The British Royal Family, inbred loonies or valuable asset?
473989
The monarchy has to end. It seems they are only here for tradition and nothing else. Sod off for all I care! Cheers!!
1125365
Inherited from her father? I doubt the estate has been settled yet, but her parents were pretty wealthy. I presume it will just be divided up between the Duchess of Cornwall and her two siblings.\n\nAs far as the insurance scandal goes, I doubt she lost very much and even if it was a considerable sum, it was so long ago that it doesn't matter.
887786
When our ancestors lived under the rule of royality ,they had no rights .\nThey were to praise the king and queen ,not question their authority or refuse to pay unfair taxes.\nWhen they left England they came with the idea on how not to live .\nThey set up a government accordingly.
94274
As an American, I have nothing to say about it but then again, the average British subject has nothing to say about it either.  Prince Charles has done very little to regain the popularity he lost following his split with Princess Diana.  His ongoing relationship with Parker-Bowles made him look out of touch with reality, yet the age spread between himself and Diana may have been the biggest problem between the two. They probably could not identify with each others generation. Prince William seems to be the odds on favorite for taking over the throne.  One has to wonder if Charles really wants the job anymore.  His mother could step down and let him have some of the glory, yet she chooses not to relinquish her authority.  I doubt that his marriage to Camille has helped his relationship with mum. So, he may be taking the path of the old Duke of Windsor, its not as though he needs the money.  William would be a fine choice as the next King of England.
1142288
Hi, here is a genealogy page for the royal houses of Europe. You can access Britain and count the number of descendants of Queen Victoria.  Then scroll down and check out the Queen Victoria chart, because there are questions and discrepancies. The figure of "over 200" comes from a court case (settled in the 1970s - so more descendants now) about royal trusts and who under Queen Victoria's will had access to them.\nhttp://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Monarchies_of_Europe.htm\nhave fun
652280
With estates in Scotland and Norfolk, personal jewellery, fine art, gems, antiques, and a stamp collection compiled by her grandfather, Forbes estimates her fortune to be around $500 million. Many people make the mistake of including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Crown Jewels in estimating her wealth, when in fact none of these things belong to her.
972037
Here's the top 25 in the British line of Succession:\n\nHRH The Prince of Wales ("The Prince Charles") (b. 1948), eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II \nHRH Prince William of Wales (b. 1982), elder son of the Prince of Wales \nHRH Prince Henry of Wales (b. 1984), younger son of the Prince of Wales \nHRH The Duke of York ("The Prince Andrew") (b. 1960), second son of Queen Elizabeth II \nHRH Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988), elder daughter of the Duke of York \nHRH Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990), younger daughter of the Duke of York \nHRH The Earl of Wessex ("The Prince Edward") (b. 1964), third son of Queen Elizabeth II \nLady Louise Windsor (b. 2003), daughter of the Earl of Wessex \nHRH The Princess Royal ("The Princess Anne") (b. 1950), daughter of Queen Elizabeth II \nPeter Phillips (b. 1977), son of the Princess Royal \nZara Phillips (b. 1981), daughter of the Princess Royal \nDavid Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (b. 1961), grandson of King George VI through his daughter Princess Margaret \nThe Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones (b. 1999), son of Viscount Linley \nThe Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002), daughter of Viscount Linley \nLady Sarah Chatto (b. 1964), granddaughter of King George VI through his daughter Princess Margaret \nSamuel Chatto (b. 1996), elder son of Lady Sarah Chatto \nArthur Chatto (b. 1999), younger son of Lady Sarah Chatto \nHRH The Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944), grandson of King George V through his son Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester \nAlexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974), son of the Duke of Gloucester \nLady Davina Lewis (b. 1977), elder daughter of the Duke of Gloucester \nLady Rose Windsor (b. 1980), younger daughter of the Duke of Gloucester \nHRH The Duke of Kent (b. 1935), grandson of King George V through his son Prince George, Duke of Kent \nskipped George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (b. 1962), elder son of the Duke of Kent \nskipped Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (b. 1988), son of George, Earl of St Andrews \nLady Marina-Charlotte Windsor (b. 1992), elder daughter of George, Earl of St Andrews \nLady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995), younger daughter of George, Earl of St. Andrews \nskipped Lord Nicholas Windsor (b. 1970), younger son of the Duke of Kent \nLady Helen Taylor (b. 1964), daughter of the Duke of Kent
654020
YES!!! they do nothing but suck money from the people of the United Kingdom so that they can continue their lavish lifestyle at the commoners expense
224365
The most accurate place to look would be a current encyclopedia, like the Encyclopedia Britannica (it is written by experts, unlike Wikipedia which is written by common people who may not know what they are talking about).\n\nHere is what the Encyclopedia Britannica says:\n\n"British royal (b. Aug. 4, 1900, London, Eng.—d. March 30, 2002, Windsor, Berkshire, Eng.), in a life that spanned three centuries, was the daughter of a Scottish nobleman, the queen consort of King George VI, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, countess of Snowdon (q.v.), and an almost universally beloved symbol of British tradition and fortitude. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the 9th child (of 10) of Claude George Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis and (from 1904) the 14th earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. On April 26, 1923, after a two-year courtship, she married Prince Albert, duke of York, the second son of King George V. When her shy husband was officially proclaimed King George VI on Dec. 11, 1936, following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, she was thrust unexpectedly into the public eye. She proved to be an able consort, and her personal charm helped to cement public support for the monarchy, which had been badly damaged by the abdication. The new queen's refusal to leave London during World War II and her extensive wartime activities further endeared her to the nation, as did her reported response in September 1940 when Buckingham Palace was damaged in the Blitz: “I'm glad we've been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.” In 1952 the king died, and their daughter Elizabeth ascended the throne. Thereafter, the widowed Queen Mother served as an unofficial ambassador, traveling extensively until advancing age curtailed her movements. She continued to make public appearances, however, owned a string of thoroughbred racehorses, and survived several surgeries. She celebrated her 100th birthday in 2000 and attended her daughter Margaret's funeral six weeks before her own peaceful death."
170028
Like it or not, the British monarchy has no say in national policy, etc. Its' major contribution is to a flourishing tourist industry that has been well-promoted and exploited over many decades. Sadly, interest has also been accentuated by scandals within the extended Royal family that amount to a dreary "soap opera" and global embarrassment. Major beneficiaries are the tabloids and well-paid gossip columnists, not the British public. \n\nDoes Britain need this? Probably not, although it does provide a possible diversion from the more serious consequences of Britain's involvement  in, and support of, US foreign policy in the middle east. I doubt that the current potential heirs to the throne will ever match up to their forebears; neither will they ever gain the respect the Royal family once held in days long since past.
222021
HM the late Queen Victoria was of the House of Hanover. Her son King Edward used the name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha because that was the House of his father. Technically the current Sovereign, HM Queen Elizabeth II is of the same house, but King George V changed the name to Windsor during World War I because he felt Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to be too German.
1025570
And exactly how does this relate to royalty?
486815
iam not sure...i do beleive you must have high-up rankings with military or the royal household..in a fantasy scenario, it might happen..\nbut not ordinary citizens..\nmmm, high tea, scones and devonshire cream...*licks lips*
1070508
My family.  Their value is worth more than all the money in the world.  No posession I could ever own could ever hold spit to their worth.
911853
It would be the Royal House of Windsor. If the colonies which became the USA would not have separated from Great Britain they would still be part of the British Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen. But this just wasn't meant to be.
116439
I think the convention goes that it's passed to the Progeny, so Wills comes after Elizabeth and Charlie.  As for the Edward VIII question, there are a couple of ways that could've played out.  There's some guy in Australia who could've inherited the throne by now instead of Elizabeth.
1172611
Royalty isn't allowed to only procreate with their families. However, because most royals are distantly related, they do tend to marry cousins. Incest causes mental and physical problems. Also, the incidence of hemophilia increases. So, in short, no the Queen of England isn't her own mother, and her husband (and the father of her children) happens to be Prince Phillip. Thus, she didn't mate with her own father.