Here’s What Happens When Royals Marry Commoners

    February 16, 2018

Prince William and Kate Middleton | Richard Pohle/AFP/Getty Images

From the glamorous weddings, stunning crowns, and glitz of being a member of the royal family, it’s easy to see why marrying a royal might entice commoners. However, tying the knot with a public figure isn’t always as exciting as it seems from the outside.

In recent years, many monarchies have become more liberal when it comes to accepting outsiders into their families. Still, although we are well into the 21st century, some outdated regulations remain in place, which can certainly test any relationship — especially one playing out in the public eye.
From antiquated laws to strange rules involving seafood and board games, royals who marry commoners often ask a lot of their spouses. We’ve watched Kate Middleton marry Prince William and take on her duchess duties, wearing all of the right clothing and showing up at charities and events. And yet, Duchess Kate has had to contend with the paparazzi following her every move during her pregnancies, as well as the release of private photos.

Now, the entire world received the engagement announcement they anticipated: Prince Harry and his girlfriend, Suits actress Meghan Markle. Like Duchess Kate, Markle’s life is under a microscope, and she’s dealt with racist backlash due to her mixed race heritage. Still, Markle will have to confront even more customs and practices.

Asking for permission

If regular folks want to get married, they can just hop up and head down to their local city hall to sign the paperwork. It’s not so easy to marry into the royal family.

In England, Queen Elizabeth II must give her written consent for members of her family to get married. This practice dates back to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. The monarch wants to protect against marriages that might “diminish the status of the royal house.”

Luckily, the British royal family is now a bit more liberal than it was in the past. The queen’s uncle, Prince Edward VIII, was forced to abdicate the crown so that he could marry the woman he loved — a divorcee. Markle is also divorced, but luckily, the monarch isn’t quite that old-fashioned anymore. The permission slip rule really only applies to the six people closest to the royal family.

Here’s What Happens When Royals Marry Commoners

Eat up quick!


Queen Elizabeth attends a dinner at the Corinthia Palace Hotel. |
Toby Melville/Getty Images

As commoners, we’re used to eating as much as we please whenever we want. But a meal with the British royal family will put an end to that.

If the queen is present, the meal starts and stops with her. When she puts down her fork and spoon, everyone else is expected to do so as well. It’s probably best to have a snack before dinner.

Here’s What Happens When Royals Marry Commoners

Keep your opinions to yourself

Princess Eugenie of York and Princess Beatrice of York |
Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Royal families don’t do drama, so if you happen to marry into a royal family, it’s probably best that you delete your social media accounts. Keeping your thoughts and your opinions private is probably the safest thing you can do to stay out of the press.

Here’s What Happens When Royals Marry Commoners

Politics are for peasants

Prince Harry |
Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images

Before marrying a royal, a commoner might be politically active. That all comes to a screeching halt after saying “I do” and becoming a member of the royal family.
In fact, though they are technically allowed to vote, the royal family must keep things as neutral as they possibly can. If they voted for or advocated for one candidate over another, there is a concern that they could unfairly sway the public’s opinion.

Why isn’t Prince Philip King?

A lot of comments we receive on Royal Central raise the question of why Prince Philip isn’t king, despite the wife of a king being a queen. On the face of it, it seems bizarre, almost sexist, though in this post I’ll explain exactly why Prince Philip isn’t king and why the wife of a king is always a queen.

Under English common law, a wife traditionally takes her husband’s name and rank upon marriage and as a title legally forms part of one’s name in most cases, titles within the Royal Family work in much the same way as if an untitled couple were to marry and the wife took her husband’s name as her own.

Perhaps the best example of this in action is with Prince Michael of Kent and his wife. Upon his marriage to the then Marie Christine von Reibnitz in 1978, she assumed the female form of his title and became Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent.

Other titles in the Royal Family work on a similar basis. For example, the wife of The Duke of Cambridge is known as The Duchess of Cambridge. Had Prince William not been granted the Dukedom for his marriage, she would have become Princess William of Wales.

On the other hand, when a female Royal marries, the case is much different. If the woman’s title ranks higher than her husband’s already, she retains this title. This is the case for Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. If she didn’t hold her own title, she would be styled as Lady Laurence as her husband is a knight though because knights rank (way) below the Royal Family, Princess Anne retains her title.

The instance of Princess Anne also demonstrates how the use of titles by marriage is very much a one-way-street. A husband cannot generally take the male form of his wife’s title on marriage, whatever her rank.

It’s a quirk of common law that goes right the way to the top. Prior to acceding to the throne, The Queen held the title HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh which was the female form of her husband’s title, though as the title of Queen ranks higher than Duchess (and because the Sovereign cannot hold peerages and the like), she no longer used the title of Duchess of Edinburgh, whilst The Duke of Edinburgh – to whom the title was issued – continued without any change to his own title.

Whilst this is not the only reason why the husband of a Queen isn’t a King, it is certainly the main one. There is also the issue of rank. Queen Victoria thought that the title of “Duke” was the ‘proper title’ for a holder of a title, which is why Her present Majesty is known as Duke of Lancaster and not Duchess.

Whether or not the status quo should be maintained in terms of titles is a matter which has reached right into Parliament on numerous occasions. A bill in the House of Lords at the moment, the Equality (titles) Bill seeks to give husbands of female peers their own courtesy title, though interestingly not one in parallel with their wife’s – rather they will receive the title of ‘The Honourable’ as things stand.

The issue of making the wives of Kings, Princess Consorts to equalise the issue was discussed during the Succession to the Crown Act readings in the Commons though never made it into the final bill.

As things stand, The Duchess of Cornwall will automatically become Queen when Prince Charles accedes to the throne – with Clarence House still pushing forward with the idea that legislation will be passed to reduce her to the title of Princess Consort.

The matter of titles and how the use of them is regulated is, however, ongoing and new questions are being raised over their use all the time. Who’s to say future consorts of Queens might not end up as Kings?

Honourable Mentions:

1953 – The Only Christmas Message Delivered Overseas

The Queen and Prince Philip were on a long tour of the Commonwealth after her coronation, and so the Queen’s Christmas Message in 1953 was delivered from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Queen spoke about missing her children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and commiserated with other families who were separated from their loved ones as well. She also spoke about her legendary predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I, and those who considered this to be a new Elizabethan age.

“Frankly I do not myself feel at all like my great Tudor forbear, who was blessed with neither husband nor children, who ruled as a despot and was never able to leave her native shores.”

The Queen continued, “But there is at least one very significant resemblance between her age and mine. For her Kingdom, small though it may have been and poor by comparison with her European neighbours, was yet great in spirit and well endowed with men who were ready to encompass the earth.”

1958 – The Queen Cracks a Joke

While talking about all the various trips she and the Royal Family would be undertaking in 1959, the Queen quipped, “So, between us, we are going to many parts of the world. We have no plans for space travel – at the moment.”

1966 – Girl Power

The Queen devoted the majority of 1966’s Christmas Message to women, saying so directly, “This year I should like to speak especially to women.”

The Queen began by talking about the suffragettes, and how women had only been granted the right to vote 50 years prior (although Parliament had been asked to grant that right 100 years prior) but shifted to the resiliency of women and how they vitally contribute to the world.

“In spite of these disabilities, it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind. The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women.”

1976 – The Queen Goes to America (and cracks another joke)

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the United States of America to take part in bicentennial celebrations and brought up the trip in her Christmas Message.

“Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations?”

1997 – The Death of Diana

Youtube - The British Monarchy

The Queen’s Christmas Message, broadcast on television, radio, and the internet on Christmas Day, is a staple of the royal calendar. It is a tradition started by her grandfather, King George V and continued by her father, King George VI via radio broadcast. It wasn’t until the 1957 Christmas Message that they became televised.

King George V delivered the first Christmas Message in 1932 (fun fact: it was written by author Rudyard Kipling) and spoke of the technology that made him “enabled, this Christmas Day, to speak to all my peoples throughout the Empire. I take it as a good omen that Wireless should have reached its present perfection at a time when the Empire has been linked in closer union. For it offers us immense possibilities to make that union closer still.”

King George VI delivered radio speeches each Christmas and spoke each year of the Second World Ward. In 1939 he talked about the War, stating, “A new year is at hand. We cannot tell which it will bring. If it brings peace how thankful we shall all be. If it brings continued struggle, we shall remain undaunted.”

Having read the transcript for each of Her Majesty’s speeches, recurring themes pop out. The Queen always makes a point to show her sympathy to those who are less fortunate, or who have suffered tragedies that year. She always mentions the unity of the Commonwealth, and she always mentions personal highlights from the year.

As we look forward to the Queen’s Christmas Message for 2017 and speculate what she’ll say, let’s look back.

Here are the Top Five Christmas Messages of Her Reign:

    December 25, 1952 – The First Message

The Queen ascended to the throne on 6 February 1952, upon the death of her father. Her first Christmas Message was broadcast over radio, and she spoke from the same desk her father and grandfather had used to deliver their messages.

In the Message, she spoke of the Commonwealth and her upcoming coronation (June 1953), saying:

“At my Coronation next June, I shall dedicate myself anew to your service. I shall do so in the presence of a great congregation, drawn from every part of the Commonwealth and Empire, while millions outside Westminster Abbey will hear the promises and prayers being offered up within its walls, and see much of the ancient ceremony in which Kings and Queens before me have taken part through century upon century.”

This circled back to the speech she gave on her 21st birthday in South Africa when she declared that “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

“You will be keeping it as a holiday,” the Queen’s Christmas Message continues, “but I want to ask you all, whatever your religion may be, to pray for me on that day – to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”

    December 25, 1957 – The First Televised Christmas Message

The first time the Queen’s Christmas Message was broadcast on television by the BBC, it was interrupted by a condition caused by sunspots interfering with the transmissions, and listeners heard at one point an American police officer saying “Joe, I’m gonna grab a quick coffee.”

It was also the 25th anniversary of the Christmas Message, and the Queen spoke of the marvels of technology, saying “…television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. My own family often gather round to watch television as they are this moment, and that is how I imagine you feel now.”

She spoke as well of how the monarchy has changed, saying “In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at times was close and personal. Today things are different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else. I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the people of our brotherhood of nations.”

    December 25, 1992 – The Queen’s ‘Annus Horribilis’

If you were to compile a list of the Queen’s most important quotes, it would be incomplete without her lament, in a speech at Guildhall to celebrate 40 years on the throne, that 1992 was her ‘Annus Horribilis’.

“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” the Queen quipped. “In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis.’ I suspect that I am not alone in thinking it so.”

That year alone, the Prince and Princess of Wales separated after an acrimonious 10-year-marriage (private phone calls were released to the public, and Andrew Morton’s book, written with cooperation from Diana was published that year); the Duke and Duchess of York separated; Princess Anne divorced her first husband and remarried one of the Queen’s former equerries; and her beloved Windsor Castle caught fire and destroyed parts of the building.

Still, when it came time to deliver her Christmas Message, the Queen simply stated, “Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year.”

“It has touched me deeply that much of this has come from those of you who have troubles of your own.”

    December 25, 2002 – Fifty Golden Years

The Queen celebrated a rare milestone with her Golden Jubilee, but the year wasn’t all celebratory. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret passed away within weeks of each other at the start of the year, and the Queen spoke of this in her Message.

“Many of you will know only too well from your own experience, the grief that follows the death of a much loved mother or sister. Mine were very much part of my life and always gave me their support and encouragement. But my own sadness was tempered by the generous tributes that so many of you paid to the service they gave to this country and the wider Commonwealth.”

The Queen spoke of her Golden Jubilee, saying:

“In a different way I felt that the Golden Jubilee was more than just an anniversary. The celebrations were joyous occasions, but they also seemed to evoke something more lasting and profound – a sense of belong and pride in country, town, or community; a sense of sharing a common heritage enriched by the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of our twenty-first century.”

She closed by saying, “Fortified by…the support you have given throughout the last twelve months which has meant so much to me, I look forward to the New Year, to facing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to continuing to serve you to the very best of my ability each and every day.”

    December 25, 2012 – Sixty Golden Years

Only two monarchs can boast that they served at least sixty years on the British throne: Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated this milestone in 2012. Amidst the celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee was also the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, held in London, and the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were expecting their first child in 2013.

“This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family. It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me sixty years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.”

The Queen said of the Olympics and Paralympics, “As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.”

Honourable Mentions:

1953 – The Only Christmas Message Delivered Overseas

The Queen and Prince Philip were on a long tour of the Commonwealth after her coronation, and so the Queen’s Christmas Message in 1953 was delivered from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Queen spoke about missing her children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and commiserated with other families who were separated from their loved ones as well. She also spoke about her legendary predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I, and those who considered this to be a new Elizabethan age.

“Frankly I do not myself feel at all like my great Tudor forbear, who was blessed with neither husband nor children, who ruled as a despot and was never able to leave her native shores.”

The Queen continued, “But there is at least one very significant resemblance between her age and mine. For her Kingdom, small though it may have been and poor by comparison with her European neighbours, was yet great in spirit and well endowed with men who were ready to encompass the earth.”

1958 – The Queen Cracks a Joke

While talking about all the various trips she and the Royal Family would be undertaking in 1959, the Queen quipped, “So, between us, we are going to many parts of the world. We have no plans for space travel – at the moment.”

1966 – Girl Power

The Queen devoted the majority of 1966’s Christmas Message to women, saying so directly, “This year I should like to speak especially to women.”

The Queen began by talking about the suffragettes, and how women had only been granted the right to vote 50 years prior (although Parliament had been asked to grant that right 100 years prior) but shifted to the resiliency of women and how they vitally contribute to the world.

“In spite of these disabilities, it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind. The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women.”

1976 – The Queen Goes to America (and cracks another joke)

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the United States of America to take part in bicentennial celebrations and brought up the trip in her Christmas Message.

“Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations?”

1997 – The Death of Diana

The former Princess of Wales died in August that year, sparking an outpouring of grief so grand that it was almost unbelievable to watch.

“Thousands upon thousands of you expressed your grief most poignantly in the wonderful flowers and messages left in tribute to her. That was a great comfort to all those close to her, while people all around the world joined us here in Britain for that service in Westminster Abbey.”

1999 – A New Millennium

Youtube - The British Monarchy

The Queen’s Christmas Message, broadcast on television, radio, and the internet on Christmas Day, is a staple of the royal calendar. It is a tradition started by her grandfather, King George V and continued by her father, King George VI via radio broadcast. It wasn’t until the 1957 Christmas Message that they became televised.

King George V delivered the first Christmas Message in 1932 (fun fact: it was written by author Rudyard Kipling) and spoke of the technology that made him “enabled, this Christmas Day, to speak to all my peoples throughout the Empire. I take it as a good omen that Wireless should have reached its present perfection at a time when the Empire has been linked in closer union. For it offers us immense possibilities to make that union closer still.”

King George VI delivered radio speeches each Christmas and spoke each year of the Second World Ward. In 1939 he talked about the War, stating, “A new year is at hand. We cannot tell which it will bring. If it brings peace how thankful we shall all be. If it brings continued struggle, we shall remain undaunted.”

Having read the transcript for each of Her Majesty’s speeches, recurring themes pop out. The Queen always makes a point to show her sympathy to those who are less fortunate, or who have suffered tragedies that year. She always mentions the unity of the Commonwealth, and she always mentions personal highlights from the year.

As we look forward to the Queen’s Christmas Message for 2017 and speculate what she’ll say, let’s look back.

Here are the Top Five Christmas Messages of Her Reign:

    December 25, 1952 – The First Message

The Queen ascended to the throne on 6 February 1952, upon the death of her father. Her first Christmas Message was broadcast over radio, and she spoke from the same desk her father and grandfather had used to deliver their messages.

In the Message, she spoke of the Commonwealth and her upcoming coronation (June 1953), saying:

“At my Coronation next June, I shall dedicate myself anew to your service. I shall do so in the presence of a great congregation, drawn from every part of the Commonwealth and Empire, while millions outside Westminster Abbey will hear the promises and prayers being offered up within its walls, and see much of the ancient ceremony in which Kings and Queens before me have taken part through century upon century.”

This circled back to the speech she gave on her 21st birthday in South Africa when she declared that “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

“You will be keeping it as a holiday,” the Queen’s Christmas Message continues, “but I want to ask you all, whatever your religion may be, to pray for me on that day – to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”

    December 25, 1957 – The First Televised Christmas Message

The first time the Queen’s Christmas Message was broadcast on television by the BBC, it was interrupted by a condition caused by sunspots interfering with the transmissions, and listeners heard at one point an American police officer saying “Joe, I’m gonna grab a quick coffee.”

It was also the 25th anniversary of the Christmas Message, and the Queen spoke of the marvels of technology, saying “…television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. My own family often gather round to watch television as they are this moment, and that is how I imagine you feel now.”

She spoke as well of how the monarchy has changed, saying “In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at times was close and personal. Today things are different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else. I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the people of our brotherhood of nations.”

    December 25, 1992 – The Queen’s ‘Annus Horribilis’

If you were to compile a list of the Queen’s most important quotes, it would be incomplete without her lament, in a speech at Guildhall to celebrate 40 years on the throne, that 1992 was her ‘Annus Horribilis’.

“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” the Queen quipped. “In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis.’ I suspect that I am not alone in thinking it so.”

That year alone, the Prince and Princess of Wales separated after an acrimonious 10-year-marriage (private phone calls were released to the public, and Andrew Morton’s book, written with cooperation from Diana was published that year); the Duke and Duchess of York separated; Princess Anne divorced her first husband and remarried one of the Queen’s former equerries; and her beloved Windsor Castle caught fire and destroyed parts of the building.

Still, when it came time to deliver her Christmas Message, the Queen simply stated, “Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year.”

“It has touched me deeply that much of this has come from those of you who have troubles of your own.”

    December 25, 2002 – Fifty Golden Years

The Queen celebrated a rare milestone with her Golden Jubilee, but the year wasn’t all celebratory. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret passed away within weeks of each other at the start of the year, and the Queen spoke of this in her Message.

“Many of you will know only too well from your own experience, the grief that follows the death of a much loved mother or sister. Mine were very much part of my life and always gave me their support and encouragement. But my own sadness was tempered by the generous tributes that so many of you paid to the service they gave to this country and the wider Commonwealth.”

The Queen spoke of her Golden Jubilee, saying:

“In a different way I felt that the Golden Jubilee was more than just an anniversary. The celebrations were joyous occasions, but they also seemed to evoke something more lasting and profound – a sense of belong and pride in country, town, or community; a sense of sharing a common heritage enriched by the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of our twenty-first century.”

She closed by saying, “Fortified by…the support you have given throughout the last twelve months which has meant so much to me, I look forward to the New Year, to facing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to continuing to serve you to the very best of my ability each and every day.”

    December 25, 2012 – Sixty Golden Years

Only two monarchs can boast that they served at least sixty years on the British throne: Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated this milestone in 2012. Amidst the celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee was also the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, held in London, and the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were expecting their first child in 2013.

“This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family. It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me sixty years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.”

The Queen said of the Olympics and Paralympics, “As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.”

Honourable Mentions:

1953 – The Only Christmas Message Delivered Overseas

The Queen and Prince Philip were on a long tour of the Commonwealth after her coronation, and so the Queen’s Christmas Message in 1953 was delivered from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Queen spoke about missing her children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and commiserated with other families who were separated from their loved ones as well. She also spoke about her legendary predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I, and those who considered this to be a new Elizabethan age.

“Frankly I do not myself feel at all like my great Tudor forbear, who was blessed with neither husband nor children, who ruled as a despot and was never able to leave her native shores.”

The Queen continued, “But there is at least one very significant resemblance between her age and mine. For her Kingdom, small though it may have been and poor by comparison with her European neighbours, was yet great in spirit and well endowed with men who were ready to encompass the earth.”

1958 – The Queen Cracks a Joke

While talking about all the various trips she and the Royal Family would be undertaking in 1959, the Queen quipped, “So, between us, we are going to many parts of the world. We have no plans for space travel – at the moment.”

1966 – Girl Power

The Queen devoted the majority of 1966’s Christmas Message to women, saying so directly, “This year I should like to speak especially to women.”

The Queen began by talking about the suffragettes, and how women had only been granted the right to vote 50 years prior (although Parliament had been asked to grant that right 100 years prior) but shifted to the resiliency of women and how they vitally contribute to the world.

“In spite of these disabilities, it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind. The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women.”

1976 – The Queen Goes to America (and cracks another joke)

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the United States of America to take part in bicentennial celebrations and brought up the trip in her Christmas Message.

“Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations?”

1997 – The Death of Diana

The former Princess of Wales died in August that year, sparking an outpouring of grief so grand that it was almost unbelievable to watch.

“Thousands upon thousands of you expressed your grief most poignantly in the wonderful flowers and messages left in tribute to her. That was a great comfort to all those close to her, while people all around the world joined us here in Britain for that service in Westminster Abbey.”

1999 – A New Millennium

The Queen spoke of the past year, past century, and reflected on the millennium on the cusp of a new one, saying “More than ever we are aware of being a tiny part of the infinite sweep of time when we move from one century and one millennium to another.”

2014 – The Queen Wins the Game of Thrones

Youtube - The British Monarchy

The Queen’s Christmas Message, broadcast on television, radio, and the internet on Christmas Day, is a staple of the royal calendar. It is a tradition started by her grandfather, King George V and continued by her father, King George VI via radio broadcast. It wasn’t until the 1957 Christmas Message that they became televised.

King George V delivered the first Christmas Message in 1932 (fun fact: it was written by author Rudyard Kipling) and spoke of the technology that made him “enabled, this Christmas Day, to speak to all my peoples throughout the Empire. I take it as a good omen that Wireless should have reached its present perfection at a time when the Empire has been linked in closer union. For it offers us immense possibilities to make that union closer still.”

King George VI delivered radio speeches each Christmas and spoke each year of the Second World Ward. In 1939 he talked about the War, stating, “A new year is at hand. We cannot tell which it will bring. If it brings peace how thankful we shall all be. If it brings continued struggle, we shall remain undaunted.”

Having read the transcript for each of Her Majesty’s speeches, recurring themes pop out. The Queen always makes a point to show her sympathy to those who are less fortunate, or who have suffered tragedies that year. She always mentions the unity of the Commonwealth, and she always mentions personal highlights from the year.

As we look forward to the Queen’s Christmas Message for 2017 and speculate what she’ll say, let’s look back.

Here are the Top Five Christmas Messages of Her Reign:

    December 25, 1952 – The First Message

The Queen ascended to the throne on 6 February 1952, upon the death of her father. Her first Christmas Message was broadcast over radio, and she spoke from the same desk her father and grandfather had used to deliver their messages.

In the Message, she spoke of the Commonwealth and her upcoming coronation (June 1953), saying:

“At my Coronation next June, I shall dedicate myself anew to your service. I shall do so in the presence of a great congregation, drawn from every part of the Commonwealth and Empire, while millions outside Westminster Abbey will hear the promises and prayers being offered up within its walls, and see much of the ancient ceremony in which Kings and Queens before me have taken part through century upon century.”

This circled back to the speech she gave on her 21st birthday in South Africa when she declared that “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

“You will be keeping it as a holiday,” the Queen’s Christmas Message continues, “but I want to ask you all, whatever your religion may be, to pray for me on that day – to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”

    December 25, 1957 – The First Televised Christmas Message

The first time the Queen’s Christmas Message was broadcast on television by the BBC, it was interrupted by a condition caused by sunspots interfering with the transmissions, and listeners heard at one point an American police officer saying “Joe, I’m gonna grab a quick coffee.”

It was also the 25th anniversary of the Christmas Message, and the Queen spoke of the marvels of technology, saying “…television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. My own family often gather round to watch television as they are this moment, and that is how I imagine you feel now.”

She spoke as well of how the monarchy has changed, saying “In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at times was close and personal. Today things are different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else. I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the people of our brotherhood of nations.”

    December 25, 1992 – The Queen’s ‘Annus Horribilis’

If you were to compile a list of the Queen’s most important quotes, it would be incomplete without her lament, in a speech at Guildhall to celebrate 40 years on the throne, that 1992 was her ‘Annus Horribilis’.

“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” the Queen quipped. “In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis.’ I suspect that I am not alone in thinking it so.”

That year alone, the Prince and Princess of Wales separated after an acrimonious 10-year-marriage (private phone calls were released to the public, and Andrew Morton’s book, written with cooperation from Diana was published that year); the Duke and Duchess of York separated; Princess Anne divorced her first husband and remarried one of the Queen’s former equerries; and her beloved Windsor Castle caught fire and destroyed parts of the building.

Still, when it came time to deliver her Christmas Message, the Queen simply stated, “Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year.”

“It has touched me deeply that much of this has come from those of you who have troubles of your own.”

    December 25, 2002 – Fifty Golden Years

The Queen celebrated a rare milestone with her Golden Jubilee, but the year wasn’t all celebratory. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret passed away within weeks of each other at the start of the year, and the Queen spoke of this in her Message.

“Many of you will know only too well from your own experience, the grief that follows the death of a much loved mother or sister. Mine were very much part of my life and always gave me their support and encouragement. But my own sadness was tempered by the generous tributes that so many of you paid to the service they gave to this country and the wider Commonwealth.”

The Queen spoke of her Golden Jubilee, saying:

“In a different way I felt that the Golden Jubilee was more than just an anniversary. The celebrations were joyous occasions, but they also seemed to evoke something more lasting and profound – a sense of belong and pride in country, town, or community; a sense of sharing a common heritage enriched by the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of our twenty-first century.”

She closed by saying, “Fortified by…the support you have given throughout the last twelve months which has meant so much to me, I look forward to the New Year, to facing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to continuing to serve you to the very best of my ability each and every day.”

    December 25, 2012 – Sixty Golden Years

Only two monarchs can boast that they served at least sixty years on the British throne: Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated this milestone in 2012. Amidst the celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee was also the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, held in London, and the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were expecting their first child in 2013.

“This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family. It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me sixty years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.”

The Queen said of the Olympics and Paralympics, “As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.”

Honourable Mentions:

1953 – The Only Christmas Message Delivered Overseas

The Queen and Prince Philip were on a long tour of the Commonwealth after her coronation, and so the Queen’s Christmas Message in 1953 was delivered from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Queen spoke about missing her children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and commiserated with other families who were separated from their loved ones as well. She also spoke about her legendary predecessor, Queen Elizabeth I, and those who considered this to be a new Elizabethan age.

“Frankly I do not myself feel at all like my great Tudor forbear, who was blessed with neither husband nor children, who ruled as a despot and was never able to leave her native shores.”

The Queen continued, “But there is at least one very significant resemblance between her age and mine. For her Kingdom, small though it may have been and poor by comparison with her European neighbours, was yet great in spirit and well endowed with men who were ready to encompass the earth.”

1958 – The Queen Cracks a Joke

While talking about all the various trips she and the Royal Family would be undertaking in 1959, the Queen quipped, “So, between us, we are going to many parts of the world. We have no plans for space travel – at the moment.”

1966 – Girl Power

The Queen devoted the majority of 1966’s Christmas Message to women, saying so directly, “This year I should like to speak especially to women.”

The Queen began by talking about the suffragettes, and how women had only been granted the right to vote 50 years prior (although Parliament had been asked to grant that right 100 years prior) but shifted to the resiliency of women and how they vitally contribute to the world.

“In spite of these disabilities, it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind. The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women.”

1976 – The Queen Goes to America (and cracks another joke)

The Queen and Prince Philip visited the United States of America to take part in bicentennial celebrations and brought up the trip in her Christmas Message.

“Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations?”

1997 – The Death of Diana

The former Princess of Wales died in August that year, sparking an outpouring of grief so grand that it was almost unbelievable to watch.

“Thousands upon thousands of you expressed your grief most poignantly in the wonderful flowers and messages left in tribute to her. That was a great comfort to all those close to her, while people all around the world joined us here in Britain for that service in Westminster Abbey.”

1999 – A New Millennium

The Queen spoke of the past year, past century, and reflected on the millennium on the cusp of a new one, saying “More than ever we are aware of being a tiny part of the infinite sweep of time when we move from one century and one millennium to another.”

2014 – The Queen Wins the Game of Thrones

The Queen made a visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland earlier in 2014, and reflected upon the media attention to her visit.

“While my tour of the set of Game of Thrones may have gained most attention, my visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol will remain vividly in my mind.”

The Queen declined the opportunity to sit upon the Iron Throne, but that didn’t stop the “Windsor is Coming” memes.

Lifetime movie about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle casts Princess Diana

A planned Lifetime TV movie about the love story between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has cast its Princess Diana.

Harry’s mother will be played by New Zealand actress Bonnie Soper, according to reports, while Queen Elizabeth II will be played by British actress Maggie Sullivun.

Soper has appeared on shows like New Zealand soap Shortland Street, and the drama Filthy Rich, while Sullivun appeared in three episodes of the third season of Fargo.

They join Murray Fraser, who will be playing Prince Harry in the movie, and Parisa Fitz-Henley, who will be taking on the role of Markle.

(Credit: Lifetime)

In a vaguely royal connection, Fraser recently appeared in ITV series Victoria, while Fitz-Henley has nabbed roles in Marvel series Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

The movie, called Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance, is currently filming in Vancouver, and will span the couple’s first meeting and their engagement, which was announced in November.

Menhaj Huda, who directed Kidulthood and an episode of drama The Royals, will be behind the camera.

Lifetime also made a movie about the blossoming relationship between Prince William and Kate Middleton, airing William & Kate: The Movie in 2011.

Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance will air ahead of the couple’s wedding on May 19.

Before becoming a devoted and loving husband and father, Prince William loved riding motorbikes.
But ever since becoming a father to Prince George, the prince put his hobby on the "back-burner" because it "fills his wife with horror."

But the prince defied his wife Kate Middleton's wishes on Tuesday when he took a spin on a motorcycle while visiting the Triumph factory. The Duke of Cambridge, 35, looked handsome and ready to go in head-to-toe leather as he test drove the latest Triumph Tiger 1200. And to appease his wife, William made sure to practice safety by wearing a helmet as he rode.

While speaking to World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea in 2016, the future king revealed how he'd given up his beloved hobby.

"We talked about his bikes and the fact that he has put it on the back-burner a little bit because of his children now,"Rea said.

William once owned a Ducati motorbike, which he was last seen riding the night before his 2011 wedding. He also shared this pastime with his younger brother Prince Harry.  In 2008, Harry and William took part in a motorcycle rally across Africa to raise money for various philanthropic organizations.

While it sounds like Wills has given up on his motorbiking dreams, he has a lot on his plate right now -- including the arrival of baby No. 3 -- to keep him plenty busy.

Check out the video above for more on the royal family!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
are hardly planning an average wedding, but one aspect of their engagement has proven to be fairly ordinary: how the Church of England is dealing with the bride-to-be's previous marriage.

When asked whether Markle's first marriage to Trevor Engelson was an issue, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who will officiate the vows at the upcoming royal wedding, replied, "It's not a problem." (Markle and Engelson divorced in 2013, citing "irreconcilable differences.")

"We went through that as anyone would who will officiate at a wedding where someone has been separated and a partner is still living," Welby continued, per Sky News.

According to the Church of England's website, "In certain circumstances the Church of England accepts that a divorced person may marry again in church and this has been the case since 2002."

The process requires filling out a form and giving it to your priest along with proof that the divorce is "absolute." The website also indicates that "it is likely" the priest may ask for multiple interviews before agreeing to marry you.

Clearly, Markle and Prince Harry have their paperwork in order as Welby has said he is "looking forward" to their nuptials.

"The wedding is going to be wonderful," he said.

Stephen Hawking Left Earth With These 5 Predictions About the Future

From aliens to the apocalypse, Hawking had strong opinions.

Visionary physicist Stephen Hawking died early Wednesday at the age of 76. An intellectual leader in the study of black holes, quantum mechanics, and physical cosmology, Hawking also found a degree of beloved celebrity that evades most scientists. The best-selling author was a mainstay in the public eye, using his computer-based communication system to explain the wonders of the universe.

In turn, his numerous appearances on television, radio, and the stage gave us an archive of Hawking’s advice for the future. Not one to shy away from the apocalyptic, Hawking was passionate about protecting humanity, which he predicted would face an onslaught of challenges in the years to come.

Here’s a sampling of his scientific soothsaying.

Stephen Hawking died Wednesday, March14.2018, at the age of 76.

Hawking Predicted A.I. May Be “The Worst Thing” for Humans

In November, Hawking warned at a technology conference in Lisbon, Portugal, that artificial intelligence could be “the worst thing ever to happen to humanity.” Because what an A.I. can learn is infinite, Hawking reasoned that it could eventually catch up to the limits of the human brain and surpass us.

“Success in creating effective A.I. could be the biggest event in the history of our civilization or the worst,” Hawking said at Web Summit last year. “We cannot know if we will be infinitely helped by A.I. or ignored by it and sidelined or conceivably destroyed by it.”

Hawking also told Wired in November that he feared A.I. would “replace humans altogether,” a concern he had in common with Elon Musk. Accordingly, the two men endorsed a list of 23 principles they feel should steer A.I. development in February 2017.

Hawking Predicted Meeting Aliens Will Be Bad News

It was Hawking’s belief that when humans inevitably meet aliens, we should run. That dread came less from an idea that aliens will be inherently bad, and more from his observations of humans. Much like Christopher Columbus triggered chaos in his coming to the Americas, colonizing aliens would also bring turmoil to our proverbial shores.

“We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet,” Hawking told the Times of London in 2010. “I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all of the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens should perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach.”

But He Also Predicted We Probably Won’t Encounter Aliens Soon

Despite his concerns about a hostile alien civilization, Hawking never said this alien invasion would happen anytime soon. In April 2016, he explained at a conference for the space exploration project Breakthrough Starshot that the next 20 years, at least, will likely be alien free.

“The probability [of finding alien life] is low — probably,” Hawking told the crowd. “But the discoveries from the Kepler mission suggest that there are billions of habitable planets in our galaxy alone. There are at least 100 billion galaxies in the visible universe, so it seems likely that there are others out there.”

Stephen Hawking: not a fan of aliens.

Hawking Predicted Our Time on Earth Would End

During his work with Breakthrough Starshot, Hawking asserted that within the next thousand or 10 thousand years, humans living on interstellar colonies would be absolute certainty. This would be, in Hawking’s opinion, for the best. Earth, he predicted, was in danger of experiencing astronomical events like asteroids and supernovas. To survive as a species, he declared in April 2016, “we must ultimately spread to the stars.”

This wasn’t a one-time prediction from Hawking. At the Starmus Festival in June 2017, he declared that humans needed to prepare for an exodus off this planet sometime within the next 200 to 500 years because of our own damage to Earth.

“We are running out of space, and the only place we can go to are other worlds,” Hawking told a crowd in Trondheim, Norway. “It is time to explore other solar systems. Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves.”

Hawking Predicted Climate Change Could Ravage Earth

Hawking joined many scientists in his assertion that climate change could spell out the end for our planet, but it’s on this topic that he struck a (relatively) more hopeful tone. Sure, climate change could kill us all, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen.

“We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible,” Hawking told BBC News in July. “Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it’s one we can prevent if we act now.”

To move away from this tipping point, Hawking argued, world leaders like President Donald Trump (of whom he was no fan) would need to stick to the rules laid out by the Paris Agreement. According to Hawking, we aren’t at doomsday yet — and it’s up to our actions and ingenuity to keep it that way.

Photos via Lwp Kommunikacio/Flickr (1, 2), Bryan Bedder / Stringer
Photos via Lwp Kommunikacio/Flickr (1, 2), Bryan Bedder / Stringer

Written by Sarah Sloat