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The name Windsor is the family name of the current British royal family. For hundreds of years, Britain's kings and queens did not have surnames as most people do. Instead,...

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George IV, in full George Augustus Frederick, German Georg August Friedrich, (born August 12, 1762, London, England-died June 26, 1830, Windsor, Berkshire), king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and king of Hanover from January 29, 1820, to June 26, 1830. He served as the sovereign de facto from February 5, 1811, when he became regent for his father, George III, who suffered from mental illness.

The eldest son of George III and Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, he had become by age 17, as he said, "rather too fond of women and wine." His way of life and his close friendship with Charles James Fox and other loose-living Whig politicians caused his father to regard him with contempt. In 1784 the prince met the only woman he ever deeply loved, Maria Fitzherbert, whom he married secretly on December 15, 1785. The marriage, however, was invalid: members of the royal family under the age of 25 were forbidden to marry without the king's consent.

On April 8, 1795, in order to induce Parliament to pay his debts, the prince contracted a loveless marriage with his cousin Caroline, daughter of the duke of Brunswick and George III's sister Augusta. A few weeks after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), the couple separated, and in 1814 Caroline went to live in Italy.

In November 1810 George III became unfit to rule, and shortly afterward the prince became regent under the terms of the Regency Act (1811). In February 1812, when the restrictions of that statute expired, George decided to retain his father's ministers rather than appoint survivors from among his old Whig friends (Fox had died in 1806). His decision benefited the nation, because Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, and other leading Whigs were prepared to abandon the war with France and leave Napoleon the master of the European continent. As it was, Great Britain and its allies finally triumphed over Napoleon in 1815. George IV's accession on the death of his father in 1820 did not add to the powers that he had possessed as regent.

After George IV became king, Caroline returned to claim her rights as queen consort. A bill to deprive her of those rights and to dissolve the marriage on the ground of her adultery was introduced into the House of Lords but was never put to a vote in the Commons. George IV's coronation was held on July 19, 1821, and it is considered the most expensive in British history. The king reportedly wanted a service to rival that of Napoleon. The result was an extravagant ceremony that included a crown with 12,000 diamonds; the banquet served more than 2,000 people. Caroline showed up during the coronation, hoping to be crowned. However, she was denied entrance and died on August 7, 1821.

George IV insulted and intrigued against Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd earl of Liverpool, who served as prime minister from 1812 to 1827. George Canning, who became foreign secretary in 1822 and prime minister in 1827, won George's approval, partly by cultivating the friendship of Sir William Knighton, the king's physician and keeper of the privy purse, on whose advice George relied excessively. But after 1827 he ceased to have any personal weight with either of the two great parties. In 1830 George IV died and was succeeded by his brother, William IV.

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George IV's character was in part redeemed by his linguistic and other intellectual abilities and especially by his astute judgment in the arts; he patronized the architect John Nash, who developed Regent Street (1811-c. 1825) and Regent's Park, London; and he sponsored Sir Jeffry Wyatville's restoration of Windsor Castle. George's most famous effort was the exotic Royal Pavilion at Brighton with its Mughal Indian and Chinese decorations, designed by Nash.

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George IV | Biography, Wife, Coronation, & Facts

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George IV, in full George Augustus Frederick, German Georg August Friedrich, (born August 12, 1762, London, England-died June 26, 1830, Windsor, Berkshire), king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and king of Hanover from January 29, 1820, to June 26, 1830.

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Arthur was the son of the powerful Briton king, Uther Pendragon. Arthur's birth is shrouded in mystery and magic.

At a feast celebrating a great victory over their Saxon enemies, King Uther fell in love with Igraine, the wife of one of his lords, Duke Gorlois of Cornwall. War broke out between Uther and Gorlois, and while the battle raged outside the walls of Tintagel Castle (see picture above), Uther disguised himself as Gorlois with help from Merlin, his wizard adviser. Uther then snuck into the castle and slept with Igraine, but unbeknownst to them Gorlois had just been killed outside in the battle.

Uther then married Igraine. He became stepfather to Igraine's daughters, Morgause, Elaine, and Morgan le Fay. Nine months after the battle, Arthur was born. However, as a condition of Merlin's help sneaking into Tintagel, he took the child while still a baby and hid him with one of the king's vassal's, Sir Ector, for protection.

Shortly after Arthur's birth, his mother died, perhaps from grief. Not long after her death, King Uther was killed by his Saxon enemies. Britain fell into chaos for a number of years after his passing.

Find more information here and here and here and here.

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Arthur was the son of the powerful Briton king, Uther Pendragon. Arthur's birth is shrouded in mystery and magic. At a feast celebrating a great victory over their Saxon enemies, King Uther fell in love with Igraine, the wife of one of his lords, Duke Gorlois of Cornwall.

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William I ruled England from 1066 until his death in 1087. He overthrew the last Anglo-Saxon king, Harold II, to seize the throne, earning the title William the Conqueror....

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Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'William Duke of Normandy'

Who was William the Conqueror?

William the Conqueror, or Duke of Normandy, was born in 1028 in the city of Falaise, Normandy. His father was Robert I, Duke of Normandy, a very powerful man who ruled over the region, but his mother was the daughter of a local tanner.

William's parents weren't married, but despite this being frowned upon at the time, he was raised as the future Duke of Normandy. His father embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he was only seven years old, but he died on his return trip, meaning William became Duke of Normandy at a very young age.

The Duke of Normandy

In 1035, William was crowned as the Duke of Normandy, at only seven years of age. Because he was so young, many people claimed that he shouldn't be allowed to lead and that there was too much responsibility to be placed on his shoulders. In the years that followed, there were many attempts to try and remove William from the throne.

At age 15, he was knighted by his great uncle, King Henry I of France, who had supported him in holding onto his position as the Duke of Normandy. However, the region was under a civil war at this point, and his cousin, Guy of Burgundy, organized a rebellion against William's leadership.

In 1047, he defeated Guy at the Battle of Val-es-Dunes and firmly established his control over the Duchy of Normandy. Over the following years, he defeated a number of uprisings and continued his control over Normandy.

In 1050, William married Matilda of Flanders, which allied him with another wealthy duchy, a move that helped him seem more powerful and influential.

The Invasion of England

In 1066, the death of Edward the Confessor, King of England, led to a power struggle over who was the rightful heir to the throne. He hadn't left behind any children and this meant that there was no-one in line to take over.

William claimed that Edward had previously promised him the throne once he died, but he wasn't the only one who felt they deserved to be King. Harold Godwinson, a powerful English nobleman, claimed that he should take the throne.

He had a lot of support from the English people, and on January 6, 1066, the day after Edward died, Harold was crowned as King of England. But soon after Harold's coronation, King Hardrada of Norway decided to invade England to try and take the throne. King Harold II gathered his army and set off to meet King Hardrada in the North.

While Harold was busy dealing with the Norwegian attack, William saw his opportunity to invade England. He gathered together an army and set across the English Channel, making a camp near the city of Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings

Once King Harold II had defeated the Norwegian invaders in the North, he turned south to confront William and his army. But William and his army had prepared well for the coming battle, and he had brought archers and cavalry to help overthrow the King.

On October 14, 1066, the two armies met in a place called Senlac Hill, seven miles from the city of Hastings. King Harold's army was mostly made up of foot soldiers and they were overwhelmed by William's heavily armed forces. The battle eventually ended with a victory for William and his army, and during the battle, King Harold II was killed by an arrow.

After the Battle of Hastings, William and his army travelled north from city to city, before they eventually took control of London. On December 25, 1066, William was crowned King of England.

William the Conqueror's Castles

From 1066 to 1087, William the Conqueror and the Normans built almost 700 castles across England. Many of the castles can still be seen today, though some are now in ruins. They're also some of England's most famous castles.

The castles he built were motte and bailey castles. They were first made from wood and then improved upon by replacing them with stone. When they were upgraded, they became keep and bailey castles.

Although the timber castles were quick and cheap to build, they were also vulnerable to fire and the wood would eventually start to rot. This is why William the Conqueror ordered that all the wooden castles should be replaced with stone.

Below are some of the castles which William the Conqueror and his men built.

The White Tower - The Tower of London

Part of the Tower of London, the White Tower was built by William's men and started in 1066. It was initially a wooden castle, but work almost immediately began to replace it with a stone castle.

At the time, it was most likely used to protect the main entrance to London from the sea and to intimidate the locals into following the orders of their new king.

Today, the White Tower is one of the largest castle keeps in Europe and one of the best-preserved 11th-century castles in the world.

Windsor Castle is the world's biggest occupied castle. William chose where to build the castle himself. It's just above the River Thames and surrounded by countryside, and it's also an ideal place to defend any attacks coming to London from the west.

The first motte and bailey castle on the site was built where the famous Round Tower stands today. Building began in 1070, and it took 16 years for the first castle to be finished.

William the Conqueror's first stop in England was at Pevensey, in the south. Here, he found Anderitum, a Roman/Saxon fort, but it was mostly in ruins when he and the Normans arrived. The Roman walls and towers were strong enough for them to stay there temporarily.

William ordered his men to construct a motte and bailey castle on the site. It was originally made out of wood but soon upgraded to stone.

Hastings Castle was built just down the coast from Pevensey and was another of William's early castles after arriving in England. It was built as the base for William's armed forces as they prepared to invade the English countryside.

Another motte and bailey castle, Hastings Castle was also initially built from wood and then upgraded to stone. It was completed in 1070 and stood high to intimidate the people living in the surrounding countryside.

When the Normans arrived in Dover in 1066, they built a new motte and bailey castle out of timber. It stood on the hill overlooking the town and the men had taken advantage of earthworks and a possible hill fort which were already there.

This castle helped William to control his new land. It commanded the route to France by sea and the road to Canterbury.

Why did William the Conqueror build castles?

William the Conqueror decided to build castles for a number of reasons: to counter possible attacks, store all of his new possessions, and to impress his new subjects by showing off his wealth and power. They added to his authority and rule over the people.

He immediately began building castles after the Battle of Hastings and his coronation in London. They were built across England, particularly in important towns and those with royal authority.

These castles controlled the surrounding countrysides and towns. They were used as a base to attack invading armies and to provide a shelter for the king's troops as well. They also provided a strong defence against any opposing armies trying to thwart William's goal.

Castles were a key part of William's strategy for conquering the country. Each time he captured towns and villages, he would secure his victory by building a castle and displaying his power and authority.

After William's conquest, the castles were used for other purposes too. They were a centre for local governments, and powerful lords also used them to show off through architectural styles and decoration.

William the Conqueror as King

During the first few years of his time on the throne, William had to deal with a lot of uprisings and revolts, especially in Northern England. Many people felt that he had stolen the crown and didn't deserve to be king.

William became so angry at these uprisings that he ordered the countryside in the North was to be destroyed. His soldiers burnt down farms, killed animals, and destroyed crops all across the northern countryside. William also decided to build a number of castles across England to try and protect his reign from those who fought against it. One of the most famous of these was the White Tower of the Tower of London.

In 1085, William ordered that there should be a full survey documenting all the landowners in England. His men travelled across the country, recording information about every landowner and details of their property. All of this information was written down in a book, called the Domesday Book, which has since been used to find out what Norman England was like.

William's Death

On September 9, 1087, William died while leading a battle in Northern France. He was 60 years old when he died, and had sat on the throne for over 20 years. After his death, his oldest son Robert took over as the Duke of Normandy, whilst his son William became the next King of England. William the Conqueror's time on the throne was a turning point in English history and he is now known as the first Norman King of England.

William Duke of Normandy for Kids

If you enjoyed learning about William the Conqueror, then why not try some of our fantastic king-themed resources?

William the Conqueror Facts PowerPoint - This resource is perfect for whole-class teaching and for introducing children to William the Conqueror. It includes lots of information about the Duke of Normandy, as well as illustrations to help with visual learning.

LKS2 Battle of Hastings Reading Comprehension - Dive deep into the battle that gave William his crown with this reading comprehension activity. Children can read all about the event, and then test their understanding with the questions afterwards.

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Who was William Duke of Normandy? - Answered - Twinkl Teaching Wiki

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Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'William Duke of Normandy' William the Conqueror, or Duke of Normandy, was born in 1028 in the city of Falaise, Normandy. His father was Robert I, Duke of Normandy, a very powerful man who ruled over the region, but his mother was the daughter of a local tanner.

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Elizabeth II (born April 21, 1926, London, England-died September 8, 2022, Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from February 6, 1952, to September 8, 2022. In 2015 she surpassed Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Early life

Elizabeth was the elder daughter of Prince Albert, duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. As the child of a younger son of King George V, the young Elizabeth had little prospect of acceding to the throne until her uncle, Edward VIII (afterward duke of Windsor), abdicated in her father's favour on December 11, 1936, at which time her father became King George VI and she became heir presumptive. The princess's education was supervised by her mother, who entrusted her daughters to a governess, Marion Crawford; the princess was also grounded in history by C.H.K. Marten, afterward provost of Eton College, and had instruction from visiting teachers in music and languages. During World War II she and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, perforce spent much of their time safely away from the London blitz and separated from their parents, living mostly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, and Windsor Castle.

Early in 1947 Princess Elizabeth went with the king and queen to South Africa. After her return there was an announcement of her betrothal to her distant cousin Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. On the eve of the wedding her father, the king, conferred upon the bridegroom the titles of duke of Edinburgh, earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. They took residence at Clarence House in London. Their first child, Prince Charles (Charles Philip Arthur George), was born November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace.

Accession to the throne

In the summer of 1951 the health of King George VI entered into a serious decline, and Princess Elizabeth represented him at the Trooping the Colour and on various other state occasions. On October 7 she and her husband set out on a highly successful tour of Canada and Washington, D.C. After Christmas in England she and the duke set out in January 1952 for a tour of Australia and New Zealand, but en route, at Sagana, Kenya, news reached them of the king's death on February 6, 1952. Elizabeth, now queen, at once flew back to England. The first three months of her reign, the period of full mourning for her father, were passed in comparative seclusion. But in the summer, after she had moved from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace, she undertook the routine duties of the sovereign and carried out her first state opening of Parliament on November 4, 1952. Her coronation was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953.

Beginning in November 1953 the queen and the duke of Edinburgh made a six-month round-the-world tour of the Commonwealth, which included the first visit to Australia and New Zealand by a reigning British monarch. In 1957, after state visits to various European nations, she and the duke visited Canada and the United States. In 1961 she made the first royal British tour of the Indian subcontinent in 50 years, and she was also the first reigning British monarch to visit South America (in 1968) and the Persian Gulf countries (in 1979). During her "Silver Jubilee" in 1977, she presided at a London banquet attended by the leaders of the 36 members of the Commonwealth, traveled all over Britain and Northern Ireland, and toured overseas in the South Pacific and Australia, in Canada, and in the Caribbean.

On the accession of Queen Elizabeth, her son Prince Charles became heir apparent; he was named prince of Wales on July 26, 1958, and was so invested on July 1, 1969. The queen's other children were Princess Anne (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise), born August 15, 1950, and created princess royal in 1987; Prince Andrew (Andrew Albert Christian Edward), born February 19, 1960, and created duke of York in 1986; and Prince Edward (Edward Anthony Richard Louis), born March 10, 1964, and created earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn in 1999. All these children have the surname "of Windsor," but in 1960 Elizabeth decided to create the hyphenated name Mountbatten-Windsor for other descendants not styled prince or princess and royal highness. Elizabeth's first grandchild (Princess Anne's son) was born on November 15, 1977.

The modern monarchy

The queen seemed increasingly aware of the modern role of the monarchy, allowing, for example, the televising of the royal family's domestic life in 1970 and condoning the formal dissolution of her sister's marriage in 1978. In the 1990s, however, the royal family faced a number of challenges. In 1992, a year that Elizabeth referred to as the royal family's annus horribilis, Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, princess of Wales, separated, as did Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, duchess of York. Moreover, Anne divorced, and a fire gutted the royal residence of Windsor Castle. In addition, as the country struggled with a recession, resentment over the royals' lifestyle mounted, and in 1992 Elizabeth, although personally exempt, agreed to pay taxes on her private income. The separation and later divorce (1996) of Charles and the immensely popular Diana further eroded support for the royal family, which was viewed by some as antiquated and unfeeling. The criticism intensified following Diana's death in 1997, especially after Elizabeth initially refused to allow the national flag to fly at half-staff over Buckingham Palace. In line with her earlier attempts at modernizing the monarchy, the queen subsequently sought to present a less-stuffy and less-traditional image of the monarchy. These attempts were met with mixed success.

In 2002 Elizabeth celebrated her 50th year on the throne. As part of her "Golden Jubilee," events were held throughout the Commonwealth, including several days of festivities in London. The celebrations were somewhat diminished by the deaths of Elizabeth's mother and sister early in the year. Beginning in the latter part of the first decade of the 21st century, the public standing of the royal family rebounded, and even Charles's 2005 marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles found much support among the British people. In April 2011 Elizabeth led the family in celebrating the wedding of Prince William of Wales-the elder son of Charles and Diana-and Catherine Middleton. The following month she surpassed George III to become the second longest-reigning monarch in British history, behind Victoria. Also in May, Elizabeth made a historic trip to Ireland, becoming both the first British monarch to visit the Irish republic and the first to set foot in Ireland since 1911. In 2012 Elizabeth celebrated her " Diamond Jubilee," marking 60 years on the throne. On September 9, 2015, she surpassed Victoria's record reign of 63 years and 216 days.

In August 2017 Prince Philip officially retired from public life, though he periodically appeared at official engagements after that. In the meantime, Elizabeth began to reduce her own official engagements, passing some duties on to Prince Charles and other senior members of the royal family, though the pool of stand-ins shrank when Charles's younger son, Prince Harry, duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, controversially chose to give up their royal roles in March 2020. During this period, public interest in the queen and the royal family grew as a result of the widespread popularity of The Crown, a Netflix television series about the Windsors that debuted in 2016. Having dealt with several physical setbacks in recent years, Philip, who had been Elizabeth's husband for more than seven decades, died in April 2021. On their 50th wedding anniversary, in 1997, Elizabeth had said of Philip, "He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years." Because of social-distancing protocols brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the queen sat alone in a choir stall in St. George's Chapel (in Windsor Castle) at Philip's funeral. The widely disseminated images of her tragic isolation were heartbreaking but emblematic of the dignity and courage that she brought to her reign.

In June 2022 Britain celebrated Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne with the "Platinum Jubilee," a four-day national holiday that included the Trooping the Colour ceremony, a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral, a pop music concert at Buckingham Palace, and a pageant that employed street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival, and costume to honour the queen's reign. Health issues limited Elizabeth's involvement. Concerns about the queen's health also led to a break in tradition when, in September, she appointed Boris Johnson's replacement as prime minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral rather than at Buckingham Palace, where she had formally appointed more than a dozen prime ministers.

Just days later, on September 8, Elizabeth's death, at age 96, shocked Britain and the world. Prince Charles succeeded her on the throne as King Charles III. Ten days of national commemoration of her life and legacy-long planned as "Operation London Bridge"-followed. Notably, the queen lay in state for a day in St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh and then for three days in Westminster Hall in London, outside of which mourners stood in a line that stretched for miles, in some cases waiting for more than 24 hours to view Elizabeth's casket. Her sombre funeral ceremony in Westminster Abbey, officiated by Archbishop Justin Welby on September 19, was attended by an estimated 100 heads of foreign governments. Following a procession to Wellington Arch, during which Big Ben tolled, the queen's casket was borne by hearse to her final resting place in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Elizabeth was known to favour simplicity in court life and was also known to take a serious and informed interest in government business, aside from the traditional and ceremonial duties. Privately, she became a keen horsewoman; she kept racehorses, frequently attended races, and periodically visited the Kentucky stud farms in the United States. Her financial and property holdings made her one of the world's richest women.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Amy Tikkanen.

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Elizabeth II | Biography, Family, Reign, & Facts

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Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, transformed the monarchy and served as a symbol of stability and continuity for over six decades.

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Find out more about the Royal Family and the line of succession below.

Charles became King the moment his mother Queen Elizabeth II died.

The now former Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales, on 29 July 1981. The couple had two sons, William and Harry. They later separated and their marriage was dissolved in 1996. On 31 August 1997, the princess was killed in a car crash in Paris.

He married Camilla Parker Bowles on 9 April 2005. When Charles became King, she became Queen Consort, as per the wishes of Queen Elizabeth II. Following the coronation she is now known as Queen Camilla.

1. William, Prince of Wales

He was 15 when his mother died. He went on to study at St Andrews University, where he met his future wife, Kate Middleton. The couple were married in 2011.

On his 21st birthday he was appointed a Counsellor of State - standing in for the Queen on official occasions. He and his wife had their first child, George, in July 2013, their second, Charlotte, in 2015 and third, Louis, in 2018.

The prince trained with the Army, Royal Navy and RAF before spending three years as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot with RAF Valley on Anglesey, north Wales. He also worked part-time for two years as a co-pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance alongside his royal duties. He left the role in July 2017 to take on more royal duties on behalf of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

William has inherited his father's Duchy of Cornwall and is now the Prince of Wales. Catherine is now the Princess of Wales.

As heir to the throne, his main duties are to support the King in his royal commitments.

2. Prince George of Wales

Prince George of Wales was born on 22 July 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in London. His father was present for the birth of his son, who weighed 8lb 6oz (3.8kg).

3. Princess Charlotte of Wales

Catherine, Princess of Wales gave birth to her second child, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, on 2 May 2015, again at St Mary's Hospital. William was present for the birth of the 8lb 3oz (3.7kg) baby.

The new Princess of Wales gave birth to her third child, a boy weighing 8lbs 7oz, on 23 April 2018, at St Mary's Hospital in London.

Prince Harry trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and went on to become a lieutenant in the Army, serving as a helicopter pilot.

During his 10 years in the armed forces, Capt Wales, as he became known, saw active service in Afghanistan twice, in 2012 to 2013 as an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner. He left the Army in 2015 and now focuses on charitable work, including conservation in Africa and organising the Invictus Games for injured members of the armed forces.

He has been a Counsellor of State since his 21st birthday and stood in for the Queen on official duties.

He married US actress Meghan Markle on 19 May, 2018, at Windsor Castle. In January 2020, the royal couple said they would step back as "senior" royals and divide their time between the UK and North America. They said they intended to "work to become financially independent".

Just over a year later, Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple would not be returning to royal duties, and would give up their honorary military appointments and royal patronages.

6. Prince Archie of Sussex

The Sussexes' first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born on 6 May 2019, weighing 7lbs 3oz, with the duke present for his birth.

Archie was not automatically a prince when he was born because he was not a grandson of the monarch. But he gained the right to that title when King Charles acceded to the throne. Harry and Meghan are understood to want their children to decide for themselves whether or not to use their titles when they are older.

7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex

The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to her second child in Santa Barbara, California, on 4 June 2021. Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor - to be known as Lili - is named after the Royal Family's nickname for the Queen and is her 11th great-grandchild.

She was given the middle name Diana in honour of Prince Harry's mother, who died in a car crash in 1997 when he was 12 years old. Like her brother, she gained the right to use the royal title when her grandfather became king.

He was created the Duke of York on his marriage to Sarah Ferguson, who became Duchess of York, in 1986. They had two daughters - Beatrice, in 1988, and Eugenie, in 1990. In March 1992 it was announced the duke and duchess were to separate. They divorced in 1996.

The duke served for 22 years in the Royal Navy and saw active service in the Falklands War in 1982. In addition to royal engagements, he served as a special trade representative for the government until 2011.

Prince Andrew stepped away from royal duties in 2019 after an interview with the BBC about his relationship with US financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges.

In February, he agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by one of Epstein's victims, although he made no admission of liability and had repeatedly denied the allegations.

Princess Beatrice is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. Her full title is Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice.

She married property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, in July 2020. The couple had been due to marry in May, but coronavirus delayed the plans.

10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi

Like her sister Princess Beatrice, she has no official surname, but uses York. She married her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on 12 October 2018.

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's son, August, born on 9 February 2021, was Queen Elizabeth's ninth great-grandchild.

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's second son was born on 30 May 2023. It is the first royal birth since the coronation of King Charles, Eugenie's uncle.

Eugenie said the baby's names were inspired by "his great-great-great grandfather George, his grandpa George and my grandpa Ronald".

Major Ronald Ferguson, who died in 2003 was the Duchess of York's father.

14. The Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Edward was given the title Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday, almost two years after the death of his father Prince Philip, who previously held the title. It was understood that Philip had wanted Edward to take on the title, but the decision was left to King Charles.

Prince Edward's wife Sophie becomes the Duchess of Edinburgh and the prince's former title, the Earl of Wessex, has now been given to his son James, Viscount Severn. The couple also have a daughter, Lady Louise, born in 2003.

James, Earl of Wessex is the younger child of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. He was given the title after his father Prince Edward became the Duke of Edinburgh in March 2023. When James was born, he was given the title Viscount Severn - a "courtesy" title as son of an earl, rather than using prince. It is thought his parents made this decision to avoid some of the burdens of royal titles.

Born in 2003, Lady Louise Windsor is the elder child of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. However, she is lower in the line of succession than her younger brother because she was born before a law came into force scrapping the system that meant a younger son could displace an older daughter.

Princess Anne has married twice; her first husband Captain Mark Phillips is the father of her two children, Peter and Zara, while her second is Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

The princess was the first royal to use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor in an official document, in the marriage register after her wedding to Capt Phillips. She competed in equestrian events for Great Britain in the 1976 Montreal Olympics and is involved with a number of charities, including Save the Children, of which she has been president since 1970.

Peter Phillips is the eldest of the Queen's grandchildren. He married Canadian Autumn Kelly in 2008 and together they have two daughters, Savannah, born in 2010, and Isla, born in 2012.

The children of the Princess Royal do not have royal titles, as they are descended from the female line. Mark Phillips refused the offer of an earldom when he married so their children do not have courtesy titles.

Peter Phillips and his wife announced they were getting divorced in February 2020.

Isla, born in 2012, is the second daughter of Peter and Autumn Phillips.

Zara Tindall followed her mother and father with a highly successful riding career - including winning a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics. She married former England rugby player Mike Tindall in 2011 and the couple had their first child, Mia Grace, in 2014.

The Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall gave birth to her first child, Mia Grace, in January 2014.

The couple's second child was born on 18 June 2018 at Stroud Maternity Unit, Gloucestershire, weighing 9lb 3oz.

Lena Elizabeth was named in honour of her great-grandmother.

Like her sister, Lena does not have a royal title and so will also be known as Miss Tindall.

Zara and Mike Tindall's son Lucas Philip, their third child - the Queen's 10th great-grandchild - was born on 21 March 2021 weighing 8lbs 4oz.

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Royal Family tree: King Charles III's closest family and line of succession

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The King, his siblings, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.