Senior Royals, Junior Royals: Who's Who in the Family?

     On February 24th, the Telegraph's Gordon Rayner described Zara Tindall as "the most senior member of the Royal family to sell the rights to the first portraits of [her] child" in his article regarding the Queen's eldest granddaughter and her husband controversially selling photos of themselves and their recently-born daughter, Mia, to Hello! magazine.

     The description had to do with Tindall's place in the line of succession (15th), and the fact the nobody above her has ever taken the same action.

     Nevertheless, it does beg the question: Who exactly is a "senior" member of the royal family?

There is no question that these people are "senior" members of the royal family

     This term tends to be used frequently to describe the Queen, Prince Philip, and other members and their spouses (if any) who are in the immediate line of succession - which itself can be defined as the first 5-10 people beginning with Prince Charles.

     However, this definition flawed, for it does not include members such as Princess Anne, the Duke of Kent, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and Princess Alexandra, who are among those members of the family who "earn their keep" by carrying out an array of public activities and engagements on the behalf of the Queen and in their own right. Furthermore, it includes people who are not actively involved in royal duties on a regular basis and/or do not have royal titles, such as Prince George, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor.

     What exactly constitutes a "senior" member of the royal family is largely arbitrary. There are no official press releases from the any of the Palace press offices that refers to members of the royal family as "senior" or "junior", nor are they referred to as such on the official websites. Instead, these terms have been used in the media to distinguish between the members of the family who are higher up on the royal totem pole and members who are lower on it.

HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent carries out many royal engagements
throughout the year on behalf of the Queen, as well as in his own right.

     However, these two categories fail to recognize certain nuances. For example, the Duke of Kent is 33rd in the succession to the 16 Commonwealth thrones. However, he does carry out many royal functions, and is one of the royal colonels (Colonel of the Scots Guards) at the Trooping the Colour in June for the Queen's Official Birthday. He may not be a "senior" royal in terms of his place in the succession, but cannot either be classified as a "junior" member of the family either because of his royal work.

     With that in mind, here are my categories for members of  the royal family: Senior, Mid-Major, Junior, and Non-Royal. They are based on a mix of circumstances - including the type of titles and styles held by individuals (or lack thereof), their relation to the Queen, and whether they currently carry out royal duties on a regular basis (meaning that they appear on the Court Circular, the official record of previous royal engagements).

1) Senior Members

In my categorizations, a senior member of the royal family is a person who:

• Has the style of Majesty or Royal Highness attached to his or her name
• Is descended from Elizabeth II or is married to such person
• Undertakes public royal duties on a regular basis

Under this definition - again, entirely my own - senior members of the royal family include:

• The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
• The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall
• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
• Prince Harry of Wales
• The Duke of York
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex
• The Princess Royal

2) Mid-Major Members

The following are who I call the mid-major members of the royal family, and they:

• Have the style of Royal Highness affixed to their names
• Are first cousins of the Queen or married to such person
• Undertake public royal duties on a regular basis

Mid-major members include:

• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
• The Duke of Kent
• Princess Alexandra

3) Junior Members

Then there are the junior members of the royal family, who:

• Have the style of Royal Highness attached to their names
• Are descended from the Queen, are first cousins of the Queen, or married to such persons
• Do not carry out public royal duties on a regular basis

Junior members include:

• Prince George of Cambridge
• Princess Beatrice of York
• Princess Eugenie of York
• The Duchess of Kent
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

4) Non-Royal Members

Finally, there are those members of the royal family who are technically not royal. They are of the blood royal, but: 

• Do not have the style of Royal Highness affixed to their names
• Do not carry out any public royal duties (aside from participating in occasional royal events such as the Diamond Jubilee and the annual Trooping the Colour)

In addition, they can be descended from Elizabeth II, her sister Princess Margaret, or her first cousins.

Non-royal members include:

• James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn
• Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
• Peter and Autumn Phillips & Family
• Zara and Michael Tindall & Family
• Descendants of Princess Margaret (daughter of George VI and sister of the Queen)
• Descendants of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra (all grandchildren of George V and first cousins of the Queen or married to such persons).

The modern royal family descends from George V and Queen Mary, the reigning Queen's grandparents

     These listings end here with the male-line descendants of George V and Queen Mary (from the Queen to Princess Alexandra's children). The line of succession can go on virtually indefinitely, but the public face of the monarchy for the last century has largely been these male-line descendants from the founders of the House of Windsor.

     It is possible for members of the royal family to move up or down these categories.

     When Prince George become old enough to conduct solo public royal engagements and appears on the Court Circular, he will be upgraded to the "senior" category with his parents. Similarly, the daughters of the Duke of York - Beatrice and Eugenie - can also find themselves in the "senior" category if they decide to become working members of the royal family at some point in their lives (and I believe they should as the only "blood" princesses of their generation).

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have taken on careers outside of royal life, but have carried out some limited engagements from time to time.

     However, it must be noted that these listings are arbitrary in part because they depends on the existence of the Queen. When Prince Charles ascends to the throne, these categories will have to be re-defined or even eliminated.

     For example, the "mid-major" category was created for the Queen's first cousins and their spouses who regularly conduct royal public duties. With the accession of Charles III (or George VII), I would expect that such members will be pulled off the royal payroll and no longer carry out such duties (assuming they have not already decided to end their public engagements). They would then be shifted down into the category of "junior" member, and the mid-major category would be moot.

     So the reality is that there are no "fixed" definitions of who is a "senior", "junior", or whatever within the royal family, for it is dependent on how one views the individual members, as well as on who is occupying the throne. However, this can be a guide to the current royal family in terms of the present day circumstances, and as time goes on and circumstances change, it will be updated.



Photo Credit: Ben via Flickr cc, Frédéric BISSON via Flickr cc, Carfax2 via Wikimedia Commons cc

Zara Phillips - Making Her Own Way

For my biography about Zara Tindall, you can find it at Smitten by Britain.

Zara Phillips during a charity event for Walking With the Wounded in 2011.

     On the day after the spectacular Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics – during the “Queen” famously jumped from a helicopter with James Bond – a reporter from NBC News attempted to ask Zara Phillips about her thoughts on the Bond act. Phillips, who was on her way to continue preparations for her Olympic events, brushed past the reporter without saying anything. 

     Such is the life of Zara Phillips, who comes from royal blood, but does not have a royal or aristocratic title. Additionally, she does not carry out duties on her grandmother’s behalf, and is not considered part of the “royal circle.” Nonetheless, since she was born, she has made her fair share of appearances at major royal events, including the christening of Prince George, for whom Phillips is a godmother.

     The result is that for many people – especially before the Olympics – she is vaguely known as the “un-royal” royal, who is a cousin to Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as the Queen’s eldest granddaughter. She is seen, though not always heard. Her very name raised eyebrows for not being a “traditional” royal name, like Anne or Elizabeth (which happen to be her middle names).

     Perhaps the choice of name was part of a deliberate effort to distance Zara, as well as her brother Peter, from being at the center of royal life, an effort likely orchestrated by their parents, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips. This effort also likely prevented the granting of noble titles, for being the grandchildren of a reigning monarch was enough for them to handle, especially given their place in the line of succession.

Phillips riding her horse, High Kingdom, at Greenwich during the 2012 Olympics.

     Because of this, Zara has been able to live a relatively normal life largely outside of the royal fishbowl. She has been able to craft an independent existence as a successful equestrian rider who has earned several medals and awards, including at the Olympics in 2012. Most importantly, she has not had to face the same kind royal pressures or scrutiny as her cousins with titles.

     No doubt, she is mindful of her royal heritage and loves her grandmother, but she does not want to be defined by her lineage or being the Queen’s granddaughter. She wants to be known for her achievements which she has earned in her own right (and which no one can take away from her), and she has thus far proven that she can be herself as an individual with a successful career in something at which she excels.

     Now formally known as Zara Tindall following her marriage to rugby player Mike Tindall, she has a child of her own, whose name was revealed to be Mia Grace Tindall this week. There’s no doubt that she and Mike will want keep Mia away from the public eye as much as possible and allow her grow up normally, just as Zara’s parents had done for her, which probably (partly) explains why baby Mia’s name was not known for nearly a week.

     Given that Mia is a great-grandchild of the Queen – and like her mother, without a royal title – it’s likely that she will not receive a lot of press coverage, save for some life milestones (birthdays, wedding, etc.). As time goes on, she will increasingly be on the periphery of the extended family, especially as the core is developed around Prince Charles and his family. Like her mother, Mia will have to make her own way in a non-royal life, but given the tough stock from which she hails, I expect that Mia Tindall will find a path for herself with the encouragement of her family.



Photo Credit: Walking with the Wounded via Flickr cc, Jerry Pank via Flickr cc

Zara Phillips and a New Royal Birth

     Yesterday, Zara Phillips Tindall - the Queen's eldest granddaughter - gave birth to her first child, a baby girl in Gloucestershire.

     My latest posting on Smitten By Britain discusses the latest royal birth and features a bio about Zara Phillips.

     I hope you all enjoy it, and I express my warmest congratulations to the parents, and sincerest wishes to their new child!


Photo Credit: Mareklug via Wikimedia Commons cc

The Royal Family in 2014

     Having looked back into the exciting year of 2013, now it’s time to peer forward into what the future holds for the monarchy in this year of 2014.

     While the occasions of this year will not likely have the same international reach as the ones in the last three years (Royal Wedding in 2011, Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and Prince George’s birth in 2013), it will nonetheless prove to be eventful and fascinating, with perhaps a few surprises along the way.

Zara Tindall

     Starting the year off, Zara (Phillips) Tindall and her husband Mike are expected to welcome their first child sometime this month. Zara is the only daughter of Princess Anne, as well as the Queen’s eldest granddaughter and second-eldest grandchild. Her baby will be the Queen’s fourth great-grandchild, 16^th in the line of succession to the Commonwealth realms (including the United Kingdom), and almost doubtless will be a playmate for cousin Prince George, as well as Savannah and Isla Phillips – the children of Zara’s elder brother Peter.

     On February 6^th, Elizabeth II will have been on the throne for 62 years, and she will likely observe the date of her succession in 

The Queen is usually at Sandringham on February 6th,
where her father passed away in 1952.

private, with no special public engagements being planned for that day. It is hard-pressed to call this moment a celebration, because it must be remembered that Elizabeth lost her beloved father George VI on the same day. Thus is the paradox regarding succession: the heir must lose the person most dear to him or her in order to gain the throne. For the Queen, this was the day on which she assumed a solemn duty with great responsibility. Nonetheless, this moment will also be a celebration in the sense that it marks the continuity of the monarchy and the stability it provides.

     In April, the Queen will welcome Michael D. Higgins, the President of the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for a three-day state visit – the first ever for an Irish president.

     Nearly three years ago, the Queen made history by becoming the first British monarch to make a state visit to the Republic of Ireland since that country gained its independence from the United Kingdom. The last time a monarch stepped foot in Dublin was George V – the Queen’s grandfather – in 1911 during his coronation year, when all of Ireland was part of the UK.

     This year’s return visit by President Higgins, who will stay at Windsor Castle, will be seen as symbolizing the furthering and deepening of positive relations between the UK and Ireland.

     During the same month of April, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be traveling Down Under to visit the 

William and Kate during their successful tour of Canada in 2011.

Commonwealth realms of Australia and New Zealand. It is a highly-anticipated journey, and if (as expected) Prince George come along, it will be his first overseas visit.  This will also be the first time that Kate has visited either country, and will echo a similar tour taken by Prince Charles and Diana, when they brought a nine-month old Prince William to those same countries in 1983. As the future King and Queen of Australia and New Zealand, William and Kate are expected to represent the reigning Queen at official functions and carry out engagements on their own behalf. Royal visits Down Under tend to be popular – so popular that one Australian anti-monarchist bitterly complained that every time the Queen or another member of the royal family does visit, the republican cause gets set back by 20 years.

     In July, the Queen will open the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Last year, she placed her message to Commonwealth athletes into a baton at Buckingham Palace, which began a journey across the Commonwealth called the Queen’s Baton Relay, much like the Olympic Torch Relay. This year, the Baton will arrive in Scotland, where it will make its way to the Opening Ceremony and the Queen will read the message.

     Following the closing ceremony of the Games, she is expected to attend a World War I Commonwealth memorial service at Glasgow Cathedral on August 3^rd. This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the start of WWI, and the Queen and other members of the royal family are likely to take part in events that will observe this centennial.

The Queen and Prince Philip arriving at a State Opening of Parliament

     In addition to these special occasions, there are to be the traditional annual events, including the Maundy Thursday Service in April, the State Opening of Parliament and Chelsea Flower Show in May, Trooping the Color and Garter Day in June, Holyrood Week and Thistle Service in June or July, the Remembrance services in November, and the Christmas broadcast in December. There will also be numerous receptions and garden parties, as well as investitures and military ceremonies over which the Queen (or other members of her family) will preside. 

The Earl and Countess of Wessex

     The royal family will also be carrying out several engagements throughout the UK and around the world on behalf of organizations and charities they support. In particular, the Earl and Countess of Wessex will be traveling to the United States, Jamaica, and Barbados to promote the work of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in those countries. 

     Occasions of personal significance for members of the royal family will also be marked in 2014, including four milestone birthdays:

• March 10th - Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex will celebrate his 50th birthday.
• July 22nd - Prince George of Cambridge will celebrate his first birthday.
• September 15th - Prince Harry of Wales will celebrate his 30th birthday.
• August 25th - Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester will celebrate his 70th birthday.

and two red-letter wedding anniversaries:

• June 19th - The Earl and Countess of Wessex will mark their 15th anniversary.
• September 12th - Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor will mark their 5th anniversary.

     The year may also be significant for Prince Harry. As the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are expected to cut back on official engagements, he may be called on take up for them, and following his successful year in 2013 with overseas visits to the United States and Australia, it will not be surprising to see more of him on the royal circuit.

Captain Harry Wales

     2014 also marks Harry’s eighth year in the British Army, which means that he will be eligible for promotion to the rank of Major. According to the Ministry of Defense’s website, such a promotion may take place in a window of 8-10 years of military service, and for nearly three years, Harry has been a Captain in the Blues and Royals regiment, of which Princess Anne is Colonel and the Queen is Colonel-in-Chief. 

     Then there are the rumors about his ongoing relationship with Cressida Bonas. Gossip hounds and tabloid newspaper/magazine editors are foaming at the mouth believing that the Prince will be at least engaged to Bonas sometime this year. As I have said before, I do not believe there will be a wedding or engagement involving Prince Harry this year, but if his relationship with Bonas does continue through the year, and if they are seen together at public engagements, then there may be something to say about an engagement and/or marriage in 2015. If anything, 2014 may be the year that Princess Beatrice has the question popped to her by long-time boyfriend Dave Clark.

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

 
     In the final analysis, the year of 2014 - from the observance of the Queen's 62 years on the throne to the journey Down Under for William and Kate - appears to be another exciting year for the monarchy, though it will likely come and go without the live global coverage that has been associated with the royal events that have occurred in the last couple of years.

     Cynics tend to say the monarchy is, at its base nature, simply a self-perpetuating institution with no relevance to our times. I would argue that it is the self-perpetuating nature of the monarchy that makes it interesting to observe. It is interesting to watch how different occupants on the throne have brought their own style to the monarchy while also being mindful of long-established traditions. In the 21st Century, it is even more fascinating to witness how the monarchy works in our information age. It has shown itself to be flexible and durable over the centuries, and I believe that it will continue to exhibit these traits in 2014 and beyond.



Photo Credit: Mareklug via Wikimedia Commons cc, Elwyn Thomas Roddick via Geograph cc, Sara Star NS via Flickr cc, Surrey County Council News via Flickr cc, Surtsicna via Wikimedia Commons cc, Sodacan via Wikimedia Commons cc

Royal Year 2013 - Part III: Yorks, Wessexes, Princess Anne & Family, and the Gloucester's and Kent's

Here are the links for Part I: The Queen and Prince Philip and Part II: Charles and Camilla, the Cambridges, and Prince Harry

Yorks

The Duke of York speaking at a function held at Titanic Belfast.

     Prince Andrew, Duke of York and especially his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie tend to be under the radar in terms of royal coverage, and 2013 was not much different. But this is not to say that the York’s are not doing anything at all.

     Since stepping down as an official Special Representative for UK Trade & Investment amid heated controversy, the Duke of York has continued to support British business overseas as a trade envoy. However, it does appear that he is making more of an impact at home, supporting the work of organizations devoted to causes close to him, such as entrepreneurship, education and skills for young people, and science and engineering. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he stated that he believes in the value of a technical education, for it gives young people skills that make them employable. As a 25 year veteran of the Royal Navy, he has a passion and concern for the Armed Forces. As such, he has raised money for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. In this year, he has become the Patron of London Metropolitan University and University of Huffersfield. He also joined Twitter, and his office has been tweeting information on his public engagements and activities, as well as giving mentions to organizations that he supports. 

     Princess Beatrice, a 2011 graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London with a BA in History, has been trying her hand in the financial services industry, but also conducts some royal engagements on her own and on the behalf of her father and grandmother, as well as the British government. In April 2013, Beatrice became the royal Patron of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Center, a charity that she credits with helping her to overcome academic challenges resulting from her own dyslexic issues. In October, she met the Pakistani youth activist Malala Yousafzai at a reception entitled "Youth, Education, and the Commonwealth", and said that it was an honor to meet her. 

     Princess Eugenie graduated in 2012 with a combined Honors BA in English Literature, History of Art and Politics at Newcastle University. She has an interest in art, and moved to New York City this year to become a Benefit Auctions Manager at the Paddle8 auction house.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice

     In early 2013, the princesses visited Germany to undertake a series of engagements. In Berlin, they promoted British business as trade envoys on behalf Her Majesty’s Government. They also represented the Queen at the reopening of Herrenhausen Palace, where their ancestor, George II was born in 1683. The Hanoverian palace was bombed by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and had recently gone through a massive restoration project.

     Going into the New Year, there is speculation about Princess Beatrice marrying her long-time boyfriend, Dave Clark, and the longevity of their relationship – five years – makes marriage (or at least an engagement) this year a possibility. 

     Similarly, there are rumors about Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York. Unlike the nasty and very public break-up of Charles and Diana, Andrew and Sarah parted ways on amicable terms, remained good friends, and have been committed to raising their daughters together. That commitment has included going on vacations and attending some functions together, and today they live under the same roof at Royal Lodge, Windsor, and have jokingly described themselves as the “world’s happiest unmarried couple.” 

     Following an alleged getaway along the Mediterranean over the summer, there has been guessing as to whether they will tie the knot again. The Queen reportedly has a soft spot for Sarah, and invited her to spend a few days with the royal family at Balmoral. However, Prince Philip would be opposed to such a reunion because of her indiscretions over the years, so if – and it’s a big if – it does happen again, it likely only happen after the Duke of Edinburgh has passed away, which may not be for a long time to come. 

Wessexes

The Earl and Countess of Wessex.

    In 2013, the world was fixated on the big names of the monarchy – the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, etc. However, the profile of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and his wife Sophie have been on the rise, especially during the periods when the Duchess of Cambridge was off-duty due to her pregnancy and  in the immediate weeks after Prince George’s birth. 

     Prince Edward, the Queen’s fourth and youngest child, was once a film producer before dedicating himself to life a full-time working member of the royal family. He is slated to become Duke of Edinburgh when Prince Philip passes away, and as such, has become a Trustee and key figure in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, which was founded by Prince Philip for the purpose of encouraging young men and women to participate in, or create, activities which improve their lives, as well as the greater society. In this year, he has hosted and attended several functions related to the D of E Awards, as well as other charities he supports.

     Countess of Wessex – like the Duchess of Cornwall – has come into her own as an important part of the monarchy with her brand of grace and charm. In this year, she hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Doctor Who television series, made an official visit with Edward to South Africa, and embarked on a solo tour of India and Qatar. Some of these tours included taking care of business for the D of E International Award's, and in October, she became its first Global Ambassador while in South Africa, where she was learning how the award's scheme was helping to improve the prospects of young people in a local community.

     In June, Edward and Sophie also represented the Queen at the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neill.

     Their children have also gathered more attention. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor turned ten years old this year, and has been seen at more public functions with her parents, such as the service at Westminster Abbey  commemorating the 60^th anniversary of her grandmother’s coronation and the ceremony of Trooping the Color for the Queen’s Official Birthday in June. Her little brother, James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn turned six years old a few weeks ago, and was seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with his parents and sister at the end of Trooping the Color and also attended the Coronation Festival in July. 

Princess Anne and Family

     For Princess Anne, the year was largely uneventful aside from her usual engagements and day-to-day duties. She most notably spoke out in favor of Britons eating horse meat, in light of the scandal which revealed that such meat was increasingly being used in British food products.

     Her daughter Zara, an equestrian who followed in her mother’s footsteps as an Olympian last year, announced that she and her husband Mike Tindall were going to be expecting their first child in January. This child will be the Queen’s fourth great-grandchild and will be 16^th in the line of succession. Zara was also named as a godmother to Prince George during his christening back in October. 

Kent’s and Gloucester’s 

     Elsewhere, the Queen’s royal cousins were also in the headlines – for good and not-so-good.

The Duke of Gloucester

     Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and his wife Birgette attended the Inaugural Mass of Pope Francis at the Vatican in March. He is Patron of the Richard III Society, and coincidentally not only shares the name of the 15^th Century king, but also his title before he became king, Duke of Gloucester. In this role, he reportedly took an interest in the discovery and eventual confirmation of Richard III’s remains, which had been found under a parking lot on the site of a demolished abbey.

The Duke of Kent

     Prince Edward, Duke of Kent suffered a mild stroke on March 18, 2013, though it was not reported until March 21^st. He made a full recovery, and was back to conducting his royal duties shortly thereafter. In June, he accompanied the Queen during the Trooping the Color ceremony while the Duke of Edinburgh was recovering from abdominal surgery. 

Prince Michael of Kent

     The Duke of Kent’s brother, Prince Michael of Kent welcomed his first grandchild, Maud Windsor in August. Maud is the first child of Prince Michael’s only son, Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife, Sophie, and is currently 42^nd in line to the throne. 

     Princess Alexandra (Prince Edward and Prince Michael’s sister) was forced to cancel all of her engagements after suffering from the effects of arthritis, and undergoing treatment. She returned to public life on September 16^th with an engagement in Herefordshire as Patron of the Pennington‑Mellor‑Munthe Charity Trust, which operates two mansions as museums and hosts various cultural events.

Final Thoughts

     So the year of 2013 has seen much activity from the royal family, from the Queen down to her great-grandchildren and cousins. They have had a spectacular run over the past three years - the royal wedding in 2011, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012, and the birth of Prince George in 2013. 

     However such milestones are but tiny specks in the long and illustrious history of the monarchy. Moreover, they are but a few of the activities in which the family is engaged throughout the year. We often only see what is on television, with no little or no knowledge or appreciation for what they do with virtually no public fanfare.

     In the New Year, the royal family will continue perform schedule of engagements, attend ceremonies, do charity work, and take an active part in national life. It may not be as flashy as the last couple of years, but with the Australian tour, the Commonwealth Games, and other events, it will be a year to which to look forward.

 Part II: Charles and Camilla, the Cambridges, and Prince Harry

Photo Credit: Titanic Belfast via Flickr cc, Carfax2 via Wikimedia Commons cc, Carfax2 via Wikimedia Commons cc, Northern Ireland Office via Flickr cc, Mareklug via Wikimedia Commons cc, Charlie Dave via Flickr cc, Paul Reynolds via Flickr cc