Question: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester as king?

Why didn't Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester become king when George VI died? By everything that I know, as the next male in succession, George V's third son should have become king after the first abdicated and the second died.

The type of succession that you are referring to is called agnatic primogeniture. Inheritance according to the seniority of birth amongst the of sons of a monarch.

King George V had five sons. Prince Edward (future King Edward VIII), Prince Albert (future King George VI), Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Prince George, Duke of Kent and Prince John, who died as a child. After King George V's death, in 1936 and King Edward VIII's abdication in 1937, the next son came to the throne as King George VI. In 1937, at the start of King George VI's reign, the first four places in the line of succession were occupied by Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent.

The succession to the British throne is by male preference primogeniture. Males have precedence over females, however if there is a female she is not excluded. Because of this, King George VI's elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth became the sovereign and not Prince Henry. If the King died without children, then Prince Henry would have become king in 1952 because he was next in line. If this had occurred then after King Henry IX's death in 1974, his son, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester would be king, possibly reigning as King Richard IV.

It is interesting to note that had King Edward VIII not abdicated and not had children, the succession would likely look as it does today. The only difference is that the present Queen would have come to the throne upon the death of her uncle in 1972 instead of 1952 when her father died.

© Marilyn Braun 2011

A Snub from the Queen

It's ninety days before the world will witness Prince William and Kate Middleton say "I do" at the historical Westminster Abbey but doubts on Middleton's suitability continue to escalate. Is she really fit to wear the crown of being the next Princess of Wales? Though her middle class background is being frowned, ordinary people are happy that William chooses her to be his bride because this would lower the barrier dividing royalty and commoners, in fact most people are anticipating a thrilling celebration all over the United Kingdom, the pomp and pageantry of the ancient rituals of royal weddings will fascinate millions of viewers once again and the British subjects will be treated to another fairytale hoopla of a happily-ever-after stuff, but amidst the excitement, there's one reality pinning a hard button on the facade of the fairytale. Within the sheltered palace walls, it is still uncertain if the ruling British Queen is happy with the inclusion of another commoner into the royal household. (picture left: The Queen and her heirs: Prince Charles and Prince William)

A report in the Daily Telegraph, and Herald Sun, two of the most credible newspapers in the UK, revealed that the Queen is yet to meet Kate Middleton's parents, Michael and Carole and the monarch seems less enthusiastic and has no plan to ingratiate with the Middletons. This is unusual, because, as the current head of the House of Windsor, she is expected to meet and welcome the immediate family of a person who is set to marry any members of her direct family and this courtesy is often anticipated as part of the royal decorum.

A royal spokesman is quick to defend this "snub" by telling: "It is just the Queen has not felt the need to meet Miss Middleton's parents. At present there are no plans for her to do so in the run-up to the wedding. If she chooses to do so, it will be a private matter." (from the daily telegraph).

But isn't it nice if the Queen would get to know more the family of a woman who will marry her grandson and direct heir? But this gesture is somewhat disturbing. From the perspective of royal commentators, this is a total rejection of acceptance. The Queen is raised in a tight circle of monarchy, she never partied to anyone let alone mix with "outsiders" (royalty's term for commoners) and talk things beyond horses, palaces and the commonwealth. She is not an ordinary monarch who takes everything with ease especially to commoners.

In many occasions that the Middletons were invited by Prince William, not even once did the monarch ever show interest to know the Middletons. Royal commentators say "this is where reality tends to intrude on fairytales. It's not all tiaras and palaces when an outsider infiltrates one of the oldest monarchies in the world"

The conservative circle of aristocracy in Britain is known to spit the word "commoners" with disdain and this is evident on many occasions they refer to Kate Middleton's background as "middle class", they pronounced it as if it is the most outrageous phrase to hit the planet. Though much things about change have been trumpeted about the highest throne on Earth, still reality prevails, the ancient tradition still cling to their system, that royalty should marry into the aristocracy to preserve the prestige and charm of the crown. 

Kate Middleton is expected to embrace this reality, It is the high prize she would pay. The Queen's snub on her parents is just an introduction on how difficult it is for commoners to join the rigid world of the British monarchy. The social class system  still dictates the lifestyle of the British royals. The traditional royalists, who believed commoners always bring disasters to the monarchy, are already disappointed with Camilla Parker-Bowles now the person they expected to rescue the sinking ship of the House of Windsor, chooses yet another commoner thoroughly eroding the mystic of the crown. Prince William will be the first future British King to marry a middle class woman in English history.

HER MAJESTY ON FACEBOOK

Her Majesty on Facebook

The official Facebook page of the British Monarchy

The British Queen, Elizabeth II, is known for her disdain of film stars and other sort of celebrity stuff. In 1956, she declined to attend the wedding of Prince Rainier III of Monaco to Hollywood actress, Grace Kelly, because of too many film stars. In fact, she and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh never signed autograph nor held a press conference because they did not want to descend to the level of movie stars.

The ruling British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II

But lately, the Queen seems ready to embrace the call of times that she allowed the royal court to sign in FACEBOOK, the leading social networking site in the world today. She was reportedly convinced by her grandson, Prince William, to join Facebook to connect with her subjects in far-away realms. Though her page never allows visitors to “poke” her, but everybody could click “like” and browse on royal photographs and videos.

Princess Eugenie of York and Princess Beatrice of York with their mother Sarah, Duchess of York. Eugenie and Beatrice are daughters of the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. Sarah and Andrew separated and divorced in 1995 but they remained good friends. The Yorks sisters are both in myspace social networking site.

Queen Rania of Jordan was the first royal to announce that she has a twitter account

The royal family members, just like the rest of us, are also amazed with the wonders of modern technology  that some of them joined social networking sites. Prince William has no Facebook account but he has a twitter page under an unknown alias name. His cousin, Princess Beatrice of York, also has a myspace account. The first royalty to announce that she has an official twitter page in 2004 was Queen Rania of Jordan, the pretty Queen Consort of King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Queen Elizabeth II

How the reigning British Monarch came into the throne? 

Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, the current British Monarch is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and King Christian IX of Denmark. On the day she was born, there was no curiosity generated from the public due to the fact that she was not expected to ascend the British throne. Her father, Prince Bertie, was then the Duke of York and only second in line to the throne after his older brother, Prince David, the Prince of Wales. It was thought possible that her uncle David would eventually marry and have children, more than that, her parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, planned a larger family and in the event of many sons, Elizabeth will ranked below them and their children and will be further removed from the line of succession.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

But destiny works on her side and secured her place in World history.

The future Queen was born at her maternal grandparents' (Lord and Lady Strathmore) London home at 17 Bruton Street near Berkeley square in Mayfair, London. She was delivered through a caesarian section and witnessed by a home secretary, Sir William Johnson-Hicks (this archaic law of monarchy, where a home secretary is required to witness the birth of all royal children, is to ensure the legitimacy of a child in the succession). She was christened at the private chapel of Buckingham palace on May 19, 1926. She was nicknamed "Lilibet". In 1930 her only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born at the Strathmore's ancestral home in Glamis Castle, Scotland. The two little Princesses were comfortably raised at 145 Piccadilly, London, they also had a country home called Royal Lodge which is located near Windsor Great Park. As with most members of the British Royal Family, Princess Elizabeth grew up fascinated with horses, she started her riding lesson at the age of three.

The Queen and her heir, the Prince of Wales at the Braemar Games in Scotland

Prince Bertie treasured his family whom he dubbed “Us four”. He was not fun of pomp and pageantry and just enjoyed spending most of his free time with his daughters and relying on the strength of his strong-willed wife, the youngest daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As second in line to the throne, Prince Bertie was not expected to carry many royal engagements because those were reserved for the heir apparent, but the feckless behavior of the Prince of Wales, who at 38 is still single and enjoyed the company of sophisticated married women, became a great concern to his father, King George V. By that time, the heir apparent was intensely involved with Wallis Simpson, a commoner American woman, once divorced and whom the present husband is preoccupied somewhere.

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

The King had wished to pass the throne to his second son, but the law on primogeniture succession barred the Duke of York from succeeding while the Prince of Wales is still alive. In January 1936 the King died from Pneumonia, David immediately ascended as King Edward VIII, several months later, his love affair to Mrs. Simpson became known to the press and Buckingham palace officials warned the new king that such an illicit affair could endanger the monarchy.

Watching the fly-past tt the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colours Ceremony to celebrate the Queen's official birthday. Front row: Prince William, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Behind them are the Earl and Countess of Wessex,Prince Michael of Kent and Lady rose Windsor (daughter of the Duke of Gloucester)

The conservative Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, threatened to resign if Edward will proceed in marriage with Mrs. Simpson. For a throne who revered myth and tradition, it is inconceivable for a disgraced commoner woman with two living husbands be crowned as Queen of the British Empire. Edward insisted that he will be supported by public opinion, so the Prime Minister consulted all the ministers of the Commonwealth and the result was unanimous: either abdicate or abandon Mrs. Simpson.

At Trooping the Colours. Front row: Prince William, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Behind them are Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex (the Queen's youngest son)and Prince Michael of Kent (the Queen's first cousin and the Duke of Edinburgh's nephew)

Edward chose his lover over duty and tradition, on the snowy morning of December 11, 1936, his booming voice echoed through out the world announcing his voluntary abdication: "It is impossible for me to carry my duty as a leader to my people without the support of the woman I love". Queen Mary was furious that she made sure Wallis won't receive a royal highness status. When his brother announced his final farewell to his people, the Duke of York, now the newly ascended King of the United Kingdom, rushed to his mother's house (Queen Mary moved to Marlborough's house after George V’s funeral) and, according to his diary entry: "I cried in mama's lap like a baby". Nevertheless, he carried on well, he preferred to be known as George VI to honor his father, George V.

Princess Elizabeth did not attend a proper day school but was only home tutored within the palace. She grew up closer to her only sibling, the Princess Margaret. She never attended parties and had a limited circle of friends, mostly aristocrats and royal cousins. In 1939, she had a close encounter with her third cousin, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, whom she became close in later years. They eventually get married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. Prince Philip was serving the British Royal Navy as Lieutenant. He was 7^th in line to the Greek throne when the courtship period began but he was advised to renounce his Greek royal title to be more acceptable to the British people, so the dashing Prince agreed, he also switched his religion from Greek Orthodox to Anglican. He adopted his maternal grandfather's name Mountbatten (Mountbatten is an anglicized version of Battenberg) and became a British subject a year before the royal marriage took place. Philip was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich with HRH status. They had four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

The Queen reviews the Grenadier Guards at Buckingham Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were in Kenya when they received the news of King George VI’s death from coronary thrombosis on the night of February 9, 1952. Princess Elizabeth was summoned by her private secretary at her hotel room in Kenya to take an oath of accession. She was the first British monarch, after King George I in 1720, who ascended the throne outside Great Britain. She left England a Princess and returned a Queen. After her father's burial, she and her family moved to Buckingham Palace from Clarence House. She was officially crowned on June 1953 in a glittering ceremony at Westminster Abbey attended by foreign dignitaries. It was the first British monarch’s coronation broadcasted worldwide via television.

Queen Elizabeth II is a ruling sovereign not only to the United Kingdom but to all her territories and realms belonging to the British Commonwealth of Nations, she is recognized as head of state by the countries under the Commonwealth realms, her role is purely ceremonial, she ruled but not governed, she should be above politics, but her role is formidable, she can dissolve parliaments and declare war, she can pardon offenders. The citizen of the commonwealth realms swore allegiance not to the country but to her, the royal armed forces are serving under her name.

Her Majesty announced in 1960 that unlike other women in the realms, she would not reign under her husband's name, Mountbatten, but continued to be known as family of Windsor, but she emphasized that all her descendants other than Princes and Princesses would bear and carry the surname Mountbatten-Windsor.

As of 2010, the Queen has been serving the United Kingdom as ruling sovereign for 58 years and at the age of 84 is still actively gracing public engagements with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. She is unlikely to abdicate, and for the next years to come, she would continue ruling Britain and its realms with dedication and her subjects would continue singing the national anthem, “God Save our Gracious Queen”. Her Majesty is currently the longest reigning monarch in Europe.

References:

Chronicles of the British Royal Family

Royal Sisters by Anne Edwards

www.royal.gov.uk (official site of the British Monarchy)

The Last Royal Couples

Prior to the 20^th century, no member of the European royalty ever married a commoner, the monarchy rule is clear: any royal who will enter a morganatic (marrying a commoner) union will automatically disinherit him or her and lose his or her place in the line of succession, so arranged marriages between royalty became the common practice. But after World War II upon the collapse of most European royal houses supply of suitable consorts diminished ceasing this royal tradition, thus, allowing commoners to join the royal fold.

In present-day Europe, only the sovereigns of Great Britain and Spain married fellow royals and they are both great great grandchildren of Queen Victoria of England.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

The former Greek Prince devoted all his life supporting his wife on various official engagements

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh leave HMCS St John's after the International Fleet Review on June 29, 2010 in Halifax, Canada.

Queen Elizabeth II descended from Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII while the Duke of Edinburgh descended from Queen Victoria’s second daughter, Princess Alice who married the Grand Duke of Hesse-Cassel, Prince Louis. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are also second cousin once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark, Prince Philip’s grandfather, King George I of Greece and Queen Elizabeth’s great grandmother, Queen Alexandra (wife of King Edward VII) were children of the said Danish King. The current British Queen is the eldest daughter of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon the daughter of the 14^th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorn, though this Scottish Earl was an aristocrat, his daughter did not inherit any title, thus, regarded a commoner. Queen Elizabeth II had only one sibling, Princess Margaret who died in 2002.

The Duke of Edinburgh was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and was sixth in line of succession to the Greek throne. Both her parents descended from royalty. Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, was born in Windsor Castle in 1885 as an eldest child of Princess Victoria and Prince Louis of Battenberg who lived at the grace-and-favor apartment at Kensington Palace. In 1930 when the marriage of Prince Philip’s parents fell apart, he moved to England to live with his grandmother. Philip’s father was Prince Andrew, the fourth son of King George I of Greece and Queen Olga (granddaughter of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia). Most of his relatives married into the European royalty. His maternal aunt, Louise, married the King of Sweden, Adolf VI, his paternal aunt, Princess Elisabeth, married the King of Romania, Carol II, his first cousin Princess Alexandra married King Peter I of Yoguslavia while another cousin, Princess Marina married Prince George, the Duke of Kent (paternal uncle of Queen Elizabeth II). All Philip’s four elder sisters married German Princes.

Prince Philip was advised to renounce his place in the Greek throne to become a British subject, the Prince obliged and took the name Philip Mountbatten (his grandfather, Prince Louis of Battenberg was forced to relinquish his Princely title in 1917 because of the anti-German sentiments in England, so his cousin King George V made him a British Marquess and anglicized his surname from Battenberg to Mountbatten). By the time he and Princess Elizabeth married in November 20, 1947, Philip rose to rank of a Lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. A night before their marriage, his father-in-law, King George VI, created him a British duke with titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Marioneth and Baron Greenwhich, the King also made him Noble Order of the Garter, the highest accolade of chivalry in Great Britain. Philip and Elizabeth have five children: Prince Charles the Prince of Wales, Princess Anne the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex (his father's successor as Duke of Edinburgh). With the exception of the Earl of Wessex, all marriages of the three siblings ended in divorce.

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia

His Majesty, King Juan Carlos and Her Majesty, Queen Sofia of Spain

The King and Queen of Spain, both great great grandchildren of Queen Victoria of England

With the heir-apparent, Prince Felipe, his wife Princess Letizia and children Infantas Eleanor and Sofia

King Juan Carlos descended from Queen Victoria’s youngest child, Princess Beatrice who married Prince Henry of Battenberg, the younger brother of Prince Philip’s grandfather, Prince Louis of Battenberg, while Queen Sofia descended from Queen Victoria’s eldest child, Princess Vicky who married the German Emperor, Frederick III.  Vicky’s daughter, Princess Sophia, married King Constantine I of Greece (paternal uncle of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh). Both the King and Queen Sofia had a distinguished royal heritage. Juan Carlos’ parents were Prince Juan, the fourth son of King Alfonso XIII (the last Spanish King before Francisco Franco governed Spain) and Queen Eugenie (Princess Beatrice’s daughter). Prince Juan married Princess Maria of the two Sicilies, a direct descendant of the Bourbon Kings of France.

Queen Sofia is the eldest child of King Paul of Greece (son of Princess Sophia and King Constantine) and Queen Frederica, also a granddaughter of Emperor William II of Germany (Princess Sophia’s brother). The Queen has two siblings, the deposed King of Greece, Constantine II (his wife is Princess Anna Marie, youngest sister of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark) and Princess Irene who was once considered a possible wife of King Harald V of Norway, but the Norwegian King chose to marry Sonja Haraldsen, a commoner Norwegian college graduate, disappointing all his royal relatives. King Harald V is the great grandson of Queen Maud, youngest child of King Edward VII of England, Maud’s husband, King Haakon VII, was the grandson of King Christian IX of Denmark. Princess Irene (born 1938) however did not marry and lived in Zarzuela Palace in Spain.

King Juan Carlos had never expected to ascend the Spanish throne. After the deposition of his grandfather, Alfonso XIII during the Spanish Civil War, the country was put under the dictator government of Francisco Franco. The royal family was exiled in Italy, and Alfonso’s children, most of them were suffering from Hemophilia, a blood disease started in the line of Queen Victoria, were disinterested to press their claim on the lost crown. But Alfonso’s fourth son, Prince Juan, determined to secure the crown to his family, started negotiating with Franco, eventually the latter yielded declaring to restore the monarchy after his death and naming Prince Juan as the next King of Spain, but the Prince declined giving the throne to his only son, Juan Carlos. In 1972 after the death of Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos ascended the Spanish throne and moved with his family to Zarzuela Palace in Madrid. By then he was married to Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark and had three children: Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina and Infante Felipe who would become the Prince of Asturias on his father’s accession.