Royal family

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This article is about the monarchy-related concept. For other uses, see Royal family
(disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Royal Household.

Part of a series of articles on

Monarchy

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Imperial, royal, princely, others

nobles and chivalric ranks

Emperor / Empress

King / Queen

Archduke / Archduchess

Grand Prince / Grand Princess

Grand Duke / Grand Duchess
 Prince / Princess / Infante / Infanta / Królewicz /
królewna

Duke / Duchess

Sovereign Prince / Sovereign Princess

/ Fürst / Fürstin

Marquess / Marquis / Marchioness /

Margrave / Landgrave /
Count palatine

Count / Countess / Earl

Burgrave / Châtelain / Castellan

Viscount/Viscountess / Vidame

Baron / Baroness

Baronet / Baronetess
Hereditary Knight / Lady / Ritter / Ridder

Knight / Dame
Chevalier

Esquire / Laird / Edler / Jonkheer / Junker

Gentleman / Younger / Maid

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A royal family is the immediate family of a king or queen regnant, and sometimes his or her
extended family. The term imperial familyappropriately describes the family of
an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while the
terms baronial family, comital family, ducal family, grand ducal family, or princely
family are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning baron, count, duke, grand
duke, or prince. However, in common parlance members of any family which reigns by hereditary
 right are often referred to as royalty or "royals." It is also customary in some circles to refer to the
extended relations of a deposed monarch and his or her descendants as a royal family.
A dynasty is sometimes referred to as "the House of ...". As of July 2013, there are 26 active
sovereign monarchies in the world who rule or reign over 43 countries in all.[1]

Contents

 1Members of a royal family

 2Current royal families
o 2.1Africa
o 2.2Americas
o 2.3Asia
o 2.4Europe
o 2.5Middle East
o 2.6Oceania
 3Deposed royal families
 4Mediatised princely families
 5Royal houses and dynasties
 6See also
 7References
 8External links

Members of a royal family

The Royal Family of France in classical costume during the reign of Louis XIV.

A royal family typically includes the spouse of the reigning monarch, surviving spouses of a
deceased monarch, the children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, and paternal cousins of the
reigning monarch, as well as their spouses. In some cases, royal family membership may extend
to great grandchildren and more distant descendants of a monarch. In certain monarchies where
voluntary abdication is the norm, such as the Netherlands, a royal family may also include one or
more former monarchs. In certain instances, such as in Canada, the royal family is defined by
who holds the styles Majesty and Royal Highness.[2] There is often a distinction between persons
of the blood royal and those that marry into the royal family. Under most systems, only persons in
the first category are dynasts, that is, potential successors to the throne (unless the member of
the latter category is also in line to the throne in their own right, a frequent occurrence in royal
families which frequently intermarry). This is not always observed; some monarchies have
operated by the principle of jure uxoris.
In addition, certain relatives of the monarch (by blood or marriage) possess special privileges
and are subject to certain statutes, conventions, or special common law. The precise functions of
a royal family vary depending on whether the polity in question is an absolute monarchy,
a constitutional monarchy, or somewhere in between. In certain monarchies, such as that found
in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, or in political systems where the monarch actually exercises executive
power, such as in Jordan, it is not uncommon for the members of a royal family to hold important
government posts or military commands. In most constitutional monarchies, however, members
of a royal family perform certain public, social, or ceremonial functions, but refrain from any
involvement in electoral politics or the actual governance of the country.
The specific composition of royal families varies from country to country, as do the titles
and royal and noble styles held by members of the family. The composition of the royal family
may be regulated by statute enacted by the legislature (e.g. Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan
since 1947), the sovereign's prerogative and common law tradition (e.g. the United Kingdom), or
a private house law (e.g., Liechtenstein, the former ruling houses of Bavaria, Prussia, Hanover,
etc.). Public statutes, constitutional provisions, or conventions may also regulate the marriages,
names, and personal titles of royal family members. The members of a royal family may or may
not have a surname or dynastic name (see Royal House).
In a constitutional monarchy, when the monarch dies, there is always a law or tradition of
succession to the throne that either specifies a formula for identifying the precise order of
succession among family members in line to the throne or specifies a process by which a family
member is chosen to inherit the crown. Usually in the former case the exact line of hereditary
succession among royal individuals may be identified at any given moment during
prior reigns (e.g. United Kingdom, Sark, Nizari Ismailis, Japan, Balobedus, Sweden, Kingdom of
Benin) whereas in the latter case the next sovereign may be selected (or changed) only during
the reign or shortly after the demise of the immediately preceding monarch
(e.g. Cambodia, KwaZulu Natal, Buganda, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, Yorubaland, The
Kingitanga). Some monarchies employ a mix of these selection processes
(Malaysia, Monaco, Tonga, Jordan, Morocco), providing for both an identifiable line of
succession as well as authority for the monarch, dynasty or other institution to alter the line in
specific instances without changing the general law of succession. Some countries
have abolished royalty altogether, as in post-revolutionary France (finally in 1870) and Russia
(1917).