Remembering Lord Mountbatten

Perhaps, one of the most influential figures in the British royal court during his lifetime, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Earl of Burma, was the maternal uncle of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Known privately as Dickie to the royal family, Lord Mountbatten was considered by the Prince of Wales as his dear grandpapa. Mountbatten directly descended from Queen Victoria’s second daughter, Princess Alice, who married the Grand Duke of Hesse-Cassel, Louis IV.

Lord Louis Mountbatten, maternal uncle of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

and Prince Charles's mentor whom he referred as his honorary grandfather.

He was born His Serene Highness, Prince Louis of Battenberg, the youngest child of Prince Louis of Battenberg, and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (eldest child of Princess Alice). He married a wealthy British aristocrat, Edwina Ashley, and had two daughters, Patricia and Pamela.

His connection to the most powerful royal houses in Europe, made him to flaunt in pride. Aside from being the great grandson of Queen Victoria, he had other royal connections to boast. His older sister, Princess Alice of Battenberg, married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, son of King George I of Greece. His other sister, Louise, married King Adolf VI of Sweden. His maternal aunt, Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine became Empress Alexandra of Russia (wife of Emperor Nicolas II of Russia). 

His father and namesake, Prince Louis of Battenberg, was a German Prince. He and his wife, Princess Victoria, moved to England. Battenberg then served in the British Royal Navy. He was the first Sea Lord of England during the outbreak of World War I. However, England was fighting against Germany and English detested everything about Germans. Almost every German living in England was suspected as a spy and despite his devotion to England and achievement in the royal navy, Prince Louis was not exempted from this angst.

His wife’s first cousin, King George V, determined to save his Kingdom from the rant of his volatile subjects, advised Battenberg to resign from his post. Louis was also forced to relinquish his Princely title. The King made him an English nobleman. He was given the title, Marquess of Milford-Haven. The final humiliation came when Louis was advised to anglicize his name, so he obliged and changed Battenberg to Mountbatten. He retired from the naval service and settled quietly in Kensington Palace for the rest of his life.

Except for Princess Alice, who by then married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, Louis, his brother, George, and sister, Louise, took the status of being children of a British nobleman, thereby assuming the courtesy title of Lord and Lady. So the youngest Louis became Lord Louis Mountbatten

Lord Louis Mountbatten was not disheartened by the turn of events, instead, he made his way up to the top of the royal service and became a decorated war hero and naval officer. His influence in the lives of the British royal family became even more strong when King George VI ascended the British throne.

Deeply shy, nervous and reluctant with his role as monarch, the King would often rely on the brilliant advises of his distant cousin. Louis Mountbatten excelled in every service he held. He was assigned a Viceroy of India and was made Earl of Burma. He also served as a Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Southeast Asia Command during World War II and just like his father, Louis became the First Sea Lord of England. He had reached the highest rank in the British royal navy by becoming an Admiral of the Fleet.

Despite all these achievements, the Earl of Burma seemed looking for something greater. May it be his ambitious streak to grip hard on the throne or his concern over the future of his dear nephew, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who, at the age of 10, had no home of his own, history would prove that Lord Mountbatten played a significant role in molding the future of the British throne.

Smart and brilliant, Lord Mountbatten would do anything to lift his family from obscurity. He considered having a royal status a ticket to greatness, privilege and honor. He belonged to the old seat of royalists who considered royal marriages must be kept only within the upper class.

When his nephew, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, became homeless at the age of 10, he offered to bring him to England. By 1931, Philip’s parents separated and his mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized in Switzerland. All his sisters had married German princes and Lord Louis thought his nephew deserved a better place in this world, having been born to the exalted blue-blooded family of Europe.

Prince Philip eventually moved to England and studied in English schools designed for children of aristocrats. At the behest of his uncle, Philip attended a naval school and became a naval officer. He became a sub-lieutenant during World War II and started corresponding with his cousin, Princess Elizabeth. But all throughout this time, Philip was not yet a British subject. He also remained a Prince of Greece and Denmark.

By 1940s the handsome Greek prince knew where his destiny would lead him. His relationship to the future Queen of England became closer and, according to some accounts, his uncle actively worked on the possible marriage, bombarding his nephew with advises how to conduct a royal affair. 

In 1946, when it becoming clear that the relationship is edging towards marriage, Lord Mountbatten moved forward to work on Philip’s British citizenship (although in sentiments this was not the case because as a direct descendant of Princess Sophia of Hanover whose son became King George I of England, Prince Philip, just like the rest of European royals descended from Sophia, automatically became a British subject at birth through The Act of Settlement).

Philip became a naturalized British subject in 1947 several months before the royal wedding. Philip reduced to a status of a commoner when he was advised to give up his Greek royal title and his claim to the Greek throne. He adopted his maternal grandfather’s surname, Mountbatten and he was known as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten. The royal wedding took place on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey. The Duke of Edinburgh was able to take back his royal status in 1953 when the Queen made him Prince of the United Kingdom.

When the couple’s first child, Prince Charles, was born, Lord Mountbatten became more than an adviser, he was determined to oversee the upbringing of the boy and his training as a future king. His constant guidance earned him a special place in Charles’s heart. The Prince of Wales considered Lord Mountbatten as his dear grandfather.

It was Lord Mountbatten who advised Charles to marry within the royal circle and his phrase, “Love is not an option for the man who would be King of England”, was initially took by Charles devotedly. It was suspected also that Lord Mountbatten was the one who discouraged Charles to pursue a romance with Camilla Shand in 1971 because of her commoner status, so Charles broke up with Camilla and she married Andrew Parker Bowles instead. 

Determined to keep the name within the family, Mountbatten arranged Charles to marry his granddaughter, Amanda Knatchbull. Charles agreed. But before the arrangement could take place, a fatal accident happened.

In August 1979, everything would change. Lord Mountbatten, his daughter, Patricia Knatchbull, two grandsons, Patricia's husband, Lord Brabourne and Brabourne's mother, were aboard Mountbatten's fishing boat to go Lobster-potting and Tuna fishing in the sea side of County Sligo in Ireland when it exploded. Lord Mountbatten, his grandson, Nicholas and Baroness Brabourne died from the explosion.The Irish Republican Army claimed the responsibility of planting the bomb.

His death sent a terrible blow to Prince Charles who considered Lord Mountbatten his closest supporter and dearest grand papa he never had. As a royal, Charles was trained to restrain emotion in public. But during the church service where he read a passage from the bible, the Prince of Wales's voice faltered and he almost broke in tears. He was visibly forlorn and unimaginably emotional all throughout the service.

The Prince of Wales followed the wish of his great uncle and proposed marriage to Amanda Knatchbull sometimes in 1979 but Amanda flatly refused the proposal. A year later in July 1980, Prince Charles met Lady Diana Spencer in a country house party organized by their friends. Six months later they got engaged and married on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral, London and the rest is history.

Nearly 40 years after losing Lord Mountbatten to a fatal explosion, the Prince of Wales still fondly remembered the man he considered one of the most influential figures in his growing up years.

Kate Middleton: No more Princess of Wales

Kate Middleton, officially known as Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, might never become Princess of Wales and Diana could be the last spouse of the future British King to have known as Princess of Wales. 

The current wife of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles, is officially the Princess of Wales, but she was given the title Duchess of Cornwall, assuming the second title of Charles, Duke of Cornwall, to avoid public disapproval. Camilla is still viewed as the primary cause of the collapse of the royal marriage.

This royal love triangle and the sad story of the English Queen Consorts with a name Catherine is included in my royal book TRAGEDIES IN THE ROYAL COURT.

Although no discussion yet is brewing regarding the limitations and treatment of the Princess of Wales title in the present Britain, the speculation that Kate Middleton could no longer take this title is somehow logical.

Historically, in British monarchy, female Heir Presumptive could not take the title Princess of Wales because this is reserved for the wife of the Prince of Wales. 

In 1936, following the accession to the throne of King George VI, there were suggestions heard that he should grant his heir presumptive, Princess Elizabeth, with the title of Princess of Wales, but Buckingham Palace maintained this title would only be given to the future Queen consort and not to the future Queen regnant. 

However, the British monarchy already adopted the absolute primogeniture succession in 2013 which repealed some of the provisions in the succession law. The eldest child of the reigning sovereign, irrespective of gender, would be the next monarch, this means that an eldest daughter would no longer be pushed aside by a younger son in the line of succession.

Since the title of the British Heir-Apparent is always the Prince of Wales, his female counterpart naturally would be known as the Princess of Wales, this means further that the wife of the Prince of Wales could no longer take the title Princess of Wales since this is reserved for the future Queen regnant.

So what would be the title of Kate Middleton when Prince Charles ascends the throne and the Duke of Cambridge would be the new Prince of Wales? Would she retain her title Duchess of Cambridge? Or be given another one.

This title confusion was already raised in 2003 following the wedding of then Prince Wilhelm-Alexander, now the King of the Netherlands. As Heir-Apparent to the Dutch throne his title was Prince of Orange but his wife was not given the title Princess of Orange, instead, she was known as Princess of the Netherlands, because at that time, Netherlands already changed its constitutional law on succession from male-preference primogeniture to absolute. The Princess of Orange title is reserved for the future Dutch female sovereign.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

In April 2013, following his accession to the throne, King Wilhelm-Alexander’s eldest daughter, Catarina-Amalia, the Heir-Apparent, became known as the Hereditary Princess of Orange. 

This situation might be applied also to Kate Middleton following Britain's adoption of absolute succession law. She would never be called Princess Catherine because the British monarchy does not traditionally create the spouse of the royals Princess or Prince in their own rights. Unless the sovereign will issue a letter patent granting her the title Princess, she would never be known as such.

So far, this issue is not yet discussed publicly in the British establishment, however, granting history and the royal customs regarding correct styles and treatment of royal titles, the possibility that Kate Middleton would never become Princess of Wales is very probable.

Elizabeth II's 63rd on the Throne

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland celebrates her 63rd anniversary on the throne today, February 6, 2015. At 88, the Queen continues to show sign of excellent health and she might inherit the long life of her mother, also named Elizabeth, who died at the age of 101 in 2002.

However, the longest reigning British monarch was Elizabeth's great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and 28 days. The Queen will surpass Victoria's record, if she will remain on the throne until September 7, 2015.

Trivia about the Queen:

In a surprising twist of fate, Elizabeth's moment in history significantly drew a closer resemblance to Victoria's reign. Like the reign of Victoria, Elizabeth now also has three male heirs in direct succession to the throne. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince George of Cambridge.

During Queen Victoria, her male heirs in direct succession to the throne were: Her son, Prince Bertie, the Prince of Wales, who would become Edward VII, Prince George, the Duke of York, who would become George V, and Prince David, who would become shortly as Edward VIII.

Elizabeth is also the second British monarch after King George I who was not in England at the time of accession. She was in Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, when her father, King George VI, died from coronory thrombosis, on February 6, 1952. The Queen received her ascension rite at a royal lodge in Kenya. She left England a Princess and returned as Queen.

On the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia last January 23, 2015 at the age of 90, Queen Elizabeth II, is now the world's oldest monarch and the current second longest reigning monarch in the world after King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.

Queen Elizabeth might be the last British monarch to wed a fellow royal (though it's hard to tell what will happen in the future royal marriages). Her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is royal by birth as the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. He is also a grandson of King George I of Greece and great great grandson of Queen Victoria of England, as with Elizabeth, Philip is related to all royals in Europe. Philip is also the last true blooded European royal who married into the British royal family as of the current time.

The Queen is also Head of State to 16 nations under the Commonwealth Realms including New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

The mysterious death of Prince George, Duke of Kent

This is included in my upcoming royal book: Tragedies in the Royal Court under the "Tragic Death" section.

This is the long-forgotten story of the death of Prince George, Duke of Kent,  the first British Prince to die in 400 years while on active military service.

The circumstances of his death from the plane crash on a sunny weather still puzzle royalists. No accurate details were given and explanations seemed remote. What really happened on the 25th day of August in 1942 during World War II when the Prince was headed to a special mission in Iceland? Was there a cover-up, a conspiracy theory surrounding his death?

Answers to these questions were never given and the incident was concluded as pure accident and nothing else, but considering the events were never fully explained, people could not help but think if there was a cover up.

His Royal Highness, Prince George, the Duke of Kent was 6th in line of succession to the British throne at the time of his death. He was a group captain in the Royal Air Force and became an Air Vice-Marshal shortly before World War II broke out in 1939.

He was the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary and a younger brother of both King Edward VIII and King George VI. He was married to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, first cousin of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and had three children, Prince Edward, Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael. At the time of his death, his wife had just given birth to their youngest child, Prince Michael.

His untimely death from a plane crash in 1942 raised speculations on a conspiracy theory due to several misleading information provided to the public. The circumstances of his death and details on why the plane had crashed despite the sunny weather were never fully explained.

Prince George was scheduled to visit the Royal Air Force personnel stationed in Iceland during World War II and because the flight would be carrying a British prince and 6^th in line of succession to the British throne, the crew and companions were carefully selected.

The captain, Flight Lieutenant Frank Goyen, was considered an expert to fly a military boat bomber. The co-pilot was the commanding officer of 228 Squadron, Wing Commander, Thomas Lawton Mosley, one of the RAF’s most experienced pilots. Accompanying the prince were his private secretary, equerry and valet.

On August 25, 1942, they boarded RAF S-25 Sunderland MK III flying boat bomber which took off from Invergordon, Scotland but moment after it went up on air, it exploded and crashed on the hillside of Caithness, Scotland.

When the investigation began, the incident raised many questions. Why the pilot maneuvered the plane over the land when it was a flying boat bomber that supposed to fly over the water? Why did the pilot descend to some 650 feet when he was flying over high land?

When the investigators reached the crash site, 14 bodies were recovered including the Duke of Kent, on his position was a suitcase strapped in his wrist containing hundred kroner notes, no explanation could support this circumstance why the Duke carried notes not valid to his country of destination, Iceland. Kroner is the currency of Sweden.

The only survivor in the tragedy was Andy Jack, the tail gunner who occupied the tail end of the craft and was separated from the group when it blew off and flung to the other side of the hillside.

Jack’s response to the tragedy brought a confusing angle. He had never spoken about the tragedy because he was under oath not to speak. He was also promoted despite the tragedy. Whether he told a confidential retelling of events to the British royal family or to the Duke’s widow, Princess Marina, no one can tell. The story of the Duke of Kent’s death rested in peace and no one ever attempted to reopen it.

Seventy two years later after the incident, the death of Prince George still confusing to the consciousness of the public. The only explanation established at the time of his death was that the Prince was heading to a special mission in Iceland, a special mission that no one seemed ready to explain. It was a surprising circumstance that only Princess Marina got interest to pursue an investigation considering it was the death of a British royal prince and a military officer.

The Magic and Charm of the name EDWARD

 
EDWARD is one of the most popular names of the British royal Princes since the middle ages.

Unlike ordinary folks, the naming of royals is not just like a pick-in-the-book ritual but more on tradition and historical importance. The process is like a kiss-by-decorum, intricately planned, debated and subjected to an intense process of royal protocol.

 

Royals often pick their baby’s names with respect to their custom, ancient traditions and significance in the life of the monarchy. It’s not just simply a name they found in the book or magazine, the name must reflect the prestige of the crown and must symbolize continuity. 

What made the naming of the royal tots a little complicated is the fact that royals, especially the Brits, have this appalling concern on the historical merits and representation of such name. 

For example, the name JOHN has not been used in the royal family since the middle ages. This is because the royals don’t want to remember the reign of King John, the youngest son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor, who took part in the conflict instigated by his mother and his brothers to oust the aging King, his father, from power. With his tyrant reputation, unscrupulous character and difficult behavior, King John was considered one of the worst Kings in English history, something that the present royals don't want to reminisce. 

There was at least one Prince John (born:1905, died:1919) in the British royal family, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary, he was an epileptic and he was secretly removed from the public life of the royal family and kept under seclusion at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. Prince John died in 1919 from a severe seizure at the age of 14. Since then, no British Prince was given the name John.

Oh but I love the name John, never mind if the British royals avoided it. If ever I have a son someday I would name him John Paul Karol in honor of my favorite Pope and now saint, St. John Paul II. 

John is one of the most fascinating names I would love to hear, it's very significant in the anal of Christianity.Two of the most beloved and highly revered saints in the Christendom were named John. John the Evangelist and John the Baptist. The former was said to be the favorite disciple of Jesus, in fact he was the only apostle who did not die a martyr. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ who had the Lord baptized in the river Jordan. 

There were 23 Popes reigned under the name John and two had coined it with the name Paul. John Paul I chose to include Paul when he was looking for his regnal name after his papal election, he chose it in honor of his predecessor, Paul VI. When Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland was elected into the papacy in 1978, he chose the name John Paul II in honor of his direct predecessor. Most European Kings in the medieval times had the name John. Isn't it lovely? Yeah, that's why I love that name, it's very special :-)

Charles is another name frowned by the royal family due to its attachment to the two previous King Charles, both Stuarts. The first Charles irked the parliament with his baffling laws on absolute power. He insisted that the King should be the supreme law of the land, the parliament was furious that he was captured and executed in the Whitehall.

The monarchy was temporarily abolished and Britain was put under the protectorate of the military leader, Oliver Cromwell. Ten years later, on the death of Cromwell, the monarchy was restored and Charles’s eldest son, also named Charles, ascended the throne. The second Charles had another bad reputation,he was a serial adulterer who took many mistresses and reportedly sired 11 children, two of these illegitimates, the Duke of Grafton and the Duke of Richmond, were direct ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales and Cressida Bonas, the current girlfriend of Diana's second son, Prince Harry.

The current Prince of Wales, according to some accounts, was christened with the name Charles by his father, Prince Philip in honor of King Haakon VII of Norway, the former Prince Charles of Denmark, a distant cousin of both Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, in addition, Haakon VII married Princess Maud of Britain, younger sister of King George V. 

But it is doubted if the Prince of Wales would really choose his first name to be his regnal name when he ascend the throne, other royal analysts theorized Charles might choose to reign under the name of George (his real name is Charles Philip Arthur George) in honor of his grandfather, King George VI, and two great grandfathers, King George V of England, and King George I of Greece (grandfather of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh).

Okay, back to EDWARD.

Talking about royal family's favorite name. There's at least one that has become the favorite among British Princes.  The name seems symbolizes magic and prestige in the royal family because almost all British monarchs since the reign of King William I in the 11^th century had a son or grandson named EDWARD. 

In fact because of this name the Normans invaded England in the 10th century and killed the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold II. When he was still alive, King Edward the Confessor had promised the Duke of Normandy, William, who was said to be the bastard son of his brother, Robert, to be his successor to the English throne but when Edward died, the English nobles put the son of Godwin, one of the powerful men in the court, to the throne and reigned Harold II, this circumstance infuriated William.

The Norman duke then launched a siege and conquered England in the Battle of Hastings killing King Harold II in the conflict. William then took the throne and chose Windsor Castle as his seat of court.Since then the English throne was occupied by the Conqueror's descendants.

There were eight English/British Kings in history that bore the name Edward since the Norman Conquest :  

1. Edward I (King of England: 1272-1307, he was known as the Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots), 

2. Edward II (King of England from 1307 until his deposition in 1327, he was the first English prince given with the title of Prince of Wales because he was born at Caernavon Castle in Wales)

3. Edward III (King of England: 1327-1377, he was the one who initiated the Hundred Years of War between England and France due to his constant claim of the French throne)

4. Edward IV (King of England: 1461-1483, he mounted the English throne through a conquest, he was the first York King)

5. Edward V (young son of Edward IV, he reigned only for 2 months, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London at the instigation of his uncle, Richard III, who took over the throne, Edward V and his brother were later known in history as Princes in the Towers, they mysteriously disappeared and believed to be murdered in the Tower)

6. Edward VI (King of England: 1547-1553, he was barely 10 when he succeeded his father, Henry VIII, to the throne, he was a sickly child and died before he reached adulthood)

7. Edward VII (King of England: 1901-1910, son and successor of Queen Victoria)

8. Edward VIII (reigned but not crowned, he abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American commoner, he was created Duke of Windsor by his brother and successor, King George VI).

 

In the current British royal family, there are three male royals who have the name Edward: The Earl of Wessex, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Kent, eldest son of Prince George (paternal uncle of the Queen) who died during World War II and Lord Downpatrick, Edward Windsor, grandson of the Duke of Kent.

Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex

Prince Edward was born 12 years after his mother’s accession in 1952 making him one of the two royal children born to a reigning monarch. He is the youngest child of the Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. In 1999 after his marriage to Sophie Rhys-Jones, it was announced that he would be given a noble title of Earl of Wessex, the announcement surprised most of the royalists because of the breaking of tradition.

His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, 

youngest son of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

No one in British history that the son of the ruling sovereign was given the title of an Earl, most of the sons of the British monarchs were given the title of a Duke, the highest hereditary noble title in Britain ranking just below a Prince and above an Earl or a Count.

Buckingham Palace press office explained that Prince Edward would inherit his father’s title, Duke of Edinburgh, in due time, and the Earl of Wessex is his secondary title. Upon marriage, his wife assumes the title Countess of Wessex.

Another breaking of royal tradition was the announcement made by the palace that any children born on Prince Edward’s marriage would be identified with the status of children of the British Earl and not grandchildren of the monarch, thus, Edward’s daughter Louise was titled Lady instead of Princess and his only son is titled James, the Viscount Severn, instead of Prince James.

Prince Edward is the only one among the four children of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh whose marriage did not end in divorce.

Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent

Grandson of King George V and a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Edward is the first born child of Prince George, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, a first cousin of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

His Royal Highness, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent

First cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and nephew of Prince Philip

Prince Edward was only six years old when his father died in a plane crash while on active duty with the Royal Air Force during World War II in 1942. He assumed his father’s title immediately and became one of the youngest royal dukes in recent memory. In 1959, he took his seat in the House of Lords in the Parliament.

Prince Edward married Katharine Worsley, daughter of a British Baron, they have three children together: George, the Earl of St. Andrews, Lady Helena Windsor-Taylor and Lord Nicholas Windsor. He is a patron to many charities and organizations in Britain in service to the crown and would perform royal duties occasionally representing his cousin, the Queen. The Duke of Kent is currently 33rd in the line of succession to the British throne.

Edward Windsor, the Lord Downpatrick

As a great grandson in the male line of King George V, Edward is supposed to be included in the line of succession to the British throne but due to the circumstances of his father’s marriage to a Roman Catholic, and for him being confirmed a Catholic, he was subsequently removed from the list of the possible successors of his grandfather’s first cousin, the Queen. 

The law on British succession strictly prohibited all royal family members and descendants who are in communion with Rome (meaning became Roman Catholics) from inheriting the British crown. This law is being supported by the provisions of the Act of Settlement of 1701 restricting the succession only to the protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover.  

Edward Windsor, the Lord Downpatrick

He is a grandson of the Duke of Kent, though royal by descent, 

he is excluded in the line of succession to the British throne due to his 

Roman Catholic religion.

The British law on succession was repealed in 2013 removing gender bias to the sovereign’s daughters, meaning daughters are given equal rights to the throne and would no longer be pushed by a younger brother in the line of succession. 

The changed on the succession law touched the provision on the Catholic issues for possible successors. The new law stated that royal family members who took Catholic spouses but did not actually change religion should retain their position in the line of succession. Upon taking effect of the law, royals who were removed from the list in the past because of marrying Catholics (e.g. Prince Michael of Kent, George, the Earl of St. Andrews),  would now be reinstated. 

However, the provisions remained unchanged to Catholic-born royals and those who adopted Catholicism. Thus, Edward, the Lord Downpatrick, his sister, Lady Marina Charlotte, and uncle, Lord Nicholas, who are Roman Catholics, are still considered ineligible to succeed, therefore could never take their places in the line of succession.

Such is the name EDWARD in the British royal family. Historic, momentous, astonishing and magical ^____^

Isn't it an ideal name to consider for your next son? Who knows your son might resonate that Princely charm signifies by the name EDWARD. 

Other names, aside from Edward, which are popular among the British Princes are the following:

1. George

2. Henry

3. William

4. Frederick

5. Alexander

6. Richard

The Best of 2013: Royal History and News

It's the last month of the year so I'll be making my year-end reviews and look-back to some of the biggest news, intrigues and controversies ever reported in the European royal circuit in 2013.

HISTORICAL NEWS

Queen Beatrix with her son, Wilhelm-Alexander and daughter-in-law, Maxima

Abdication of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

The Dutch monarchy has been practicing the abdication tradition since the time of Queen Whilhelmina. Though no specific reasons cited for this tradition, it is historically believed that its purpose is to give room for young generation royals to rule the Kingdom. But despite this century-old tradition in the Netherlands, still, the abdication announcement of Queen Beatrix at the first quarter of this year, took many by surprise. The monarch, who ascended the Dutch throne in 1980 following the abdication of her mother, Queen Juliana, is only 75 years old and still sprightly active.

What made the whole thing more poignant was the fact that one of her sons, Prince Friso, was still in a coma and confined in a London clinic. Prince Friso was not at his mother's side when this historical event took place. Prince Friso died in September when his mother was already bearing the title, Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrix of Orange-Nassau.

Wilhelm-Alexander's accession to the throne brought another significant mark in the Dutch history. He is the first King to ascend the Dutch throne since King William III in the 19th century. But the country might not witness another King to ascend in the coming decades because the reigning King's successor is a female, her eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia, the Hereditary Princess of Orange-Nassau.

Abdication of King Albert II of Belgium

If royal watchers were surprised on the abdication announcement of Queen Beatrix, half of the world was even more astonished (including this royal blogger) when Albert II, King of the Belgians, announced his plan to relinquish the throne to his son, Prince Philippe, a move that has not heard in Belgium since Albert's father, King Leopold III, was pressured by the government in 1951 to abdicate.

King Albert II of Belgium made history last July 2013 when he abdicated the throne, he cited his frail health as the mean reason of his abdication. He is the first Belgian King to make a voluntary abdication and the second abdication history since his father, King Leopold III, was forced by the government to leave the throne in 1951.

King Albert, who was 79 years old at the time of his abdication, cited his frail health as the mean reason of his voluntary abdication. His eldest son, Philippe, the Duke of Brabant, succeeded him and took the throne in July 21, 2013. For the first time since the uncle of Queen Victoria of England, King Leopold I, became the first King of Belgium in 1861, the country will have a female monarch after King Philippe, because the reigning King's successor is a female, his eldest child, Princess Elisabeth. Belgium, just like other European countries: Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Great Britain, changed its succession law from male-preference primogeniture to lineal primogeniture where an eldest child of a monarch, irrespective of gender, will be the heir-apparent to the throne would no longer push by a younger brother in the right of succession.

The birth of the future British King

If constitutional monarchy will still prevail in England for the next decades, Prince William's newly born son, Prince George, will ascend the British throne as King George VII, thus, his birth in July 22, 2013, was marked as "historical" in the book of world history. Other than that, nothing is significant in his birth.

His Royal Highness, Prince George of Cambridge, the name I easily predicted for William's eldest child. His birth marked a historical shake-up in the line of succession to the British throne. On his birth each of the present royal member was pushed down one notch farther from the throne including his popular uncle, Prince Harry. If constitutional monarchy will still prevail in England for the years to come, this infant Prince will succeed his father, William, and will go down to history as King George VII.

Prince George, who has no noble/royal lineage in his mother's family tree, is third in line of succession after his grandfather and father, pushing his uncle, Prince Harry, one notch down to the throne. This is the first time since the birth of Prince David (King Edward VIII and eventually Duke of Windsor) in 1894 that the British throne has three male heirs in direct succession to the throne. Officially known as HRH Prince George of Cambridge, the infant prince was christened last October bearing these full names: George Alexander Louis.

...AND MY FAVORITE ROYAL NEWS THIS YEAR

Prince Harry's love life and new girlfriend

Like the rest of the royal watchers in the world, I have my own list of favorite royal news too! One of these items is the much-publicized royal romance of Prince Harry of Wales.

For so long, since Prince Charles married the young and lovely aristocrat, Lady Diana Spencer, I had been hoping that one day, one of the current male British royals will marry an upper-class, someone with an aristocratic background. When I read that the younger son of Charles and Diana is currently dating the pretty blonde girl, Cressida Bonas, daughter of Lady Mary Curzon, a descendant of King Charles II, I was more than pleased.

Wiser than his brother?

Prince Harry might choose an upper-class blonde for a wife. He has been dating Cressida Bonas, daughter of a British aristocrat with a royal descent from King Charles II, since the summer of 2012 and speculations have been louder than ever that the irresistible prince might propose anytime soon. Both their maternal grandfathers (The Earl of Althorp for Prince Harry and the Earl of Howe for Cressida) were direct descendants of the Duke of Richmond, son of King Charles II, making them 5th cousins once removed.

As a traditional royalist, nothing is more fulfilling than chronicling the latest romantic exploits of Prince Harry with someone from the aristocracy. It's always lovely to write something interesting on the family tree when the prospect is of royal heritage because that's what Royal World is all about.

Royal observers speculated that Prince Harry might propose anytime with Cressida and that the announcement might happen before the first quarter of 2014, no confirmation from the Clarence House (official residence of the Prince of Wales) yet though.

If the marriage will push through, Cressida will be the first woman with an aristocratic background to marry a senior male British royal since the late Princess of Wales, Diana, married Prince Charles in 1981. Cressida is the 5th cousin once removed of Prince Harry, both their mothers (Lady Diana and Lady Mary) directly descended from the Duke of Richmond, one of the illegitimate sons of King Charles II.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson might remarry?

Despite the public's reservations on the Duchess of York, it still brought some surge of delight if I can read something about Sarah Ferguson joining the royal family (officially) again. I did not share the public's misgivings towards Fergie (as Sarah is known), for me, she is just a normal human being worthy to be respected. Prince Andrew loved and respected her down the decades and even after their divorce became final in 1996 (ahead of the Prince and Princess of Wales), the Duke of York continued treating Sarah fairly and allowed her to share his apartment in Sunninghill Park.

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York during their 1986 wedding

I admired the way this royal couple treated each other. Even after they parted ways, they continued making joint holiday vacations abroad with their daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. And last August 2013, news spread in the royal world that the two might consider remarrying in the months to come, Buckingham Palace kept mum about the issue and the couple has not yet heard confirming the news.

Prince Philip's Health

One of my favorite British royals is the Duke of Edinburgh. I find him very endearing and fascinating at times. He is always realistic with no inhibitions and doesn't go around rallying with artificial praises to anyone when it is not really due. The press and other people sometime find his public remarks on almost everything, boorish, bordering on arrogance, but I find it humorous and honest. He has a very genuine character and never withhold emotions even in public, he would express honest comments even if it cost him a few amount of troubles. 

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

The Queen, for so long, well, since marrying Philip in 1947, has been very candid in saying that her husband had been her strong support and that most of the time she relied on his independence and resilient character.

The Duke of Edinburgh was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. At 92, he is the oldest surviving great great grandchild of Queen Victoria of England. He is the last true-blooded European royal to marry into the British royal family.

Prince Philip's health had been the great concern of the British royal family since Christmas 2012 when he was wheeled to the hospital due to heart attack, he recovered soon but endured another health problem in June during the Jubilee celebration of the Queen, he spent his 92nd birthday in confinement. He was rushed to the hospital again in August for another health complaints. He was discharged several weeks later and resumed his public duties since then.

I am wishing Prince Philip a healthier existence in the years to come!