glorious Years"
• "Queen Elizabeth II: 60 Glorious Years"
• "A Queen Is Crowned"
• "The Royal Family - A Celebration, From Edward & Mrs Simpson to William and Harry, 80 Years of The House of Windsor"
  approximately 65 minutes; PAL & NTSC
• "The Royal House of Windsor"
• "The Royal Wedding", 1981 (the wedding of Charles & Diana)
• "Royal Wedding", 1986 (the wedding of Andrew & Sarah)

Back to Table of Contents

4. Bibliography

The following list of books is divided into four sections:

1. Biographies, Memoirs and Related Works
2. Genealogies and Related Works
3. General and Reference
4. Nobility

N.B.: the selection of titles is not meant to be exhaustive but will provide a suitable introduction to those seeking more information about British royal and noble families.

Biographies, Memoirs, Etc...:

Albert, Harold A. Queen Victoria's Sister: the Life and Letters of Princess Feodora. London: Robert, 1967

Alice, Princess, Countess of Athlone. For My Grandchildren.  London: Evans Brothers, 1965 [Cleveland: World Publishing Co., 1966] [rep. 1979]

Alice, Princess, Duchess of Gloucester. The Memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.  London: Collins, 1983

Aronson, Theo. Grandmama of Europe: the crowned descendants of Queen Victoria. London: Cassell, 1973

-----. Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. London: Cassell, 1981

-----. Princess Margaret: a biography. London: M. O'Mara Books, 1997 [Washington, D.C.: Regnery Pub., 1997]

Ashdown, Dulcie M. Princess of Wales. New York: Scribner, 1979

-----. Queen Victoria's mother.  London: Hale, 1974

Baker-Smith, Veronica P. M. A Life of Anne of Hanover, Princess Royal. Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill, 1995

Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra. London: Constable & Co., 1969 [Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1969]

Bennett, Daphne. King Without a Crown: Albert, Prince Consort of England, 1819-1861. London: Heinemann, 1977 [Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1977]

-----. Queen Victoria's Children. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1980

-----. Vicky: Princess Royal of England and German Empress. London: Collins, Harvill, 1971 [New York: St. Martin's Press, 1971]

Boothroyd, Basil. Philip: an informal biography.  London:  Longman, 1971 [alternate title: Prince Philip: an informal biography. New York: McCall Publishing Co., 1971]

Bradford, Sarah. Elizabeth: a biography of Britain's Queen. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1996 [New York: Riverhead Books, 1997]

Cathcart, Helen. Anne and the Princesses Royal. London, New York, W. H. Allen, 1973

Crawford, Marion. The Little Princesses. London: Cassel, 1950 [rep. ed. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd., 1993]

Dimbleby, Jonathan. The Prince of Wales: a biography. London: Little, Brown and Company, 1994 [Toronto: Doubleday Canada Limited, 1994]

Donaldson, Frances. Edward VIII. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1974 [Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1975]

Duff, David. Edward of Kent: the life story of Queen Victoria's father. London: Muller, 1973

-----. Hessian tapestry: the Hesse family and British royalty. Newton Abbot, England; North Pomfret, Vt.: David & Charles, 1979

-----. The Shy Princess: the life of Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter and constant companion of Queen Victoria. London: Muller, 1974

Erickson, Carolly. Her Little Majesty: the life of Queen Victoria. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997

Frankland, Noble. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1980

-----. Witness of a Century: the life and times of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, 1850-1942. London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1993

Fryer, Mary Beacock, et. al. Lives of the Princesses of Wales. Dundurn Press, 1983

Fulford, Roger, ed. Darling Child: private correspondence of Queen Victoria and the Crown Princess of Prussia, 1871-1878. London: Evans Bros., 1981 [New York: Evans Brothers Ltd., 1976]

Hoey, Brian. HRH  the Princess Anne: a biography. Feltham: Country Life, 1984

Holden, Anthony. Prince Charles. New York: Atheneum, 1979 [New York: Atheneum, 1983]

Hough, Richard. Louis and Victoria: the first Mountbattens. London: Hutchinson & Co., Ltd., 1974

Judd, Denis. King George VI, 1895-1952.  New York: Franklin Watts, 1982

-----. Prince Philip: A Biography.  London: Michael Joseph, 1980 [New York: Atheneum, 1980]

Lacey, Robert. Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor. London: Hutchinson, 1977 [New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977]

Longford, Elizabeth. Elizabeth R:  a biography. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983 [Toronto: Musson, 1983]

-----. The Royal House of Windsor. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1974 [New York: Knopf, 1974; New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984]

-----. Victoria R.I.  London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1964 [alternate title: Queen Victoria: born to succeed. New York: Harper & Row, 1964]

Marie-Louise, Princess. My Memories of Six Reigns. London: Evans Brothers Limited, 1956 [New York: Dutton, 1957]

Morton, Andrew. Diana: her true story. London: Simon & Schuster, 1992 [New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992]

Nicolson, Harold. King George V: His Life and Reign.  London: Constable, 1952

Noel, Gerard. Princess Alice:  Queen Victoria's forgotten daughter. London: Constable, 1974

Packard, Jerrold M. Victoria's Daughters.  St. Martin's Press, 1998

Palmer, Alan. Princes of Wales. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1979

Pope-Hennessy, James. Queen Mary, 1867-1953.  London:  G. Allen & Unwin, 1959 [New York: Knopf, 1959]

Rose, Kenneth. King George V.  London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1983 [New York: Knopf, 1984]

-----. Kings, Queens & Courtiers: intimate portraits of the Royal House of Windsor from its foundation to the present day. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1985

-----. Who's Who in the Royal House of Windsor. New York: Crescent Books, 1985

Salway, Lance. Queen Victoria's Grandchildren. London: Collins & Brown, 1991

Sarah, Duchess of York. My Story. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996

Seward, Ingrid. Diana: an intimate portrait. Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1988

-----. Prince Edward. London: Century, 1995

-----. Royal Children. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994

-----. Sarah, HRH the Duchess of York: a biography. London: Harper Collins, 1991 [alternate title: Sarah: the life of a duchess. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991]

St. Aubyn, Giles. Edward VII, Prince and King. New York: Atheneum, 1979

Talbot, Godfrey. The Country life book of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. [Feltham]: Country Life Books; London; New York: Distributed by Hamlyn, 1978

Van der Kiste, John & Bee Jordan. Dearest Affie: Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria's second son, 1844-1900. Gloucester: A. Sutton, 1984 [rep. 1995]

Warwick, Christopher. Princess Margaret. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983 [New York: St. Martin's Press, 1983]

Watson, Sophia. Marina: The story of a princess.  London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1994

Weintraub, Stanley. Uncrowned King: The Life of Prince Albert. New York: The Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc., 1997

Weir, Alison. The Children of Henry VIII. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996

-----. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. London: Bodley Head, 1991 [New York: Grove Weidenfeld, 1991]

Wheeler-Bennett,  Sir John W. King George VI: His Life and Reign. London: Macmillan, 1958

Windsor, Duchess of. The Heart Has Its Reasons. 1956

Windsor, HRH The Duke of. A King's Story: The Memoirs of HRH The Duke of Windsor.  New York: Putnam, 1951

Ziegler, Philip. King Edward VIII: the official biography. London: Collins, 1990

Genealogies and Related Works:

Burke's Guide to the Royal Family, London: Burke's Peerage Limited, 1973

Burke's Peerage (various editions) (most recent: 1999 edition)

Burke's Royal Families of the World, Vol. 1, Europe and Latin America, London: Burke's Publishing Co., 1977

Burke's Royal Families of the World, Vol. 2, Africa and the Middle East, London: Burke's Publishing Co., 1980

Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (various editions) (most recent: 1995 edition)

Royalty, Peerage & Nobility of Europe, 96th ed. of the Almanach de la Noblesse de France (in English), 1997

Addington, A.C. The Royal House of Stuart: the descendants of King James VI of Scotland, James I of England, 3 Vols. London: Skilton, 1969-1976

Eilers, Marlene A. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Falkoping, Sweden: Rosvall Royal Books, 1997 [New York: Atlantic International Publications, 1987]

Given-Wilson, Chris & Alice Curteis.  The Royal Bastards of Medieval England. London, Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1984 [London, New York: Routledge, 1988

Lake, Christopher. European Rulers 1060-1981: a cross-referenced genealogy with 162 pedigrees. 1981

McNaughton, Arnold. The Book of Kings: a royal genealogy. New York: Quadrangle, 1973

Marquis of Ruvigny & Raineval. Titled Nobility of Europe: an international peerage, or "Who's who", of the sovereigns, princes and nobles of Europe. London: Harrison & Sons, 1914 [reprint ed. London: Burke's Publishing Co., 1980]

Moncreiffe, Iain, Sir. Royal Highness: ancestry of the royal child. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1982

Mountbatten, Lord Louis. Relationship Tables, compiled for his children by Earl Mountbatten of Burma. New Delhi: Vice-Regal Press, 1947

Paget, Gerald. The Lineage and Ancestry of HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, 2 Vols. Edinburgh: Skilton, 1977

Reitwiesner, William Addams. The American Ancestors and relatives of Lady Diana Frances Spencer. Silver Spring, MD: W.A. Reitwiesner, 1981

-----. Matrilineal Descents of the European Royalty: a work in progress. Washington, D.C.: W.A. Reitwiesner, 1993

Roberts, Gary Boyd & William Addams Reitwiesner. American Ancestors and Cousins of the Princess of Wales. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1984

Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families: the complete genealogy. London: Bodley Head, 1989 [London:  Pimlico, 1996]

General and Reference:

Allison, Ronald & Sarah Riddell, eds. The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan Press, 1991

Bogdanor, Vernon. The Monarchy and the Constitution. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1995

Bryant, Sir Arthur. A Thousand Years of British Monarchy. London: Collins, 1975

Buskin, Richard. The Complete Idiot's Guide to British Royalty. New York: Alpha Books, 1998

Cannon, John & Ralph Griffiths, eds. The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988

Delderfield, Eric R. Kings & Queens of England & Great Britain. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles, 1994

Duke, Suzanne, et. al. (ed.) Debrett's Handbook 1984. London: Debrett's Peerage Limited, 1984

Fisher, Graham and Heather. Monarchy and the Royal Family: a guide for Everyman. London: Robert Hale, 1979

-----. Strange and Fascinating Facts About the Royal Family. New York: Bell Pub. Co., 1985

Hindley, Geoffrey. The Guinness Book of British Royalty.  Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1989 [New York:  distributed by Sterling Pub. Co., 1989]

Louda, Jirí and Michael Maclagan. Heraldry of the Royal Families of the World. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., Publishers,  1981 [alternate title: Lines of Succession: heraldry of the royal families of the World. London: Macdonald; New York: Macmillan; Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1991]

Menkes, Suzy. The royal jewels. London: Grafton Books, 1986 [Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1989]

Montague-Smith, Patrick (ed.). Debrett's Correct Form. London: Headline, 1992

Montague-Smith, Patrick & Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd. The Country Life Book of Royal Palaces, Castles & Homes: including vanished palaces and historic houses with royal connections. London: Country Life Books;  London; New York: distributed by Hamlyn, 1981

Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed. Atlas of Royal Britain: palaces, houses, villages, battlefields, castles, cities, towns - a complete survey of royal heritage. London: QED Publishing Ltd., 1984

Palmer, Alan. Kings and Queens of England. London: Octopus Books, 1976 [London: Peerage Books, 1985]

-----. Princes of Wales. London : Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1979.

Pearsall, Ronald. Kings and Queens : a history of British monarchy.  New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1996.

Rose, Kenneth. Kings, Queens and Courtiers: intimate portraits of the Royal House of Windsor from its foundation to the present day. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1985

Williamson, David. Brewer's British Royalty. London: Cassell, 1996 [New York: Sterling Pub. Co., 1996]

-----. Debrett's Kings and Queen of Britain. Exeter, Devon: Webb & Bower; London: Michael Joseph, 1986

Nobility:

The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct, or dormant. London: The St. Catherine Press, 1910-1959 [reprint ed. Gloucester: Summon, 1982]

Beckett, J.V. The Aristocracy in England, 1660-1914. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986

Bence-Jones, Mark & Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd. The British aristocracy. London: Constable, 1979

De-la-Noy, Michael. The Honours System. London; New York: Allison & Busby, 1985

Gadd, Ronald P. Peerage Law. 1985

Hey, David. The Oxford Dictionary of Local & Family History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997

Leeson, Francis L. A Directory of British Peerages: from the earliest times to the present day.  London: Society of Genealogists, 1984 [Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985]

Lieven, Dominic. The Aristocracy in Europe, 1815-1914. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993

Masters, Brian. The Dukes: the origins, ennoblement and history of twenty-six families.  London: Blond & Briggs, 1975

Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed. Debrett's Great British Families. Topsfield, Mass.: Salem House, 1988

Pine, L.G. Guide to Titles & Forms of Address.

-----. The New Extinct Peerage, 1884-1971.  London: Heraldry Today, 1972 [Baltimore Genealogical Pub. Co., 1973]

Winchester, Simon. Their Noble Lordships: the hereditary peerage today. London: Faber & Faber, 1981

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Credits, Copyright, Disclaimer

AUTHORED BY:
Yvonne Demoskoff

CONTRIBUTIONS BY:
Dag T. Hoelseth, Marlene Koenig, Noel S. McFerran, Eric-Jan Noomen, William Addams Reitwiesner, Mark Anthony Rodriguez, Gilbert von Studnitz, François Velde, Chris Bennett (questions 2:20-22).

COPYRIGHT:
Copyright © 1998- by François Velde. All rights reserved.

This document may be freely distributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g. published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet.

If this document is incorporated in a commercial document, a complimentary copy should be sent to François Velde (http://www.heraldica.org/contact.html).

This document is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty.