Will Sophie take the title Princess

[Viviennemary]

Sophie will be 18 next month and will have the choice of whether to be styled HRH Princess Sophie or not. It was her parents decision not to have her styled thus even though she could be as the grandchild of the monarch. Not sure but I thought probably not. But if she was to become a working royal opening town halls and so on the title Princess would look better on the plaques.

The Duke of Gloucester is older than Charles though... I can't see him doing much. I imagine the Duke of Kent has stopped altogether, he's 86 and quite poorly I think, he looked very frail when he was with the Queen at something or other in the last year or so.

Edward and Sophie are getting older too..

I think over the next 10 years the full time working royals will be Charles, Camilla, Anne, Edward, Sophie, William, Kate with back up from the Duke & duchess of Gloucester.

God this is depressing. Still so many??

Let's wait and see what Ghislaine pulls out of the bag in November.

God this is depressing. Still so many??

That made me laugh...

The RF is slimming down naturally and that can only be a good thing. People talk like all these 'engagements' are cast in stone, they're not. If there's less in the RF, some 'engagements' will just have to be shelved.

I won't link it again but there is extensive research out there saying that a charity having a royal patronage does not increase donations.

It's said PC wants a team of 8, that's too many in my book. It should just be Monarch and spouse, direct heir and spouse as far as I'm concerned. Now that I would call a slimmed down monarchy.

Yes, I agree. They will just have to drop a lot of their patronages. The thing is they have to be seen to be doing SOMETHING for all that privilege. The other Royals who don’t ‘work’ in the RF are still receiving massive benefits.

@Roussette

The Duke of Gloucester is older than Charles though... I can't see him doing much. I imagine the Duke of Kent has stopped altogether, he's 86 and quite poorly I think, he looked very frail when he was with the Queen at something or other in the last year or so.

He is, but he’s been really active. I think he’ll be like the Duke of Kent and be active until mid-80’s then slow to a stop.

The Kent’s are that bit older than the Gloucester’s and I don’t think we’ll see the Duke or Princsss Alexandra so much again.

@MagpieMary

Edward and Sophie are getting older too..

They are, but they’re a good chunk younger than Charles and Anne. In 10 years they will still be younger than Charles is now.

The Duke of Kent was extremely frail and could barely walk when he was with the Queen at Trooping of the Colour.

I don't think anyone even knows the Duke of Gloucester really... I had to google and see wht he looks like!

@Roussette

The Duke of Kent was extremely frail and could barely walk when he was with the Queen at Trooping of the Colour. I don't think anyone even knows the Duke of Gloucester really... I had to google and see wht he looks like!

I know who the Duke of Gloucester is. He's Richard, the quiet studious-seeming brother of the good-looking elder brother William, who died. Richard and his wife seem like a pleasant, quiet couple who do what is needed of them. I am quite old, and I so I remember the Kent family and the Gloucesters from several decades ago.

I didn't know, and I'm sure some people will and some won't. I'm old too but he must've passed me by... Duke of Kent, yes know him because he always presented at Wimbledon finals and I'm a tennis fan!

@Roussette

The Duke of Kent was extremely frail and could barely walk when he was with the Queen at Trooping of the Colour. I don't think anyone even knows the Duke of Gloucester really... I had to google and see wht he looks like!

The Duke of Gloucester does a lot of the overseas stuff and quite a bit of military stuff.

He and his wife have always been one of the few royal sets that impressed me with their quiet getting ok with it. When they got married he was an architect and not expected to do much. A bit like Prince Michael of Kent - around the family but not a working one.

Then within two years his brother and father both died and they were basically expected to take up the mantle.

*getting on with it

DoG (aka Prince Richard) came to the DDs' school to present some awards a few years ago. I was a governor at the time and met him in that capacity. He is a quiet, but v nice man.

JustLyra that's interesting thanks

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, represented the Queen at the funeral of Richard III, who had also been Duke of Gloucester.

I would be embarrassed if my 95 year old gran was doing so much more work than I was.
I think 8 is too many. Four is enough. They just have to do more and drop the unnecessary things.
And other family members can still go to funerals. It is normal in extended families for a few to go to represent the family with slightly more distant family members. Its not a job, it is a family obligation.

It is normal in extended families for a few to go to represent the family with slightly more distant family members. Its not a job, it is a family obligation.

Perhaps less common when the deceased died 600 years ago

@LittleBearPad true!!

But if my 600-year-old relative was dug up in a Leicester car park, I would go to their funeral.

Well, it's certainly handy to have a Richard, Duke of Gloucester in the family when you need to send someone to the funeral of a previous Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

I always thought our current RF weren't actually related to Richard III ?

They are related through James I, although whether the DNA line is absolutely pure is another question 🤷‍♀️

Evidently, a "false paternity event" was discovered in the male line when Richard III's DNA was being tested against modern putative relatives. Not very surprising, actually. The Queen would have to donate DNA to determine if she is actually related to Richard III.

Speaking of which, interestingly Prince Philip did provide DNA to help identify the remains of the Russian imperial family.

@Kendodd

I always thought our current RF weren't actually related to Richard III ?

Richard III’s niece, Elizabeth of York (daughter of his older brother King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville) was both the mother of Henry VIII, and the grandmother to Mary Queen of Scots. It was Mary’s son James who was King of Scotland and inherited the English throne after Queen Elizabeth died, as James I.

So the current line definitely goes back to Richard III’s parents (Richard the Duke of York and Cecily Neville) as common ancestors. And Cecily herself had a very royal lineage - she was the grandchild of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, and so the great grandchild of Edward III. Henrys IV and V were her uncle and cousin.

Thank you for the history lesson