The Royal Family

At present the British royal family is headed by Queen Elizabeth. When the Queen was born on 21 April 1926, her grandfather, King George V, was on the throne and her uncle was his heir. The death of her grandfather and the abdication of her uncle brought her father to the throne as King George VI.

As a child she studied constitutional history and law as well as art and music. In addition, she learned to ride and acquired her enthusiasm for horses. As she grew elder she began to take part in public life, making her first broadcast at the age of 14.

The marriage of the young Princess Elizabeth to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place in November 1947. She came to the throne after her father’s death in 1952 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey in June 1953.
Among Queen Elizabeth’s many duties are the regular visits she makes to foreign countries, and especially those of Commonwealth, whose interests and welfare are very important to her. The Queen has done much to signify the formalities of the monarchy, including allowing of the BBC to make a documentary film about the every day of the royal family. She also started the tradition of the ‘walkabout’, an informal feature of an otherwise formal royal visit, when she walks among the public crowds and stops to talk to talk to some people.

The annual Christmas broadcast made by the Queen on radio and television has become a traditional and popular feature of the season, and there were widespread celebrations and special programmes of events in 1977 to mark her Silver Jubilee.

The Queen’s Birthday

The Queen was actually born on 21 April, but it has long been customary to celebrate the Sovereign’s birthday on a day during the summer. Since 1805 the Sovereign’s ‘official’ birthday has been marked by the Trooping the Colour ceremony, normally held on the second Saturday in June.

This is a ceremony which originated when it was essential for soldiers to recognise the flag or ‘Colour’ of their regiment so that they could follow it into battle. Each year one of the five regiments of the foot guards  (Grenadiers, Coldstream Guards, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards) take turn to display their Colour in the ceremony.

The ceremony begins with the Queen leaving Buckingham Palace escorted by the household Cavalry. She rides down to The Mall to Horse Guards Parade and inspects the 500 guardsmen.

The Colour is trouped by being carried along the ranks of guardsmen, and the Colour party then leads the guards on a march past the Queen, accompanied by the massed bands of the foot guards.

No particular annual ceremony is held on the Queen’s true birthday, although the Union Flag is flown on public buildings and the national anthem is sung.

Line of Succession to the Throne

1 The Prince of Wales (b. 1948) Prince Charles (married Lady Diana Spencer)
the eldest son and the 1st child of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
2 Prince William of Wales (b. 1982) elder son of Charles and Diana
3 Prince Henry of Wales (b. 1984) younger son of Charles and Diana
4 The Duke of York (b. 1960) Prince Andrew (married Sarah Ferguson)
2nd son of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
3rd child of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
5 Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988) elder daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson
6 Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990) younger daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson
7 Prince Edward (b. 1964) 3rd son of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
4th child of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
8 The Princess Royal (b. 1950) Princess Anne (married Captain Mark Phillips)
the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
the 2nd child of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
9 Peter Philips, son of the Princess Royal (b. 1977) the son of Princess Royal and Captain Mark Philips
10 Zara Philips, daughter of the Princess Royal (b. 1981) the daughter of Princess Royal and Captain Mark Philips