Facts About The British Royal Family

The British royal family are undoubtedly one of the most famous in the World. Officially, ‘the
royal family’ is comprised of the ruling monarch and all of their close relations – including the consort
(husband or wife), their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The British royal family have belonged to the House of Windsor since 1917, and Queen
Elizabeth II has ruled as Head of State since 1953, amassing a huge 65 years. Prince Charles is the heir
apparent, and will eventually succeed the Queen. Prince William is second in line, whilst his son Prince
George is third.

List of British monarchs

Our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is the longest reigning monarch ever. But who
preceded her?
Edward VII began the Queen’s royal house, reigning from 1901 – 1910. George V came after that,
ruling for 26 years, from 1910 – 1936, and was succeeded by Edward VIII.However, Edward VIII
abdicated soon after coming onto the throne, leaving his brother to take up the responsibility, George
VI. The Queen’s father reigned until his death in 1952, when Elizabeth II took up the role and became
the ruling monarch.

Royal family names

Prior to 1917, members of the British royal family didn’t actually have a proper surname.
Instead, they simply belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.But the royal family did later
change their surname to Windsor, when King George V announced that he and his family would
become part of the House of Windsor.
It’s thought that this name change was brought about to give the British royal family a more English-
sounding last name, due to the ill feelings towards Germany during the Second World War.
However, since 1960, after a long drawn out debate, Prince Philip and the Queen were granted
permission to give their direct descendants the name Montbatten-Windsor, combining his and her
surnames.

The Queen’s surnames

The Queen’s full name at birth was Elizabeth Alaxandra Mary although she was often referred
to as Lilbet by loved ones, when she was young. It’s widely accepted that the Queen doesn’t have a
surname, or one that is widely used. Since the ascension in 1952, Windsor has generally been
accepted.

Where do the royal family live?

The royal family have both private and ‘crown-owned’ residences, the latter being their official
royal residences, which will be passed down throughout the monarchy over the years. The private
residences are owned by the family members themselves, and will stay with the Windsors.
The Queen and Prince Philip have four royal residences – Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle,
Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the little known Hillsborough Castle, in Northern Ireland, which can also
be used by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Her Majesty’s private properties consist of
Sandringham House, where she famously spends Christmas, Balmoral Castle, Craigowan Lodge in
Balmoral, and Delnadamph Lodge, also in Balmoral. The latter is currently being rebuilt for Prince
Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall though.
Unlike his mother, Prince Charles (or the Prince of Wales), resides in just one official crown
estate, Clarence House in London. But, three other official residences are available to him and the
Duchess, which consist of Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, Llwynywermod, the Welsh residence
of the Prince of Wales, and Tamarisk, which is on the Isle of Scilly. However, the Prince and Duchess
of Cornwall have just one private residence, Birkhall in Balmoral, near to the Queen’s favourite private
residence.
The younger royals aren’t gifted with quite as many properties unfortunately. The Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge have just two residences at their disposal – Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall
in Norfolk.
And Prince Harry has just one royal residence, Kensington Palace, where he’s installed at the modestly
sized Nottingham Cottage.

What does the royal family do?

For many people, there’s an air of scepticism around the role of the royal family, and what they
actually do in day to day life. But, according to the official site of the royal household, the monarchy
hold an important place in the United Kingdom.
The Queen is the Head of State, and while she doesn’t hold an executive or political role, she is
a clear representative for the country. On a day to day basis, the Queen represents a united image of the
UK, and is often the face of international relations, meeting other heads of states constantly. She also
recognises “success and excellence” – in other words, giving honours – and signs off on all important
Parliamentary matters – such as the recent Brexit bill.
The rest of the royal family’s role is to support the Soverign in all matters.

These are some facts you should know about the Royal family of Britain!

1. Queen Elizabeth has been wearing the same nail polish since 1989.
2. The Royal family is not allowed to play Monopoly because it can get too vicious!
3. No one in the Royal family has last names!
4. According to protocol, the members of the Royal family, are not allowed to eat selfish because
of the fear of food poisoning. Prince Charles is the only one that has been see eating selfish!
5. One of the favorite habits that the Queen can not stop is drinking four cocktails a day!
6. The members of the Royal family are not allowed to touch common people. But Prince William
and Prince Harry have broken the tradition several times!
7. The Queen does not need a drivers licence to drive around Britain!
8. The Royal family always travels with black clothes in their suitcases in case of somebody dying!
9. The Queen has two birthdays! April 21, the day of her 1926 birth, and a designated “official
birthday,” which varies by each Commonwealth country!
10. Members of the British royal family are called His or Her Royal Highness!
11. If somebody meets the Queen, the proper way to call her is ”Your Majesty”.
12. The Royal family is not allowed to have selfies or give autographs!
13. When somebody attends a wedding of the British Royal family they must wear a hat!