UK Royal Family: Here's what you need to know

UK Royal Family: Here's what you need to know

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died last Friday at the age of 99.

He was married to Queen Elizabeth II 73 years ago. Prince Philip is by far the longest-married head of state in Britain's modern history.

Who are the British royal family?

Queen Elizabeth II has been the UK's head of state since her father, King George VI, died in 1952.

Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne for 59 years, the longest reigning British royal family. She is also the head of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary organization of 54 independent countries. All those countries were once under British rule.

The Queen, 94, and her husband Prince Philip have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Other members of the royal family are as follows –

Prince of Wales Prince Charles (72): He is married to the Duchess of Cornwall (Comille). He is the eldest child of the Queen and the heir to the throne.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge: He is married to the Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine). William is the eldest son of Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex: He is William's brother. He is married to the Duchess of Sussex (Megan). They announced last year that they would no longer be senior royals and now live in Los Angeles.

How do you become a member of the royal family?

Anyone who marries a member of the royal family becomes a member of that family. They are given the title "Royal" after marriage.

For example, Lady Diana Spencer became Princess of Wales after marrying Prince Charles in 1981.

However, to become a king or queen, one must be born into a royal family.

Prince Charles is first in line for the throne. His eldest son Prince William is second and William's eldest son Prince George is third.

What happens at the wedding of a member of the royal family?

Weddings within the royal family are often held in ancient and very grand venues. And the marriage ceremony also attracts a lot of attention.

The Queen and Prince Philip were married in 1947 at Westminster Abbey, which was founded in 960. Westminster Abbey is attached to the Houses of Parliament.

More than six decades later, in 2011, a large crowd gathered on the streets outside Abi. At the time, people had gathered to watch the marriage of the Queen's grandson William to Catherine Middleton. They became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Other members of the royal family were married at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which is over 900 years old.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also married here in 2018.

What happens when a child is born into the royal family?

Most senior members of the royal family were born at St Mary's Hospital in London.

Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry. Duchess of Cambridge Catherine also gave birth to her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis there.

Diana and Catherine were both photographed outside the hospital with their husbands and children.

What does the royal family do?

Now the British government is called "Her Majesty's Government". But the Queen has almost no political power.

The Queen meets the Prime Minister once a week to remind her of her presence in government, but the Prime Minister does not seek the Queen's consent to approve policies.

The Queen and other senior members of the royal family hold formal meetings.

Family members also represent the Queen in other countries. For example, in March last year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge paid an official visit to the Republic of Ireland.

Most of the royal family members are patrons for various welfare works.

And some have opened themselves. As such, the 'Duke of Andibraz Award' has been opened for the youth.

They have close ties with the security forces. Prince William was in the Air Force and Harry was in the Army.

Do members of the royal family have to perform formal duties forever?

no need Last year, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they would no longer be senior members of the royal family in order to become financially independent.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, stepped down from his royal role in 2019.

Andrew stepped down from public office after giving a BBC interview about his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Where does the royal family get money for their expenses?

Each year the UK Government gives a lump sum payment to the Queen called a "Sovereign Grant".

This amount is based on 25 per cent of the Crown Estate raised from revenue two years ago. A Crown Estate is an independent commercial property.

The Savrin Grant for 2020-21 is approximately £90 million. The grant helps in the management of residences of members of the royal family and various ceremonial activities.

Prince Charles earns an income from the business entity Duchy of Cornwall. The property and financial investment giant raised £2.23 million last year.

Where do members of the royal family live?

The Queen's official residence in London is Buckingham Palace.

She usually stays at Windsor Castle in Barkshire for weekends and a month at Easter. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, she spent the entire time at Windsor Castle. Prince Philip also died there.

When Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are in London, they stay at Clarence House, which is half a mile from Buckingham Palace.

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, also live in nearby Kensington Palace.