A royal family hierarchy is the hierarchical representation of the extended family of a king or a queen. A royal family is typically a large family consisting of different members. The members include the spouse of monarch, who is ruling presently, the spouses of a monarch who is deceased, brother, sister, cousins and grandchildren of the present monarch. The royal family membership also extends to the great grandchildren and other descendants of the monarch. The particular article demonstrates the current British royal family hierarchy in brief and also outlines the important roles played by the Royal family.
The order of precedence used in the British Royal family Hierarchy is as follows, starting from the highest position to the lowest position:
- King/Queen: This title outranks all other positions in the royal family hierarchy.
- Prince/Princess: The prince and princess are usually referred to as the son and daughter of the kings and queens.
- Duke/Duchess: A duke or duchess holds a high rank below the monarch and can rule over another lower member of the nobility. They were essentially the rulers of the provinces.
- Marquess/Marchioness: The Marquess/ Marchioness ranks higher than a count. The title is ranked below Duke.
- Earl/Countess: Earl is also a member of the nobility. Countless is used as the feminine form of the title.
- Viscount/Viscountess: A viscount is said to hold a viscounty or an area of jurisdiction. Viscountess is the female version of the title.
- Baron/ Baroness: Baron was originally used to denote a chief of the King. The female version of Baron is called as Baroness.
The above order of the British hierarchy is outlined by Peerage. Peerage is essentially a legal system which constitutes the ranks of the British family tree. These ranks are a part of the British honours system. Once the peerage is created, the list continues to exist as long as there are surviving descendants of the family.
Important Roles Played By TheRoyal Family
- The queen handles all the state and the national duties and the members of the family cooperates the queen in all those activities. The members also help in carrying out the various public and charitable services, thereby enhancing the unity nationwide.
- The members who undertake the important official duties are the children, spouses and the cousins of the queen. The younger members of the family do not undertake any official duties but they play an important role in the national events that are being organized.
- The members of the royal family represent the nation in various events of national and international significance such as Commonwealth games, State funerals, economic meetings and national festivities.
- In addition to supporting the charities, the members of the royal family have also established their own charities. These charities provide help and support for the needy people. Among the various charities established by them are ThePrince’s Trust and The Princess Royal Trust of Carers etc.
- The royal family also plays a very important role in ensuring the state and national security. They meet the armed forces officials, who are serving the country; on a regular time intervals to sort out any type of problems encountered by them. They also communicate with the soldiers and the sailors.