by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018
Anne, Princess Royal; Credit – Wikipedia
Princess Royal is a title usually granted to the eldest daughter of the Sovereign when the previous Princess Royal is no longer living. The title Princess Royal is not created by Letters Patent but is granted by a warrant through the College of Arms. When and if an eligible princess is created Princess Royal is at the discretion of the Sovereign.
The holder of the title is styled Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The current Princess Royal is Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. The next possible Princess Royal is Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. She could become Princess Royal after Anne’s death, providing her father Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is King.
History
The seven women who have been Princess Royal: Mary, Anne, Charlotte, Victoria, Louise. Mary, and Anne; Credit – Wikipedia
During the reign of King Henri IV of France, his eldest daughter Elisabeth was known as Madame Royale before her marriage, indicating her status as the eldest and most senior unmarried daughter of the king. After Elisabeth’s marriage, her next sister Christine became Madame Royale. When Christine married, her younger sister Henrietta Maria became Madame Royale.
In 1625, Henrietta Maria of France married King Charles I of England. She wanted to imitate the way the eldest unmarried daughter of the King of France was styled Madame Royale and so her eldest daughter Mary was created Princess Royal in 1642. In the English version, the holders retain the title for life so an eligible princess cannot receive the title during the lifetime of another Princess Royal. Queen Elizabeth II could have been created Princess Royal but her aunt Mary, Princess Royal lived until 1965, thirteen years into her niece’s reign.
Mary, the first Princess Royal; Credit – Wikipedia
The Princesses Royal
| Name | Years Princess Royal | Parent |
Husband |
|
Mary, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange (1631 – 1660) |
1642 – 1660 | King Charles I | |
|
Anne, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange (1709 – 1759) |
1727 – 1759 | King George II | |
|
Charlotte, Princess Royal, Queen of Württemberg (1766 – 1828) |
1789 – 1828 | King George III | |
|
Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress (1840 – 1901) |
1841 – 1901 | Queen Victoria | |
|
Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife (1867- 1931) |
1905 – 1931 | King Edward VII | |
|
Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood (1897 – 1965) |
1932 – 1965 | King George V | |
|
Anne, Princess Royal (born 1950) |
1987 – present | Queen Elizabeth II |
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