The Windsor Kings & Queens Vaught-Jasper-Trusty-Molloy, Genealogy Tree George V   Born: Marlborough House, London, 3 June 1865. Full name and titles: George Frederick Ernest Albert, King of Great Britain and Ireland (only Northern Ireland after 1920) and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney (from 1892), Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay (from 1901), Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester (from 1901). Crowned: Westminster Abbey, 22 June 1911. Ruled: 6 May 1910-20 January 1936. Married: 6 July 1893, at St James's Palace, London, Mary Augusta Louise (18671953) dau. of Franz, Duke of Teck: 6 children. Died: Sandringham House, Norfolk, 20th January 1936, aged 70. Buried: Windsor Castle.   George V was the second son of Edward VII. Until his elder brother, Prince Albert, died in 1892, George had not anticipated he would be the next in line to the throne after his father. He had opted for a career in the navy, like William IV, starting as a naval cadet at Dartmouth in 1877 and rising to the rank of commander in 1891. Unfortunately a bout of typhoid, followed by news of his brother's death, ended his naval career and he had to adjust to the prospect of becoming king. He had sufficient sense of duty to do this, though he did not welcome it, and neither did he like the additional political and language studies he had to do. He was not fond of intellectual pursuits, preferring, like his father, a sporting life. Unusually for the Hanoverian line, George was on very good terms with his father, but he did not copy him in any other way, especially the playboy role. George was rather shy, which he overcame by talking loudly in a booming voice, but he much preferred solitary pursuits and it was not unusual for him to hide away at Sandringham for periods of time, hunting, fishing and developing his collection of stamps of the British Empire. He was slightly below average height (about five feet seven inches) and had inherited his father's good looks and had captivating blue eyes.   George married his late brother's betrothed, Princess Mary of Teck, in 1893. He was twenty-eight; she was twenty-six. They had five sons and a daughter, Mary, who became the Princess Royal in 1932. Their two eldest sons became respectively Edward VIII and George VI. Their third son, Henry, duke of Gloucester, lived until 1974. The fourth son, George, duke of Kent, was killed on active service in the Second World War, when his plane crashed into a Scottish hillside in August 1942. Their youngest son, John, was an epileptic and was kept out of the public gaze at Sandringham, where he died in 1919 aged thirteen. Their marriage was not a love match but by all accounts George was faithful. An early allegation that he had married the daughter of Admiral Culme-Seymour before his marriage to Mary was rapidly squashed and the perpetrator of the story prosecuted and imprisoned. There was never more than minor gossip about George's love life and he was the first king since Charles I not to have any sexual scandal attached to his name.   Although Edward VIl did his best to prepare George for the monarchy, both in terms of becoming acquainted with the political process, and in visits to foreign courts, George felt ill equipped for the political crisis that he was plunged into after his father's death in May 1910. The Liberals' budget of 1909, which had included provision for a super-tax to cover the cost of old-age pensions, had been rejected by the House of Lords. Prime Minister Asquith had asked Edward VII to consider appointing additional Liberal peers to the House to vote the budget through. Edward had died before making a decision and George was now placed in a difficult position. In the end it was referred to a committee, followed by a general election where the increased Liberal majority caused the Lords to accept public opinion. George, however, did not like having been brought into party politics and made his views forcibly known. George's coronation was held in Westminster Abbey on 22 June 1911, but he also had the idea of being crowned Emperor in India, which neither his father nor grandmother had been. He and the queen sailed for India in November and were jointly crowned emperor and empress on 11 December 1911 at Delhi. It was on that occasion that Delhi became the country's capital. George VI did not repeat this second coronation, so it was a unique event. It was also the last moment of glory of the old world, for soon after the situation in Europe worsened. The immediate problem was in Ireland. Asquith sought to introduce a Home Rule Bill and, though it was rejected twice by the House of Lords, the King was prepared to give it his support. However the lawyer and politician, Sir Edward Carson (the man whose cross-examination of Oscar Wilde had been the ruin of the playwright in 1895), refused to accept the provision of the Bill and in 1913 mobilised a force of Ulster Volunteers. The king, fearing civil war, called a meeting of all parties at Buckingham Palace in July 1914 to consider an amended Home Rule Bill that excluded Ulster. No decision was reached and discussions were set aside when war broke out in Europe. In the years leading up to war, King George had repeatedly warned his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II, that if Germany showed any aggression towards Russia or France, Britain would come to their aid. He also expressed the hope that they would not have to be drawn in. Britain's past record suggested to Germany that they would remain neutral, so when the catastrophic sequence of events sparked off by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria on 28 June 1914 escalated into war, Germany declared war on Russia and France and, to add to the problem, marched on France through Belgium. Britain, tied by its treaties to its allies, declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914. The King did what he could to keep morale high. He shared in the rationing, not wishing to be shown special treatment. He paid five visits to the Grand Fleet and seven visits to armies in France and Belgium. On one visit in 1915, he was thrown from his horse and fractured his pelvis. The King did what he could behind the scenes and the public seemed to accept his genuine patriotism, but when anti-German feeling became intense in 1917 he took the counsel of his government and changed his family name from Saxe-Coburg to Windsor. Even before the war had finished, there was revolution in Russia. George's cousin Alice had married Tsar Nicholas 11 and the couple, with all their children, were murdered on July 16th 1918. George was devastated by the news. The old Europe was crumbling and Victoria's descendants were being replaced. Kaiser Wilhelm survived the war but fled from Germany and spent the rest of his life in the Netherlands. After the war, the matter of Ireland still needed to be resolved. The Easter Rising of April 1916 had done little to help the situation, the execution of the rebels Pearce,Connolly and others only shifting support to the nationalists. King George opted for a conciliatory approach. The Government of Ireland Act of 1920 proposed for separate parliaments in Dublin and Belfast. The king and queen opened the Ulster Parliament in June 1921. Sinn Fein rejected the proposal for southern Ireland and it was not until the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 6 December 1921 that all of Ireland, except for Ulster, was recognized as the Irish Free State. To George the old order continued to fade away. In 1924 the first Labour government was formed under Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. George was surprised to find the ministers easy to operate with. Unfortunately the Zinoviev letter, allegedly written by the head of the Communist International, encouraged armed revolution. The Labour Party was tainted with Communism and the letter contributed to their downfall. The General Strike of 1926 was further evidence of civil strife and potential revolution. The Baldwin government took a hard line with the strikers while the king had been prepared to be more conciliatory. It became evident as the years progressed and the strife grew that England was in the grip of a world depression. King George took a cut in his own pay via the Civil List. It was George who actively encouraged the idea of a National Government to tackle the problem, and this eventually came in under Ramsay MacDonald in 1931. It was this sense of needing to hold the nation together that caused George V to introduce two traditions in 1932. The first was his own personal distribution of Maundy Money on the Thursday before Easter. The tradition dated back to the time of Edward III in 1363, but since the Reformation had been conducted by the Lord High Almoner. His other innovation was to broadcast a Christmas Day message over the radio, which also continues to this day. These acts immediately brought the king to the hearts of people who otherwise had never seen him, let alone heard him, and it did more than any other action that he took to personalize the king. It undoubtedly contributed to his popularity, which he had never courted. He was overwhelmed at the enthusiasm and warmth accorded him at his silver jubilee in 1935. In 1931 the Statute of Westminster made the change from the British Empire to the Commonwealth, with Parliament ceasing to control some of the overseas dominions directly. The King remained as Head of the Commonwealth and, in many cases, as head of state, but it was a further slide away from the old regime under which George had been reared and where he still felt most at home. The king's health had declined in the last few years. In November 1928 he had suffered a near fatal bout of septicaemia, which weakened his constitution. He had been sent to Bognor Regis to recuperate. Thus, when he entered his final illness with a severe bronchial infection in January 1936, Queen Mary suggested he might again visit Bognor. This gave rise to his alleged but doubtless apocryphal last words, "Bugger Bognor!" George V succeeded more than he ever realised in moulding together the disciplinarian approach of Victoria and Albert with the homely geniality of Edward VII to produce a monarch who stood for the best standards and principles of the nation. Few of his contemporaries fully appreciated the lengths to which he went to understand the problems of Britain and to promote stability and understanding throughout Europe. He succeeded far more than he failed, and the love he received from the nation was the testament to that. George V England and the Molloys are 17th cousins 2 times removed. Their common ancestors are John "of Gaunt" Prince of England and Catherine De Roet.

Edward VIII Born: White Lodge, Richmond, Surrey, 23 June 1894. Full name and titles: Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Emperor of India, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Baron Renfrew (from 1910), Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester (from 1910); Duke of Windsor (from 1937). Never crowned: Ruled: 20 January-I I December 1936. Married: 3 June 1937, at Chateau de Cande, Maine-et-Loire, France, Wallis Simpson (nee Warfield) (1896-1986): no children. Died: Paris, France, 28 May 1972, aged 77. Buried: Frogmore, Windsor.   Despite an abundant selection of Christian names (the last four being the four patron saints of Britain), the future Edward VIII was always known in the family as David. He was the son of George V and Mary of Teck. He inherited his family's handsome features, including the youthfulness of his mother and grandmother so that his face always had a boyish charm. Almost from the outset he reacted against the demands placed upon him. Like his distant predecessor Edward ll he had little interest in state affairs, though unlike that same predecessor he also disliked the pomp and ceremony. He regarded his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1911 as ridiculous and he rebelled against his father's discipline. He took after his grandfather, Edward Vll, in preferring "the good life" and though his father tried to curb these tendencies he only aggravated them by continually treating Edward like a child. He was refused active service during the Great War, something that would certainly have been the making of him had he survived, and after the war, the king refused to involve him in political affairs. Instead, in the same way that Victoria treated "Bertie", so Edward was only entrusted with going on goodwill tours around the world. Edward enjoyed doing these, although they became exhausting, and over a period, throughout the 1920s, it came to look as if King George was doing all he could to keep Edward out of the country. One side effect of all of this that would later have significant consequences was that the prince became attracted to the United States. Here was a country that accepted him for what he was and allowed him to speak his mind. He felt trapped and censured in Britain but alive and free in America. Edward and his father grew further apart. The prince embarked upon a series of affairs. He showed no interest in marriage, but seemed to have a liking for elder, already married women. He was evidently seeking that affection denied him by his parents. There were allegations that the Prince was a repressed homosexual, although his many affairs would speak against this. Nevertheless he was attracted to more masculine looking women. In January 1931 he first met Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorc6e who had recently married for a second time. Edward fell in love with her, though it was never that clear how much she loved him - it was more the attraction of power. Nevertheless the two drew closer together and it was evident by 1935 that Edward had made his mind up to marry her. He never found the right moment to tell his father, because of his failing health. In January 1936 the old king died and David became Edward VIII. Although he had no great desire to be king he was prepared to do his duty, but only if he could marry Mrs Simpson. Divorce proceedings were already going through between Mrs Simpson and her husband, and the decree nisi was granted on 27 October 1936. During this period Edward and Mrs Simpson were almost inseparable but the British press remained silent on the matter. The American and European press, however, covered the news with relish, and it was only a matter of time before it would break in Britain. The king continued to believe that the nation would happily accept an American as queen. The government, the archbishop of Canterbury, and Edward's mother did not agree, believing that a marriage with a woman twice divorced, especially with both past husbands still alive, would be unconstitutional and wholly unacceptable. Edward remained determined. Mrs Simpson's decree absolute was set for 27 April 1937, fifteen days before the day planned for the coronation. It was not until November that Mrs Simpson realised the import of the constitutional dilemma - known as the Abdication Crisis - in which Edward was caught, and she offered to step aside. Edward would have none of it. On 16 November he gave the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, an ultimatum that either he be allowed to marry or he would abdicate. Edward was supported by such stalwarts as Winston Churchill and Lord Beaverbrook, who were prepared to rally the country behind Edward, but he wanted none of that. If anything, this was the escape he was looking for. Edward was not cut out to be king and, though he would have suffered it for the nation, he would not do it alone. On 5 December 1936, Edward confirmed his intention to abdicate. The necessary papers were prepared and signed on 10 December and the next day, after making a moving broadcast to the nation, Edward sailed away to exile in France. There he and Wallis Warfield (she had reverted to her maiden name on 7 May 1937) were married on 3 June. A few months earlier, on 8 March, Edward had been made duke of Windsor, but the honorific of "Royal Highness" denied his wife, albeit legally she was entitled to be so addressed. They remained living in France, mostly in Paris, for the rest of their lives, although they travelled extensively, mostly to the United States where they became the center of high society. Edward wished to serve his nation during the Second World War but the closest he got was as governor and commander-in-chief of the Bahamas from 1940 to 1945. After the war rumors became rife that he had Nazi sympathies, though in fact he had visited Germany in 1937 in an effort to help stop the inevitable. Edward had such a high opinion of himself that he was blinded to his use by the Nazi propaganda machine. Edward and his brother, who succeeded him as George Vl, remained at a distance, though there were efforts at reconciliation by Elizabeth ll, who visited Edward just days before he died of cancer on 28 May 1972. His body was flown back to Britain and buried at Frogmore in Windsor. His widow survived for another fourteen years in a sorry state in their Paris home as senile dementia took hold. She died on 24 April 1986, in her ninetieth year, and was buried beside her husband at Frogmore. Edward had let his heart rule his head, but since his heart was also telling him that kingship was not for him then he must have made the right decision. Although his reputation has suffered some brickbats over the years, he is still remembered as the king who sacrificed everything for love, and that romantic image will never fade. Edward VIII England and the Molloys are 18th cousins 1 time removed. Their common ancestors are John "of Gaunt" Prince of England and Catherine De Roet.

George VI   Born: Sandringham, Norfolk, 14 December 1895. Titles: Albert Frederick Arthur George, King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Emperor of India (until 22 June 1947), Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney (from 1920). Crowned: Westminster Abbey, 12 May 1937. Ruled: 11 December 1936-6 February 1952. Married: 26 April 1923, at Westminster Abbey, Elizabeth (b.1900) dau. of Claude George Bowes-Lyon, earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne: 2 daughters. Kings usually have many years to prepare for their role, this king had less than a week. Died: 6 February 1952, aged 56. Buried: Windsor Castle.   Albert Frederick Arthur George ("Bertie" to his family) was the second son of George V and had not expected to become king, certainly not within a few months of his brother, Edward VIII, succeeding to the throne. Edward's love for Mrs. Wallis Simpson, however, which led to his abdication in December 1936, propelled George into the monarchy with scarcely a moment's notice.   Like his father, George VI had not been raised to be king. He was a rather delicate child who suffered from gastritis as a result of his nurse's neglect. It led to a duodenal ulcer in later years. He was shy and had a restricting stammer which he only overcame with hard work. He entered the Royal Navy in 1913, as a midshipman, and this was the making of him for, although he was sea-sick, he came to enjoy the naval life. He served with distinction during the First World War, being mentioned in despatches at the battle of Jutland. He served for a short period in the Royal Naval Air Service. He was created duke of York in 1920, of Which he was excessively proud. For all he was straight-laced and a stickler for protocol, George also had the common touch. In 1921 he set up the Duke of York's Boys' Camps, which brought together working-class and public schoolboys in summer camps. They worked well and were held annually until 1939. He also became President of the Industrial Welfare Society and took a keen interest in the health and safety of the worker. He enjoyed sport, especially tennis, and made a brief appearance at Wimbledon in 1926 in the doubles with his wife. He had met Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1922. She had originally been introduced to his brother Edward in the hope of making a match. Lady Elizabeth was attracted to the Prince of Wales, but it was the duke of York who eventually won her hand, and the two were married in April 1923. Although not a member of a British or European royal family, Lady Elizabeth's family had a long and illustrious history, tracing its descent from John Lyon, secretary Of David 11 Of Scotland who was made Lord Glamis in 1372 and who married jean, a daughter of Robert 11, in 1376. On her mother's side, Lady Elizabeth could trace descent from the Welsh prince Owain Glyn Dwr. They were well matched and made a happy couple. They were blessed with two daughters, Elizabeth in 1926 and Margaret in 1930. Following their marriage George and Elizabeth settled into the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. Although he continued to undertake special visits on behalf of his father, George was not involved in any matters of government. On his accession he confessed that he had never seen a state paper and was at a complete loss as to what to do. His strong sense of duty carried him through. He wanted to emphasise the continuity of the monarchy and chose George as his regal name rather than Albert. The coronation already fixed for his brother went ahead as usual, but George simply stepped into his place. To the public it seemed as if George was well prepared, but it had been sheer pluck and determination that carried him through, along with the unstinting support of the queen. One single affair dominated the world scene in 1937 and that was the growing menace of Nazi Germany. George supported his Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, in his policy of appeasement, not wishing to repeat another four years of war, but when all else failed to stop Hitler's intentions, George was also quick to show his support for the oppressed countries. No sooner was war declared on 3 September 1939 than the king broadcast a message to the Empire, encouraging them to show their allegiance. George's relationship with Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister in May 1940, was initially remote, but they later became firm friends. The king and queen were determined to remain in residence in London, even during the dark period of the Blitz, and they both narrowly escaped with their lives when Buckingham Palace received a direct hit by six bombs in September 1940. The couple visited the worst hit areas in the East End and their genuine concern for the Londoners endeared them to the nation. He initiated the George Cross in 1940 as the highest award for heroism and gallantry shown by civilians, awarding it in 1942 to the island of Malta. The king kept a very public profile throughout the War, visiting factories and military sites, as well as the troops in North Africa in 1943. The victory celebrations on 8 May 1945 outside Buckingham Palace demonstrated just how much the royal family was the centre of Britain's hopes and aspirations. George's affinity with his subjects made it easier to adapt to the Labour Government, which came to power in 1945 under Clement Attlee, than it had been for his father in 1924, even though he was not in total sympathy with their ideology. He advised caution in their policy of nationalization. The king continued a strenuous round of public duties, including a tour of South Africa and Rhodesia in 1947. 1947 also saw the withdrawal of the British from India and the establishment of the independent nations of India and Pakistan. In 1951 George opened the Festival of Britain, intended as a celebration of postwar Britain like the Great Exhibition of Prince Albert's exactly one hundred year's before. The king's health continued to deteriorate. He had an operation for blocked arteries in his legs in 1948, and in September 1951 part of his left lung was removed because of lung cancer. Although he recovered, he died in his sleep in the early hours of 6 February 1952, aged only 56. For the man who did not want to be king he had achieved wonders in restoring the popularity of the monarchy after the abdication crisis and in helping sustain Britain's morale through the dark years of the War. He was a courageous and extremely dutiful king. George VI England and the Molloys are 18th cousins 1 time removed. Their common ancestors are John "of Gaunt" Prince of England and Catherine De Roet.

Elizabeth II Born: 17 Bruton Street, London, 21 April 1926. Full name and titles: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other Realms and Territories; Head of the Commonwealth. Crowned: Westminster Abbey, 2 June 1953. Ruled: 6 February 1952 to date. Married: 20 November 1947, at Westminster Abbey, Philip (b. 10 June 1921) son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.   Elizabeth was the eldest of the two daughters of George Vl. She became heir presumptive on the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII in 1936, when she was ten, and thereafter she was groomed for her future role. Her childhood, and that of her sister Margaret, was part of a close-knit family. There were none of the problems or fractures that had marred earlier generations and to the public the royal family became the epitome of family life. The family even remained together at Buckingham Palace throughout the Blitz, though they later moved out to Windsor. It is a sharp contrast to the way the royal family would come to be perceived in the 1980s and 1990s. Elizabeth was determined to play her part in the war effort and, after an initial refusal, her father eventually allowed her to join the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) in 1945, where she learned how to handle and repair all manner of vehicles. Princess Elizabeth first met her future husband in July 1939 during a visit to Dartmouth Naval College where he was a cadet. He was grandson of George, king of the Hellenes, and, through his mother, great-great grandson of Queen Victoria, and thereby Elizabeth's third cousin. His father had been banished from Greece during a military coup in 1922 and Philip was brought up by his uncle, Lord Mountbatten. Philip served with distinction in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, both with the Mediterranean Fleet and with the British Pacific Fleet in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He was mentioned in despatches after the battle of Cape Matapan and received many decorations including the Greek War Cross, the Burma Star and the French Croix de Guerre. When it became clear that Elizabeth and Philip would marry, it was necessary for Philip to renounce his rights to the Greek throne and he became a naturalised British subject as Philip Mountbatten, which was concluded on 28 February 1947. The couple were married on 20 November that year. He was created duke of Edinburgh on the same day. Their first son, Charles, was born on 14 November 1948. Princess Anne was born 15 August 1950, then, after a long gap, came Prince Andrew on 19 February 1960 and Prince Edward on 10 March 1964. George VI's health deteriorated over the next few years but he felt in sufficiently good health in 1952 for Elizabeth to agree to undertake a world tour. She was at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya when news came of her father's sudden death in February. She returned hurriedly to Britain and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. The whole event was televised. The queen was to make much use of television in popularising the royal family and bringing her closer to the people. Her regular Christmas Day message was televised for the first time in 1957 and in 1969 she agreed to a television film being made about the daily routine of family life which displayed some remarkably rudimentary moments and also demonstrated the sense of humour Elizabeth inherited from her parents. Elizabeth dedicated much of her time to establishing a closer bond to the Commonwealth of Nations. The independence of India in 1947 had seen the former Empire begin to crumble and its successor Commonwealth had a less clear identity. Elizabeth and the duke of Edinburgh undertook a number of state visits in order to foster stronger relationships. This was always difficult, especially during the 1950s and 1960s when much stronger national identities saw outbreaks of revolution and civil strife in many former colonies around the World. Problems and attitudes in Ghana, South Africa, Rhodesia, Canada and Australia, as examples, showed that Elizabeth's role as head of state was not always readily accepted and often criticised. Prince Philip's comments at the time of the Rhodesia crisis in 1963 caused friction with Parliament, and the prince needed to be reminded of his position. On balance, however, most of the Commonwealth countries respect the queen as a figurehead and recognize her constant efforts in striving to foster goodwill and harmony between fellow nations, It has been a demanding role, and possibly one that at times meant that the queen was becoming slightly removed from her own role towards her British subjects. Nevertheless, the constitutional role of the monarch had become so firmly established that despite a number of major foreign incidents, such as the Suez Crisis, Aden, and even the Falklands War in 1982, when Prince Andrew saw active service, they are seen as the responsibility of the government of the day and the queen's role, despite extensive consultation, is not seen by the public as paramount. Yet, despite this lack of association in Britain, other nations may use such events to praise or condemn the queen. This resurfaced in 1997 when the tour of India led to demonstrations seeking an apology from Britain for the massacre at Amritsar in 1919. It was not until 22 February 1957 that the duke of Edinburgh was granted the title of "Prince". This followed a period of anguish when it was confirmed that the royal family would continue to use the surname Windsor, after Elizabeth's father, rather than Mountbatten. The Duke felt marginalised and, even though he respected his secondary role to the queen, he still strove to be recognized in his own right. It was as much Philip's desire as the queen's that the royal family should be seen as contemporary and not as a curious British anachronism. He made considerable use of the public relations media and became known for his outspokenness. He also encouraged the children to mix freely with other children, and insisted upon their education at public schools rather than privately at the Palace. The duke initiated the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme in 1956 to encourage young people to tackle a wide range of challenges or experiences. The queen was admonished by Lord Altrincham in 1957 for being "out of touch", a charge that has been levied by others in the intervening years despite the many measures the Queen has taken to become closer to her subjects. The main problem is that society has moved on, particularly since the 1960s, so if the queen is out of touch, it is only because the monarchy is not designed to follow fashion. If it did it would be criticised for losing its traditional values and the balance between those and being part of society is a difficult one to assess, especially when there is a high level of hypocrisy amongst the media in their dealings with the royal family. Although there have been scandals galore in all generations about the love life of the monarchy, it has only been in this generation that the queen and her immediate family has had to face censure and vilification from the press and certain factions of the public, even though they have striven to maintain high standards, and certainly far higher than any monarch between Charles I and Victoria. This judgement began in 1955 with the press criticism of the suggested marriage between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend, the queen's equerry, who had been divorced. Margaret followed the teachings of the church and decided not to marry him. In 1960 she married Antony Armstrong-Jones, who became Lord Snowdon in 1961. They had two children, but marital problems began to emerge in the 1960s and the couple were eventually divorced in May 1978. The problems with the marriages of the queen's children were blown out of all proportion by the press. Perhaps the least criticised was Princess Anne, whose charitable work has caused her to be more highly respected, but also because her formidable character means she is well equipped to handle herself in difficult situations. Her marriage to Mark Phillips in 1973 ended in divorce in April 1992, when it was leaked that the Princess had developed an attachment to another former equerry, Timothy Laurence, whom she subsequently married. Prince Andrew's marriage in July 1986 to Sarah Ferguson soon had its difficulties and the couple were separated in March 1992 and divorced in May 1996. Sarah Ferguson's vivacity and extravagance was itself something of a threat to the image of the royal family and she was later criticised for bringing them into disrepute as a consequence of such antics as a royal edition of the popular television programme It's a Knockout in 1987. "Fergie", as she was popularly known, was not seen as acting with due decorum. The major tragedy was the fairy-tale marriage with the unhappy ending between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Charles had come under considerable pressure during the 1970s to marry, and his name had been duly linked to many famous people. His final choice of the twenty-year-old Diana, daughter of the eighth Earl Spencer, met with much enthusiasm, and the royal wedding on 29 July 1981 was a public holiday with street parties and great celebration. However over the ensuing years it became apparent that Diana was ill-suited to the pressure of life as a member of the Royal Family and her relationship with Charles, who became portrayed as an eccentric, "New Age" prince, began to crack. The couple separated in 1992 and were divorced in August 1996. 1992, with its rapid sequence of divorces and separations, brought a further decline in respect for the royal family, with a wave of support for abolishing the monarchy and establishing a republic. In the autumn of 1992, Windsor Castle was severely damaged by fire and there was increased criticism when it was learned that, because the castle and its priceless contents were not insured, the restoration work would have to be funded from the public purse. In response to the outcry the queen consented to pay income tax, and limited the scope of the Civil List. It was not surprising that in her annual speech at the Guildhall that year, the queen referred to 1992 as her "annus horribilis". The queen and her relatives were not without personal threats and dangers. The most tragic of all was the murder of Lord Mountbatten by the IRA on 28 August 1979. In March 1974 a gunman named Ian Ball fired six shots at Princess Anne in his failed attempt to kidnap her. In June 1981 Marcus Sergeant fired six blanks at the queen while she was riding to the Trooping of the Colour, and in July 1982 there was the famous incident when Michael Fagan succeeding in breaching all security at Buckingham Palace and encountered the queen in her bedroom. The tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales in August 1997 saw such an upsurge in public sympathy, that it polarised attitudes between the traditional distant and stoic role of royalty and the apparently open and human approach adopted by Diana. The challenging encomium by Diana's brother Earl Spencer struck a chord with the public at large. The role of the monarchy has become less appreciated than at any other time this century and respect is given to individuals rather than to the institution as a whole, which many now regard as outmoded. The challenge at the end of the twentieth century, as Britain becomes more deeply integrated with Europe, is for the monarchy to find a new place in the affections and confidence of the people. Elizabeth IIQueenof England and the Molloys are 19th cousins. Their common ancestors are John "of Gaunt" Prince of England and Catherine De Roet.

The Future King HRH, The Prince of Wales Prince Chsrles Philip Arthur George and the Molloys are 19th cousins 1 time removed. Their common ancestors are John "of Gaunt" Prince of England and Catherine De Roet. Born: 14 November 1948, at Buckingham Palace, London. Titles: Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick and Baron Renfrew. Lord of the Isles and Great Steward of Scotland. Crowned: Not crowned. Ruled: Not ruled. Married: 29 July 1981 Lady Diana Spencer Dau of Eighth Earl Spencer of Althorp, Two sons. William 1982, Harry 1984. Died: Buried:   Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958. His investiture as Prince of Wales took place on I July 1969 at Caernarfon Castle. He is the twenty-first holder of the title.   Many radical decisions were made by his parents with regard to education and upbringing to fit him for a supposedly egalitarian society. He was the first heir to the throne to be educated outside the royal homes. After preparatory school he went on to the school his father had attended, at Gordonstoun, Scotland, where he learned to adapt himself to the rigorous conditions, which were to fit him for his chosen Royal Navy career. However, Prince Charles is believed to have disliked the spartan regime with its emphasis on character building at the expense of more intellectual pursuits. He also spent a period in Australia at Timbertop, an outpost in the Victorian Alps of the Geelong Church of England Grammar School, the Australian equivalent of Eton, afterwards travelling extensively round the country, including spending a week in the Snowy Mountains with the Queen Mother. He was at Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1967 to 1969 and later at the University College of Wales before graduating as BA (Cantab) in June 1970. He is the first Prince of Wales to have gained a university degree. Prince Charles is a well-qualified pilot and helicopter pilot. He served with the RAF in 1971 and later transferred to the navy, eventually commanding the coastal mine-hunter HMS Bronington based at Rosyth, Scotland. His service career continued until December 1976 when he left the Royal Navy, having served in the West Indies, Singapore and the Arctic, interrupted by other visits. He has represented the Queen on many occasions, the first being in 1967 at the memorial service of Harold Holt, Prime Minister of Australia. With a dedication and professionalism which impresses all who meet him, not least the ever-critical Press with whom he has established an excellent relationship based on mutual respect, he has enjoyed a breadth of experience unrivalled by any previous Prince of Wales. His thirst for excitement and adventure is apparent from the list of pursuits he has followed, including training as a frogman and commando, parachute jumping, hang-gliding and diving under icecaps. He has climbed the foothills of the Himalayas, dived for sunken treasure, and has ridden in many steeplechases. In addition he is an expert rifle shot and an excellent swimmer. On the polo field - one of his particular pleasures - he is first class and like other members of the royal family loves horses and riding. Whilst obviously an outdoor man, he has many other interests such as music and painting. He has been an entertaining and forceful critic of architectural ill-manners and unimaginative commercial developments that give pleasure to no one but those who profit by them. He has also championed aspects of conservation that his father has not encompassed, such as the use of chemicals in farming and food production. His sensibilities are reflected in the choice of Laurens van der Post as godfather to one of his sons. Prince Charles's obvious concern about the quality of life in Britain has won him admiration and respect from all quarters; it has resulted in his involvement with many organizations designed to improve opportunities for the underprivileged, such as The Prince's Youth Business Trust, The Prince's Trust, The Prince of Wales' Community Venture and The Prince of Wales' Advisory Group on Disability . Prince Charles has no income from the State. He heads the organization, which administers the estates of the Duchy of Cornwall. Comprising some 130,000 acres, it makes him one of the largest landowners in the country. His home outside London is Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, bought from the late son of Harold Macmillan. The Princess of Wales Diana Frances Spencer. Born I July 1961 at Park House on her father’s proerty on the Sandringham estate. Daughter of 8th Earl, Spencer and the Hon Mrs Peter Shand Kydd.   The Earl Spencer, educated at Eton and Sandhurst and a Guard's officer, served as equerry to King George VI and the present Queen. His home is the 15,000-acre estate at Althorp, Northamptonshire, a family seat for more than 450 years. The Earl can trace his ancestry back to the fifteenth century. Lady Diana and Prince Charles are II th cousins once removed.   Lady Diana captured the hearts of the British public immediately the possibility of a royal engagement became known. Her natural dignity, when the Press and other media brought her Linder the spotlight of intense publicity, which must have made her life unbearable, was greatly admired and she received the sympathy of the nation.   Though Lady Diana was brought up at her father's house on the Sandringham estate, it was probably not until 1977, when Prince Charles attended a shooting party at Althorp, that they met. Lady Diana was educated at private schools where she played tennis and lacrosse and was described as average academically. She left school at sixteen and attended Swiss finishing school for six months before arriving in London to start working with obvious enjoyment as an assistant at a private kindergarten in Pimlico - a role she was quietly pursuing until the outburst of publicity over her relationship with the Prince.   The Engagement   The announcement of the engagement was made at 11 am on Tuesday 24 February 1981, in the following style:   "It is with the greatest pleasure that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved son, the Prince of Wales, to the Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of the Earl Spencer: and the Honourable Mrs Shand Kydd".   History plays an important part in the marriage of a royal heir. When the announcement had been made by the Palace, the Queen had to give her formal assent to the marriage. This she must do under the Royal Marriage Act that was passed in 1772 by George III who disapproved of the marriages made by his two brothers.   The Queen assented to the marriage of her son and Lady Diana at a meeting of the Privy Council, following which a document, or instrument, was drawn up for the Queen's signature. The instrument was sealed with the Great Seal of England - the mark of authenticity on all important government documents. Dating from late Anglo-Saxon times, the Great Seal, which weighs over 8lb (3.6kg) and is recast for each reign, was taken to Buckingham Palace from its home in the House of Lords. Only when the sovereign's formal assent had been given could the marriage take place. Overall responsibility for the organization of royal weddings rests with the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Maclean, who was appointed to the office in 1972, and organized the wedding of Prince Charles's sister, Princess Anne, to Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey. The marriage of Lady Diana to Prince Charles was the first time for more than 300 years that the heir to the throne of England has married a British subject. The last time this happened was in 1659, when Charles ll's brother James, later James ll, married Lady Anne Hyde, elder daughter of the Ist Earl of Clarendon. The same situation nearly arose in 1785 when the then Prince of Wales, who later became George lV, secretly married his great love, a widow - Mary Anne Fitzherbert; but because in law, marriage to a Catholic entailed the heir's forfeiting his right of succession to the throne, the marriage was declared invalid, and George subsequently married Caroline of Brunswick. On her marriage Lady Diana became Princess of Wales. Her predecessor in this rank was the wife of George V, who became Queen Mary in 1910.   The Wedding The wedding took place on 29 July 1981. Britain had suffered a dismal summer with very few sunny and warm days but fortune smiled on the happy couple and produced a beautiful day. Never before in history had there been such a 'public' wedding; so great was the interest all over the world that it is estimated that including those of the Commonwealth a total of fifty, countries, from Poland to Indonesia, watched and listened for hours on end. The audience totalled some thousand million people. In London some people began camping out along the wedding route more than forty-eight hours before to secure vantage points for the pageantry, which only Britain with its long tradition can mount with such expertise. It was a day of colour and warmth that was perfect in every way. The streets of London were thronged with an estimated million people and never were there such good-humoured crowds. Full of fun they turned out to line the processional routes to laugh, sing and cheer. They were well rewarded for there were three processions travelling from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral, all in the full panoply of state with beautiful horses, historic carriages and the shining breastplates and plumed helmets of the Household Cavalry. The streets were lined with men of the three services and more than 5,000 police were on duty. From Clarence House came a fourth procession - that of the bride accompanied by her father - which was escorted only by mounted police for she was then still a commoner. The wedding dress had been kept a complete secret and was first seen fully when she stepped from her coach at St Paul's to be greeted by a roar of welcome from the assembled crowds. It was indeed a fairytale dress, with a boned and fitted bodice of ivory silk paper taffeta and antique lace, hand-embroidered with tiny mother-of-pearls; a deep, gently curved neckline and billowing sleeves, both trimmed with bows and elaborately embroidered lace flounces to match the centre panel. The veil made from ivory silk tulle was spangled with ten thousand mother-of-pearl sequins and held in place by the magnificent Spencer family diamond tiara. The sweeping train, trimmed and edged with sparkling lace, was twenty-five feet long. The bride was attended by five bridesmaids who, as is so often the case, almost stole the show. They were: Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones aged seventeen; India Hicks, granddaughter of the late Lord Mountbatten; Sarah Jane Gaselee; Catherine Cameron; and Clementine Hambro, aged five, great granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill to whom the Princess of Wales is related. There were two pages, Lord Nicholas Windsor, son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and Edward van Cutsem. The groom had previously arrived with his two brothers as supporters. By tradition, there was no best man. The couple themselves chose St Paul's Cathedral as the venue, and to set the scene inside there was a red carpet stretching from the pavement to the High Altar, a distance of 652 feet. Inside the building there was a galaxy of colour, accentuated by the Yeomen of the Guard in their Tudor uniforms, the members of Her Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms and the dresses and headgear of the 3,500 invited guests from many parts of the world. Placed in the Cathedral to relay every part of the service were twenty- one television cameras. Many of the invited guests arrived some two hours before the ceremony was to begin. Apart from all the members of the British royal family, foreign guests included the Princess of Monaco, the Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, the Queen and Prince Claus of the Netherlands, the King and Queen of Sweden, the Queen and Prince of Denmark, the King of Norway (Edward VII's last grandson), the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway and the King and Queen of the Belgians. Other heads of state included the President of the French Republic, M. Mitterrand, the first lady of America, Mrs Nancy Reagan, and the King of Tonga. The Ministers of the government were headed by Mrs Margaret Thatcher, Harold Macmillan, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Sir Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and James Callaghan. Guests also included the three former flatmates of the bride and 200 workers from the royal estates who sat side by side with the famous of many lands. In addition to the state trumpeters, three orchestras and the Bach choir took part in the service. The Prince of Wales, himself a keen musician, had paid special attention to the choice of music and it was indeed beautiful. The service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, assisted by the Dean of St Paul's, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Right Honourable George Thomas, Speaker of the House of Commons, read the lesson. On her return journey to the Palace, the bride, now Princess of Wales, ranked as the third lady of the land to whom all others except the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother must bow or curtsey. The carriages, all of them open, made their way through the hundreds of thousands of wildly cheering spectators. When all had arrived at the Palace, the police, with superb organization and masterly control, allowed the vast crowd to filter into the Mall until it seemed as if every inch of space was filled, from the railings of the Palace back to Admiralty Arch. The crowd was in good humour and exuberant spirit and kept up a chant for the royal family to make their appearance on the balcony. Never before had a Prince kissed his bride publicly a spontaneous gesture which was noted with wild delight by the crowd. After the wedding breakfast the Prince and Princess drove in an open carriage escorted by Household Cavalry to Waterloo Station. Over Westminster Bridge the ships on the River Thames, the scene of medieval pageantry in the past, sounded their sirens. A special train took the couple to Hampshire where they spent a few days before joining the Royal Yacht Britannia at Gibraltar for a fortnight's cruising honeymoon. For a nation in a period of severe economic gloom and depression and with grave social problems, the great event was taken as a reason to relax and rejoice. Never have the massive crowds shown such overwhelming and touching affection and enthusiasm and it was as if to demonstrate that patriotism and friendliness were back in fashion. The salute of the nation was not in deference to the monarchy but genuine respect and affection for a family that has adapted smoothly to the needs of our times. Prince William was born in June 1982 and Prince Harry in September 1984.

Death of Diana Princess of Wales Wife Of Prince Charles Diana Frances Spencer and the Molloys are 18th cousins. Their common ancestors are Ralph De Neville and Joan De Beaufort. The tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales in August 1997 saw such an upsurge in public sympathy, that it polarised attitudes between the traditional distant and stoic role of royalty and the apparently open and human approach adopted by Diana. The challenging encomium by Diana's brother Earl Spencer struck a chord with the public at large. I stand before you today the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning, before a world in shock. We are all united, not only in our desire to pay our respects to Diana, but rather in our need to do so. For such was her extraordinary appeal that the tens of millions of people taking part in this service all over the world via television and radio who never actually met her, feel that they, too, lost someone close to them in the early hours of Sunday morning. It is a more remarkable tribute to Diana than I can ever hope to offer her today. Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world she was a symbol of selfless humanity. A standard bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who transcended nationality. Someone with a natural nobility who was classless and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic. Today is our chance to say thank you for the way you brightened our lives, even though God granted you but half a life. We will all feel cheated always that you were taken from us so young, and yet we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all. Only now you are gone do we truly appreciate what we are now without and we want you to know that life without you is very, very difficult. We have all despaired in our loss over the past week and only the strength of the message you gave us through your years of giving has afforded us the strength to move forward. There is a temptation to rush to canonise your memory, there is no need to do so. You stand tall enough as a human being of unique qualities not to need to be seen as a saint. Indeed, to sanctify your memory would be to miss out on the very core of your being, your wonderfully mischievous sense of humour with a laugh that bent you double. Your joy for life, transmitted wherever you took your smile, and the sparkle in those unforgettable eyes. Your boundless energy, which you could barely contain. But your greatest gift was your intuition and it was a gift you used wisely. This is what underpinned all your other wonderful attributes and if we look to analyse what it was about you that had such a wide appeal we find it in your instinctive feel for what is really important in our lives. Without your God given sensitivity we would be immersed in greater ignorance at the anguish of Aids and HIV sufferers, the plight of the homeless, the isolation of lepers, the random destruction of land mines. Diana explained to me once that it was her innermost feelings of suffering that made it possible for her to connect with her constituency of the rejected. And here we come to another truth about her. For all the status, the glamour, the applause, Diana remained throughout a very insecure person at heart, almost childlike in her desire to do good for others so she could release herself from deep feelings of unworthiness of which her eating disorders were merely a symptom. The world sensed this part of her character and cherished her for her vulnerability whilst admiring her honesty. Last time I saw Diana was on July 1, her birthday, in London, when typically she was not taking time to celebrate her special day with friends but was guest of honour at a fundraising charity evening. She sparkled, of course, but I would rather cherish the days I spent with her in March when she came to visit me and my children in our home in South Africa. I am proud of the fact apart from when she was on display meeting President Mandela we managed to contrive to stop the ever-present paparazzi from getting a single picture of her, that meant a lot to her. These were days I will always treasure. It was as if we had been transported back to our childhood when we spent an enormous amount of time together, the two youngest in the family. Fundamentally, she had not changed at all from the big sister who mothered me as a baby, fought with me at school and endured those long train journeys between our parents’ homes with me at weekends. It is a tribute to her level-headedness and strength that despite the most bizarre life imaginable after her childhood, she remained intact, true to herself. There is no doubt that she was looking for a new direction in her life at this time. She talked endlessly of getting away form England, mainly because of the treatment that she received at the hands of the newspapers. I don’t think she ever understood why her genuinely good intentions were sneered at by the media, why there appeared to be a permanent quest on their behalf to bring her down. It is baffling. My own and only explanation is that genuine goodness is threatening to those at the opposite end of the moral spectrum. It is a point to remember that of all the ironies about Diana, perhaps the greatest was this; a girl given the name of the ancient goddess of hunting was, in the end, the most hunted person of the modern age. She would want us today to pledge ourselves to protecting her beloved boys William and Harry from a similar fate and I do this here Diana on your behalf. We will not allow them to suffer the anguish that used regularly to drive you to tearful despair. And beyond that, on behalf of your mother and sisters, I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative and loving way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned. We fully respect the heritage into which they have both been born and will always respect and encourage them in their royal role but we, like you, recognise the need for them to experience as many different aspects of life as possible to arm them spiritually and emotionally for the years ahead. I know you would have expected nothing less from us. William and Harry, we all care desperately for you today. We are all chewed up with the sadness at the loss of a woman who was not even our mother. How great your suffering is, we cannot even imagine. I would like to end by thanking God for the small mercies he has shown us at this dreadful time. For taking Diana at her most beautiful and radiant and when she had joy in her private life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana whose beauty, both internal and external, will never be extinguished from our minds.   The role of the monarchy has become less appreciated than at any other time this century and respect is given to individuals rather than to the institution as a whole, which many now regard as outmoded. The challenge at the end of the twentieth century, as Britain becomes more deeply integrated with Europe, is for the monarchy to find a new place in the affections and confidence of the people.