Too bad the UK doesn’t just abolish the monarchy. It’s time.
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The Queen is dead. Long live the King.
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Well I could not begin to tell you. My instincts are mostly based on Disney princesses via my daughters and Winston Churchill books from 25 years ago, but I checked with the BBC and they confirmed the list above.
British monarchs have almost always kept their baptismal name. One would assume this Charles is not trying to honor the first two but has been known so long as Charles that he wanted to keep it.
Wikipedia has already updated their regnal name entry.
United Kingdom
Though most monarchs of the United Kingdom have used their first baptismal name as their regnal name, on three occasions monarchs have chosen a different name. First, [Queen Victoria] had been christened Alexandrina Victoria, but took the throne under the name Victoria.
When Victoria’s son, Prince Albert Edward, became king in 1901, he took the regnal name [Edward VII], against the wish of his late mother. The new king declared that he chose the name Edward as an honoured name borne by six of his predecessors, and that he preferred that the name Albert be only associated in royal history with [his father]
In 1936, after the [abdication crisis], Prince Albert, Duke of York, assumed the throne. His full name was Albert Frederick Arthur George and he became King George VI rather than “King Albert”.
There was speculation that Charles (Charles III - Wikipedia), current king of the United Kingdom, might elect not to be known as “Charles III” out of concern about comparisons with Charles II of England (who was known as the Merry Monarch for his womanizing), Charles I of England (who was executed after the [English Civil War] and the Jacobite Charles Edward Stuart) (who claimed the title “Charles III”). It was reported that he might instead choose to be known as George VII in honour of his grandfather. In an announcement following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Liz Truss referred to Charles as King Charles III, the first official usage of the name.
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I’m now very curious if Archie and Lily, now grandchildren of the Monarch will be given the titles of Prince and Princess. Or it it automatic until/ unless Charles does a letters-patent.
I’m not even British, but I’ve got all the feels today about this. She lived a long and amazing life. I feel like she was such an amazing leader and head of state. Was truly devoted to her country and its people. When I think of the definition of somebody who lives a life of service, she is the person who I think of. The world is a better place because she was in it.
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It’s automatic. Whether they will use the titles is a different question
I just read an article where Harry had said previously something to the effect his life would have been so much easier without a title. It will be interesting see what they do. I bet Meghan will want them. They will use the excuse of security when in England, but I think Meghan just likes them.
I also read how Charles has said he wants to streamline the monarchy, so it will be quite the scandal if he undoes this.
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Can we please keep this conversation about the passing of the Queen and not about Harry & Meghan?
There is a thread about Harry & Meghan stepping back. It is a little old but becomes active when news happens.
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Not a fan of Charles nor are most of our UK friends. And I certainly can’t believe Camilla is now Queen consort. I wish the Queen would have passed over her son and made William King.
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It doesn’t work that way. The line of succession is set by Parliamentary statute.
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That’s what I was thinking. Wouldn’t Charles have had to abdicate for that to happen? Or would it have actually passed on to Andrew? That would have been problematic!
In the UK, the monarch does not choose the successor. The line of succession is outlined in post 12 above. Absent an act of Parliament, for William to be king, Charles has to die or abdicate. I do not believe there is a way of removing oneself in advance of succeeding to the throne
Regardless, skipping Charles was never an option.
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No, no, no, no!!! Charles would NEVER abdicate. Remember, his grandmother, the Queen Mother instilled in him his duty. She was so hateful of Edward VIII when he abdicated. Her husband was thrust into the title and ill prepared. I am sure that she impressed on Charles his duty to be the future king.
Also, I am sure that the last thing William wants right now is to be King. He has young children and he knows the demands of the monarchy. He will be king soon enough.
Charles has been “King in waiting” for over 70 years. That is all he was trained for. While he may not want to be monarch in some ways, now is his time to fulfill that roll which he has been trained for. Charles has gotten lots of bad press over the years, but he has done a lot of wonderful and worthwhile things. The Prince’s Trust is a marvelous charity.
Oh, we lived in England for 3 years including when Diana died.
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Interesting. Learned quite a bit from you today @skieurope. You really seem to know a lot about the monarchy!
So I thought this too, but then it led me to wonder, and it sounds like you may know, why then did Princess Anne’s children not have automatic titles as grandchildren of the monarch? Can automatic titles be refused then, I know the Princess Royal did not want her children to have them.
I think that the titles Prince/Princess only goes to the children of the Monarch’s son’s, not the children of daughter’s. They can receive other title’s, but can be requested to not be given. Anne did that with her children.
I’m not sure if Edward’s children are really Prince/Princess but don’t use the titles, or if they were forfeited. I bet Skieurope knows.
With rare exceptions, titles descend only through the father. Mark Phillips turned down an earldom in marriage, so his children were simply Mr Peter Phillips and Miss Zara Phillips. Even if Mark Phillips had a title, his kids would not be prince/princess.
To show how patriarchal UK society was back then (and still is to a certain extent), during her first marriage, Anne was referred to officially as Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips.
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I find it interesting that we spend a lot of time talking about meritocracy, but still love birthright. Doesn’t matter if it is the British Monarchy, Game of Thrones, or Harry Potter.
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I lived in London then too. I was grief stricken at Diana’s death, but I am not moved by Queen Elizabeth’s.
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