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{{Short description|Noble title customarily awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter}}
{{Short description|Noble title customarily awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter}}
{{About|the British royal title|the current holder|Anne, Princess Royal|other uses}}
{{About|the British royal title|the current holder|Anne, Princess Royal|other uses}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{use British English|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox political post
{{Infobox political post
| post = Princess Royal
| post = Princess Royal
| body =
| body =
| insignia = Coat of Arms of Anne, the Princess Royal.svg
| insigniasize = 120px
| insigniacaption = [[Anne, Princess Royal#Arms|Arms]] of [[Anne, Princess Royal]]
| insigniacaption = [[Anne, Princess Royal#Arms|Arms]] of [[Anne, Princess Royal]]
| nativename =
| nativename =
| image = Princess Anne Feb 2023.jpg
| image = Princess Anne Wellington 2023.jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| imagesize = 150px
| alt = HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal
| alt = HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal
| incumbent = [[The Princess Anne]]
| incumbent = [[The Princess Anne]]
| incumbentsince = 13 June 1987
| incumbentsince = 13 June 1987
| style = Her Royal Highness<br>Ma'am
| style = Her Royal Highness
| residence = [[St James's Palace]]
| residence = [[St James's Palace]]
| appointer = [[Monarch of the United Kingdom]]
| appointer = [[Monarch of the United Kingdom]]
Line 24: Line 25:
}}
}}


'''Princess Royal''' is a [[substantive title|style]] customarily (but not automatically) awarded by [[British monarch]]s to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family.<ref name="Royal Titles">{{cite web|title=Royal Titles: Style and Title of the Princess Royal |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5660.asp |date=n.d.|publisher=The British Monarchy |url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727135946/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5660.asp |archive-date=July 27, 2008 }}</ref> There have been seven Princesses Royal. [[Princess Anne]] became Princess Royal in 1987.<ref name="The Princess Royal">{{cite web|title=The Princess Royal|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrincessRoyal/ThePrincessRoyal.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307171621/http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrincessRoyal/ThePrincessRoyal.aspx|archive-date=7 March 2013|date=n.d.|publisher=The British Monarchy}}</ref>
'''Princess Royal''' is a [[substantive title|style]] customarily (but not automatically) awarded by [[British monarch]]s to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family.<ref name="Royal Titles">{{Cite web |title=Royal Titles: Style and Title of the Princess Royal |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5660.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727135946/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5660.asp |archive-date=July 27, 2008 |website=The Royal Family}}</ref> There have been seven Princesses Royal; [[Princess Anne]] became Princess Royal in 1987.<ref name="The Princess Royal">{{Cite web |title=The Princess Royal |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrincessRoyal/ThePrincessRoyal.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307171621/http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrincessRoyal/ThePrincessRoyal.aspx |archive-date=7 March 2013 |website=The Royal Family}}</ref>


The style ''Princess Royal'' came into existence when [[Queen Henrietta Maria]] (1609–1669), daughter of [[Henry IV, King of France]], and [[queen-consort|wife]] of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] (1600–1649), wanted to imitate the way the eldest daughter of the King of France was styled "[[Madame Royale]]".<ref name="Panton" /> Thus, [[Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Princess Mary]] (born 1631), the daughter of Henrietta Maria and Charles, became the first Princess Royal in 1642.
The style ''Princess Royal'' came into existence when [[Queen Henrietta Maria]] (1609–1669), daughter of [[Henry IV, King of France]], and [[queen-consort|wife]] of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] (1600–1649), wanted to imitate the way the eldest daughter of the King of France was styled "[[Madame Royale]]".<ref name="Panton" /> Thus, [[Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Princess Mary]] (born 1631), the daughter of Henrietta Maria and Charles, became the first Princess Royal in 1642.


It has become established that the style belongs to no one by right, but is given entirely at the sovereign's discretion. Princess Mary (later [[Queen Mary II]]) (1662–1694), the eldest daughter of [[King James II]], and [[Sophia Dorothea of Hanover|Princess Sophia Dorothea]] (1687–1757), the only daughter of [[George I of Great Britain|King George I]], were eligible for this honour but did not receive it. At the time they respectively became eligible for the style, Princess Mary was already [[Princess of Orange]], and Sophia Dorothea was already [[Queen in Prussia]].<ref name="Royal Titles"/> A Princess Royal has never acceded to the British throne; [[Victoria, Princess Royal|Princess Victoria]], the eldest daughter of [[Queen Victoria]], was the only Princess Royal to simultaneously be heiress presumptive, until she was displaced by the birth of her brother [[Prince Albert Edward]].
It has become established that the style belongs to no one by right, but is given entirely at the sovereign's discretion. Princess Mary (later [[Queen Mary II]]) (1662–1694), the eldest daughter of [[King James II]], and [[Sophia Dorothea of Hanover|Princess Sophia Dorothea]] (1687–1757), the only daughter of [[George I of Great Britain|King George I]], were eligible for this honour but did not receive it. At the time they respectively became eligible for the style, Princess Mary was already [[Princess of Orange]], and Sophia Dorothea was already [[Queen in Prussia]].<ref name="Royal Titles" /> A Princess Royal has never acceded to the British throne; [[Victoria, Princess Royal|Princess Victoria]], the eldest daughter of [[Queen Victoria]], was the only Princess Royal to simultaneously be heiress presumptive, until she was displaced by the birth of her brother [[Prince Albert Edward]].


[[Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart|Princess Louisa Maria]] (1692–1712), the youngest daughter of [[King James II]] (died 1701), born after he lost his crown in the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688–1689, was considered to be Princess Royal during James's exile by [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] at [[Saint-Germain-en-Laye]] and was so called by them, even though she was not James's eldest living daughter at any time during her life.<ref name="Panton">{{cite book|title= Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy|last= Panton|first= Kenneth J.|pages= 381–2|publisher= Scarecrow Press, Inc.|location= Lanham, Maryland, US |year= 2011 |access-date= 8 July 2014 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BiyyueBTpaMC&pg=PA381&}}</ref>
[[Louisa Maria Teresa Stuart|Princess Louisa Maria]] (1692–1712), the youngest daughter of [[King James II]] (died 1701), born after he lost his crown in the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688–1689, was considered to be Princess Royal during James's exile by [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] at [[Saint-Germain-en-Laye]] and was so called by them, even though she was not James's eldest living daughter at any time during her life.<ref name="Panton">{{Cite book |last=Panton |first=Kenneth J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BiyyueBTpaMC&pg=PA381 |title=Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=2011 |location=Lanham, MD |pages=381–382 |isbn=978-0-8108-7497-8 |access-date=8 July 2014}}</ref>


The title is held for life, even if the holder outlives her parent the monarch. On the death of a Princess Royal, the style is not inherited by any of her daughters; instead, if the monarch parent of the late Princess Royal has also died, the new monarch may bestow it upon his or her own eldest daughter. Thus, [[Louise, Princess Royal|Princess Louise]] was granted the style of ''Princess Royal'' by her father [[King Edward VII]] in 1905; she retained it until her death in 1931, over twenty years into the reign of her brother [[King George V]]. Only upon Louise's death did the title become available for George's own daughter, [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|Princess Mary]], who was granted the title in 1932, retaining it until her death in 1965. Because Mary outlived not only her father but also her brother [[King George VI]], the title was never available during George VI's reign to be granted to his elder daughter [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]] (later Queen Elizabeth II), though she would otherwise have been eligible to hold it.<ref name="Royal Titles"/> If Princess Anne dies during the reign of her brother [[King Charles III]], then there would be no eligible royal princess; Charles III has no daughters and [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015)|Princess Charlotte]], the daughter of [[William, Prince of Wales]], would become eligible only upon William's accession to the throne.
The title is held for life, even if the holder outlives her parent the monarch. On the death of a Princess Royal, the style is not inherited by any of her daughters; instead, if the monarch parent of the late Princess Royal has also died, the new monarch may bestow it upon his or her own eldest daughter. Thus, [[Louise, Princess Royal|Princess Louise]] was granted the style of ''Princess Royal'' by her father [[King Edward VII]] in 1905; she retained it until her death in 1931, over twenty years into the reign of her brother [[King George V]]. Only upon Louise's death did the title become available for George's own daughter, [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|Princess Mary]], who was granted the title in 1932, retaining it until her death in 1965. Because Mary outlived not only her father but also her brother [[King George VI]], the title was never available during George VI's reign to be granted to his elder daughter [[Elizabeth II|Princess Elizabeth]] (later Queen Elizabeth II), though she would otherwise have been eligible to hold it.<ref name="Royal Titles" /> If Princess Anne dies during the reign of her brother [[King Charles III]], then there would be no eligible royal princess; Charles III has no daughters and [[Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015)|Princess Charlotte]], the daughter of [[William, Prince of Wales]], would become eligible only upon William's accession to the throne.


Customarily, when a princess marries, she takes on her husband's title. If her husband has a lower title or style, her style as a princess remains in use, although it may then be combined with her style by marriage, e.g. ''HRH The [[Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll]]'' or ''HRH [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone]]''&nbsp;– if that princess had a territorial designation, she may cease its use. Exceptionally, however, a princess who has been granted the title of ''HRH The Princess Royal'' will not customarily combine it with her style by marriage. For example, Princess Anne has been ''Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal'' since being given the title in 1987; prior to that, her formal title was ''Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Davies|first=Nicholas|year=2013|title=Elizabeth II: Behind Palace Doors|publisher=Random House|isbn=9781780578279|quote=Until Elizabeth gave her the title, Anne's correct form of address had been a mouthful, 'Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips'.}}</ref>
Customarily, when a princess marries, she takes on her husband's title. If her husband has a lower title or style, her style as a princess remains in use, although it may then be combined with her style by marriage, e.g. ''HRH The [[Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll]]'' or ''HRH [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone]]''&nbsp;– if that princess had a territorial designation, she may cease its use. Exceptionally, however, a princess who has been granted the title of ''HRH The Princess Royal'' will not customarily combine it with her style by marriage. For example, Princess Anne has been ''Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal'' since being given the title in 1987; prior to that, her formal title was ''Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davies |first=Nicholas |title=Elizabeth II: Behind Palace Doors |publisher=Random House |year=2013 |isbn=9781780578279 |quote=Until Elizabeth gave her the title, Anne's correct form of address had been a mouthful, 'Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips'.}}</ref>


==List of title holders==
==List of title holders==


The following is a complete list of women formally styled ''Princess Royal'':
The following is a complete list of women formally styled ''Princess Royal'':
{| class="wikitable"

|+
{|style="text-align:center; width:100%" class="wikitable"
!Order
!width=5%|Order !! width=20%|Princess Royal (from [date] to [date]) !! width=10%|Portrait !! width=20%|Born !! width=5%|Tenure !! width=20%|Marriages !! width=20%| Died
!Princess Royal (from [date] to [date])
!Portrait
!Coat of Arms
!Born
!Tenure
!Marriages
!Died
|-
|-
|1
| 1 || [[Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Princess Mary]]<br>1642–1660{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Princess of Orange]] and [[Count of Nassau|Countess of Nassau]] (1641))}} || [[File:Marie Henriette Stuart.jpg|100px]] || 4 November 1631, [[St. James's Palace]], [[London]]; daughter of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] and [[Queen Henrietta Maria]] || {{time interval|1642|1660}} || 2 May 1641{{pb}}[[William II, Prince of Orange]] ([[William III of England|1 son]]) || 24 December 1660, [[Whitehall Palace]], London
|[[Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Princess Mary]]<br>1642–1660{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Princess of Orange]] and [[Count of Nassau|Countess of Nassau]] (1641))}}
|[[File:Marie Henriette Stuart.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Coat of arms of William and Mary as Prince and Princess of Orange.svg|frameless|116x116px]]
|4 November 1631, [[St. James's Palace]], [[London]]; daughter of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] and [[Queen Henrietta Maria]]
|{{time interval|1642|1660}}
|2 May 1641{{pb}}[[William II, Prince of Orange]] ([[William III of England|1 son]])
|24 December 1660, [[Whitehall Palace]], London
|-
|-
|2
|[[Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Princess Anne]]<br>1727–1759{{pb}}{{small|(also: Princess of Orange (1734))}}
|[[File:Accama Anna van Hannover.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of Anne, the Princess Royal and Princess of Orange.svg|frameless|79x79px]]
|2 November 1709, [[Herrenhausen Palace]], [[Hanover]]; daughter of [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] and [[Caroline of Ansbach|Queen Caroline]]
|{{time interval|1727|1759}}
|25 March 1734{{pb}}[[William IV of Orange]] ([[Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange#Issue|3 children]])
|12 January 1759, [[The Hague]], [[Netherlands]]
|-
|-
|3
| 2 || [[Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Princess Anne]]<br>1727–1759{{pb}}{{small|(also: Princess of Orange (1734))}}|| [[File:Accama Anna van Hannover.jpg|100px]] || 2 November 1709, [[Herrenhausen Palace]], [[Hanover]]; daughter of [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]] and [[Caroline of Ansbach|Queen Caroline]] || {{time interval|1727|1759}} || 25 March 1734{{pb}}[[William IV of Orange]] ([[Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange#Issue|3 children]]) || 12 January 1759, [[The Hague]], [[Netherlands]]
|[[Charlotte, Princess Royal|Princess Charlotte]]<br>1789–1828{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Duke of Württemberg|Duchess of Württemberg]] (1797), [[Queen consort of Württemberg]] (1806))}}
|[[File:Charlotte Mathilde von England.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of Charlotte Augusta Matilda, the Princess Royal.svg|frameless|81x81px]]
|29 September 1766, [[Buckingham Palace|Buckingham House]], London; daughter of [[King George III]] and [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Charlotte]]
|{{time interval|1789|1828}}
|18 May 1797{{pb}}[[Frederick I of Württemberg]] ([[Charlotte, Princess Royal#Marriage|1 daughter]])
|5 October 1828, [[Ludwigsburg Palace]], [[Baden-Württemberg]]
|-
|-
|4
| 3 || [[Charlotte, Princess Royal|Princess Charlotte]]<br>1789–1828{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Duke of Württemberg|Duchess of Württemberg]] (1797), [[Queen consort of Württemberg]] (1806))}} || [[File:Charlotte Mathilde von England.jpg|100px]] || 29 September 1766, [[Buckingham Palace|Buckingham House]], London; daughter of [[King George III]] and [[Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Queen Charlotte]] || {{time interval|1789|1828}}|| 18 May 1797{{pb}}[[Frederick I of Württemberg]] ([[Charlotte, Princess Royal#Marriage|1 daughter]]) || 5 October 1828, [[Ludwigsburg Palace]], [[Baden-Württemberg]]
|[[Victoria, Princess Royal|Princess Victoria]]<br>1841–1901{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[German Emperor|German Empress]] and [[Queen consort of Prussia]] (1888))}}
|[[File:Victoria, Princess Royal.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of Victoria, the Princess Royal.svg|frameless|81x81px]]
|21 November 1840, Buckingham Palace, London; daughter of [[Queen Victoria]] and [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]]
|{{time interval|1841|1901}}
|[[Wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal, and Prince Frederick of Prussia|25 January 1858]] {{pb}}[[Frederick III, German Emperor]] ([[Princess Royal#Issue|8 children]])
|5 August 1901, [[Schlosshotel Kronberg|Schloss Friedrichshof]], [[Hesse]]
|-
|-
|5
| 4 || [[Victoria, Princess Royal|Princess Victoria]]<br>1841–1901{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[German Emperor|German Empress]] and [[Queen consort of Prussia]] (1888))}} || [[File:Victoria, Princess Royal.jpg|100px]] || 21 November 1840, Buckingham Palace, London; daughter of [[Queen Victoria]] and [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]] || {{time interval|1841|1901}} || [[Wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal, and Prince Frederick of Prussia|25 January 1858]] {{pb}}[[Frederick III, German Emperor]] ([[Princess Royal#Issue|8 children]]) || 5 August 1901, [[Schlosshotel Kronberg|Schloss Friedrichshof]], [[Hesse]]
|[[Louise, Princess Royal|Princess Louise]]<br>1905–1931{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Duchess of Fife]] (1889))}}
|[[File:Louise Princess Royal.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Marital Coat of Arms of Louise, Duchess of Fife.svg|frameless|80x80px]]
|20 February 1867, [[Marlborough House]], London; daughter of [[King Edward VII]] and [[Queen Alexandra]]
|{{time interval|1905|1931}}
|[[Wedding of Princess Louise and Alexander Duff, Earl of Fife|27 July 1889]]{{pb}}[[Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife]] ([[Louise, Princess Royal#Marriage and children|3 children]])
|4 January 1931, [[Portman Square]], London
|-
|-
|6
| 5 || [[Louise, Princess Royal|Princess Louise]]<br>1905–1931{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Duchess of Fife]] (1889))}} || [[File:Louise Princess Royal.jpg|100px]] || 20 February 1867, [[Marlborough House]], London; daughter of [[King Edward VII]] and [[Queen Alexandra]] || {{time interval|1905|1931}} || [[Wedding of Princess Louise and Alexander Duff, Earl of Fife|27 July 1889]]{{pb}}[[Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife]] ([[Louise, Princess Royal#Marriage and children|3 children]]) || 4 January 1931, [[Portman Square]], London
|[[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|Princess Mary]]<br>1932–1965{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Earl of Harewood|Countess of Harewood]] (1929))}}
|[[File:Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of Mary, the Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood.svg|frameless|82x82px]]
|25 April 1897, [[York Cottage]], [[Sandringham, Norfolk|Sandringham]]; daughter of [[King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]
|{{time interval|1932|1965}}
|[[Wedding of Princess Mary and Henry Lascelles|28 February 1922]]{{pb}}[[Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood]] ([[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood#Marriage and family|2 sons]])
|28 March 1965, [[Harewood House]], [[West Yorkshire]]
|-
|-
|- scope="row" style="background:#9F9"
| 6 || [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|Princess Mary]]<br>1932–1965{{pb}}{{small|(also: [[Earl of Harewood|Countess of Harewood]] (1929))}} || [[File:Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood.jpg|100px]] || 25 April 1897, [[York Cottage]], [[Sandringham, Norfolk|Sandringham]]; daughter of [[King George V]] and [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] || {{time interval|1932|1965}} || [[Wedding of Princess Mary and Henry Lascelles|28 February 1922]]{{pb}}[[Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood]] ([[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood#Marriage and family|2 sons]]) || 28 March 1965, [[Harewood House]], [[West Yorkshire]]
| rowspan="2" |7
| rowspan="2" |[[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]]<br>1987–present{{pb}}
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Princess Anne October 2015.jpg|100px]]
|[[File:Coat of Arms of Anne, the Princess Royal.svg|frameless|82x82px]]
| rowspan="2" |15 August 1950, [[Clarence House]], London; daughter of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Philip]]
|{{time interval|1987|}}
|[[Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips|14 November 1973]]{{pb}}[[Mark Phillips]] ([[Anne, Princess Royal#Issue|2 children]]){{pb}}—{{pb}}[[Wedding of Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence|12 December 1992]]{{pb}}[[Sir Timothy Laurence]]
| rowspan="2" |—{{pb}}now {{age in years and days|1950|8|15}} old
|-
|-
|- scope="row" style="background:#9F9"
|rowspan="2"|7 ||rowspan=2 | [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]]<br>1987–present{{pb}} || rowspan="2"| [[File:Princess Anne October 2015.jpg|100px]] || rowspan="2"| 15 August 1950, [[Clarence House]], London; daughter of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Philip]] || {{time interval|1987|}} || [[Wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips|14 November 1973]]{{pb}}[[Mark Phillips]] ([[Anne, Princess Royal#Issue|2 children]]){{pb}}—{{pb}}[[Wedding of Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence|12 December 1992]]{{pb}}[[Sir Timothy Laurence]] ||rowspan="2"| —{{pb}}now {{age in years and days|1950|8|15}} old
|-
|}
|}

==In fiction==
==In fiction==
*In the [[House of M]] alternate universe of [[Marvel Comics]], [[Betsy Braddock]] is the elder twin sister of [[Captain Britain|the British King]] and bears the title ''Princess Royal''.
*In the [[House of M]] alternate universe of [[Marvel Comics]], [[Betsy Braddock]] is the elder twin sister of [[Captain Britain|the British King]] and bears the title ''Princess Royal''.
*The novel ''The Lady Royal'', by Molly Costain Haycraft, is a fictionalized account of the life of [[Isabella de Coucy]]. According to the narrative, Isabella was titled the Princess Royal and then later given the more 'adult' title of the Lady Royal by her parents. This is a fabrication; although Isabella, as the eldest daughter of [[Edward III]], enjoyed the special privileges that came with her rank, she could not have been titled the Princess Royal because the title was not used in England until long after her death. The title of "the Lady Royal" has never existed.
*The novel ''The Lady Royal'', by Molly Costain Haycraft, is a fictionalized account of the life of [[Isabella de Coucy]]. According to the narrative, Isabella was titled the Princess Royal and then later given the more 'adult' title of the Lady Royal by her parents. This is a fabrication; although Isabella, as the eldest daughter of [[Edward III]], enjoyed the special privileges that came with her rank, she could not have been titled the Princess Royal because the title was not used in England until long after her death. The title of "the Lady Royal" has never existed.

==Other uses==
''Princess Royal'' was one of the [[GWR 3031 Class]] locomotives that were built for and run on the British [[Great Western Railway]] between 1891 and 1915.
The [[LMS Princess Royal Class|LMS Class 8P "Princess Royal" 4-6-2]] was a type of express passenger locomotive built between 1933 and 1935 by the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]].

[[Princess Royal, Western Australia|Princess Royal]] is an abandoned town in the Western Australian Goldfields, named for Victoria, Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Victoria.

Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named [[HMS Princess Royal|HMS ''Princess Royal'']].

A hospital in Shropshire, UK is named ''[[Princess Royal Hospital, Telford|Princess Royal Hospital]]''.

"The Princess Royal" is also the name of a [[folk music|folk]] tune from the British Isles, and of a [[morris dance]] performed to that tune.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://folkopedia.info/index.php/Princess_Royal|title=Princess Royal|website=folkopedia.info|publisher=[[English Folk Dance and Song Society]]|date=2 July 2007}}</ref>

In the [[Thai monarchy]], the style of ''Sayamboromrajakumari'' ({{lang-th|สยามบรมราชกุมารี}}; {{RTGS|''Sayam boromma ratcha kumari''}}) for [[Sirindhorn|Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand]] is similar to the position of ''Princess Royal''.<ref>McCargo, Duncan (2010), ''"Thailand", Regional Oulook: Southeast Asia 2010-2011'' (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies): 55</ref>

In the Kingdom of [[Tonga]], [[Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita|Princess Sālote Mafileʻo Pilolevu]] is also the ''Princess Royal.''

In a number of [[African monarchies]], the title of the highest-ranking female royal by blood in the kingdom is often translated as ''Princess Royal''. This usually happens in kingdoms that do not make use of the higher title of [[Queen mothers (Africa)|queen mother]]. [[Princess Elizabeth of Toro|Princess Elizabeth]], Batebe of [[Tooro Kingdom|Toro]] in [[Uganda]], for example, often has her title translated in this manner. This happens even though it has historically meant something closer to "queen sister".


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 08:10, 28 November 2024

Princess Royal
HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal
since 13 June 1987
StyleHer Royal Highness
ResidenceSt James's Palace
AppointerMonarch of the United Kingdom
Term lengthLife tenure or until accession to the throne
Inaugural holderMary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange

Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by British monarchs to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family.[1] There have been seven Princesses Royal; Princess Anne became Princess Royal in 1987.[2]

The style Princess Royal came into existence when Queen Henrietta Maria (1609–1669), daughter of Henry IV, King of France, and wife of King Charles I (1600–1649), wanted to imitate the way the eldest daughter of the King of France was styled "Madame Royale".[3] Thus, Princess Mary (born 1631), the daughter of Henrietta Maria and Charles, became the first Princess Royal in 1642.

It has become established that the style belongs to no one by right, but is given entirely at the sovereign's discretion. Princess Mary (later Queen Mary II) (1662–1694), the eldest daughter of King James II, and Princess Sophia Dorothea (1687–1757), the only daughter of King George I, were eligible for this honour but did not receive it. At the time they respectively became eligible for the style, Princess Mary was already Princess of Orange, and Sophia Dorothea was already Queen in Prussia.[1] A Princess Royal has never acceded to the British throne; Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria, was the only Princess Royal to simultaneously be heiress presumptive, until she was displaced by the birth of her brother Prince Albert Edward.

Princess Louisa Maria (1692–1712), the youngest daughter of King James II (died 1701), born after he lost his crown in the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689, was considered to be Princess Royal during James's exile by Jacobites at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and was so called by them, even though she was not James's eldest living daughter at any time during her life.[3]

The title is held for life, even if the holder outlives her parent the monarch. On the death of a Princess Royal, the style is not inherited by any of her daughters; instead, if the monarch parent of the late Princess Royal has also died, the new monarch may bestow it upon his or her own eldest daughter. Thus, Princess Louise was granted the style of Princess Royal by her father King Edward VII in 1905; she retained it until her death in 1931, over twenty years into the reign of her brother King George V. Only upon Louise's death did the title become available for George's own daughter, Princess Mary, who was granted the title in 1932, retaining it until her death in 1965. Because Mary outlived not only her father but also her brother King George VI, the title was never available during George VI's reign to be granted to his elder daughter Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), though she would otherwise have been eligible to hold it.[1] If Princess Anne dies during the reign of her brother King Charles III, then there would be no eligible royal princess; Charles III has no daughters and Princess Charlotte, the daughter of William, Prince of Wales, would become eligible only upon William's accession to the throne.

Customarily, when a princess marries, she takes on her husband's title. If her husband has a lower title or style, her style as a princess remains in use, although it may then be combined with her style by marriage, e.g. HRH The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll or HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone – if that princess had a territorial designation, she may cease its use. Exceptionally, however, a princess who has been granted the title of HRH The Princess Royal will not customarily combine it with her style by marriage. For example, Princess Anne has been Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal since being given the title in 1987; prior to that, her formal title was Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips.[4]

List of title holders

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The following is a complete list of women formally styled Princess Royal:

Order Princess Royal (from [date] to [date]) Portrait Coat of Arms Born Tenure Marriages Died
1 Princess Mary
1642–1660
(also: Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau (1641))
4 November 1631, St. James's Palace, London; daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria 18 years 2 May 1641
William II, Prince of Orange (1 son)
24 December 1660, Whitehall Palace, London
2 Princess Anne
1727–1759
(also: Princess of Orange (1734))
2 November 1709, Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover; daughter of King George II and Queen Caroline 32 years 25 March 1734
William IV of Orange (3 children)
12 January 1759, The Hague, Netherlands
3 Princess Charlotte
1789–1828
(also: Duchess of Württemberg (1797), Queen consort of Württemberg (1806))
29 September 1766, Buckingham House, London; daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte 39 years 18 May 1797
Frederick I of Württemberg (1 daughter)
5 October 1828, Ludwigsburg Palace, Baden-Württemberg
4 Princess Victoria
1841–1901
(also: German Empress and Queen consort of Prussia (1888))
21 November 1840, Buckingham Palace, London; daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert 60 years 25 January 1858
Frederick III, German Emperor (8 children)
5 August 1901, Schloss Friedrichshof, Hesse
5 Princess Louise
1905–1931
(also: Duchess of Fife (1889))
20 February 1867, Marlborough House, London; daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra 26 years 27 July 1889
Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife (3 children)
4 January 1931, Portman Square, London
6 Princess Mary
1932–1965
(also: Countess of Harewood (1929))
25 April 1897, York Cottage, Sandringham; daughter of King George V and Queen Mary 33 years 28 February 1922
Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (2 sons)
28 March 1965, Harewood House, West Yorkshire
7 Princess Anne
1987–present
15 August 1950, Clarence House, London; daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip 37 years 14 November 1973
Mark Phillips (2 children)
12 December 1992
Sir Timothy Laurence
now 74 years, 126 days old

In fiction

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  • In the House of M alternate universe of Marvel Comics, Betsy Braddock is the elder twin sister of the British King and bears the title Princess Royal.
  • The novel The Lady Royal, by Molly Costain Haycraft, is a fictionalized account of the life of Isabella de Coucy. According to the narrative, Isabella was titled the Princess Royal and then later given the more 'adult' title of the Lady Royal by her parents. This is a fabrication; although Isabella, as the eldest daughter of Edward III, enjoyed the special privileges that came with her rank, she could not have been titled the Princess Royal because the title was not used in England until long after her death. The title of "the Lady Royal" has never existed.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Royal Titles: Style and Title of the Princess Royal". The Royal Family. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008.
  2. ^ "The Princess Royal". The Royal Family. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b Panton, Kenneth J. (2011). Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. pp. 381–382. ISBN 978-0-8108-7497-8. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  4. ^ Davies, Nicholas (2013). Elizabeth II: Behind Palace Doors. Random House. ISBN 9781780578279. Until Elizabeth gave her the title, Anne's correct form of address had been a mouthful, 'Her Royal Highness the Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips'.