Few families are as watched, gossiped about, or as bound by odd rules as the Windsors. King Charles III has been on the throne since 8 September 2022, becoming the oldest king ever to take the British throne at 73.
In this royal family hub, you will know about the royal family tree, the royal family rules they can’t break, and the royal family traditions.
Quick Fact: There is no legal list of who counts as “royal”. The King’s official website names the senior lot who do the work, and succession is set by law and old convention.
- Charles III has been king since September 2022.
- Prince William is next in line, followed by his three children.
- The family gathers for over 2,000 engagements a year.
- Rules cover everything from hats to handshakes.
- Andrew lost his prince title in 2025.
Who are the Members of Royal Family Hub?
At the top you’ve King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Then come the “working royals“. The ones who show up, cut ribbons, and shake hands. That’s William and Catherine, Princess Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra.
Harry and Meghan are still family, but as records on Wikipedia point out, they stepped back from duties in early 2020 and now live in California.
Then there are the members who hold titles but don’t work – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie and Lilibet, plus Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Insiders know that the family is often called “The Firm”, a nickname that started with George VI. Many royal watchers often get confused with Lady Tatiana. She is not a royal family member but has royal lineage.
Her father is George Mountbatten, the 4th Marquess of Milford Haven. She is related to both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. She is also a direct descendant of the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin
The Line of Succession
Here’s the pecking order at a glance:
| Place | Who |
| 1 | Prince William |
| 2 | Prince George |
| 3 | Princess Charlotte |
| 4 | Prince Louis |
| 5 | Prince Harry |
| 6 | Prince Archie |
| 7 | Princess Lilibet |
| 8 | Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor |
Coverage from the BBC confirms Prince Andrew is still at number eight, though the government is looking at a law to remove him.
Below him, you’ll find Anne’s children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, but they’ve no royal title because they come through the female line and their dad turned down an earldom. Peter married NHS nurse Harriet Sperling in June 2026.
Rules the Royals Follow
Royal life is one long rulebook. A rundown by Marie Claire lays out the classic rules: women wear hats to formal do’s and then swap them for tiaras after 6pm, but only if they’re married.
When the monarch stops eating, everyone stops. Shellfish is off the menu when travelling (food poisoning risk), and garlic’s practically banned at the palace.
There’s more. You can’t turn your back on the monarch, PDA is frowned upon, and nobody signs autographs. They wear a black outfit whenever they fly, just in case of a sudden death. And no, they don’t vote or run for office.
Etiquette is also kind of the same. Coaching in Reader’s Digest explains the famous “duchess slant”. You have to bring your knees together, legs tilted to one side, the pose Diana and Kate Middleton both mastered.
Knife in the right hand, fork in the left, tines down. Curtsy or bow when you meet the king. It’s all second nature to them by now.
Traditions Passed Down the Years
Some of these go back centuries. As Woman & Home explains, every royal bride tucks a sprig of myrtle into her bouquet. It is a habit Princess Victoria started in 1858, and their wedding rings are made from Welsh Clogau gold.
Christmas is a whole event. The family gathers at the Sandringham estate, dresses up for a black-tie dinner on Christmas Eve, and swaps cheap, silly gifts (Meghan once gave the late Queen a singing hamster). They open presents on Christmas Eve, not the 25th, then walk to church on Christmas morning.
Other fixtures include Trooping the Colour every June, Easter services at Windsor, and the wonderfully odd “swan upping” on the Thames.
There’s even a tradition of taking an MP “hostage” at the State Opening of Parliament, though they just sit and watch telly at the palace until the monarch’s safely back.
Walkabouts, where royals wander over to chat with the crowd, started during Queen Elizabeth II’s 1970 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Where the Royals Live
The official homes are grand, and there are plenty of them:
- Buckingham Palace — the London HQ, though it’s in the process of renovation, so Charles and Camilla are staying at Clarence House.
- Windsor Castle — the weekend bolthole.
- Holyroodhouse and Hillsborough Castle — used in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Forest Lodge — William, Catherine and the kids moved here in 2025.
- Sandringham and Balmoral — Charles owns both privately, inherited from his mother.
Anne lives at Gatcombe Park, and Highgrove currently resides with William through the Duchy of Cornwall.
Who Pays For It?
Senior royals draw from the Sovereign Grant, funded by the Crown Estate’s profits. The King also gets income from the Duchy of Lancaster, and William gets income from the Duchy of Cornwall.
Security usually comes from the Metropolitan Police; the grant and extended royals lost automatic protection years ago.
The Latest Drama
Andrew is in serious trouble. He gave up his titles in October 2025, and days later the King formally stripped his “Prince” and “HRH” styles. He was arrested in February 2026 over alleged misuse of public office tied to Jeffrey Epstein, and he’s since moved to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate.
A June 2026 Ipsos poll was terrible for him. The approval rate among 18–34-year-olds was just 33%, a 33-year low across all ages.
FAQs
- Who runs the royal family now?
Ans: King Charles III has led it since September 2022, after Queen Elizabeth II died. He’s the oldest person ever to take the British throne.
- Why do royals avoid shellfish?
Ans: Mainly when abroad, they skip it because it’s more likely to cause food poisoning. Falling ill would wreck their packed schedules.
- Who’s first in line to the throne?
Ans: Prince William, Prince of Wales. His eldest son, Prince George, is second in line after him.
- Can the royals vote?
Ans: No, they stay neutral by tradition and don’t vote or hold office, even though no law actually bans it.
- Why did Andrew lose his title?
Ans: He was stripped of the “Prince” style in 2025 over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. He’s now just Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
- Why only tiaras for married women?
Ans: It’s an old signal. A tiara traditionally shows a woman is married. Single royals wear hats instead.
Sources & References:
- Wikipedia – Harry and Meghan stepped back from duties in early 2020 and now live in California.
- BBC – Andrew is still at number eight in the line of recession, though the government is looking at a law to remove him.
- Marie Claire – Royal women wear hats to formal do’s and then swap them for tiaras after 6pm, but only if they’re married.
- Woman & Home – Every royal bride puts a sprig of myrtle into her bouquet.
