LUCRARE PENTRU OBȚINEREA ATESTATULUI PROFESIONAL LA LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

INSIGHTS INTO THE HISTORY OF

THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY

PROFESOR CANDIDAT
COORDONATOR CHIUZBĂIAN LAURA
AVRAM LUCIA

2023
LUCRARE PENTRU OBȚINEREA ATESTATULUI PROFESIONAL LA LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

INSIGHTS INTO THE HISTORY OF

THE BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY

PROFESOR COORDONATOR: CANDIDAT:

AVRAM LUCIA CHIUZBAIAN LAURA

2023
 CONTENTS

Précis................................................................................................................................................... 3
1. History of the British monarchy.......................................................................................................... 4
1. 1 English monarchy............................................................................................................................. 4
1. 2 Scottish monarchy............................................................................................................................ 7
1. 3 Monarchy in Ireland......................................................................................................................... 7
1.4 Modern status.................................................................................................................................... 8
2.Modern days royal family.................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Members of the royal family............................................................................................................. 9
2.2 Succession to the throne.................................................................................................................. 11
3.Famous family members.................................................................................................................... 13
3. 1 William the Conqueror (1066-1087).............................................................................................. 13
3. 2 Henry V (1413-1422) .....................................................................................................................13
3. 3 Henry VIII (1509-1547) ................................................................................................................ 12
3. 4 James VI (1567-1626) ................................................................................................................... 12
3. 5 Victoria (1837-1901) ..................................................................................................................... 13
3. 6 Elizabeth II (1952-2022) ............................................................................................................... 13
3. 7 Charles III (2022-).......................................................................................................................... 14
3. 8 Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales (1961-1997).................................................................... 14
3. 9. Camilla Parker Bowles, Queen Consort (1947- ).......................................................................... 15
4. Longest-reigning British monarhcs................................................................................................... 16
4. 1 Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022...................................................................................................... 16
4. 2 Ten longest-reigning monarchs...................................................................................................... 16
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................. 17
Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................... 18

3
 Précis

The British Royal family plays an important role into our society and around the globe. They
have a major influence in several countries, such as Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand, India,
Kenya and many others across the world.

I decided to work upon this subject because I have always been attracted and fascinated by the
members of the family, especially the ones living nowadays. Ever since I was little, I used to watch
with my grandmother a TV show about the life of monarchs and because of it, I wanted to get to know
The Queen.

I consider the British Royal family having a very rich history, filled with lots of stories and
mysteries as well, waiting to be brought to light one day. I find their way of living very interesting and
different than ours, that is why I want to learn more about their past and their culture.

In my opinion, we should all know a little bit about this well-known family and the impact they
have in the world, because without them, many things today wouldn’t be the same. Moreover, a couple
British monarchs have some of the most interesting life stories worth knowing

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 1. History of the British monarchy

The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the
constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the
United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the
Isle of Man) and the British Overseas Territories. The current monarch is King Charles III, who
ascended the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The British monarchy traces its origins from the petty kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England and
early medieval Scotland, which consolidated into the kingdoms of England and Scotland by the 10th
century. England was conquered by the Normans in 1066, after which Wales also gradually came
under the control of Anglo-Normans. The process was completed in the 13th century when the
Principality of Wales became a client state of the English kingdom. Meanwhile, Magna Carta began
the process of reducing the English monarch's political powers. From 1603, the English and Scottish
kingdoms were ruled by a single sovereign.

1. 1 English monarchy

Following Viking raids and settlement in

the ninth century, the Anglo-Saxon
kingdom of Wessex emerged as the
dominant English kingdom. Alfred the
Great secured Wessex, achieved
dominance over western Mercia, and
assumed the title "King of the English".
His grandson Æthelstan was the first king
to rule over a unitary kingdom roughly
corresponding to the present borders of
England, though its constituent parts retained strong regional identities. The 11th century saw England
become more stable, despite a number of wars with the Danes, which resulted in a Danish monarchy
for one generation. The conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy, was crucial in

5
terms of both political and social change. The new monarch continued the centralisation of power
begun in the Anglo-Saxon period, while the feudal system continued to develop.
William was succeeded by two of his sons: William II, then Henry I. Henry made a controversial
decision to name his daughter Matilda (his only surviving child) as his heir. Following Henry's death
in 1135, one of William I's grandsons, Stephen, laid claim to the throne and took power with the
support of most of the barons. Matilda challenged his reign; as a result, England descended into a
period of disorder known as the Anarchy. Stephen maintained a precarious hold on power, but agreed
to a compromise under which Matilda's son Henry would succeed him.
Henry accordingly became the first Angevin king of England and the first monarch of the
Plantagenet dynasty as Henry II in 1154.

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 1. 2 Scottish monarchy

In Scotland, as in England, monarchies emerged after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire
from Great Britain in the early fifth century. The three groups that lived in Scotland at this time were
the Picts in the northeast, the Britons in the south, including the Kingdom of Strathclyde, and the Gaels
or Scotti (who would later give their name to Scotland), of the Irish petty kingdom of Dál Riata in the
west. Kenneth MacAlpin is traditionally viewed as the first king of a united Scotland (known as Scotia
to writers in Latin, or Alba to the Scots). The expansion of Scottish dominions continued over the next
two centuries, as other territories such as Strathclyde were absorbed.
Early Scottish monarchs did not inherit the Crown directly; instead, the custom of tanistry was
followed, where the monarchy alternated between different branches of the House of Alpin. As a
result, however, the rival dynastic lines clashed, often violently. From 942 to 1005, seven consecutive
monarchs were either murdered or killed in battle. In 1005, Malcolm II ascended the throne having
killed many rivals. He continued to ruthlessly eliminate opposition, and when he died in 1034 he was
succeeded by his grandson, Duncan I, instead of a cousin, as had been usual. In 1040, Duncan suffered
defeat in battle at the hands of Macbeth, who was killed himself in 1057 by Duncan's son Malcolm.
The following year, after killing Macbeth's stepson Lulach, Malcolm ascended the throne as Malcolm
III.

1. 3 Monarchy in Ireland
By 1541, King Henry VIII of England had broken with the Church of Rome and declared
himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. The Pope's grant of Ireland to the English monarch
became invalid, so Henry summoned a meeting of the Irish Parliament to change his title from Lord of
Ireland to King of Ireland.

In 1800, as a result of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the Act of Union merged the kingdom of
Great Britain and the kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The
whole island of Ireland continued to be a part of the United Kingdom until 1922 when what is now the
Republic of Ireland won independence as the Irish Free State, a separate Dominion within the
Commonwealth. The Irish Free State was renamed Ireland in 1937, and in 1949 declared itself a
republic, left the Commonwealth and severed all ties with the monarchy. Northern Ireland remained
within the Union. In 1927, the United Kingdom changed its name to the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, while the monarch's style for the next twenty years became "of Great
Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of
India".
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 1.4 Modern status
In the 1990s, republicanism in the United Kingdom grew, partly on account of negative
publicity associated with the royal family (for instance, immediately following the death of Diana,
Princess of Wales). However, polls from 2002 to 2007 showed that around 70–80% of the British
public supported the continuation of the monarchy. This support has remained constant since then –
according to a 2018 survey, a majority of the British public across all age groups still support the
monarchy's continuation, although support is higher mongst older age groups.

8
 2.Modern days royal family

The British royal family comprises King Charles III and his close relations. There is no strict
legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued
different lists outlining who is a part of the royal family. They support the monarch in undertaking
public engagements and often pursue charitable work and interests. The royal family are regarded as
British cultural icons.

2.1 Members of the royal family

The head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms is King Charles
III. He is the head of the royal family. He has two children and five grandchildren. The Lord
Chamberlain's "List of the Royal Family" mentions all of Elizabeth II's descendants and their spouses
(including Sarah, Duchess of York, who is divorced), along with the King's cousins with royal rank
and their spouses.
The royal family's guidelines on
greeting a member of the royal
family say they should first be
greeted with "Your Royal Highness".
The status of Royal Highness is
restricted to children of a monarch,
male-line grandchildren of a
monarch, the children of the eldest
child of the Prince of Wales, and
their wives.
The picture above illustrates Queen Elizabeth along with her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg
and their four children, Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III), Anne, Princess of Edinburgh,
Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the
British throne as the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educated at Wetherby School, Ludgrove School and Eton College. He
spent parts of his gap year in Belize and Chile before earning a Scottish Master of Arts degree in
geography at the University

9
of St Andrews. William then trained at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst prior to serving with the
Blues and Royals. In April 2008, William graduated from Royal Air Force College Cranwell, joining
RAF Search and Rescue Force in early 2009. He served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air
Ambulance from July 2015 for two years. In 2011, William was made Duke of Cambridge preceding
his marriage to Catherine Middleton. William became Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay
following the accession of his father
Charles III to the throne on 8 September 2022. The following day, he was made Prince of Wales and
Earl of Chester, titles reserved for the heir apparent of a reigning monarch, and Catherine became
Princess of Wales. The couple have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince
Louis.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of
the British royal family. He is the younger son of King Charles III by his first wife Diana, Princess of
Wales. He is fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.
Harry was educated at Wetherby School, Ludgrove School, and Eton College. He spent parts of his
gap year in Australia and Lesotho, then underwent officer training at the Royal Military Academy
Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a cornet into
the Blues and Royals, serving temporarily with his
brother William and completed training as a troop
leader. In 2007–2008, he served for over ten weeks
in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He returned to
Afghanistan for a 20-week deployment in 2012–
2013 with the Army Air Corps. In June 2015, he
resigned from the army.
In 2018, Harry was made Duke of Sussex prior to
his wedding to American actress Meghan Markle.
They have two children, Archie and Lilibet
Mountbatten-Windsor. In January 2020, the couple
stepped down as senior members of the royal family
and moved to the Duchess's native Southern
California. In October 2020, they launched
Archewell Inc., an American public organisation
that focuses on non-profit activities and creative media ventures. Together with his wife, Harry also sat
down for a much publicised interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, with whom he also
produced the mental health documentary series The Me You Can't See.

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 2.2 Succession to the throne

Below you can see a representation of the British royal family’s family tree with the lines of
succession to the throne, starting with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh.

11
Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender, legitimacy, and religion. Under
common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest
collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 restrict succession to the throne
to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover who are in "communion with the Church
of England". Spouses of Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015.
Protestant descendants of those excluded for being Roman Catholics are eligible.
King Charles III is the sovereign, and his heir apparent is his elder son, William, Prince of Wales.
William's eldest son, Prince George of Wales, is second in line, followed by his sister, Princess
Charlotte, and his younger brother, Prince Louis. Fifth in line is Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the
younger son of the King, and sixth is Harry's elder child Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Under the
Perth Agreement, which came into effect in 2015, only the first six in line of succession require the
sovereign's consent before they marry; without such consent, they and their children would be
disqualified from succession.

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 3.Famous family members

The UK’s political history is truly fascinating. Although today the UK is run by a
parliamentary democracy, at the helm of the ship before the days of democracy was the monarchy.
England’s Royal households have shaped British culture for thousands of years and continue to have a
dramatic effect on the world as it is today. But who are the kings and queens worth knowing about?
There are a fair few, but here are some of the most famous.

3. 1 William the Conqueror (1066-1087)

William the conqueror was illiterate, but that didn’t stop this
undeniably clever warlord from claiming the throne of England in
1066. The Battle of Hastings changed the future of England
forever.
Even though you could say he fought valiantly with 5,000
troops to conquer a nation of 1.5 million, William I wiped out the
ruling classes and claimed all the land. He also replaced English
with French as the language of government.

3. 2 Henry V (1413-1422)

Henry V reunited the English in 1415 by defeating the French

at the infamous Battle of Agincourt. He’s often described as the last
great warrior-king, with many of his followers believing him
immortal after a series of victories.
Combining the French and English crowns in 1420 is
considered to be one of Henry V’s greatest achievements.
Unfortunately, his life didn’t last much longer after his proudest
accomplishment. He died in 1422, most likely of dysentery.

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 3. 3 Henry VIII (1509-1547)

Henry VIII is undoubtedly one of the most infamous

kings in English history, widely known for his ruthless ways
and six wives, two of which were beheaded.
When the Pope in Rome refused to annul his first
marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry split from the Roman
Catholic church. In the resulting aftermath, he went on to
establish his own church, the Church of England.
When he wasn’t busy beheading people, he had a
penchant for warmongering and pillaging his own country. He
is, without a doubt, the most infamous king in history.

3. 4 James VI (1567-1626)

James VI was King of Scotland from 1567 until

1603 and also of England and Ireland until 1625, making
him the first king of the union. Even though James held
three crowns, the thrones remained distinct in spite of the
King’s best efforts to form a new imperial throne.
Nevertheless, through almost pure accident, King James
laid the foundations for what the UK would become and
remain for centuries. Apparently quite a nice fella, we think
he deserves a place on our list of most famous UK
monarchs. Go and explore the castles of Scotland to gain a
glimpse into medieval Royal life.

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 3. 5 Victoria (1837-1901)

When she died, Queen Victoria became the longest- reigning monarch
in British history (a title now held by Queen Elizabeth II).
Some people argue that she saved the monarchy from the contempt the
poor and the powerful were starting to feel towards it during the decades before
her reign. She was also in charge of Britain when its empire was at its most
powerful (not largest), so in reality, she was more of an empress than a Queen.

3. 6 Elizabeth II (1952-2022)

Until 8th September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II has been the world’s longest-reigning living
monarch (and the fourth-longest in history) and celebrated her Platinum Jubilee this year after 70 years
of service.
Her Majesty has seen a lot, including the decolonisation of Africa, devolution in the UK and
the ultimate demise of the empire.
Nevertheless, she’s been a sovereign of 32 independent
countries during her lifetime. Not many people can top that.

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 3. 7 Charles III (2022-)

Born in 1948, Charles Philip Arthur George has become King of the United Kingdom and 14
other Commonwealth realms. He acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the passing of his
mother, Elizabeth II.
He was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history and is the oldest person to assume
the throne, doing so at the age of 73.

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 Other famous family members (that are not heirs of the throne) are Lady Diana Spencer,
Princess of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Consort.

3. 8 Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales (1961-1997)

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July
1961 in Norfolk. She received the style Lady Diana Spencer in 1975, when her father inherited his
Earldom.
Lady Diana Spencer married The Prince of Wales at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 29 July
1981.
During her marriage the Princess undertook a wide range of royal duties. Family was very
important to the Princess, who had two sons: Prince William and Prince Henry (Harry). After her
divorce from The Prince of Wales, the Princess continued to be regarded as a member of the Royal
Family.
Diana, Princess of Wales, died on Sunday, 31 August 1997, following a car crash in Paris.
There was widespread public mourning at the death of this popular figure, culminating with her funeral
at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6 September 1997.
Even after her death, the Princess's work lives on in the form of commemorative charities and
projects set up to help those in need.

17
18
 3. 9. Camilla Parker Bowles, Queen Consort (1947- )

The Queen Consort was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on 17th July 1947 at King’s College
Hospital London, the daughter of Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and the Hon Rosalind Maud
Shand (nee Cubitt).
Since her marriage to King Charles in 2005, The Queen Consort has become Patron or
President of approximately 100 charities and regularly attends events to support them.
Her Royal Highness’s charity work is varied but several themes prevail: health, literacy, supporting
those in need; the elderly, victims of rape and sexual abuse and domestic violence, empowering
women; food; animals, dance and heritage and the arts.
Her Royal Highness is also a devoted mother, stepmother, grandmother and step-grandmother.

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 4.Longest-reigning British monarhcs

4. 1 Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch on 9 September 2015 when she
surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Victoria. On 6 February 2017 she became the first
British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, commemorating 65 years on the throne.

In 2022, Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to reign for 70 years, and large-scale
celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee occurred from 2–5 June. She reigned for 70 years, 7 months and
2 days before her death on 8 September 2022.
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the
United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She
was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and 15 at the time of her death. Her reign
of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch and the longest recorded of any female
head of state in history.
Significant events include Elizabeth's coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver,
Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively.
The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the 70th
anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.
In the United Kingdom, there was an extra bank holiday on 3 June and the usual spring bank
holiday was moved from the end of May to 2 June to create the four-day Platinum Jubilee Central
20
Weekend from Thursday, 2 June, to Sunday, 5 June. It was the first time that any monarch in British
history celebrated a platinum jubilee, as is the case in the histories of the other Commonwealth realms.
Initiatives to commemorate the jubilee were announced by the governments of many realms—
including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the United Kingdom—of
territories, such as the Cayman Islands and Gibraltar, and celebrations were also held in other
Commonwealth member-states, like the Gambia, Malaysia, Malta, Pakistan, and Samoa. Leaders
from across the world, including from China, France, Germany, Israel, and the United States, sent
messages of congratulations to the Queen on reaching the milestone.
Commemorative stamps and coins were issued by several Commonwealth nations and beacons
were lit in every Commonwealth capital for the first time. In many places, trees were planted in the
Queen's honour.

Elizabeth was the longest-lived British monarch and the second-longest reigning sovereign in world
history, behind only Louis XIV of France. She faced occasional republican sentiment and media
criticism of her family, particularly after the breakdowns of her children's marriages, her annus
horribilis in 1992, and the death of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
However, support for the monarchy in the United Kingdom remained consistently high, as did her
personal popularity. Elizabeth died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire in 2022, and was
succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III.
On 8 September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that Elizabeth was under medical
supervision at Balmoral Castle after doctors expressed concern. The statement read, "Following further
evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have
recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at
Balmoral." Elizabeth's four children, along with her daughters-in-law, and grandsons Prince William
and Prince Harry, travelled to Balmoral. Her death was confirmed that evening at 18:30 BST, setting
in motion Operation London Bridge and, because she died in Scotland, Operation Unicorn.
21
 4. 2 Ten longest-reigning monarchs

1. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, 1952-2022; 70 years.

2. Victoria of the United Kingdom, 1837-1901; 63 years.

3. George III of Great Britain and Ireland, and from 1801 of the United Kingdom, 1760-1820; 59 years.

4. James VI of Scotland, and I of England, 1567-1625; 57 years.

5. Henry III of England, 1216-1272; 56 years.

6. Edward III of England, 1327-1377; 50 years.

7. William I of Scotland, 1165-1214; 48 years.

8. Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, 1868-1917; 48 years.

9. Llywelyn II of Gwynedd, 1194 or 1195-1240; 45-46 years.

10. Elizabeth I of England and Ireland, 1558-1603; 44 years.

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 Conclusions

The British royal family plays a very important role into our lives. Whether we live in the UK
or not, some decisions that the royal family make influent us more or less.

The longest-reigning British monarch that has ever lives is Queen Elizabeth II, who sadly
passed away in September last year, after 70 years of service to her people and 96 years of life
beautifully lived.

I am grateful and happy that I was born during the time The Queen was alive and also because
I got to know more about her and her family while writing this paperwork.

I highly suggest everyone to read about this beautiful family because their stories are worth
reading and they are fascinating as well.

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generations/897312001/

https://www.insider.com/british-royal-family-racist-history-black-lives-matter-2020-8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_the_British_throne

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reigning-monarchs-b2163520.html

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https://www.nbcnews.com/video/trooping-the-color-leads-platinum-jubilee-for-britain-

s-%20queen-elizabeth-ii-141295173737

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