Top 40 Royal and Imperial Houses/News & Resources

A MONARCHY is a form of government in which sovereignty is actually or nominally embodied in a single individual (the monarch). Forms of monarchy differ widely based on the level of legal autonomy the monarch holds in governance, the method of selection of the monarch, and any predetermined limits on the length of their tenure. When the monarch has no or few legal restraints in state and political matters, it is called an absolute monarchy and is a form of autocracy. Cases in which the monarch's discretion is formally limited (most common today) are called constitutional monarchies. In hereditary monarchies, the office is passed through inheritance within a family group, whereas elective monarchies use some system of voting. Each of these has variations: in some elected monarchies only those of certain pedigrees are eligible, whereas many hereditary monarchies impose requirements regarding the religion, age, gender, mental capacity, and other factors. Occasionally this might create a situation of rival claimants whose legitimacy is subject to effective election. Finally, there have been cases where the term of a monarch’s reign is either fixed in years or continues until certain goals are achieved: an invasion being repulsed, for instance. Thus there are widely divergent structures and traditions defining monarchy.

Monarchy was the most common form of government until the 19th century, but it is no longer prevalent. Where it exists, it is now usually a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch retains a unique legal and ceremonial role, but exercises limited or no political power: under the written or unwritten constitution, others have governing authority. Currently, 44 sovereign nations in the world have monarchs acting as heads of state, 16 of which are Commonwealth realms that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state. All European monarchies are constitutional ones, with the exception of the Vatican City, but sovereigns in the smaller states exercise greater political influence than in the larger. The monarchs of Cambodia, Japan, and Malaysia "reign, but do not rule" although there is considerable variation in the degree of authority they wield. Although they reign under constitutions, the monarchs of Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Swaziland appear to continue to exercise more political influence than any other single source of authority in their nations, either by constitutional mandate or by tradition.

Royalty News & Resources

• 8 Decades of British Royal Corgis Reportedly at an End - The New York Times.
• 16 incredible royal wedding venues around the world - The Telegraph.
• 25 young royals who will one day rule the world - Business Insider.
• 30 things you didn't know about Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas message - The Telegraph.
• 48 of Prince Philip's greatest gaffes & funny moments - The Telegraph.
• 63 reigning years: a year-by-year account of Queen Elizabeth II's style - The Telegraph.
• ABSOLUTE MONARCHY - Wikipedia.
• Buckingham Palace to Get $456 Million Renovation - The New York Times.
• Case of Russian Imperial family slaying reopened on request of Russian Orthodox Church - Tass.
• CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY - Wikipedia.
• Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - on June 2, 1953. Video: 2:13.
• CURRENT ROYAL FAMILIES - Wikipedia.
• Denmark’s Prince Henrik Wanted to Be King. So He’ll Protest for Eternity - The New York Times.
• Diana: Closely Guarded Secret - Amazon.com.
• Diana Saved the Queen - The New York Times.
• Duchess of Cambridge style: Every outfit she's worn since joining the Royal Family - The Telegraph.
• Duke & Duchess of Cambridge pose on Taj Mahal's 'Diana bench' - The Guardian.
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• DUKE OF WINDSOR - (1894-1972). King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936. Edward became king when his father died in early 1936. He showed impatience with court protocol, and politicians were concerned by his apparent disregard for established constitutional conventions. Only months into his reign, he caused a constitutional crisis by proposing marriage to the American socialite Wallis Simpson, who had divorced her first husband and was seeking a divorce from her second. The prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the Dominions opposed the marriage, arguing that the people would never accept a divorced woman with two living ex-husbands as queen. Choosing not to end his relationship with Simpson, Edward abdicated. After his abdication, he was given the title Duke of Windsor. He married Simpson in France on 3 June 1937, after her second divorce became final. Later that year, the couple toured Germany. During the Second World War, he was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France but, after private accusations that he held Nazi sympathies, he was assigned to the Bahamas as the islands' Governor. After the war, he was never given another official appointment and spent the remainder of his life in retirement in France.
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• Empress Elisabeth of Austria - (1837-1898). The wife of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others. From an early age, she was called Sisi by family and friends. Although Elisabeth had a limited (but significant) influence on Austro-Hungarian politics, she became an historical icon. The Empress is now thought to have been a non-conformist who abhorred conventional court protocol, as well as a free spirit, who valued an individual sense of freedom above anything else. Following the suicide of her son Rudolf, she withdrew from public life. She was murdered by an anarchist in Geneva, Switzerland in 1898. Elisabeth is the longest serving consort of Austria.
• Experience Queen Victoria's private summer residence Osborne House in 360° - The Telegraph.
• FAMOUS ROYAL HOUSES AND DYNASTIES - Wikipedia.
• For sale: Queen's Rolls-Royce - "Ride like a royal? Queen's car to feature in Rolls-Royce sell-off."
• From prince to penne: Italian royal dishes on his new gourmet pasta truck in LA - The Guardian.
• Haemophilia in European royalty - Wikipedia.
• Happy birthday, Your Majesty - The Telegraph.
• Here's what the royal family actually does every day - Business Insider.
• Here's why the royal family doesn't use a last name - Business Insider.
• how Saudi King travels: 1,500 people, two Mercedes Benzes, 459 tonnes of luggage & a golden escalator - The Telegraph.
• 'I have to be seen to be believed' - The hidden significance of Queen Elizabeth II's colourful wardrobe.
• India to Seek Return of Koh-i-Noor Diamond From Britain - The New York Times.
• Inside Princess Diana's jewellery collection - The Telegraph.
• Inside Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe - The Telegraph.
• Introducing His Royal Hipster, the Duke of Cambridge - The Telegraph.
• King Richard III in Leicester - Leicester Cathedral.
• Koh-i-noor diamond given to Britain, says Indian government - The Guardian.
• Lettre de cachet - (lit. "letters of the sign/signet") were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal, or cachet. They contained orders directly from the king, often to enforce arbitrary actions and judgments that could not be appealed.
• line of succession to the British Throne - no. 1-1345.
• List of shortest-reigning monarchs - Wikipedia.
• List of the richest royals - Forbes Magazine.
• 'London Bridge is down': the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death - The Telegraph.
• Louis XVI Commemorative Mass - Every January 21, a memorial mass is held in Chapelle Expiatoire (29 rue Pasquier, Paris 8th), to commemorate the death of Louis XVI in 1793.
• MA'AM - correct way to address, pronounce and use 'Ma'am' when chatting with 'Lillibeth' at Ascot. The correct pronunciation for ma’am is “ma’am” as in “ham”, and not “ma’am” as in “farm”.
• MaÎtresse-en-titre - was the chief mistress of the king of France. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments. The title came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued until the reign of Louis XV.
• Marie-Antoinette's torrid affair with Swedish count revealed in decoded letters - The Telegraph.
• Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress Was Made for a Person, Not a Princess - "The newly minted Duchess of Sussex was married in a gown by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy."
• Meet the world’s other 25 royal families - The Washington Post.
• MONARCHIES IN EUROPE - Wikipedia.
• MONARCHY - Wikipedia.
• most stylish royals in the world; past, present & future - The Telegraph.
• Prince Charles, the multi-million pound artist - The Telegraph.
• Prince Charles: This is the kind of King I will be - "In a new documentary celebrating his 70th birthday, Britain's Prince Charles spoke for the first time about what sort of king he will be, saying he will shift gears once he takes on the role of the monarch."
• PRINCE OF WALES - official website.
• Princess Diana's ballgown sold for £102,000 at auction - December 3, 2013.
• Princess Diana's St. Tropez Love Nest, Castle St. Therese, Is For Sale Again - Daily Mail Online.
• Princess Diana's grave site to undergo multi-miliion-pound revamp - The Telegraph.
• Princess Margaret 'had an affair' with 1950s crooner Eddie Fisher - Daily Mail.
• Princess Margaret’s misadventures in bohemia - The Guardian.
• Privy Purse - the amount of money the monarch may use for private or personal expenses.
• Queen Elizabeth I’s long lost skirt to go on display after being found on a church altar in Herefordshire - The Telegraph.
• Queen Elizabeth II has earned over $8 million in horse racing prize money - CNN.
• Queen Elizabeth II surpasses Queen Victoria's long reign - The Telegraph.
• Queen Elizabeth II Turns 90 With a Nationwide Party
• Queen Elizabeth II's birthday: 90 years in 90 seconds - The Telegraph.
• Queen Elizabeth II's favourite food: Chocolate, sole, & Dubonnet - but no carbs - The Telegraph.
• Queen Elizabeth II's favourite hotels - The Telegraph.
• Queen's guide to culture - "Her Majesty's favourite books, music & TV."
• Queen Elizabeth II's private estate invested millions of pounds offshore - The Guardian.
• Queen Elizabeth II's undiminished love of horse racing - CNN sport.
• Queen joins the style crowd at LFW Richard Quinn show - Daily Mail.
• Queen's bra fitter Rigby & Peller loses royal warrant after tell-all book - BBC News.
• Regnal name - name used by some monarchs and popes during their reigns, and used subsequently to refer to them. Since ancient times, monarchs have frequently, but not always, chosen to use a different name from their original name when they accede to the monarchy.
• REZA PAHLAVI - official website. Last crown prince of the former Imperial State of Iran and current head of the House of Pahlavi.
• Royal family's festive fashion over the years - The Telegraph.
• Royal fifth - old royal tax that reserves to the monarch 20% of all precious metals and other commodities (including slaves) acquired by his subjects as war loot, found as treasure or extracted by mining. The 'royal fifth' was instituted in Medieval Muslim states, Christian Iberian kingdoms and their overseas colonial empires during the age of exploration.
• ROYAL HOUSE - Wikipedia.
• Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family auction - "Once belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette."
• Royal Warrant Holders Association - formed in 1840. "Its main objective is to ensure the continued existence of the Royal Warrant as a treasured and respected institution. It helps to administer applications for new Royal Warrants and changes to existing ones."
• Salic law - the principle of exclusion of women from inheritance of thrones, fiefs and other property.
• Saudi Royal Family Is Still Spending in an Age of Austerity - The New York Times.
• Secrets of the oil used to anoint the Queen at her Coronation - The Telegraph.
• She Met Her Prince (for Real!) at a D.C. Nightclub - The New York Times.
• Successor to new Britannia moves closer - The Telegraph.
• Thai king in crop top in German shopping centre - The Telegraph.
• Thailand's Colorful Crown Prince Maha - Daily Mail.
• THE GREATEST PARTY ON EARTH - "In 1971, the Shah of Iran, the self-proclaimed “King of Kings”, celebrated 2,500 years of the Persian monarchy by throwing the greatest party known in history."
• The million mile Queen: Charting Her Majesty's unique journey - The Telegraph.
• The most stylish royals of all time - The Telegraph.
• The Queen at 90: across the decades - The Guardian.
• The Queen's favourite beauty products - The Telegraph.
• The Queen puts a new spin on her signature silk scarf - "And more of her most glorious style moments."
• The Remains of the Romanovs - The New York Times.
• The Royal Disease - hemophilia is an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by the inability to properly form blood clots.
• The royal wedding - the full guide - "Take one prince and one American actor, add lashings of pageantry, souvenir shops and bunting to make that most British of jamborees - a royal wedding."
• The Story of the Royal Anointing Oil in England - "From the Sacred to the Fragrant."
• Top 10 Most Powerful Families In History - Listverse.
• ‘Victoria the Queen’ Delves Into Her Epic Reign - The New York Times Book Review.
• Wanted: small-footed person to break in the Queen's shoes - The Telegraph.
• Wardrobe for a Royal Tour - The New York Times.
• Why Princess Diana remains an enduring style icon - The Telegraph.
• Why the lost kingdom of Patagonia is a live issue for Chile's Mapuche people - The Guardian.
• Why the Norwegians have the most fun royals in the world - The Telegraph.
• World’s Most Expensive Home? Another Bauble for a Saudi Prince - The New York Times.
• WORLD'S RICHEST ROYALS - Forbes Magazine.
• world's top 10 richest royals - MyFirstClassLife.

Top 40 Royal & Imperial Houses

• Bagrationi dynasty - royal family that reigned in Georgia from the Middle Ages until the early 19th century.
• Brazilian Imperial Family
• House of Bolkiah - royal family of Brunei Darussalam.
• House of Bonaparte - imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I in 1804.
• House of Bourbon - European royal house of French origin. Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma. Spain and Luxembourg currently have Bourbon monarchs.
• House of Bourbon - Two Sicilies - cadet Italian branch of the House of Bourbon. It is thus descended from the Capetian dynasty in male line. The name of Bourbon-Two Sicilies comes from the main name (Bourbon) and the other (Two Sicilies) from the title King of the Two Sicilies, itself a merger of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples.
• HOUSE OF BRAGANZA - official website. Reigning house of the Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves in 1640.
• House of Chakri - current ruling royal house of the Kingdom of Thailand.
• House of Dlamini - royal house of the Kingdom of Swaziland.
• House of France - refers to the members of the Capetian dynasty from which came the Kings of France since the election of Hugh Capet.
• House of Habsburg - was one of the most important royal houses of Europe.
• House of Hohenzollern - dynasty of former princes, electors, kings, and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania.
• House of Iturbide - the former Imperial House of Mexico.
• House of Khalifa - the royal family of Bahrain.
• House of Malietoa - state dynasty and chiefly title in Samoa.
• House of Moshoeshoe - the ruling family of Lesotho.
• House of Osman - Ottoman dynasty.
• HOUSE OF ROMANOV - second imperial dynasty, after the Rurik dynasty, to rule over Russia, reigning from 1613 until the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II on March 15, 1917.
• House of Sabah - the ruling family of Kuwait.
• HOUSE OF SAUD - royal family of Saudi Arabia.
• House of Savoy - one of the oldest royal families in the world, being founded in year 1003.
• House of Thani - the ruling family of Qatar.
• House of Wangchuck - the ruling family of Bhutan since 1907.
• House of Wittelsbach - European royal family & a German dynasty from Bavaria.
• House of Zogu - Albanian dynasty founded in the late 15th century. The family provided the short-lived modern Kingdom of Albania.
• IMPERIAL FAMILY OF JAPAN - official website.
• Imperial House of Japan - the Yamato dynasty.
• KaradordeviĆ dynasty - Serbian royal family.
• Kings of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - Jordan's head of state and monarch.
• Monarchies of Malaysia
• Monarchy of Thailand
• monarchs of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
• monarchs of Tonga - since 1875.
• Monarchy of Cambodia - the King of Cambodia is the head of state of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
• Monarchy of Thailand - historically Kings of Siam.
• Pahlavi dynasty - ruling house of Iran from 1925 until 1979.
• Royal family of Morocco
• Royal Family of Thailand - "Home of the Siamese Collection."
• Royal Greek Family - official website.
• Sultans of Oman
• THE ROYAL HOUSE OF BELGIUM - official website.
• THE ROYAL HOUSE OF DENMARK - official website.
• THE ROYAL HOUSE OF GREAT BRITAIN - official website.
• THE ROYAL HOUSE OF NORWAY - official website.
• THE ROYAL HOUSE OF SPAIN - official website.
• THE ROYAL HOUSE OF SWEDEN - official website.
• THE ROYAL HOUSE of the NETHERLANDS - official website.