The Royal Family of Great
Britain
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Introduction
The Royal Family of the United Kingdom is one the most widely recognized
institutions in the world. Since 1952 Queen Elizabeth II dealt with a great number of
cultural and social changes.
For quite a long time, British royalty has had a code of etiquette that includes
rules for the royals just as the individuals who experience them. Most of the policies are
practical, while others are there to keep a specific measure of respectability for the
positions. People from all over the world look to the British royalty for proper manners,
and they do not expect anything but the best.
The Royal Family of Great Britain is one of the most powerful monarchies of
all time. The Queen of England held the record for the longest-lived monarch in the
world. In the history of Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth II was the queen of over 16
sovereign states and with the longest reign after Queen Victoria.
This paper will deal with the rules that the Royal Family is required to follow.
The first chapter shortly presents the British Royal Family- House of Windsor, and then
Famous/Historical moments when Queen Elizabeth II was disrespected in public.
The second chapter presents the Royal Rules, some of them being ridiculously
strict.
The third chapter deals with the rules that have changed over the years and how
they have been included in royal life.
The life of the royal family is riveted not only by the British devotee but also by
the whole world - for many years they have been an example to follow. In addition to
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Queen Elizabeth II, there are many more people in this family who are also required to
perform their duties and respect ancient traditions.
Although the British Royal Family is required to follow a Code of Strict Rules, some of
them have been relaxed or changed, and younger members of the royal family
continue to incorporate elements of modernity into their lives.
The Royal Family forms the line of succession to the British throne. Members
of the royal family belonged, by birth or marriage, to the Windsor House of 1917, under
the reign of George V. The genealogical tree of the Royal Family in Great Britain has its
roots somewhere in the Middle Ages, even though there is no concrete information about
the first members of the Royal Family.
According to official information on the British monarchy's website, members
of the British Royal Family were originally part of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Houses,
which united under the name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with Prince Albert's wedding. of
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Victoria Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Attested by
history, the last names of the members of the Royal House were not Saxa-Coburg and
Gotha, and Queen Victoria inquired to find out her real last name. Following searches,
the queen's advisers discovered that Prince Albert had the surname Wettin. However, it
did not remain the name of the Royal Family for long, as George V changed the name of
the Royal House in 1917 to Windsor, a name that dates back to the present day.
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1. The beginning of the British Royal Family
1.1. House of Windsor
The House of Windsor appeared in 1917, when the name was received as the
British Royal Family's legitimate name by a declaration of King George V, supplanting
the notable name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. It remains the family name of the current
Royal Family. The Queen had familial links with a large portion of the rulers in Europe.
During the 20th century, lords and sovereigns of the United Kingdom have
satisfied the shifted obligations of established government. One of their most significant
jobs has been going about as public nonentities lifting public resolve during the
staggering battles of 1914-18 and 1939-45. The Royal House of Windsor.
The time frame saw the modernisation of the government coupled with numerous
social changes which have occurred in the course of recent years. One such
modernisation has been the utilization of mass correspondence advances to make the
Royal Family open to a more extensive public everywhere in the world.
George V embraced the new mechanism of radio to communicate over the
Empire at Christmas; the Coronation service was communicated on TV without
precedent for 1953, at The Queen's demand; and the World Wide Web has been utilized
for as far back as seven years to give a worldwide crowd data about the Royal Family.
During this period, British rulers have additionally had a fundamental influence in
advancing worldwide relations. The Queen held close connections with previous
settlements in her role as Head of the Commonwealth.
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Pinterest -
https://cutt.ly/jvdNQrt
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1.1.1. George V: 1910 – 1936- the first royalty of the Windsor House
George had not expected to be king, but when his elder brother passed away, he
became the heir-apparent. He had joined the Navy as a cadet in 1877 and cherished the
sea. He was a bluff, hearty man with a ‘quarter-deck’ manner. Princess Mary of Teck, ex-
fiancee of his dead brother, married him in 1893.
His years on the throne were difficult. The First World War in 1914 – 1918 and
the inconveniences in Ireland which led to the creation of the Irish Free State were
significant issues. In 1932 he began the royal broadcasts on Christmas Day and in 1935
he celebrated his Silver Jubilee. His attention to the Prince of Wales and his obsession
with Mrs. Simpson eclipsed his later life.
1.1.2. Edward VIII: June 1936 – December 1936 (when he abdicated)
1.1.3. George VI: 1936 – 1952
1.1.4. Elizabeth II: 1952 – 2022
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, or 'Lilibet' to close family, was born in London on 21
April 1926. Like her folks, Elizabeth was vigorously engaged with the war exertion
during the Second World War, serving in the ladies' part of the British Army known as
the Auxiliary Territorial Service, preparing as a driver and technician.
Elizabeth and her sister Margaret secretly joined the packed roads of London on
VE Day to commend the finish of the war. She wedded her cousin Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh, and they had four youngsters: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward.
At the point when her dad George VI passed on, Elizabeth became Queen of
seven Commonwealth nations: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (presently known as Sri Lanka). Elizabeth's crowning
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ceremony in 1953 was the first to be broadcast, serving to build prominence in the
medium and multiplying TV permit numbers in the UK.
The immense ubiquity of the imperial wedding in 2011 between the Queen's
grandson, Prince William, and the normal person Kate Middleton, presently the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge, mirrored the prominence of the British Monarchy at home
and abroad. 2012 was additionally a significant year for the regal family, as the country
praised the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, her 60th year as Queen.
On ninth September 2015, Elizabeth turned into Britain's longest-serving ruler,
managing longer than her incredible extraordinary grandma Queen Victoria who ruled
for a very long time and 216 days.
1.2. Royal rules violated by celebrities
1.2.1. Meghan Markle
She may be considered a royal now that she is married into the family, but that
does not mean Meghan Markle always got it right. Back in the summer of 2018, Meghan
had British critics gasping when she disrespected the Queen. The horrible offence was
the way the new royal family member was sitting. Simply sitting with one’s legs crossed
when the presence of the Queen was unacceptable. The mishap took place in the Queen's
Young Leaders Event at the Buckingham Palace.
1.2.2. Donald Trump
When he visited the UK in the summer of 2018, News Outlets watched Trump's
every move. According to the British News Outlet, the President of the United States
committed several offences when he visited the Royal Highness. For starters, he kept the
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Queen waiting for their scheduled Tea Time. He was 10 minutes late. And not only was
he not on time, he also went as far as to work in front of the Queen. It is considered very
rude to turn your back on any member of the British Royal Family.
1.2.3. A Chinese restaurant
There are several Plaquades around the United Kingdom that deem certain areas
National Landmarks. One of the most famous is the Birthplace of the Queen. The
National Landmark has become a smoking area for a nearby Chinese Restaurant.
1.2.4. Anna Wintour
In early 2018, the Queen made her London Fashion Week debut, and who better
to greet her other than the Queen of Fashion , Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief for
Vogue. The problem is Wintour did not give her Royal Highness the respect she
deserved upon their meeting . According to experts, shed committed three blunders
during her introduction. Firstly, she did not curtsy, secondly she did not wait for the
Queen to initiate the interactions and finally and the worst of all, Wintour did not take off
her glasses as a
sign of respect.
1.2.5. Lewis Hamilton
Being a British citizen in the spotlight, one of the biggest accomplishments
anyone can get is being invited to dine with Queen Elizabeth. The famous racer was
invited to lunch with the Queen and did not know he was going to get an education in
proper etiquette. According to Hamilton, he sat next to the Queen, on the left. During the
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first meal she started conversation only with the person on her right. When he tried
chatting her up during the first course, she had a few words for him. She told him that she
was going to chat with the person on her right and he should chat with the person on his
left, and they could talk during the second course.
1.2.6. Robbie Williams
Not only did Robbie disrespected the Queen on a very important day, he
disrespected the whole Royal Family. There is a rule that you should not chew gum when
you are in the presence of anyone in the Royal Family. He broke this rule, by chewing
gum at the Princess’s Eugine royal wedding.
1.2.7. Rihanna
https://cutt.ly/1vd7BOo; https://cutt.ly/hvd73Ro; https://cutt.ly/nvd77Nh
Back in 2017, the singer posted on her Instagram feed a few photos of Queen
Elizabeth II. The issue here is that the photos show the Queen’s face photoshopped onto
photos of Rihanna’s body. While this might seem hilarious to many, it was deemed
disrespectful by many of her fans. What makes it even worse ist that the photos were
released on the Queen’s actual birthday.
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1.2.8. The Obamas
One of the biggest offences to come from Obama’s time as President came when
he and his wife met the Queen. All was going well until Michelle Obama broke a major
rule. She hugged the Queen.
A few years later, Barack Obama was toasting the Queen, but during his speech,
the British National Anthem started playing. This would mean the speaker should stop
speaking, but Obama did not. He continued with his toast, and even raised his glass on
the Queen, all while the Anthem was still playing. But all in all, it was one uncomfortable
and confusing mess.
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2. The Royal Rules
Over time, several rules have been gathered that the Royal Family must follow.
Each member has the obligation to respect them and take them into account regardless of
the situation or location. Even the royal babies have a strict set of rules that they are
required to follow since they are very young.
2.1 Some of the Most Ridiculously Strict Rules(when the Queen was alive)
1. Prince Philip is required to walk behind the Queen
2. They must accept all gifts graciously
3. They always travel with an all-black ensemble
4. Two heirs cannot fly together
5. When the queen stands, so does everyone else
6. Tiaras are only worn by married women
7. There are no autographs or selfies allowed
8. The queen signals when a conversation is over
9. When the queen finishes eating, then so must everyone else
10. Royal wedding bouquets contain myrtle
11. They’re not allowed to play monopoly
12. Never touch her majesty’s purse
13. There is not allowed to eat garlic
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2.2. What rules the Royal Children must follow?
1. They must be curtsy to the Queen, they can't call the Queen Grandma
2. They have to attend royal engagements.
3. They have to go through etiquette training.
4. Boys should wear shorts and girls should wear dresses.
5. They aren't allowed to play Monopoly.
6. They have to serve in the bridal party at royal weddings.
7. They can accept gifts, but they usually can't keep the them.
8. They can't wear black to daytime events, but they must always have a black outfit on
hand.
9. They can't open any presents on Christmas day.
10. They can't go by nicknames publically.
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2.3. The Royal Etiquette
1. Bright colors are a necessity for the queen.
2. Young princes never wear pants.
3. Coats must stay on.
4. Nails are to be kept subtle.
5. Gloves are for protection.
6. Wedges are looked down on.
7. Weigh down hemlines.
8. Military uniforms are to be worn at the most formal events.
9. Use fashion to compliment hosts while traveling abroad.
10. Denim isn't forbidden, but it's not preferred.
11. Hats for women are a must.
Royal etiquette requires a hat be worn by women to all official events. It's a
stipulation that dates back to the 1950s, a time when women were starting not to wear
their hats when going out in public. Though further modernization has eased up on the
rule—Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's perfect blowout is proof enough—the
Queen insists the tradition be kept alive, especially at formal engagements like weddings
and christenings. At Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding each guest woman had
to wear a hat.
12. Tiaras are like wedding rings. Only married women of the family
get to wear the jewels. That's because tiaras signify relationship status—and let
curious bachelors know if a woman is off limits.
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13. Always have a black ensemble on-hand. You'll rarely see a royal wearing
black, but while traveling outside the country, they are required to pack a full black outfit
in case of emergency. This is so that, if a family member dies, they'll arrive back in
England dressed appropriately, since they will certainly be photographed when departing
the plane.
Queen Elizabeth learned this lesson from experience. In 1952, then just a princess, she
and her husband, then the Duke of Edinburgh, were in Kenya when she learned her father
had passed. When she arrived back in Britain without appropriate
clothing, she was forced to stay on the plane until a black outfit was delivered to her.
14. Handbags aren't just for belongings.While the Queen is known to pack
lipstick and reading glasses in her purse, she also used her iconic Launer bags to send
signals to her staff. For example, when she wanted to leave a dinner, she seated the purse
on top of the table, letting her aides know to wrap up in five minutes. Or, if she's in the
middle of a dull conversation, she had placed her bag on the floor, giving a cue to her
lady-in-waiting that she'd like to be rescued.
15. Clutches are good in a bind. To avoid an embarrassing slip up, Princess
Diana relied on her custom clutches to shield her chest while stepping out of cars, thus
keeping paparazzi from getting their money shot.
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3. Then and Now
3.1 Which rules have changed and how
1. The Church of England used to forbid marriage after divorce.
King Edward VIII caused a scandal when he signed his abdication papers after less than
a year on the throne so that he could marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. The
ban has since been lifted, paving the way for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love
story. The Church of England has allowed marrying after divorce since 2002.
2. The Queen gave birth to all of her children at home.
Prince William was the first direct heir to the throne who was born in a hospital. Not
only are royal babies now delivered in hospitals, royals greet photographers outside hours
after giving birth. Royal births used to be announced via a bulletin posted on the gates of
Buckingham Palace. When Queen Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Andrew in 1960, the
palace superintendent posted the bulletin as a crowd of 2,000 waited outside the gates for
the news, according to Getty. These days, birth announcements are posted on the official
Kensington Palace Twitter as well as the palace gates. According to the BBC, the post
can only go up on social media after the formal announcement is displayed at
Buckingham Palace.
3. Sons used to take precedence over daughters in the line of succession. Succession
to the throne is regulated by Parliament. The rule used to be that even if a daughter was
older, boys were automatically higher in the line of succession. The Succession to the
Crown Act came into effect in 2015 and changed the male primogeniture rules. Before
this change, Prince William and Kate Middleton's youngest son Prince Louis would have
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been ahead of his older sister Princess Charlotte in the line of succession simply because
he's male. Now, Princess Charlotte is fourth and Prince Louis is fifth.
4. Bowing or curtsying to royalty used to be necessary.
It was the proper greeting for members of the royal family. While it remains the
traditional greeting, royals today often opt for a less formal approach. According to the
royal family's official website, "There were no obligatory codes of behavior when they
were meeting the Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to
observe the traditional forms." Royal expert Victoria Arbiter previously told Insider that
bowing or curtsying to royalty is not necessary. "Certainly with the Queen because she's
the Queen and the older generation, you would most definitely want to be curtsy," she
said. "The younger generations are a lot more relaxed when it comes to curtsying, so it's
certainly not a requirement, but it comes down to greeting someone with respect."
Royals used to keep their distance from commoners. They would wave, smile,
and make pleasant conversation, but maintained a dignified distance. Younger royals are
not afraid to break protocol and go in for a hug. When it comes to strict rules of royal
protocol, even Queen Elizabeth herself had been known to brush them aside, calling them
"rubbish."
After the Queen ‘s death the next person to the throne is prince Charles the 3rd,
the next King.
3.2. Examples and Against Examples. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle vs.
Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend
Queen Elizabeth II approved of Prince Harry’s marriage to divorcee Meghan
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Markle, but it is believed that she did not allow the marriage of her own sister Princess
Margaret to Peter Townsend. It is thought this is down to a royal divorce rule change.
Queen Elizabeth II, 91, recently wrote a letter of consent for the marriage of American
divorcee Meghan Markle, 36, and her grandson Prince Harry, 33.
However, back in 1953, she faced a tough decision when she could not allow her
sister, Princess Margaret, who died at the age of 71, to marry her lover Peter Townsend,
who – like Meghan – was divorced. So why did the Queen allow Prince Harry to marry
Meghan this year, but did not allow her own sister to marry Peter? The answer is that an
important rule change happened in the meantime, which revised the Church of England’s
stance on divorce. The Queen allowed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to marry, but
did not allow Princess Margaret to marry Peter Townsend.
As the head of the Church of England, the Queen had must follow its teachings.
This is believed to be why she did not allow Princess Margaret to marry in 1953, a time
when the Church forbade divorce. Princess Margaret called off her engagement two years
later in 1955, stating “the Church's teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble” as
her reasoning. But, in 2002, this all changed. The rule change came as part of the General
Synod of 2002, which modernised the Church laws. It stated: “The Church of England
teaches that marriage is for life. It also recognises that some marriages sadly do fail and,
if this should happen, it seeks to be available for all involved. “The Church accepts that,
in exceptional circumstances, a divorced person may marry again in church during the
lifetime of a former spouse.” The change meant it was possible for the Queen to approve
Meghan and Harry’s marriage in an official letter some 16 years later.
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Meghan, who is divorced from producer Trevor Engelson, 41, and Prince Harry
married in a ceremony at St George’s Chapel on May 19 2018. It also allowed Harry’s
father Prince Charles to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, also a
divorcee, in 2005.
A documentary told the story of when Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend, her
former lover, went for lunch together, 30 years after their doomed romance ended. Lady
Glenconner, a close friend of the late Princess Margaret, recounted what the princess said
after her reunion was Peter. She said: “Peter Townsend came to lunch with her and I said:
'What was it like seeing him?'." “She said charmingly, he hadn’t changed at all. I looked
out the window and saw him getting out of the car, he was an old man.” “Yet in her eyes
he hadn’t changed. I thought that was very touching.”
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Conclusion
Interest in the lives of the members of the Royal Family is nothing new. People
want to find in the monarchy continuity, stability, and most of all tradition, but also want
it to represent modernity, to reflect current values and be a focus for national identity.
Royal etiquette plays a significant role in the life of a royal family. Royal families
may work and live by various guidelines and rules, yet regal behaviour is frequently
straightforwardly connected to a specific individual from the family and their closeness
to the seat.
Should a rule be broken, as we have seen in the past, the punishment is unclear.
Whether or not Queen Elizabeth layed down the law. Despite the powerful theoretical
arguments against them, the British royal family has survived by being more open and
flexible – and yes, more democratic – than many others.
They lead their lives that seem nearly fantasy in nature and outside of standards.
Nonetheless, their ways of life are directly constrained by standards and assumptions that
set them apart however may, on occasion, be constricting. The interesting thing about
sovereignty is that at their centre they are still a family.
