British Royal Family




A symbol of Britishness

Close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom are known by the appellation The Royal Family. Although there is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member of the Royal Family, and different lists will include different people, those carrying the style His or Her Majesty (HM) or His or Her Royal Highness (HRH) are generally considered members, which usually results in the application of the term to these persons:
the monarch (the king or queen);
the consort of the monarch (his or her spouse);
the widowed consorts of previous monarchs (Queen Mother or Queen Dowager);
the children of the monarch;
the grandchildren of the monarch;
the spouses and the widowed spouses of a monarch's son and male-line grandsons; and
before 1917, great-grandchildren in the male line.
Many millions of people are related to the British Royal Family more distantly than this by virtue of a Royal Descent.
The current British Royal Family are members of the House of Windsor.


Royal Ceremonies & rituals


London is a royal city and has preserved its ceremonies and traditions over hundreds of years. Some are every day and some are every year. The most traditional ceremonies and most popular attractions are the Trooping of the Colour and the Changing of the Guard.

Searching the Houses of Parliament.

Before every State Opening of Parliament, the Yeomen of the Guard search the cellars beneath the Palace of Westminster by the light of old candle-lanterns. This precaution has been undertaken every year since 1605, when the "Gunpowder Conspirators" attempted to blow up parliament on the day of the State Opening.

The State Opening of Parliament.

Dating back to Medieval London, this ceremony marks the beginning of the new parliamentary year and features peers and bishops in traditional robes and a royal procession involving the State Coach. State openings usually take place in November, or soon after a General Elec