Royal is the new common.

Regal. You've probably never heard of it

Who’s Who

An intro to the royals and their Royal Houses:

Belgium (House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha)


The kingdom of Belgium came about in 1830 when they were granted independence from the Netherlands. They elected Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Duke of Saxony (reigned 1831-1865) who was once the married to the late Princess Charlotte of Wales and was the uncle to the future Queen Victoria and her eventual husband Prince Albert. Rather than being titled “King of Belgium” the new king was called “King of the Belgians” and was sworn in rather than crowned, signifying his allegiance to the people rather than his allegiance to him.

Leopold II (reigned 1865-1909) is infamous for the atrocities in his personally owned colony (known as the Congo Free State then, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) but is also know as the “Builder King” for his many urban projects. Leopold III (reigned 1934-1951) is known for a different sort of scandal.  He abdicated in favor of his son, Baudouin (reigned 1951-1993) due to controversy over his apparent complacency during Nazi occupation. There has been a divide among the kingdom’s Dutch (Flanders) and French (Walloonia) speaking regions which leads some to wonder how much longer this monarchy will exist.

The heir apparent is traditionally given the title “Duke of Brabant” but it is not automatic.  All of the children and grandchildren of the current King are styled “Royal Highness” and “Prince of Belgium” and in 1991 his daughters children (actually “Imperial and Royal Highness” were granted the titles of “Prince(ss) of Belgium” and the same was done for her husband (already titled “Archduke of Austria-Este”) in 1995. Belgium practices equal primogeniture which means that The Duke of Brabant’s eldest daughter, Elisabeth, is second in line for the throne.

The official website of the Belgian monarchy, in English, is here.

  • King Albert II - Born in 1934 and became king in 1993. Was born the second son but his brother died childless. Has an alleged illegitimate daughter born in 1968.
  • Queen Paola - Born in Italy in 1937 and married to Albert in 1959. The daughter of a Italian nobleman, she has two sons and a daughter.
  • Prince Philippe - Born in 1960. Was treated almost as if he was the child of King Baudouin. For years it seemed doubtful he would ever marry.
  • Princess Mathilde - Born in 1973 and married to Philippe 1999. Her father was a member of the untitled nobility and of Walloon descent and her mother was the daughter of a Polish count and princess. She is set to become the first Belgian-born Queen Consort. Before her marriage she had her own speech therapy practice. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant have four children.
  • Princess Astrid - Born in 1962 and also Archduchess of Austria-Este since 1984. She is a colonel in the Medical Component of the Belgian armed forces and can be seen in uniform on Belgium’s national day and other such occasions.
  • Archduke Lorenz - Born in France in 1955, married to Astrid in 1984, and became head of the House of Austria-Este in 1996. He is currently the director of a global pharmaceutical manufacturer. The Archduke and Archduchess have five children.
  • Prince Laurent - Born in 1963. He originally was ahead of his sister in the line of succession but was displaced by her and her children in 1991. He has been connected to scandal in the past, most notably when funds of the navy were used to build his home.
  • Princess Claire - Born in England in 1974 and married to Laurent in 2003. Her father is British and her mother is Belgian. She is a land surveyor. Claire and Laurent have three children, two of whom are twins.
  • Queen Fabiola - Born in Spain in 1928 and married to Baudoin (b.1930-d.1993) in 1960. She is the daughter of Spanish nobles and goddaughter of Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain. Before her wedding she published a book of fairy tales and was a nurse. In 2008 she shared how suffered through five miscarriages. She is known to be devout in her faith and has had a mountain range named in her honor. In 2009 death threats were made against her but, rather than skip national day celebrations, she responded by waving an apple (in reference to William Tell) to the crowd. She is not known to be proficient in Dutch.

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Denmark  (House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)


The Danish house is regarded as one of the oldest in the world. Denmark has on occasion been in possession of or in “personal unions” with the other countries, at times making the king of Denmark king of Sweden, or Norway, and even England before William the Conqueror. The last king was also King of Iceland.

Heirs to the throne are “Prince(ss) to Denmark” and those who marry into the family are “Prince(ss) of Denmark”. The Queen’s husband, sons, daughters-in-law, and the children of the Crown Prince are styled as “Royal Highness” while sons of Joachim are styled simply as “Highness” instead. Denmark practices equal primogeniture.

The official website of the Danish monarchy, in English, is here.

  • Queen Margrethe II - Born in 1940 and became queen in 1972. An artist with a quirky fashion sense.
  • Prince Henrik- Born in France in 1934 and married to Margrethe in 1967. Has had issues dealing with his role as “third place in the royal hierarchy”.
  • Crown Prince Frederik - Born in 1968. Loves sailing, has run a few marathons, and was once known as the “Turbo Prince” for having more than a few speeding tickets. Has worked on environmental issues with his other Scandinavian counterparts.
  • Crown Princess Mary - Born in Australia in 1972 and married Frederik in 2005. Met her husband at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she lived and worked in advertisement and real estate. Known for a love of fashion. Mary and Frederik have four children, two of whom are twins.
  • Prince Joachim - Born in 1969. He is know as the more romantic of the two sons, marrying before his older brother at the age of 26, but has been divorced and remarried. He is one of many princes to participate in a car race. His residence, Schackenborg Manor, is also a farm.
  • Princess Marie - Born in France in 1976 and married Joachim in 2008. Owns a dog named Apple and frequently travels with her. Has a son, who is Joachim’s third.
  • Alexandra, Countess of Fredriksborg - Born in Hong Kong in 1964 and married Joachim in 1995 and divorced him in 2005. She is of British, Austrian, Czech, and Chinese decent. Was called “The Diana of the North” for a time. Popular for her her fluency in Danish and charity work, she was the sole Danish princess for ten years until her brother-in-law finally married. Has two sons with Joachim and remarried in 2007. Appears to have a good relationship with her former husband and new wife (who was first discovered while vacationing with the amicable exes).

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Japan (Yamato Dynasty)

Japan has been ruled by an Emperor (Tennō) since approximately 660 BC (the existence of the first nine is in dispute). The Japanese Imperial Family were thought divine and in Shinto belief they descended from the sun goddess, Amaterasu. The Imperial House has traditionally, and purposefully, been shrouded in mystery and removed from the people.

The first time an Emperor directly addressed the Japanese was to deliver a surrender speech in 1945. The Shōwa Emperor has been considered, by some, to be responsible for Japanese war crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II and wanted to see him, and others in the Imperial Family, to be prosecuted for them. Others question his actual influence he had on the Imperial forces. It was feared that he would be deposed but General MacArthur insisted that he be kept. Emperor Hirohito, as he was still called then, went to formally apologize to General MacArthur but was refused admittance. In 1947, as a result of World War II, the Imperial Household law was changed to reduce the numbers of the family, remove the cadet branches, and limit succession to legitimately born sons. The Emperor also renounced the claim that he was divine (arahitogami) even though he maintained that he was a descendent of the gods. The Japanese Emperor is still the head of the Shinto religion. When an Emperor dies he, and the time of his reign, is given a posthumous name (teigō).

Members of the Imperial family are styled “Imperial Higness” and are title as “Prince(ss) [name]” (the Emperor was Prince Tsugu). Daughters who marry loose their title, style, and allowance.

The official website of the Imperial Household Agency, in English, is here.

  • Emperor Akhito - Born 1933 and became Emperor in 1989. As crown prince he expressed a desire to bring the Imperial family closer to the people and, as Emperor, he has made official visits to all of Japan’s prefectures. Like his father he has an interest in marine biology and has published papers on the subject. Recently, after natural disaster stuck his country he directly address his people to comfort and reassure his people calling upon them to not lose hope.
  • Empress Michiko - Born in 1934 and married to Akihito in 1959. Her father was a wealthy businessman but still a commoner; because of this the Harvard and Oxford educated, classical pianist did not meet the standards of many including, it’s reported, her mother-in-law who caused her to have a nervous break in the 60s. She and her husband also broke with tradition and didn’t turn their children over to the Court. Despite the consequences she broke with protocol to change the way Imperial children were raised.
  • Crown Prince Naruhito, Prince Hiro - Born in 1960. Has a masters degree and, like his mother, studied at Oxford for a time eventually writing a memoir of the time. Plays viola and is fond of hiking. Takes special interest in water conservation.
  • Crown Princess Masako - Born in 1963 and married to Naruhito in 1993. Her father was a diplomat, President of the International Court of Justice, and guest professor at Harvard where Masako would eventually receive a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in Economics. She had a career with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs before her marriage. Her relationship with Naruhito began in 1986 and he reportedly proposed several times before she accepted. Her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage and Masako and Naruhito have only produced a daughter who has no place in the line of succession. For a time there was no male heir and a change to the Imperial Household Law was discussed but this was abandoned after a male was born into the family. Masako was diagnosed with adjustment disorder which many attribute to the pressures of producing an heir and the ancient traditions.
  • Fumihito, Prince Akishino - Born in 1965. Has studied a law and biology and recieved his Ph.D., in 1996, in ornithology. He is known as a catfish specialist and has used his fish knowledge to Indonesia, Thailand, and China. Was ranked among the top ten tennis doubles players in the Kanto Region and loves the Beatles. He is most recognizable by his prematurely grey and shaggy (perhaps a Beatles tribute?) hair.
  • Kiko, Princess Akishino - Born in 1966 and married to Fumihito in 1990. Her father is a professor and she was the first middle class woman to marry into the Imperial family. At the time of her marriage she was a post-graduate student, studying psychology. She continued her studies while taking on official duties and received her MA in 1995. She is skilled in Japanese sign language and takes a special interest in the deaf culture. Kiko and Fumihito have three children. Their son, the youngest, was born when Kiko was 40 and is the first son born into the family since his father’s birth.
  • Sayako (formerly Princess Nori) -
  • Yoshiki Kuroda -

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Jordan (Hashemite)

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Liechtenstein (House of Liechtenstein)

  • Prince Hans-Adam II -
  • Princess Marie -
  • Hereditary Prince Alois -
  • Princess Sophie -
  • Princess Maximilian -
  • Princess Angela -
  • Prince Constantin -
  • Princess Maria -
  • Princess Tatjana -
  • Matthias von Lattorff -

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Luxembourg (House of Nassau-Weilburg)

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Monaco (House of Grimaldi)

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Netherlands (House of Oranje-Nassau)

  • Queen Beatrix -
  • Prince Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange -
  • Princess Máxima -
  • Prince Friso -
  • Princess Mabel -
  • Prince Constantijn -
  • Princess Laurentien -

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Norway (House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)

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Qatar (House of Thani)

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Spain (House of Borbón)

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Sweden (House of Bernadotte)

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United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (House of Windsor)

Children of the monarch are styled HRH The Prince(ss) {their name}, {further titles} officially but are commonly styled simply as HRH The Prince/Duke/Earl of {their title} or, in Princess Anne’s case, HRH The Princess Royal.  Grand-children in the male line are (legally) styled HRH Prince(ss) {their name} of {their father’s title} or HRH Prince {their name}, Duke of {their title} if married.  Wives of British princes are never HRH Princess {their name} but are instead given their husband’s name in the feminine form (e.g. HRH The Princess Edward Antony Richard Louis, Countess of Wessex, etc).  Great Grandchildren, in the male line, of a monarch are styled as children of a Duke: a subsidiary (lesser) title for the eldest male and then Lord or Lady for all other children.  The Wessex children are styled as children of an Earl: a subsidiary title (Viscount Severn) for the eldest male, “Lady” for daughters and “The Honorable” for any subsequent sons.

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Note: I am not including those under 18 unless they are first in line for the throne.