What do the titles in the Royal family mean? Eg Prince of Wales????

Question

Why are there in the Royal Family, Dukes and Duchesses of places, prince and princess of places eg Duchess of York?
How do these come about and what do they mean? Like Diana was Princess of Wales, what did Wales have to do with Charles and her?

Answer 1

Its not complicated as Prince of Wales, you are in charge of the running of Wales as Deputy to the Ruling Monarch here being the Queen, that is the Duke of York rules the province of York so-to-speak as deputy to the Queen.

Answer 2

Actually, the true reason Edward was made an Earl was because after Diana and Sarah failing in public life miserable (according to the palace) they simply didn't want to take a chance with Edwards wife, too! Thereby, giving them the LESSER title of Earl and Countess meant they had much, much less to do in the Public forum than a Duke and Duchess. Edwards wife Sophie had already been caught ONCE on tape saying that she would use her "royal connections" to get her clients the BEST coverage possible. When confronted IN THE NEWS with this expose, she could do only one thing, quit her job, otherwise everyone would wonder if she was just marrying Edward for the publicity for her job. So she quit. Edward is also know and has a reputation to be gay, his nickname at one time was "Barbara Windsor" after a famous actress, because of his own flamboyance. However, since his marriage, these "rumors" have died down somewhat. Their child was conceived "in vitro" that is "without sex." So, whether or not she married him as a friend or lover, it doesn't really matter. As they truly seem to get along and that's all that matters! Also, its known that Edward is the queen's favorite child, but the youngest often are for any number of reasons.

Answer 3

In the 13th century Edward the first conquered Wales. He promised them a prince of Wales who would not speak a word of English, which they took to mean that he would speak Welsh. How ever when Edward had his first son he presented him to the Welsh saying, "Here is your Prince of Wales." And since then the heir to the throne has always had the title 'Prince of Wales'. The Duke of York always goes to the second son. They are nothing to do with ruling anywhere now. In the past they would have done but as the royal family got more powerful they took the titles and the power into their family. Then as time went on the power went but the title was left.The York title comes from the Wars of the Roses. The second son of the monarch is always the Duke of York.
If you marry the Prince of Wales then you become Princess of Wales. When Charles becomes king, William will become Prince of Wales and his wife will be Princess of Wales.

Answer 4

These titles come from the medieval social structure. Men of power and influence gained the service of the local people to farm the land and feed the powerful men. In return, the powerful men promised to protect the farmers and villages from the bands of marauders. The local people turned to these "little kings" for help in negotiating disputes and enforcing laws. Once these little kingdoms were established, they began to form alliances and animosities. These kings had titles like Lord (Laird). Lesser lords pledged their loyalty to stronger lords and the stronger lords titled themselves king and their loyal friends Duke, Baron etc. Over time these kingdoms became a country and these titled families intermarried. These titles are the remains of this system and follow certain positions, jobs and places within the royal family. At some point, it became customary for the Crown Prince to be the lord of Wales and so Charles was the Prince of Wales and when she married him, Diana became the Princess of Wales.

Answer 5

To supplement the above answers, I would add that while non-royal dukes who have additional lesser titles usually take all their titles from one country (either England, Ireland or Scotland), the royal dukes' lesser titles cover the whole Kingdom. The Duke of York (England) is also Earl of Inverness (Scotland) and Baron Killyleagh (N Ireland). The Duke of Edinburgh (Scotland) is also Earl of Merioneth (Wales) and Baron Greenwich (England).

Incidentally Charles is also Duke of Cornwall and just bought a home in Cornwall, but contrary to what Cornish nationalists will say, the Duke of Cornwall was not intended to be leader of an independent Cornwall. He is also Earl of Chester and the city of Chester has a 'Diana, Countess of Chester Hospital'.

The sons of a sovereign are usually dukes, but Prince Edward was only made an earl (of Wessex, which no longer exists) as he was seventh in line to the throne by the time he married and received his title, and that same year the hereditary peers were expelled from parliament and it was not seen as appropriate to create a full-blown duke. No royals even live in the cities or counties from which they take their titles.

Answer 6

The granting of titles is contained in the pervue of the Queen. existence friends, and so on., are frequently on the advice of the authorities with the help of the proper Minister, notwithstanding the descisions is finally the Queens. Royal titles ae as a lot as her thoroughly. notwithstanding, there are conventions that the reigning monarch in many cases follows. E.g., the inheritor glaring is in many cases given the call the Prince of Wales. The second son of the reigning monarch is mostly provide the call the Duke of York. etc; there are conventions, yet, that is punctiliously as a lot because the Queen. there's a lot hypothesis as to what is going to happen to William and Kate. that is probable they are going to take delivery of titles, probable a Dukedom for William, or perchance an Earldom, with Kate having a courtesy call. it would want to be unusual for her to be made a princess, yet, this can happen, and has a minimum of once contained in the previous.