How the Crown Has More Power Than You Think

Dec 1, 2022 | The monarch's role in British politics is supposed to be neutral. In theory at least, she plays no role in government decision-making or the setting of policy. …

How the Royal Family Is Changing before Our Very Eyes

‘Perfect Storm’: Royals Misjudged Caribbean Tour, Say Critics

THE GUARDIAN: Calls for slavery reparations and Jamaica’s PM insisting country was ‘moving on’ signal sea change in relations with royals

A screenshot from the accompanying video.
It was supposed to be a visit to mark the Queen’s diamond [surely Platinum?] jubilee – a chance to present the modern face of the British monarchy to a region where republican sentiment is on the rise.

But it really didn’t turn out that way.

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge end their week-long tour of the Caribbean on Saturday, they will report back that the tour may have accelerated moves to ditch the Queen as the head of state.

Calls for slavery reparations and the enduring fury of the Windrush scandal followed them across Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas – overshadowing a trip aimed at strengthening the Commonwealth and discouraging other countries from following Barbados’s example in becoming a republic. » | Rachel Hall and Amelia Gentleman | Friday, March 25, 2022

Wie deutsch ist die Queen? Die Wurzeln des Hauses Windsor – Doku

"Queen Elizabeth ist bei den Deutschen sehr beliebt, verkörpert sie doch typisch deutsche Tugenden. Auch die in England gern verschwiegenen Wurzeln ihrer Dynastie liegen in Deutschland. Zum ersten Mal berichten in der Dokumentation ""Wie deutsch ist die Queen?"" Vertreter deutscher Adelshäuser über ihre Verbindung zum britischen Königshaus und zur historischen Verantwortung ihrer Familien - auch in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus. Kein Monarch ist hierzulande so populär wie Queen Elizabeth II. Ihr Glamour allein kann diese Beliebtheit nicht erklären.

Eine Rolle spielen auch ihre familiären Verbindungen nach Deutschland. Die Queen auf Deutschlandbesuch, 50 Jahre nach ihrer ersten Visite als Staatsoberhaupt, ist ein historisches Ereignis. Nie waren die deutsch-britischen Beziehungen nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg so gut wie heute, und kein Monarch ist in der Bundesrepublik so beliebt wie Elizabeth II.

Die Dynastie der Windsors stammt aus dem kleinen fränkischen Ort Coburg. Bis 1917 lautete der Nachname der Mitglieder des britischen Königshauses von Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha. Unter dem Eindruck des Ersten Weltkriegs erfand man den Namen Windsor...

Die Vorfahren der Windsor-Dynastie kamen aus den Häusern Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Hessen, Hannover und Preußen. Wenn die Queen nach Deutschland zum Staatsbesuch kommt, ist das also immer auch eine Stippvisite bei Verwandten. Bis zum Ersten Weltkrieg trug die Royal Family sogar einen deutschen Nachnamen: Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha. Prinz Albert hatte ihn mit ins Königshaus gebracht, als er 1840 seine Cousine Queen Victoria heiratete. Die blutjunge Monarchin stammte ihrerseits ebenfalls aus einem deutschen Adelsgeschlecht, der Dynastie der Welfen. Im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert saßen sie nicht nur in Hannover auf dem Thron, sondern in Personalunion auch in Großbritannien. Prinz Albert und Queen Victoria träumten von einer engen deutsch-britischen Verbindung und verheirateten ihre älteste Tochter mit dem preußischen Thronfolger. Zwei Weltkriege später war das britisch-deutsche Verhältnis zerrüttet.Millionen Menschen beider Nationen hatten ihr Leben auf den Schlachtfeldern verloren, und die enge Verflechtung der Royal Family mit ihren deutschen Verwandten erschien so heikel, dass sie für Jahrzehnte dezent verschwiegen wurde."

Dangerous Indiscretions: The Decline of the House of Windsor | The Crown Documentary | Timeline

This in-depth documentary looks at the scandals that have blighted the credibility and popularity of the royal family through the ages, right up to the more recent controversies surrounding Diana, Fergie and Camilla.

The Queen's 'Hidden-away' Cousin Katharine Bowes-Lyon Dies at 87

DAILY EXPRESS: ONE of the Queen's cousins who lived with learning disabilities and was hidden away for decades has died at the age of 87.

Katharine Bowes-Lyon, the niece of the late Queen Mother, died on February 23 but her death was only announced by her family yesterday. She was laid to rest at a private family funeral.

She and her late elder sister Nerissa, who also had learning disablities, were two of the four daughters of the Queen Mother's elder brother John Bowes-Lyon.

In an era when families treated the disabled with shame and even young unmarried women who got pregnant were locked in asylums or hospitals, the sisters were hidden away from polite society for much of their lives, even while the Queen Mother was patron of Mencap, the charity for what used to be known as the mentally handicapped, people with learning disabilities. » | Richard Palmer | Thursday, March 06, 2014

Britain's Royal Family Should Cut Costs and Staff, Lawmakers Say

LOS ANGELES TIMES: LONDON – Time was when being queen (or king) meant having the power to make your enemies’ heads roll. Now it means being told by upstart lawmakers to cut your expenses and chop the number of people on staff. And could Your Majesty please do a better job of keeping your home in decent condition?

In a report released Tuesday on the finances of Britain’s royal household, members of Parliament criticized the state of disrepair of much of Queen Elizabeth II’s considerable estate, saying that nearly 40% of it was in subpar condition. The boiler in Buckingham Palace hasn’t been overhauled in 60 years and buckets catch water leaking from the roof inside a gallery where priceless artworks are kept, one lawmaker said.

Yet even as urgent home repairs were needed, the world’s most famous extended family spent $74.5 million in 2012-13, going over budget by $3.8 million. The number of people serving them remains unchanged from several years ago. And the household’s rainy-day reserve fund has dwindled to a decidedly less-than-princely sum of $1.7 million. » | Henry Chu | Tuesday, January 28, 2014

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Wanted: an enthusiastic and proactive individual to run the Queen’s bath: A new housekeeper is wanted at Buckingham Palace to look after royal guests, furnishings and art » | Gordon Raynor, Chief Reporter | Friday, January 24, 2014

DAILY EXPRESS: Boomtime Britain as Buckingham Palace goes on a recruiting spree: FOR those who have ever wondered what it would be like to work in Buckingham Palace, they no longer need to dream about such a job as the royal residence is opening it's doors to new employees. » | Kirsty McCormack | Saturday, January 25, 2014

Palace Reshuffle as the Queen Passes More Royal Responsibilities to Prince Charles

SUNDAY EXPRESS: THE relocating of staff within Buckingham Palace suggest that the first steps are being taken to bring Prince Charles to the throne.

A merging of palace staff has begun, which sees Prince Charles' aide become the media chief for the entire Royal household.

The heir to the throne will also accompany his mother to the beaches of Normandy later this year.

The trip is to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Charles accompanying the Queen on the trip further adds to speculation that it may be the monarch's final engagement overseas.

A French government official, who was involved with organising the D-Day anniversary events, revealed that: "We have been told this will probably be the Queen's last official foreign visit." » | Nicole Morley | Sunday, January 19, 2014

Prince John, The Windsors’ Tragic Secret

Accountant Seeks to Prove He Is Princess Margaret's Secret Son

THE GUARDIAN: Robert Brown, who believes Princess Margaret hid a pregnancy in 1955, is fighting for access to documents relating to her will

A Jersey accountant is restarting his legal battle to find out if he is Princess Margaret's secret illegitimate son.

Robert Brown, 57, said he was prepared to spend up to £100,000 fighting for access to sensitive documents relating to her will and he has appointed solicitors to obtain secret court papers, known as a practice direction, about the sealing of royal wills drawn up around the time of Margaret's death in 2002.

Brown believes he was born to Princess Margaret in 1955 and his father was possibly Robin Douglas Home. He claims that the later stages of her pregnancy were covered up with the use of body doubles and that he was sent to Kenya to be brought up as the child of Cynthia and Douglas Brown in Nairobi.

He believes the documents will show how Buckingham Palace, the attorney general and a senior judge acted together to maintain secrecy around the Queen's sister's last testament, in which he hopes details of his birth are included.

Brown's case has been dismissed by lawyers for the royal family in a previous court hearing as that of "a fantasist seeking to feed his private obsession". But he insists he has the right to find out if the Queen's sister is his mother and he has appointed the law firm Christian Khan, which describes itself as having a reputation for "acting in political cases where individuals bring or defend proceedings against larger organisations, including the state". » | Robert Booth | Sunday, November 11, 2012

Attorney General Vetoes Prince Charles[’] Letters Publication

BBC: Attorney General Dominic Grieve has blocked the release of private letters the Prince of Wales sent to seven government departments.

A court ruled last month that the correspondence should be published.

But Mr Grieve said it was an exceptional case where the letters formed part of the prince's "preparations for kingship".

The Guardian said it would seek to take the government to the high court to challenge the veto .

The Republic group called the ruling an "affront to democracy" which was "all about protecting Charles and the royal family from scrutiny". » | Tuesday, October 16, 2012

THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Prince Charles's letters: a right royal cover-up: The prospect of a systemic and fundamental abuse of the essentially passive role of the crown in our constitutional monarchical system seems too dangerous to contemplate » | Editorial | Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Prince Charles Earns £1m From Those Who Die Without Wills

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince Charles has earned more than £1 million from people dying without a will since 2006 under arrangements dating back to the medieval period, new figures show.

Financial accounts published by the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate which funds the public, charitable and private activities of Prince Charles and his family reveal he earned £552,000 from the power this year alone.

Under constitutional law dating back to medieval times, the Prince of Wales is entitled to the estates of people who die without a will in Cornwall.

In most of Britain, dying without a will, known as 'dying intestate', means money left by the deceased goes to the government.

But in Cornwall, property passes to Prince Charles. Accounts published on the Duchy's website disclose total earnings of £1.019 million. » | Telegraph reporters | Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Prinzenhochzeit: „Ich hoffe, wir haben ihren Geschmack getroffen“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nach der Trauung gab es bei der Königin köstliche Häppchen, aber keinen Pimm's: Hochzeitsgast Philipp Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, der Großneffe der Queen, erzählt, was die Fernsehkameras nicht filmten.

Philipp Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg, wie begann für Sie der große Tag?

Ganz entspannt. Wir haben uns ins Taxi gesetzt und sind ganz früh in der Westminster Abbey gewesen. Die Stadt war erstaunlich leer, zumindest die Straßen, auf denen wir gefahren sind.

Dann gab es aber bestimmt strenge Sicherheitsvorkehrungen?

Es gab schon Schleusen und einen Metalldetektor. Und es war auch ein bisschen wie am Flughafen. Wir wurden kontrolliert, nachdem wir unsere Zulassungskarte vorgezeigt hatten. Die Karten hatten unterschiedliche Farben, je nachdem, wo man saß. Unsere Karte war orange. Aber weil wir so früh da waren, ging das alles ganz schnell.

Saßen Sie mit der Königsfamilie zusammen hinter der Chorschranke und damit nahe am Altar?

Ja. Wir hatten ganz wunderbare Plätze. Meine Frau und ich saßen direkt hinter der königlichen Familie - vielleicht neun Meter vom Altar entfernt. William und sein Trauzeuge Harry waren ja auch schon früh in der Kirche und sind zweimal direkt an uns vorbeigelaufen in die Sakristei. » | F.A.S. | Die Fragen stellte Peter-Philipp Schmitt | Dienstag, 03. Mai 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Philipp Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg: Der Hochzeitsgast von der Jagst – Philipp Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg ist zur Prinzenhochzeit geladen - als einer von wenigen Deutschen. Der Grund: Einer seiner Vorfahren war mit einer der Schwestern von Philip Mountbatten verheiratet, dem Großvater des Bräutigams. » | Von Peter-Philipp Schmitt, Langenburg | Donnerstag, 28. April 2011

WIKI: Philipp zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg »

WIKI: Hohenlohe (Adelsgeschlecht) »

WIKI: Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg »

WIKI – Français: Philipp zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg »

WIKI: Langenburg »

WIKI: Schloss Langenburg »

The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
Complete coverage of the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton

Frost Over the World - The Royal Wedding
It is estimated that about two billion people around the world watched the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. What does that say about the popularity of the British royal family, or more particularly this newly-wed couple?

Windsor Wonderland: William and Kate Celebrate Dream Wedding
Photo: Spiegel Online International
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Britain celebrated the royal wedding of William and Kate with a grand patriotic spectacle. Friday's ceremony also sent out a message: With these two at the helm as the future king and queen of England, the monarchy will be less distant from its subjects in the years to come -- and also a little more human.

If you want to know just how important a particular event is to the Brits, you just have to look at the bets that the bookmakers are accepting. In the runup to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, you could, for example, bet that the bride or groom would drop the wedding ring during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey (something which did not happen), or that Kate would mix up the first names of her husband, like Diana before her (she did not), or that Prince Philip would fall asleep during the ceremony (fortunately he did not) or that the Queen would wear a yellow hat (which she did).

The British had been preparing for the royal wedding for weeks. Some had chosen the best place to observe the proceedings and had camped out on the sidewalk for days. Others chose to use the public holiday to hold royal-themed parties.

There were certainly enough attempts to make money out of the occasion. The high-end supermarket chain Waitrose, for example, had a royal couple made out of gingerbread on sale. Demand rapidly increased in the past few days, and hundreds of the gingerbread royals were sold.

The route that Kate and William traveled after the ceremony in their century-old coach had resembled a carnival scene for days. People were already camped out on Thursday evening to reserve the best places along the route. More and more arrived over the course of the evening, braving the cold. The sense of anticipation grew by the hour. Across the country, around 5,000 street parties were held in what was no less than an impressive patriotic spectacle.

The wedding was also a kind of national festival. The British were celebrating their royal family and their own Britishness. Early on Friday morning, hundreds had gathered at the Goring Hotel, where Kate Middleton spent her last night as an unmarried woman together with her parents and siblings. Spectators outside Westminster Abbey fought fiercely for the best seats. Some of them had left their homes or hotels at the crack of dawn to get a place in the front row, and were not willing to settle for less.

Even after the wedding, people continued celebrating -- some out of conviction, others simply because everyone else was doing so. The euphoria did not let up. » | Marco Evers, Barbara Hans and Carsten Volkery in London | Friday, April 29, 2011

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GALLERY: The Wedding of the Year »

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GALLERY: The Hats of Westminster »

Les plus beaux chapeaux du mariage princier
Miriam Gonzales Durantez, femme de Nick Clegg. Photo : Paris Match
PARIS MATCH: À la galerie » | Samedi 30 Avril 2011
LA TIMES PHOTOGALLERY: Top hats at the royal wedding: There was an abundance of head adornment amid the displays of grace and elegance at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London. These are our top picks. Enjoy! » | Jerome Adamstein | Sunday, May 01, 2011

Royal Wedding: Inside Kate and William’s Extraordinary Palace Reception
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s reception for their closest friends have described the “magical” night in Buckingham Palace after the wedding.

Just as Prince William had pledged that his late mother should share “in all the fun and excitement” of his engagement by giving his bride the ring she once wore, so the sons of Diana, Princess of Wales made sure that she was not forgotten in the royal wedding celebrations.

Prince William and his best man, Prince Harry, both paid tribute to their mother in their speeches at the intimate evening reception on Friday night, telling their closest friends and family “how much she would have liked to have been here” as Prince William married Kate Middleton.

The emotional moments when both Princes remembered their late mother in their respective speeches followed an evening reception at Buckingham Palace, described by one guest as “the most magical party imaginable”.

There were fireworks, a live band led by the pop star Ellie Goulding, and the Palace’s magnificent Throne Room was transformed into a “massive nightclub”.

After a lunch-time reception at Buckingham Palace for 650 guests hosted by the Queen for the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, only the couple’s true inner circle - 300 of their most trusted friends and family - retired their homes or London hotels to rest and then change into their evening wear for the reception at the Palace, hosted by the Prince of Wales.

Prince William wore black-tie and was accompanied by his new bride - looking every inch the Princess in another flowing white satin dress, accessorised with a diamante detail at the waist and an angora bolero cardigan, again by the wedding dress designer Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen - as he emerged from Clarence House shortly after 7pm, before heading to the Palace with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. » | Roya Nikkhah, Royal Correspondent | Saturday, April 30, 2011

Royal Wedding: Security Fears Hit Prince William and Kate Middleton's Honeymoon Plan
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prince William and his new wife have postponed their honeymoon abroad in a surprise last-minute announcement.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – the Prince and Kate Middleton's new titles – revealed they would not be immediately travelling overseas for the traditional post-wedding break, choosing instead to spend time at an undisclosed location in the UK before the Prince returns to work next week.

The sudden change, announced on Saturday, came despite aides having said consistently that the honeymoon would immediately follow the wedding, and Miss Middleton shopping for sundresses and bikinis last week.

There was speculation it may have been prompted by security concerns.

The couple were originally believed to have booked a honeymoon in Jordan, where the Duchess lived for two years as a child.

The trip was thought to have included visits to the Wadi-Rum desert and the ancient city of Petra.

However, potential security hazards surrounding the continuing unrest throughout the Middle East may have prompted them to rethink their plans. » | Roya Nikkhah, Royal Correspondent | Saturday, April 30, 2011

Hear Music From The Royal Wedding
WGBH.ORG: England's Royal Wedding of 2011 for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge included stunning musical performances. Hear them on demand here.