The Monarch

Much of 3151 is devoted to uncovering the changing roles and responsibilities of the monarchs of England over the course of history.  The British King or Queen currently holds a position in which he or she has the right to be consulted, the right to  encourage, and the right to warn.  In other words, the role is symbolic. Although technically the legislation, government, and defense of the United Kingdom are carried out  in The Queen's name, the Queen is a figurehead for the government of Britain.  As such, she symbolizes the continuity and the rich history of the British Isles.

The full title of the British sovereign is 'Queen Elizabeth II by the Grace of God, Queen of this Realm and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.'

This realm includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The other realms include: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

British Territories include: British Indian Ocean Territory, Gibraltar, Bermuda, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory, St Helena and its dependencies (Ascension and Tristan da Cunha), Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Anguilla, and the Pitcairn Group of Islands.

Commonwealth nations include:  Bangladesh, Botswana, Brunei,  Cameroon, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, The Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda,  Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as the realm nations.

The faith is that of the Anglican Church, established during the Tudor era as a Protestant religion, a topic that will receive close attention when we study the sixteenth century.

Form of Address:  The immediate royal family is styled Your Royal Highness. The Queen signs her first name only, followed by "R" for Regina.
Spouse: the wife of a reigning king is known as the Queen Consort.  The current husband of the Queen is the Prince Consort but his most significant title is that of Duke of Edinburgh.  A title is not automatically conferred on the husband of a female sovereign. Just before Philip's marriage to Elizabeth, was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich with the style of His Royal Highness  and was appointed a Knight of the Garter by the Elizabeth's father, King George VI.
Children: Prince or Princess followed by their given name unless they have been granted another title, such as a dukedom, in which case they are known by their most senior title.

The Royal Surname

The royal family does not officially use a surname. The current royal family is known as The House of Windsor, a family name that was established in 1917 to replace the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha family name in the midst of anti-German sentiment that had been generated by WW I.  Then, on April 9, 1952, a declaration was made at a Privy Council meeting that stated:
 

"The Queen today declared in Council her will and pleasure that she and her children shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor, and that her descendants, other than female descendants who marry and their descendants, shall bear the name of Windsor."
 

Then, on February 8, 1960, the queen altered that declaration by announcing that all of her descendants without the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess" shall bear the name of Mountbatten-Windsor.  Mountbatten is the family name of her husband, Prince Philip.

The Succession

The private body of the king is the one that was subjected to the ravages of time and eventually gives way to a successor. It is in this ritual of succession, however, that one can best understand the public body of the king. It is this physical body that once was considered to house the authority of the state and as such it never died; hence "The King is dead. Long live the King."  Thus, although there is generally a coronation when a new monarch ascends the throne, the throne is technically never empty.  Click on the crown to access the text of Elizabeth's coronation. 

   The List of Succession

The succession is determined by primogeniture, although the Queen has assented to allowing women to have equal rights to the throne.  As of now, this is irrelevant insofar as the next four individuals in line for the throne are male and the two daughters of Andrew also have no brother to usurp their places in the succession.  When that measure finally takes effect, however, the following succession will be altered slightly as older sisters and their offspring step ahead of younger brothers and their offspring.

 * Prince Michael of Kent and George Windsor are technically not eligible to inherit the throne because of their marriages to Roman Catholics.

Princes and Princesses

The titles of prince and princess have been held  by the sons and daughters of the monarch since the days of Henry VII.  The titles, however, are merely courtesy titles insofar as all of the children and grandchildren of a monarch are commoners by law, excluding the heir.

The heir apparent to the throne has been granted the title of Prince of Wales since 1399.  It is not an automatic title but rather is granted to the heir by the monarch.  Prince Charles, for example, did not become Prince of Wales until 1958 when he also became Earl of Chester.  He was, however, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, and Baron of Refrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland--a slew of titles (one from each of the four countries of the United Kingdom) that ensured his status as peer rather than as a commoner from the cradle.

Generally the eldest daughter of the monarch is given the title of Princess Royal.  Princess Anne became the Princess Royal in 1987.

Form of Address:  The immediate royal family is styled Your Royal Highness.  Princes and Princesses generally are known by their title followed by their first name only.  Signatures usually consist of their first names only.
Spouse: As in the case of Mark Phillips, a husband without a title does not gain one when he marries a princess, unless the Queen grants him his own title.  Princess Margaret's former husband, for example, was named Earl Snowdon when he married her.  A woman marrying a prince takes her husband's title and name.  Prince Michael's wife, for example, is known as Princess Michael of Kent.
Children: In the 18th and 19th centuries the grandchildren of the monarch also were styled prince or princess.  Beginning in 1917, these titles were limited to the children of the monarch's sons.  The children of the monarch's daughters do not automatically assume this title; hence the children of Princess Anne are not titled.  The Queen offered to grant a title to Anne's former husband, Mark Phillips, but Anne and Mark declined, which left their children without any titles whatsoever.

Information on this page is partially garnered from Webb RK: Modern England, edition 2.