ROYAL FAMILY. In its more restricted signification, the royal family of Great Britain only includes the queen-consort and queen-dowager, and the children or other descendants of the sovereign. In a larger sense, it comprehends all the British descend ants of the royal house, or perhaps, more properly, as indicated by Blackstone, all who may by possibility succeed to the throne. With regard to the position and rights of a queen-consort and queen-dowager, see QUEEN. The husband of the queen-regnant is not as such a member of the royal family; but the style of royal highness, and a preced ence next to her majesty, were conferred on the late prince-consort by statute. The prince of Wales (q.v.), or heir-apparent to the throne, and the princess of Wales, are distinguished by law from the rest of the royal family. By the statute 25 Edw. Id., to compass the deaths of the prince of Wales, or violate the chastity of the princess of Wales, is high treason. The eldest daughter of the sovereign is 'styled the princess royal, and the violation of her chastity is, by the same statute, high treason. The heir presumptive to the throne has no special rank or precedence as such, as his position may be altered by the birth of an heir-apparent.
The younger sons and daughters of the sovereign are entitled to a peculiar place in the house of lords; statute 31 Henry VIII. c. 10 enacts that no person except the king's children shall presume to sit or have place at the side of the cloth cf estate in the parlia ment chamber. On a reference by George II. to the house of lords regarding the posi tion and precedence of Edward duke of York, second son of his son Frederick prince of Wales, it was held that, under the description of the king's children, grandsons are included.
On a reference made to all the judges by George I., it was resolved that the educa tion and care of the king's grandchildren, when minors, and also the approval of their marriages, belongs to the king, even during their father's lifetime. This care and approval has more recently been held to extend to the heir-presumptive, and it is difficult to say how far it comprises also the remoter branches of the royal house. There are frequent instances of the crown's interposition in the case of nephews and nieces, and a few in the case of more distant collaterals. Questions regarding the marriages of the royal family are now further regulated by the royal marriage act (q.v.). The prince of Wales, besides the revenues of the duchy of Cornwall, has settled on him, by 26 Viet. c. 1, an annuity of £40,000, and the princess of Wales £10,000, to be increased to £30,000 in case of her widowhood.
On the consolidated fund are charged £25,000 to the duke of Edinburgh, £25,000 to the duke of Connaught, 215.000 to prince Leopold, £8,000 to the crown princess of Prussia (till 1879, £6,000 to the grand-duchess of Hesse), £6,000 to princess Christian of Sleswick-Holstein, 26,000 to the marchioness of Lorne, £6,000 to the duchess of Cam bridge, 23.000 to her daughter, the grand-duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, £12,000 to the duke of Cambridge, and £5,000 to princess Teck, formerly princess Mary of Cambridge.