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NEW! You can double-click any word on the Biographies page and a dictionary definition will appear!

Thanks to The Free Dictionary dot com, I can provide my audience with a definition of a word right at their fingertips, without having to link to a ‘definitions’ page.

Soon I will be adding this feature to other pages, so stay tuned …

When someone asked the question “Should the Queen be an empress?” at Yahoo! Answers, I decided to answer them. My response was chosen as the best by voters!

Thanks everyone!

While searching for the BBC’s 1969 program “The Royal Family”, I came across Yahoo! Answers. Someone posted a question which I thought was interesting and should be answered. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Q: An empire is a group of nations with one supreme ruler. The UK contains four countries England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. So would the title Britannic Empress (or something similar) be more fitting for our Queen ???

So I responded.

A: The Empire no longer exists, so therefore she could not be referred to as an Empress. The British Empire became a group of countries called the Commonwealth. Some old colonial countries are still a part of the Commonwealth, but India, for instance, left long ago. The Queen is known as Elizabeth The Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. King George VI, the Queen’s father, was the last King-Emperor.

See what others had to say.

A great question from today’s chat:

Princess Caroline of Hanover is referred to as an HRH and HSH. What is the difference?

[thanks to Brian]

His/Her Serene Highness (HSH) is used in dynasties who have a ruling prince. Caroline was born a Princess of Monaco, the reigning princely house being Grimaldi. Hence her title was “Her Serene Highness”. This style is also seen in the princely family of Liechtenstein.

Since her marriage to Prince Ernst August of Hanover in 1999, Caroline has been “Her Royal Highness”. This is only a courtesy in European royal courts however, since Germany abolished any royal and noble titles in 1918. Legally the titles are considered only as surnames.

His/Her Royal Highness (HRH) is a style used by children of kings, queens, grand dukes, and dukes (non-royal dukes are “Your Grace”). HRH ranks above a Serene Highness in order of precedence.

During my Royal chat session today, a question came up about the Queen. The question was one that was actually already posted at my F.A.Q. section, but I was happy to repost the response.

I can definitely see why this particular issue may be confusing to people. The question was, “Why does the late Queen Mum’s position not count in the order of Queens? There has been the Virgin Queen (Elizabeth I), and now Queen Elizabeth II. They’re not counting the Queen’s mother?”

The “numbering” of a monarch only applies to those who are regnant (reigning). Elizabeth II is regnant – in other words, she is Queen through her birthright, like Elizabeth I. The Queen Mum, however, was only Queen Elizabeth because she was married to a king. A consort only.

Thanks to Joyce for that question!