Queen Elizabeth II with Princess Anne, Peter and Zara

A happier life for Henry VIII's children. Part 2.

Elizabeth was the second daughter of King Henry VIII of England and his second wife Anne Boleyn. When the girl was 3 years old, the king annulled the marriage to her mother. Henry sent Anne to a convent and forbade Anne to communicate with her daughter, and soon afterward married Jane Seymour. She developed a close relationship with her stepmother, brother and sister. In 1547, her father died and Elizabeth was finally able to meet her mother. The meeting between mother and daughter after years of separation was very touching. When Anne saw Elizabeth, she could not believe that this beautiful girl was her daughter. First they cried for a long time in each other's arms, and then they sat up all night talking. They had a lot to say to each other. So their meetings became more and more frequent, and Edward allowed his father's second wife to stay with Elizabeth. In 1557 Edward VI began to look for worthy suitors from Protestant countries, for the hand of his sister, and his choice fell on the eldest son of the King of Sweden, Prince Eric. In the king's opinion, this marriage was to strengthen the sympathy of his subjects for him. In 1558, the princess became the wife of the heir to the Swedish crown, and 2 years later they became King and Queen of Sweden. It is said that at their first meeting the prince was so enchanted by her beauty that he lost the power of speech. Their married life was strong and passionate. For her husband Elizabeth became the most important confidante, with whom he discussed many problems. Six children were born in the marriage:

Gustav II of Sweden (1559 - 1605) Not interested in politics and never wanted to be king. Overthrown and killed by conspirators, including his own son Charles. Husband of Maria of Austria. Father of 4 children: Charles IX, Ludwig, Frederick, Elizabeth.

Anne of Sweden (1560 - 1634) Countess of East Friesland. At the age of 18 she married her cousin Enno III. The marriage was a happy one for both spouses. They became the parents of 9 children: Edzard III, Sabina, Agnes, Johann, Gustav, Rudolf, Christina, Sophia, Christian.

Magnus of Sweden(1561 - 1619) In 1582 he married his cousin Mary of England. They had 4 children: Nils, Katharina, Gunilla, Arnold. Magnus was widowed in 1590. And in 1592 he married his mistress Maria Oberg, but before that he received from his elder brother-king and his mother a permission to remarry. From his second wife he had 6 children: Magdalena, Sven, Hokon, Valdemar, Ingeborga, Svante.

Johan of Sweden(1565 - 1630) From childhood Johan was interested in navigation and discoveries. Therefore, he spent most of his life traveling, exploring lands not previously known. He was never married, however he recognized 3 children: Brita, Lars, Eric. And upon his death, he left each child a generous inheritance.

Cecily of Sweden(1567 - 1634) Macgravine of Baden-Rodemachern. In 1583 became the wife of Edward Fortunatus They became the parents of 5 children: Christoph III, Cecily, Elizabeth, Ottilia, Herman. In 1603, her husband died and Cecily was offered remarriage

Virginia of Sweden(1570 - 1606) Duchess of Holstein-Hottorp, wife of Johann Adolf. Virginia was older than her husband by 5 years, but despite this their marriage was happy. They had 7 children: Frederick III, Elisabeth, Conrad, Dorothea, Gedviga, Albrecht and Augusta. The Duchess died of childbirth fever a week after the birth of the last child. After the death of his wife, Johann lived the remaining 10 years until his death as a widower.

In 1568, the queen returned briefly to England for her mother's funeral. In 1577, King Eric XIV of Sweden died, and Elizabeth mourned her husband's death bitterly. But fortunately for Elizabeth, she had her children and grandchildren by her side, who became the meaning of her life. In addition, the Queen Dowager actively influenced the policies of her eldest son, King Gustav II. Gustav, weak-willed and indecisive, was not interested in ruling the state. In fact, the kingdom was ruled by Elizabeth, which did not please her daughter-in-law. Because of this, the two women often conflicted with each other. In March 1603, the Queen Dowager of Sweden died. She was buried in Uppsala Cathedral next to her husband. And 2 years later Gustav II was overthrown and killed. Her grandson Charles became the next king of Sweden.

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"Buckingham Palace has said the Queen 'died peacefully' this afternoon at Balmoral...

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday lunchtime that Her Majesty had been under medical supervision at Balmoral after her doctors had become "concerned" about her health...

Queen Elizabeth II is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, will now become King, while his eldest son, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, assumes the position of heir to the throne."

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

With respect to the titles, it all depends on the interpretation of the Letters Patent written by George V. The text of that Letters Patent is below:

Whitehall, 11th December, 1917. 

The KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date the 30th ultimo, to define the styles and titles to be borne henceforth by members of the Royal Family. It is declared by the Letters Patent that the children of any Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the children of the sons of any such Sovereign and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales shall have-and-at all times hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their respective Christian names or with their other titles of honour; that save as aforesaid the titles of Royal Highness, Highness or Serene Highness, and the titular dignity of Prince and Princess shall cease except those titles already granted and remaining unrevoked; and that the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes.

(Note that the bit about the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales was amended to all children of the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales by Queen Elizabeth)

The relevant bits of the Letters Patent are:

the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes.

This was the case when Archie and Lili were born. They were the grandchildren of the son (Charles) of the Sovereign (Queen Elizabeth II) in the direct male line (via Harry), and so, as per the Letters Patent, they were able to have the styles and titles of the children of a Duke - Archie to be called by his father's second title, the Earl of Dumbarton, and Lili to be Lady Lili. Harry and Meghan refused those titles for the children, but they were available to them, as specified in the law as per the Letters Patent.

the children of any Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the children of the sons of any such Sovereign ...  shall have-and-at all times hold and enjoy the style, title or attribute of Royal Highness with their titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their respective Christian names or with their other titles of honour

This is the case now. Any children that Harry and Meghan have after this date will be the child of a son (Harry) of the Sovereign (Charles) and as such they will be called HRH Prince/Princess.

The question is, what happens when the Sovereign changes? Do children who were born as great-grandchildren of the monarch, and as such entitled to be styled as the children of a Duke, become HRH Prince/Princess? Is the title retroactive like that, or do they stay as the children of a Duke and the HRH Prince/Princess titles have to be granted in a separate Letters Patent if the Sovereign so desires?

This Letters Patent does not say what happens when the sovereign changes, so it is open to interpretation. There are no past cases to go by, as this has not happened since the Letters Patent were written. Therefore, it is up to King Charles III to decide whether the granting of the HRH Prince/Princess titles is retroactive and hence automatic, or if the great-grandchildren stay with the titles they were born with and any changes are made by Letters Patent being issued by the King.

This uncertainty, in my opinion, is why we had all the PR pieces saying Archie and Lili are now a Prince and Princess, and why Meghan wanted people to think she was pregnant. She knows that the titles for her children are in doubt and she is pushing for them as hard as she can.

By the way, even if the titles are given automatically on the ascension of a new monarch - and it is not clear whether that is the case - King Charles III can always write another Letters Patent and remove them, just as the one above removed the titles from everyone except those people specified in it. The precedent for the removal of the titles is there.

Thank you very much. Very interesting. I feel like Charles will give the Prince and Princess title to shut them up but not HRH,

On the one hand, I feel sympathy for the family that just lost their eldest member. There are several rather young great grandchildren children who likely don't fully understand what's going on. There's a few grandsons whose complicated relationship with their granny just ended, regardless of how they felt about that (as someone who lost their semi-estranged Grandma recently, I empathize there). And there's a son who lost both his parents in a relatively short time, who now gets to juggle a bunch if public, ceremonial duties with his grief. The Royal Family is made up of human beings, and I am sorry for their loss.

On the other hand, hereditary monarchy is one of our species's worst inventions. This family is "special" because they're rich and have been for a long time. Some gnarly shit was carried out in the name of Queen Elizabeth II during her reign. No, she didn't exactly have the power to command these atrocities personally (so far as I know, I am a simple ignorant American) but the people who did were subordinate to her in name if nothing else.

UK marks first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death

King Charles III on Friday thanked the public for their support in his first year as monarch and paid tribute to his mother Queen Elizabeth II on the anniversary of her death. In a short statement, the 74-year-old British head of state recalled the “great affection” for his mother, her life and public service. “I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all,” he added. Commemorations were low-key on Friday, with the king – who is at his sprawling Scottish Highland estate of Balmoral – not expected at any official engagement. He and his wife Camilla, along with the queen’s niece and nephew, attended nearby Crathie Kirk, the late monarch’s place of worship, for private prayers and a moment of reflection. Charles, dressed in a red tartan kilt, talked to well-wishers gathered outside the church after the event. His mother, who was on the throne for a record-breaking 70 years, died on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral aged 96 after a period of declining health. Flowers were left at the gate of the estate on Friday. Throughout her reign, she did not publicly mark her accession, as it was also the anniversary of her own father King George VI’s death in 1952. – Gun salutes – In London, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will mark Charles’s accession by firing a 41-gun ceremonial salute in Hyde Park from 12:00 pm (1100 GMT). Members of the Honourable Artillery Company — the oldest regiment in the British Army — will fire a 62-gun salute from the Tower of London from 1:00 pm. Both regiments were involved in firing the Death Gun salutes to mark the queen’s death, and the Proclamation salutes to mark Charles’s new reign. The king’s eldest son and heir, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, will commemorate the anniversary with a small private service at St Davids Cathedral in west Wales. The couple posted a message on social media platform X, saying: “Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C” It was accompanied by a photo of the queen surrounded by her great-grandchildren. “As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away,” Harry told the charity event. “She would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her, and that’s precisely why I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together.” – Memorial – Elizabeth II’s death was a seismic event in British life. For most Britons alive, the queen was the only monarch and head of state they had ever known. During the 10-day official mourning period, tens of thousands of people queued for up to 25 hours to file past her flag-shrouded coffin as it lay in state in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament. Even more packed the streets of London and the route west to Windsor Castle for the state funeral, which was beamed around the world to a television audience of millions. The queen was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, Windsor, alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in 2021, her father and mother, and the ashes of her younger sister, Princess Margaret. Earlier this week, the government announced that a national memorial to the late monarch will be commissioned “in due course”. In London on Thursday, there were mixed views about Charles’s first year. Some felt he had been right not to introduce sweeping reform too early. “He’s got a hard act to follow but he will I think change things,” Joanne Hughes, 61, told AFP outside Buckingham Palace. But despite 161 official engagements and tours of all four nations of the United Kingdom, others were indifferent about the new king — and the monarchy in general. “The monarchy is dying,” said nursing student Mimi Jaffer-Clarke. Read the full article

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Proud Loveys, Nanas and Papas! Kris Jenner, Queen Elizabeth II and more stars balance their well-known careers with doting over their many grandchildren. The Kardashians matriarch is notably the proud mom to Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. In addition to supporting her children — she shared her eldest four with ex-husband…

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Proud Loveys, Nanas and Papas! Kris Jenner, Queen Elizabeth II and more stars balance their well-known careers with doting over their many grandchildren. The Kardashians matriarch is notably the proud mom to Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. In addition to supporting her children — she shared her eldest four with ex-husband…

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Princess Marta Luisa of Norway resigns from her royal obligations due to her commercial agreements and her future wedding

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These are months of movement in the European royal families: from the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in September, to the controversy within the Danish royalty due to the decision of Queen Margaret to withdraw the titles of four of her grandchildren until reaching to the death threats against Amalia de Holanda. Now the headlines are starring Princess Marta Luisa of Norway, the eldest daughter of…

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Princess Anne With Her Children, Zara And Peter Phillips, Leaving St George's Chapel After Attending Easter Service. Peter And Zara Are Both Carrying Easter Egg Presents. 15 April 1990.

Danish queen 'sorry' after stripping grandchildren of their royal titles

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has apologized for stripping four of her grandchildren of their royal titles after a public outcry from members of her family. In a statement on Monday, the queen acknowledged that the decision had led to "strong reactions" and said she was sorry, but doubled down on her move to streamline the country’s monarchy.

The Queen announced last week that the titles of her younger son Prince Joachim's descendants would be discontinued, meaning his four children will no longer be known as princes or princesses, but as counts and countesses of Monpezat from next January onward.

The queen has two sons, the oldest of whom is heir to the throne. Prince Joachim, who is sixth in line, has three sons and one daughter from two marriages. The children are aged between 10 and 23.

Margrethe’s half-century reign makes her Europe’s longest-serving monarch following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II last month. But the decision, which she said was made as part of an effort to streamline the Danish royal family going forward, did not go down well.

He told Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet last Wednesday that his family was only given five days' notice of the announcement, which he said was "unfortunate." Prince Marie, his wife, described their relationship with the queen as "complicated."

The Queen on Monday issued her statement addressing the backlash and apologizing for the decision’s impact on her son and grandchildren. She added that there should be "no doubt" that her children and grandchildren were her "great pride and joy" and that she hoped that "we as a family can find the peace to find our way through this situation."

The monarch stuck to her guns, however, and maintained that the dissolution of the four titles was "necessary" for the "future-proofing of the monarchy. Robert Hazell, a professor of government and the constitution at University College London's School of Public Policy, said Denmark was a small country of around six million people and "did not need a big royal family."

Last week's announcement is just the latest move by the queen to slim down the monarchy and its expenses. In May 2016, she announced that Prince Christian, the oldest son of Prince Frederik, her eldest son and heir to the throne, will be the only grandchild to receive an annuity from the state when he becomes an adult.

The Danish royal family is not the first European monarchy to take such steps. The Swedish royal family took similar measures to slim down its membership in 2019, when King Carl XVI Gustaf stripped five of his grandchildren of their royal titles.

Queen's Great-Grandchildren George, Charlotte Follow Her Coffin

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Queen’s Funeral: Princess Charlotte and Prince George at Queen’s funeral London: Queen Elizabeth II’s great-grandchildren George and Charlotte attended her funeral Monday, signalling the more prominent role they will now play as the children of the first-in-line for the throne. The two eldest children of the Prince and Princess of Wales joined the funeral procession as it entered Westminster…

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Why Camilla's Children remain Commoners despite their mother becoming 'Queen Consort.'

Following Queen Elizabeth II death at the age of 96, on September 8, Prince of Wales, Prince Charles Phillip, automatically became the King according to the British line of succession. His wife Camilla Shand, the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, also becomes the wife of King Charles.

Camilla's great grandfather was the Duke of Westminster and the nobility of Britain. However, Camilla's family are not members of the royal family. Camilla shares two children with her former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles: Tom Parker Bowles, 47 and Laura Lopes, 44.

British media reports say, although Camilla is married into the royal family, her children cannot benefit from the royal entitlement because they are out of the line of succession. In an Interview, Parker Bowles said, in an interview with A Current Affair, the UK's news feed, disclosed his feeling about the royal entitlement saying, "We are commoners."

The award-winning food writer who has published numerous cookbooks, including Let's Eat: Recipes from My Kitchen Notebook" is the son of Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles, the retired British Army officer and Camilla's former husband.

He and her sister Laura Rose Lopes, an English art curator, are the stepchildren of Charles III.

Camilla Shand, 75, now the Queen consort of the United Kingdom, is a commoner, but she remained the Queen's favoured woman compared to Princess Dianna. The latter tragically died in a car crash with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed, an Egyptian film producer, in August 1997.

Diana's death was stomped by the conspiracies alleging the royal family had a hand in her accident. Still, a joint investigation conducted by Britain and France found that the Princess of Wales died of the fatal car crash.

Sources show Camilla's relationship with the rest of the royal family has contributed a lot to who she is now as Queen Consortium because she remained the lovely lady to the royal inner circle, such as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Princess.

The public has been contesting Camilla's position in the British monarchy following the tragic death of Princess Diana. However, recently the Queen settled the confusion in her words, confirming Camilla as a Queen Consort when Charles became the Monarch. 

"I know you will give Charles and Camilla the same support you gave me. I sincerely wish that when the time comes, Camilla will be known as the Queen Consort, continuing her loyal service to the crown." Queen Elizabeth II said in her February statement referring to Camilla as a future Queen Consort.

In 2005, Camilla married King Charles, and her children were present at the ceremony. The monarch permitted Prince Phillip to marry the divorced woman, but the Queen, the head of the Church of England, did not attend the wedding feast.

Who is in the line of succession?

Queen's death meant her eldest son, Prince Charles, automatically succeeded her to become King Charles putting his wife Camilla in the position of Queen Consort. Prince Charles's firstborn, Prince William, is now the Prince of Wales and heir apparent, followed by his son Prince George, who is third in line to the throne.

Under the Queen's great-grandchildren such as Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis, who are third and fourth withinside the line of succession and Prince Harry and his Children, Archie and Lillibert, the fifth, sixth and seven, respectively. 

Other royals in the line of succession include Prince Andrew, the Queen's third child and 2d son, who's 8th in line to the throne and Prince Andrew's eldest child, Prince Beatrice, the next in line after her father and Beatrice's daughter, Sienna is tenth in line to the throne.

Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at 96

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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has died, ending a historic 70-year reign. She was 96. The Queen died at Balmoral, her beloved palace in the Scottish Highlands, which was purchased by her great-great-grandfather Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Prince Charles, her eldest son, succeeds her. The Queen’s death comes just under 18 months…

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These are the Royals gathering in Scotland amid Queen's health concerns

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Queen Elizabeth II’s closest family travelled to join the 96-year-old monarch after doctors placed her under medical supervision in Scotland’s Balmoral Castle. The Queen has four children, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. These are the Royals who are either travelling to Scotland or have already reached: Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is the Queen’s eldest child and the heir…

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Queen Victoria and family at Coburg on 21 April 1894, assembled for the wedding of Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1876-1936) and Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse (1868-1937), both grandchildren of Queen Victoria. The wedding took place on 19 April 1894.

The group includes members of the Prussian and Russian royal families. This photograph was acquired by Queen Victoria to be part of her series of albums titled 'Portraits of Royal Children'. She is surrounded by descendants from across Europe, assembled for the wedding of Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (the daughter of Queen Victoria's son, Alfred) and the Grand Duke of Hesse (the son of Queen Victoria's daughter, Alice). Sitting the with the Queen is her eldest daughter Victoria, now Dowager Empress of Germany, with her eldest son, Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia are also in the group. Nicholas and Princess Alexandra of Hesse, standing next to him, had announced their engagement on 20 April 1894.

The photograph represents Queen Victoria's position as the 'grandmother' of Europe, at the moment before family alliances began to collapse and Europe eventually erupted into war in 1914. Queen Victoria wrote in her journal for 21 April 1894, 'the whole of our large family party were photographed by English, as well as German photographers. Many groups were taken, & some of me with Vicky & my 3 sons, & William.'

Source: Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021.

Take a look at Beatrice's and Feodora's facial expressions.