British royal family

Family of the British monarch

This article is about the family of Charles III. For the British monarchy itself, see Monarchy of the United Kingdom.

The royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the annual Trooping the Colour parade in 2023. From left to right: Timothy Laurence; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince George; Prince Louis, situated in front of Catherine, Princess of Wales; Princess Charlotte, situated in front of William, Prince of Wales; King Charles III; Queen Camilla; Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh; Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester; Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

The British royal family comprises King Charles III and his close relations. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is a part of the royal family.[1][2] Members often support the monarch in undertaking public engagements, and pursue charitable work and interests. Members of the royal family are regarded as British and world cultural icons.

## Members

[edit]

Further information: List of members of the House of Windsor and Family tree of the British royal family

The Lord Chamberlain's "List of the Royal Family" published in August 2020 mentions all of King George VI's descendants and their spouses (including Sarah, Duchess of York, who is divorced), along with Queen Elizabeth II's cousins with royal rank and their spouses.[2] The list applies for the purposes of regulating the use of royal symbols and images of the family.[3]

The website of the royal family provides a list of "Members of the Royal Family" comprising King Charles III and Queen Camilla; William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh; Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester; Prince Edward, Duke of Kent; and Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy.[1] Among them, the Duke of York, the Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex do not currently carry out royal duties.[4]

Other members of the royal family holding royal rank who do not carry out official duties are: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis of Wales; Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex; Princess Beatrice; Princess Eugenie; the Duchess of Kent; and Prince Michael of Kent and his wife.[1][4]

* The King and Queen

* The Prince and Princess of Wales

* The Princess Royal

* The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh

* The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

* The Duke of Kent

* Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy

* Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte of Wales

* The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

* The Duke of York

* Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice

* The Duchess of Kent

* Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Current British royal family tree

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†| | Queen Mary

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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | King George VI
†| | Queen Elizabeth
†| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
†| | Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester
†| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Prince George, Duke of Kent
†| | Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent

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| | | | | | | | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
†| | Queen Elizabeth II
†| | | | | | Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
†| | Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
†| | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Duke of Gloucester
(31)| | The Duchess of Gloucester| | | | | | The Duke of Kent
(41)| | The Duchess of Kent| | Sir Angus Ogilvy
†| | Princess Alexandra
(57)| | Prince Michael of Kent
(52)| | Princess Michael of Kent
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Diana, Princess of Wales
†| | The King| | The Queen| | | | | | Mark Phillips| | The Princess Royal
(17)| | Sir Timothy Laurence| | | | | | | | | | | | The Duke of York
(8)| | Sarah, Duchess of York| | | | | | The Duke of Edinburgh
(14)| | The Duchess of Edinburgh| | The Earl of Snowdon
(25)| | The Countess of Snowdon| | Daniel Chatto| | Lady Sarah Chatto
(28)
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The Prince of Wales
(1)| | The Princess of Wales| | The Duke of Sussex
(5)| | The Duchess of Sussex| | Peter Phillips
(18)| | Autumn Phillips| | Zara Tindall
(21)| | Michael Tindall| | | | | | Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi| | Princess Beatrice
(9)| | Jack Brooksbank| | Princess Eugenie
(11)| | Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
(16)| | Earl of Wessex
(15)| | Viscount Linley
(26)| | Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones
(27)| | Samuel Chatto
(29)| | Arthur Chatto
(30)
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Prince George of Wales
(2)| | Princess Charlotte of Wales
(3)| | Prince Louis of Wales
(4)| | Prince Archie of Sussex
(6)| | Princess Lilibet of Sussex
(7)| | Savannah Phillips
(19)| | Isla Phillips
(20)| | Mia Tindall
(22)| | Lena Tindall
(23)| | Lucas Tindall
(24)| | Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
(10)| | | | | | August Brooksbank
(12)| | Ernest Brooksbank
(13)|

Notes

* Numbers in brackets indicate places in the line of succession.[5][6][7]
* Boxes indicate living individuals with royal titles and styles.
* Purple indicates living individuals listed or described as members of the royal family on the official website.[8]
* Boldface indicates living individuals listed as members of the royal family in Lord Chamberlain's list of the royal family as of May 2024.[9]
* Dashed lines indicate married couples, dotted lines divorced couples.[6]
* Dagger (†) indicates deceased individuals.

## Titles and surnames

[edit]

Marriage certificate of Elizabeth Windsor and Philip Mountbatten, signed by members of the royal family

The monarch's children and grandchildren (if they are children of the monarch's sons), and the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, are automatically entitled to be known as prince or princess with the style His or Her Royal Highness (HRH).[10] Peerages, often dukedoms, are bestowed upon most princes prior to marriage.[11][12] Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, children of the King's sister, Princess Anne, are, therefore, not prince and princess. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex, though entitled to the styles "Princess Louise of Edinburgh" and "Prince James of Edinburgh", respectively, are not called prince and princess, as their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, wanted them to have more modest titles.[10] The King reportedly wants to reduce the number of titled members of the royal family.[13]

By tradition, wives of male members of the royal family share their husbands' title and style.[14] Princesses by marriage do not have the title prefixed to their own name[10] but to their husband's; for example, the wife of Prince Michael of Kent is Princess Michael of Kent.[14] Sons of monarchs are customarily given dukedoms upon marriage, and these peerage titles pass to their eldest sons.[14]

Male-line descendants of King George V, including women until they marry, bear the surname Windsor. The surname of the male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II, except for women who marry, is Mountbatten-Windsor, reflecting the name taken by her Greek-born husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, upon his naturalisation. A surname is generally not needed by members of the royal family who are entitled to the titles of prince or princess and the style His or Her Royal Highness. Such individuals use surnames on official documents such as marriage registers, however.[15]

## Public role

[edit]

The Princess Royal meeting members of the public during a walkabout in Paisley, Renfrewshire

Members of the royal family support the monarch in "state and national duties", while also carrying out charity work of their own.[16][17] If the sovereign is indisposed, two counsellors of state are required to fulfil his/her role, with those eligible being restricted to the sovereign's spouse, and the first four people in the line of succession over the age of 21. In 2022 the then Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal were added to the list by special legislation.[18]

Each year the family "carries out over 2,000 official engagements throughout the UK and worldwide", entertaining 70,000 guests and answering 100,000 letters.[16][19] Engagements include state funerals, national festivities, garden parties, receptions, and visits to the Armed Forces.[16] Many members have served in the Armed Forces themselves, including the King's brothers and sons.[20][19] Engagements are recorded in the Court Circular, a list of daily appointments and events attended by the royal family.[21] Public appearances are often accompanied by walkabouts, where royals greet and converse with members of the public outside events.[22] The start of this tradition is sometimes attributed to a trip Queen Elizabeth II made in 1970 to Australia and New Zealand.[23] Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother also interacted with crowds on a trip to Canada in 1939 and in 1940 during The Blitz in London.[24][25]

Annual events attended by the royal family include the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour, and the National Service of Remembrance.[17] According to historian Robert Lacey, Queen Elizabeth II once said that investitures of the honours recipients are the most important thing she does.[26] Besides the King, Prince William and Princess Anne also perform investitures.[27][17] Family members represent the monarch on official visits and tours to other countries as ambassadors to foster diplomatic relations.[20][19][28] They have also attended Commonwealth meetings on the monarch's behalf.[17] The royal family also participates in state visits on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which includes the welcoming of dignitaries and a formal banquet.[29] Journalist James Forsyth has referred to the family as "soft power assets".[30]

Prince William with the then-Dean of Westminster. Members of the royal family are members of the Church of England.

Given the royal family's public role and activities, it is sometimes referred to by courtiers as "The Firm", a term that originated with George VI.[31][32] Members of the royal family are politically and commercially independent, avoiding conflict of interest with their public roles.[33] The royal family are considered British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the family among a group of people who they most associated with British culture.[34] Members are expected to promote British industry.[35] Royals are typically members of the Church of England, headed by the monarch. When in Scotland they attend the Church of Scotland as members and some have served as Lord High Commissioner to the Church of Scotland.[36][37]

Members of the royal family are patrons for approximately 3,000 charities,[19] and have also started their own nonprofit organisations.[20] The King started The Prince's Trust, which helps young people in the UK that are disadvantaged.[38] Princess Anne started The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which helps unpaid carers, giving them emotional support and information about benefit claims and disability aids.[39] The Earl and Countess of Wessex (as the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were then known) founded the Wessex Youth Trust, since renamed The Earl and Countess of Wessex Charitable Trust, in 1999.[40] The Prince and Princess of Wales are founding patrons of The Royal Foundation, whose projects revolve around mental health, conservation, early childhood, and emergency responders.[41]

In 2019 following the negative reactions to the "Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal" interview, the Duke of York was forced to resign from public roles; the retirement became permanent in 2020.[42] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex permanently withdrew from royal duties in early 2020.[43] Following these departures, there is a shortage of royal family members to cover the increasing number of patronages and engagements.[4]

## Media and criticism

[edit]

Further information: Royal Rota and Never complain, never explain

Royal biographer Penny Junor says that the royal family has presented itself "as the model family" since the 1930s.[4] Author Edward Owen wrote that during the Second World War, the monarchy sought an image of a "more informal and vulnerable family" that had a unifying effect on the nation during instability.[44] In 1992, the Princess Royal and her husband Mark Phillips divorced; the Prince and Princess of Wales separated; a biography detailing the Princess's bulimia and self-harming was published; her private telephone conversations surfaced, as did the Prince's intimate telephone conversations with his lover, Camilla Parker Bowles; the Duke and Duchess of York separated; and photographs of the topless Duchess having her toes sucked by another man appeared in tabloids. Historian Robert Lacey said that this "put paid to any claim to being a model of family life". The scandals contributed to the public's unwillingness to pay for the repairs to Windsor Castle after the 1992 fire. A further "PR disaster" was the royal family's initial response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.[26]

In the 1990s, the royal family formed the Way Ahead Group, made up of senior family members and advisers and headed by Elizabeth II, in a quest to change in accordance with public opinion.[26][45] The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in April 2011 led to a "tide of goodwill", and by Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 the royal family's image had recovered.[26] A 2019 YouGov poll showed that two-thirds of British people were in favour of maintaining the royal family.[46] The role and public relations of the extended royal family again came under increased scrutiny due to the Duke of York's friendship with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and allegations of sexual abuse, along with his unapologetic conduct in the 2019 interview about these subjects and subsequent 2021 lawsuit.[47][48][49] In June 2019, the royal family, several members of which advocate for environmental causes, faced criticism after it was revealed that they "had doubled [their] carbon footprint from business travel".[50]

In a 2021 interview, the Duchess of Sussex, who is of biracial heritage, relayed second-hand that there had been "concerns and conversations" within the royal family about the skin colour of their son, Archie, while the Duke of Sussex stated it was a single instance.[51] The interview received a mixed reaction from the British public and media, and several of their claims were called into question.[52][53] The Duke of Cambridge said the royal family were "very much not a racist family". In June 2021, documents revealed that "coloured immigrants or foreigners" were banned by Elizabeth II's chief financial manager at the time from working for the family as clerks in the 1960s, prompting black studies professor Kehinde Andrews to state that "the royal family has a terrible record on race".[51] In response, the palace stated that it complied "in principle and in practice" with anti-discrimination legislation, and that second-hand claims of "conversations from over 50 years ago should not be used to draw or infer conclusions about modern-day events or operations."[54] In March 2022 and during the Caribbean tour of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the family encountered criticism from a number of political figures and the press, given their past connections to colonialism and the Atlantic slave trade via the Royal African Company.[55][56] Reparations for slavery emerged as a major demand of protesters during the couple's visit.[57] Both the then Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge have condemned slavery in their speeches,[58][59] and the Prince has described acknowledging the wrongs of the past as a necessity for the Commonwealth countries to realise their potential.[60]

Historically, the royal family and the media have benefited from each other; the family used the press to communicate with the public, while the media used the family to attract readers and viewers.[61] With the advent of television, however, the media started paying less respect to the royal family's privacy.[26] Princes William and Harry have had informal arrangements with the press whereby they would be left alone by the paparazzi during their education in return for invitations to staged photograph opportunities. William has continued the practice with his family posts on Instagram. Relations between the media and British royals have been destabilized by the rise of the digital media, with the quantity of articles becoming paramount toward gaining advertising revenue, with neither side able to exercise control.[61] In the 2000s, the phones of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and Prince Harry and his then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, were hacked multiple times by media outlets, most notably by a private investigator working for a News of the World journalist.[62][63] A 2021 BBC documentary suggested that briefings and counter-briefings from different royal households was the reason behind the negative coverage about members of the royal family. Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace, which represented the Queen, the then Prince of Wales and Duke of Cambridge respectively, described these suggestions as "overblown and unfounded claims".[64]

## Funding

[edit]

Further information: Finances of the British royal family

The then-Duchess of Cambridge, escorted by security officers, meets with Sir Michael Dixon

Senior members of the royal family, who represent the monarch, draw their income from public funds known as the sovereign grant, which is an annual payment of the British government to the monarch.[65] It comes from the revenues of the Crown Estate, which are commercial properties owned by the Crown.[66][67] Members of the royal family who receive money from the sovereign grant must be accountable to the public for it and are not allowed to make money from their name.[65] The monarch also receives the income of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the Prince of Wales from the Duchy of Cornwall.

The security expenses for the royal family are typically covered by the Metropolitan Police rather than the sovereign grant.[68] The royal family, the Home Office, and the Metropolitan Police decide which members have a right to taxpayer-funded police security. Extended members do not retain automatic right to protection; in 2011, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie ceased receiving police security.[13][69]

## Residences

[edit]

Further information: List of British royal residences

A 2011 state banquet at Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British monarch

The sovereign's official residence in London is Buckingham Palace.[67] Announcements of the births and deaths of members of the royal family are traditionally attached to its front railings.[70] Both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, the monarch's weekend home in Berkshire, are used to host state visits.[71][72] The Palace of Holyroodhouse and Hillsborough Castle serve as official royal residences when the monarch is in Scotland or Northern Ireland, respectively.[73][74]

Clarence House served as the official residence of Charles III from 2003, when he was Prince of Wales, until he ascended to the throne on 8 September 2022.[67] Another London residence of his when Prince of Wales was St James's Palace, which he shared with the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra.[75] Princess Alexandra also resides at Thatched House Lodge in Richmond.[76] The King also privately owns Sandringham House in Norfolk and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, which are his personal property. He inherited them from Elizabeth II upon her death.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have their official London residences and offices at apartments in Kensington Palace, London.[77][78] The former and their children officially moved into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Home Park in September 2022.[79] The Duke and Duchess of Kent reside in Wren House in the grounds of Kensington Palace.[80] The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official residence in the United Kingdom is Frogmore Cottage, near Windsor. [81][82] The Duke of York lives at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, while the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh reside at Bagshot Park in Surrey.[83][84]

## See also

[edit]

* List of current British princes and princesses
* Education of the British royal family
* Finances of the British royal family
* List of films about British royalty
* List of honours of the British royal family by country
* List of longest-living members of the British royal family
* Military service by British royalty
* Republicanism in the United Kingdom
* Royal descent
* Monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda
* Monarchy of Australia
* Monarchy of the Bahamas
* Monarchy of Belize
* Monarchy of Canada
* Monarchy of Grenada
* Monarchy of Jamaica
* Monarchy of New Zealand
* Monarchy of Papua New Guinea
* Monarchy of Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Monarchy of Saint Lucia
* Monarchy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Monarchy of Solomon Islands
* Monarchy of Tuvalu
* Monarchy of the United Kingdom

## References

[edit]

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## Further reading

[edit]

* Burke's Guide to the Royal Family. Burke's Peerage, 1973.
* Cannon, John Ashton. The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford University Press, 1988.
* Churchill, Randolph S. They Serve the Queen: A New and Authoritative Account of the Royal Household ("Prepared for Coronation Year"). Hutchinson, 1953.
* Fraser, Antonia (ed). The Lives of the Kings & Queens of England. Revised & updated edition. University of California Press, 1998.
* Hayden, Ilse. Symbol and Privilege: The Ritual Context of British Royalty. University of Arizona Press, 1987.
* Longford, Elizabeth Harman (Countess of Longford). The Royal House of Windsor. Revised edition. Crown, 1984.
* Weir, Alison. Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy. Pimlico/Random House, 2002.
* Royal Family (1969), a BBC documentary made by Richard Cawston to accompany the investiture of the then Prince of Wales.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Royal Family.

* Official website
* "House of Windsor Family Tree" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2010. (74.2 KB)

* v
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* e

English, Scottish and British monarchs

| Monarchs of England until 1603| Monarchs of Scotland until 1603

|

* Alfred the Great
* Edward the Elder
* Ælfweard
* Æthelstan
* Edmund I
* Eadred
* Eadwig
* Edgar the Peaceful
* Edward the Martyr
* Æthelred the Unready
* Sweyn
* Edmund Ironside
* Cnut
* Harold Harefoot
* Harthacnut
* Edward the Confessor
* Harold Godwinson
* Edgar Ætheling
* William I
* William II
* Henry I
* Stephen
* Matilda
* Henry II
* Henry the Young King
* Richard I
* John
* Louis
* Henry III
* Edward I
* Edward II
* Edward III
* Richard II
* Henry IV
* Henry V
* Henry VI
* Edward IV
* Edward V
* Richard III
* Henry VII
* Henry VIII
* Edward VI
* Jane
* Mary I and Philip
* Elizabeth I

* Kenneth I MacAlpin
* Donald I
* Constantine I
* Áed
* Giric
* Eochaid
* Donald II
* Constantine II
* Malcolm I
* Indulf
* Dub
* Cuilén
* Amlaíb
* Kenneth II
* Constantine III
* Kenneth III
* Malcolm II
* Duncan I
* Macbeth
* Lulach
* Malcolm III
* Donald III
* Duncan II
* Edgar
* Alexander I
* David I
* Malcolm IV
* William I
* Alexander II
* Alexander III
* Margaret
* John
* Robert I
* David II
* Edward Balliol
* Robert II
* Robert III
* James I
* James II
* James III
* James IV
* James V
* Mary I
* James VI

* Monarchs of England and Scotland after the Union of the Crowns from 1603

* James I & VI
* Charles I
* The Protectorate
* Oliver Cromwell
* Richard Cromwell
* Charles II
* James II & VII
* William III & II and Mary II
* Anne

* British monarchs after the Acts of Union 1707

* Anne
* George I
* George II
* George III
* George IV
* William IV
* Victoria
* Edward VII
* George V
* Edward VIII
* George VI
* Elizabeth II
* Charles III

* Debated or disputed rulers are in italics.

* v
* t
* e

English, Scottish and British royal consorts

| Royal consorts in England until 1603| Royal consorts in Scotland until 1603

|

* Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury
* Æthelflæd of Damerham
* Ælfgifu
* Ælfthryth
* Ælfgifu of York
* Sigrid the Haughty/Świętosława
* Ealdgyth
* Emma of Normandy
* Edith of Wessex
* Edith of Mercia
* Matilda of Flanders
* Matilda of Scotland
* Adeliza of Louvain
* Matilda of Boulogne
* Geoffrey Plantagenet
* Eleanor of Aquitaine
* Margaret of France
* Berengaria of Navarre
* Isabella of Angoulême
* Blanche of Castile
* Eleanor of Provence
* Eleanor of Castile
* Margaret of France
* Isabella of France
* Philippa of Hainault
* Anne of Bohemia
* Isabella of Valois
* Joan of Navarre
* Catherine of Valois
* Margaret of Anjou
* Elizabeth Woodville
* Anne Neville
* Elizabeth of York
* Catherine of Aragon
* Anne Boleyn
* Jane Seymour
* Anne of Cleves
* Catherine Howard
* Catherine Parr
* Guildford Dudley

* Gruoch
* Ingibiorg Finnsdottir
* Margaret of Wessex
* Ethelreda of Northumbria
* Sybilla of Normandy
* Maud of Northumbria
* Ermengarde de Beaumont
* Joan of England
* Marie de Coucy
* Margaret of England
* Yolande de Dreux
* Elizabeth de Burgh
* Joan of the Tower
* Margaret Drummond
* Euphemia de Ross
* Anabella Drummond
* Joan Beaufort
* Mary of Guelders
* Margaret of Denmark
* Margaret Tudor
* Madeleine of Valois
* Mary of Guise
* Francis II of France
* Henry Stuart
* James Hepburn
* Anne of Denmark

* Royal consorts in England and Scotland after the Union of the Crowns from 1603

* Anne of Denmark
* Henrietta Maria of France
* Catherine of Braganza
* Mary of Modena
* George of Denmark and Norway

* British royal consorts after the Acts of Union 1707

* George of Denmark and Norway
* Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach
* Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
* Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
* Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
* Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Alexandra of Denmark
* Mary of Teck
* Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
* Philip of Greece and Denmark
* Camilla Shand

Spouses of debatable or disputed rulers are in italics

* v
* t
* e

British princes

The generations indicate descent from George I, who formalised the use of the titles prince and princess for members of the British royal family.

1st generation|

* King George II

2nd generation|

* Frederick, Prince of Wales
* Prince George William
* Prince William, Duke of Cumberland

3rd generation|

* King George III
* Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany
* Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
* Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn
* Prince Frederick

4th generation|

* King George IV
* Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
* King William IV
* Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
* King Ernest Augustus of Hanover
* Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex
* Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
* Prince Octavius
* Prince Alfred
* Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh

5th generation|

* Prince Albert1
* King George V of Hanover
* Prince George, Duke of Cambridge

6th generation|

* King Edward VII
* Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
* Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
* Prince Ernest Augustus

7th generation|

* Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
* King George V
* Prince Alexander John of Wales
* Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Prince Arthur of Connaught
* Prince Charles Edward, Duke of Albany and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Prince George William of Hanover
* Prince Christian of Hanover
* Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick

8th generation|

* King Edward VIII
* King George VI
* Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
* Prince George, Duke of Kent
* Prince John
* Alastair, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
* Johann Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover
* Prince George William of Hanover

9th generation|

* Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh2
* Prince William of Gloucester
* Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
* Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
* Prince Michael of Kent

10th generation|

* King Charles III
* Prince Andrew, Duke of York
* Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh

11th generation|

* William, Prince of Wales
* Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
* James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex

12th generation|

* Prince George of Wales
* Prince Louis of Wales
* Prince Archie of Sussex

1 Not a British prince by birth, but created Prince Consort. 2 Not a British prince by birth, but created a Prince of the United Kingdom.
Princes whose titles were removed and eligible people who do not use the title are shown in italics.

* v
* t
* e

British princesses

The generations indicate descent from George I, who formalised the use of the titles prince and princess for members of the British royal family. Where a princess may have been or is descended from George I more than once, her most senior descent, by which she bore or bears her title, is used.

1st generation|

* Sophia Dorothea, Queen in Prussia

2nd generation|

* Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
* Princess Amelia
* Princess Caroline
* Mary, Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel
* Louise, Queen of Denmark and Norway

3rd generation|

* Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick
* Princess Elizabeth
* Princess Louisa
* Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and Norway

4th generation|

* Charlotte, Princess Royal and Queen of Württemberg
* Princess Augusta Sophia
* Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg
* Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh
* Princess Sophia
* Princess Amelia
* Princess Sophia of Gloucester
* Princess Caroline of Gloucester

5th generation|

* Charlotte, Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
* Princess Elizabeth of Clarence
* Queen Victoria
* Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
* Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck

6th generation|

* Victoria, Princess Royal and German Empress
* Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine
* Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
* Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
* Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg
* Princess Frederica, Baroness von Pawel-Rammingen
* Princess Marie of Hanover

7th generation|

* Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife
* Princess Victoria
* Maud, Queen of Norway
* Marie, Queen of Romania
* Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna of Russia
* Alexandra, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
* Princess Beatrice, Duchess of Galliera
* Margaret, Crown Princess of Sweden
* Lady Patricia Ramsay
* Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone
* Marie Louise, Princess Maximilian of Baden
* Alexandra, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
* Princess Olga of Hanover

8th generation|

* Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
* Alexandra, Princess Arthur of Connaught and Duchess of Fife
* Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk
* Princess Sibylla, Duchess of Västerbotten
* Princess Caroline Mathilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
* Frederica, Queen of Greece

9th generation|

* Queen Elizabeth II
* Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
* Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy

10th generation|

* Anne, Princess Royal

11th generation|

* Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
* Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank
* Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

12th generation|

* Princess Charlotte of Wales
* Princess Lilibet of Sussex

Princesses whose titles were removed and eligible people who do not use the title are shown in italics.

* v
* t
* e

British princesses by marriage

The generations include wives of princes descended from George I, who formalised the use of the titles prince and princess for members of the British royal family.

1st generation|

* Princess Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach

2nd generation|

* Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

3rd generation|

* Maria Walpole
* Anne Luttrell

4th generation|

* Duchess Caroline of Brunswick
* Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia
* Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen
* Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
* Duchess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
* Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel
* The Princess Mary*

5th generation|

* Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg

6th generation|

* Princess Alexandra of Denmark
* Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
* Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia
* Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont
* Princess Thyra of Denmark

7th generation|

* Princess Victoria Mary of Teck
* Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife*
* Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein
* Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia

8th generation|

* Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
* Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott
* Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark

9th generation|

* Birgitte van Deurs Henriksen
* Katharine Worsley
* Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz

10th generation|

* Lady Diana Spencer
* Camilla Shand
* Sarah Ferguson
* Sophie Rhys-Jones

11th generation|

* Catherine Middleton
* Meghan Markle

*also a British princess in her own right
Princesses whose titles were removed due to loss of husband's eligibility or divorce are shown in italics.

* v
* t
* e

European royal families

Reigning|

* Belgium
* Denmark
* Liechtenstein
* Luxembourg
* Monaco
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Spain
* Sweden
* United Kingdom

Non-reigning pretenders|

* Albania
* Austria-Hungary
* Bulgaria
* France
* Bourbon
* Orléans
* Bonaparte
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hanover
* Italy
* Lithuania
* Montenegro
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia

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