Members of the British Royal Family. The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom.

A royal family is the extended family of a monarch. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Generally, the head of a royal family is a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the relatives of a reigning duke, grand duke, or prince. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The Title grand duke (in Latin, magnus dux; in Spanish, gran duque; in Russian, Великий Герцог Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a It is also considered proper in some circles to refer to the extended relations of a deposed monarch and his or her descendants as a royal family.

Members of a Royal Family

A royal family typically includes the spouse of the reigning monarch, surviving spouses of a deceased monarch, the children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and cousins of the reigning monarch, as well as their spouses. In some cases, royal family membership may extend to great grandchildren and more distant descendants of a monarch. In certain monarchies where voluntary abdication is the norm, such as the Netherlands, a royal family may also include one or more former monarchs. Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning renouncing from ab, away from and dicare, to declare to proclaim as not belonging to one The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands There is often a distinction between persons of the blood royal and those that marry into the royal family. In certain instances, such as in Canada, the royal family is defined by who holds the titles Majesty and Royal Highness. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin Maiestas, meaning Greatness. ^[1] Under most systems, only persons in the first category are dynasts, that is, potential successors to the throne (unless the member of the latter category is also in line to the throne in their own right, a frequent occurrence in royal families which frequently intermarry). This is not always observed; some monarchies have operated by the principle of jure uxoris. Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of the wife

Royal family of France in Classical costume during the reign of Louis XIV

In addition certain relatives of the monarch (by blood or marriage) possess special privileges and are subject to certain statutes, conventions, or special common law. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The precise functions of a royal family vary depending on whether the polity in question is an absolute monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, or somewhere in between. Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is In certain absolute monarchies, such as that found in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, or in political systems where the monarch actually exercises executive power, such as in Jordan, it is not uncommon for the members of a royal family to hold important government posts or military commands. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern In most constitutional monarchies, however, members of a royal family perform certain public, social, or ceremonial functions, but refrain from any involvement in electoral politics or the actual governance of the country.

The specific composition of royal families varies from country to country, as do the titles and royal and noble styles held by members of the family. Styles represent the fashion by which monarchs and noblemen are properly addressed The composition of the royal family may be regulated by statute enacted by the legislature (e. g. Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan since 1947), the Sovereign's prerogative and common law tradition (e. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. g. the United Kingdom), or a private house law (e. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located g. , Liechtenstein, the former ruling houses of Bavaria, Prussia, Hanover, etc. The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state Hanover (i ( haˈnoːfɐ on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony ( Niedersachsen ). Public statutes, constitutional provisions, or conventions may also regulate the marriages, names, and personal titles of royal family members. The members of a royal family may or may not have a surname or dynastic name (see Royal House). A royal house or royal dynasty is a familial designation or Family name of sorts used by Royalty.

In a constitutional monarchy, when the monarch dies, there is always a very specific order of succession that indicates the exact order of family members in line to the throne. An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death resignation or removal of its current occupant

Changes

In some cases, well-known families that are not actually involved in monarchies but are still prominent in government are informally referred to as "royal families". The best-known example of this is the Kennedy family in the U. The Kennedy family are a family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P S. and the descendents of the Gurjara-Pratiharas clans or "Rajputs" in India. See Gujjar. The Gujjar ( Hindi: गुज्जर Urdu: گجر or Gurjar (Hindi गुर्जर Urdu گُرجر are an ethnic group in India and

Some royal families have lost their "royalty" by social changes over a long period time. This fate befell the Nair families of Kerala, India, after the advent of Namboodiri Brahmins in the 12th century who claimed caste superiority over the Nair kings. Nāyar (Malayalam നായര്‍ naːjar most commonly spelt Nair) is the name of a Hindu upper caste from the southern Indian state of Kerala

In recent years, many royal families have become increasingly challenged by the media to justify the public expenditure on them. This is particularly so when the royal family is perceived as behaving badly (such as in the case of the British Royal Family; extramarital affairs, and/or refusing to grieve publicly on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales).

Famous royal houses and dynasties

Current Royal families

See also

References

External links

• Family trees of ruling and former ruling European Dynasties (French)
• Genealogía, Reyes y Reinos (Spanish)
• Koch Rajbongshi Royal Family/India/Koch Dynasty