Category Archives: Royal Titles and Styles

Spanish Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

King Carlos I, the first King of a unified Kingdom of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

In the 15th century, the territory Spain currently occupies included the Kingdom of Leon, the Kingdom of Castile, the Kingdom of Aragon, and the Kingdom of Navarre. The marriage in 1469 of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile and León eventually led to a unified Kingdom of Spain.

The current Spanish Royal Family are members of the House of Bourbon. In 1700, the last Spanish king of the House of Habsburg, Carlos II, King of Spain, died childless with no immediate Habsburg heir. He named 16-year-old Philippe of Anjou, Duke of Anjou as his successor. Philippe was the son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne of France, and the grandson of King Louis XIV of France and his wife Maria Theresia, daughter of King Felipe IV of Spain and his first wife Elisabeth of France, daughter of King Henri IV of France. Philippe became the first Bourbon king of Spain, reigning as Felipe V.

Spouses and widows and widowers of the Spanish monarch’s sons and daughters, other than those of the Prince or Princess of Asturias, are entitled to the form of address and honors the Spanish monarch may grant them.

The Spanish Monarch

King Felipe VI of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The Spanish monarch is styled and titled His Majesty King (Spanish: el Rey) or Her Queen (Spanish: la Reina). His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain is the current King of Spain. On June 2, 2014, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Felipe’s father, announced his intention to abdicate the throne in favor of his son. On June 18, 2014, King Juan Carlos signed the formal instrument of abdication, and Felipe ascended the throne at midnight. King Felipe VI was sworn in and proclaimed as king on June 19, 2014, in a ceremony in the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish legislature.

The Spanish constitution limits the line of succession to the successors of King Juan Carlos I. The constitution states that if all the lines designated by law become extinct, the Cortes Generales, the Spanish legislature, shall provide for succession to the Crown in the manner most suitable for the interests of Spain.

Currently, Spain uses male-preference primogeniture, meaning that a son comes before a daughter, regardless of age. It has been proposed that the laws be changed to allow for equal primogeniture in the future, although no changes to the Constitution have been made. Members of the Spanish royal family must have the consent of the monarch and the Cortes Generales to marry. If they marry without consent, they are removed from the line of succession.

The Spanish Royal Consort

Queen Letizia of Spain; Credit – Wikipedia

The King of Spain’s wife has the title of Queen of Spain with the style Her Majesty. The current royal consort of Spain is Her Majesty Queen Letizia, born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. The husband of a reigning Queen is known as Consort to the Queen of Spain and has the title of Prince and is styled His Royal Highness. However, there is no constitutional issue with a future reigning Queen of Spain amending the royal decree and elevating her husband to King Consort with the style His Majesty since there is historical precedent. Francisco, Duke of Cadiz, the husband of Queen Isabella II of Spain (reigned 1833 – 1868) was styled and titled His Majesty King Consort of Spain.

The Heir to the Spanish Throne – The Prince of Asturias or The Princess of Asturias

Leonor, The Princess of Asturias; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Her Royal Highness Infanta Leonor of Spain, the elder of the two daughters of King Felipe VI, is Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias, the heir presumptive to the Spanish throne. On June 18, 2014, when Leonor’s grandfather, King Juan Carlos, signed the formal instrument of abdication and her father ascended the throne as King Felipe VI, Leonor automatically became Princess of Asturias.

The Spanish monarch’s heir apparent or heir presumptive holds the title Prince of Asturias or Princess of Asturias with the style Royal Highness. The title Prince of Asturias originated in 1388, when King Juan I of Castile granted the title Prince of Asturias and the rights to the territory of Asturias, now in northwest Spain, to his first-born son, the future King Enrique III of Castile. Prince/Princess of Astrurias was the title of the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Castile, until King Carlos I, the son of Juana I, Queen of Castile and León and Queen of Aragon, united Castile and León, and Aragon into the Kingdom of Spain. Carlos would reign in Spain as King Carlos I but is better known as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. He was one of the most powerful monarchs ever and had a large number of titles due to his vast inheritance of the Spanish realms from his mother and the Burgundian and Austrian realms from his father, Philip of Habsburg, Duke of Burgundy, the ruler of the Burgundian State. King Carlos I’s son, the future King Felipe II of Spain, was the first heir to the Kingdom of Spain to be Prince of Asturias.

Besides the title Prince/Princess of Asturias, the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the Spanish throne also holds other titles:

Currently, Spain’s succession law is male-preference cognatic primogeniture. This means that Leonor, as the elder of King Felipe VI’s two daughters, is first in line to inherit the throne, and she is the heir presumptive. However, if her parents have a son, which is very unlikely at this point, he would be the heir apparent and Leonor would forfeit the title of Princess of Asturias and the other titles to her brother. There have been discussions of changing the succession law to absolute primogeniture, where the eldest child, regardless of gender, inherits the throne, but no legislation has been forthcoming. If Leonor ascends to the throne, she will be Spain’s first queen regnant since Queen Isabella II, who reigned from 1833 to 1868.

Infante and Infanta of Spain

Infanta Sofia of Spain, younger daughter of King Felipe VI of Spain

Unlike other European monarchies, in Spain, only the heir to the throne is a Prince or Princess. The other children of the Spanish monarch and the children of the Prince of Asturias or the Princess of Asturias hold the title of Infante of Spain (male) or Infanta of Spain (female) and the style Royal Highness.

The Spanish monarch may grant the title of Infante or Infanta with the style of Highness by Royal Decree. For instance, in 1994, King Juan Carlos of Spain created his second cousin Carlos de Borbón, Duke of Calabria (1938 – 2015), then the pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, an Infante of Spain as the “representative of a line linked historically to the Spanish Crown”.

Royal Grandees

Felipe Froilán de Marichalar y Borbón, son of Infanta Elena of Spain

The Grandee of Spain is the highest rank of the Spanish nobility. In precedence, a Grandee of Spain is ranked immediately after the Prince or Princess of Asturias and the Infantes/Infantas of Spain. In addition to the hereditary nobility, the children of Infantes and Infantas are also Grandees of Spain. They bear the style of The Most Excellent and the rank but not the title of Royal Grandee of Spain. The style and rank are not hereditary or transmissible. The most current Royal Grandees of Spain are the children of King Juan Carlos’ two daughters, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Colaboradores de los proyectos Wikimedia. (2005). Familia formada por el rey de España, su consorte, hijos y padres. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familia_real_espa%C3%B1ola
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2014). King Felipe VI of Spain. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-felipe-vi-of-spain/
  • List of Titles and Honours of Leonor. Princess of Asturias. (2025). Wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_titles_and_honours_of_Leonor
  • Royal House of His Majesty The King – Inglés – home. (n.d.). www.casareal.es. https://www.casareal.es/EN/Paginas/home.aspx
  • Spanish Royal Family. (2024). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_royal_family
  • Título del Heredero del Trono de España. (2004). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%ADncipe_de_Asturias
  • Título nobiliario en España. (2005).  Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandeza_de_Espa%C3%B1a
  • Título que se otorga en España a los hijos del rey y del príncipe heredero. (2008). Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infante_de_Espa%C3%B1a
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024, October 21). Infante of Spain. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). List of Current Grandees of Spain. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Succession to the Spanish throne. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_the_Spanish_throne

Norwegian Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway on their coronation day; Credit – Wikipedia

The Kingdom of Norway was established in 872 as a merger of many small kingdoms. Under the Kalmar Union from 1397 to 1523, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch. In 1523, Danish rule was overthrown in a rebellion led by Swedish nobleman Gustav Vasa, who became King Gustav Vasa I of Sweden. From 1525  to 1814, Norway was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, and from 1814 to 1905, it was in a personal union with the Kingdom of Sweden.

In 1905, when the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved, the Norwegian government began searching for candidates to become King of Norway. Because of his descent from prior Norwegian monarchs and the British connections of his wife Princess Maud of Wales, Prince Carl of Denmark, the second son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark, was the overwhelming favorite. Before accepting, Carl insisted that the voices of the Norwegian people be heard concerning retaining a monarchy. Following a referendum with a 79% majority in favor of a monarchy, Prince Carl was formally offered and accepted the throne. He sailed for Norway, arriving on November 25, 1905, and took the oath as King Haakon VII of Norway two days later. His two-year-old son, previously Prince Alexander of Denmark, was given the more Norwegian name Olav and became Crown Prince of Norway, and later King Olav V of Norway.

The Norwegian Royal Family are members of the House of Glücksburg, shortened from House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.

The Norwegian Monarch

King Harald V of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia -By Sámediggi – Sametinget

His Majesty King Harald V of Norway is the current King of Norway. He succeeded to the throne on January 17, 1991, when his father King Olav V died.

Prior to 1990, Norway’s succession was male-preference cognatic primogeniture. In 1990, Norway adopted absolute primogeniture whereby the crown goes to the eldest child regardless of gender. However, this applies only to the grandchildren and further eligible descendants of King Harald V. King Harald V’s children are ranked in the line of succession according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture which was in effect before 1990. Crown Prince Haakon, born in 1973, and his eligible descendants take precedence over his older sister Princess Märtha Louise, born in 1971, and her eligible descendants.

The Norwegian Monarch as head of state must be a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway. Only people descended from the reigning monarch can be in the line of succession to the throne of Norway. This makes the line of succession quite short. Currently, only seven people are in the line of succession, King Harald V’s two children and his five grandchildren. If the line of succession comes to an end, the Storting, Norway’s parliament has the right to elect a new king or queen.

The Norwegian Royal Consort

Queen Sonja of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia – Av Tore Sætre – Eget verk

The wives of Norwegian kings have been styled Her Majesty and titled Queen <name> of Norway. The current consort is Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway, born Sonja Haraldsen in Oslo, Norway. Sonja became the first Queen Consort of Norway in 53 years, since Queen Maud, born Princess Maud of Wales, the wife of King Haakon VII, died in 1938.

Norway has had only one reigning Queen. Margarethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden reigned in Denmark 1387 – 1412, reigned in Norway 1388 – 1412, and reigned in Sweden 1389 – 1412. Her husband was a king in his own right – Haakon VI, King of Norway and Sweden – so there is no precedent for the style and title of a husband of a reigning Queen of Norway. However, Norway will likely have a reigning Queen in the future. The eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, is second in the line of succession and will become the Crown Princess when her father becomes King and then succeed him as a reigning Queen.

The Heir to the Norwegian Throne – Crown Prince of Norway or Crown Princess of Norway

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway; Credit – Wikipedia – By Estonian Foreign Ministry

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon is the current heir to the Norwegian throne. The wife of a Crown Prince is Her Royal Highness Crown Princess <name>. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, born Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in Kristiansand, Norway, is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon.  As explained above, Crown Prince Haakon and his elder sister Princess Märtha Louise are ranked in the line of succession according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture which was in effect before 1990.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

However, following the absolute primogeniture succession now in effect, whereby the crown goes to the eldest child regardless of gender, Crown Prince Haakon’s eldest child Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second in the line of succession to the throne of Norway behind her father and is expected to become the reigning Queen of Norway. Crown Prince Haakon’s youngest child Prince Sverre Magnus is third in the line of succession.

Prince and Princess of Norway

Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway

The children of the reigning monarch and the children of the heir apparent are titled Prince of Norway or Princess of Norway. However, only the eldest child is styled His/Her Royal Highness. The other Princes and Princesses are styled His/Her Highness. Crown Prince Haakon’s elder child is styled Her Royal Highness Prince Ingrid Alexandra of Norway but her younger brother is styled His Highness Sverre Magnus of Norway.

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway, the younger child of King Harald V of Norway, was styled Her Royal Highness from birth. In 2002, she renounced her Royal Highness style because of her desire to be self-employed. In 2022, in consultation with her father King Harald V of Norway and other close family members, Princess Märtha Louise decided she would not carry out official duties for the Royal House. However, King Harald V decided she would retain her title and is now styled Her Highness Princess Märtha Louise of Norway.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Flantzer, Susan. (2014). King Harald V of Norway. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-harald-v-of-norway/
  • Monarchy of Norway. (2022). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Norway
  • Princess Märtha Louise to relinquish her official duties. (2022). Royalcourt.no. https://www.royalcourt.no/artikkel.html?tid=216586&sek=113027
  • ‌The Royal House of Norway. (2025). https://www.royalcourt.no/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Norwegian Royal Family. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_royal_family

Monaco Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

The reigning family of the Principality of Monaco, the House of Grimaldi, descends from Otto Canella, a 12th-century Genoese statesman, and takes its name from his son Grimaldo Canella. Grimaldo had a son, Oberto, known as “Oberto, son of Grimaldo” or “Oberto Grimaldi,” making him the first of the family to use the surname of Grimaldi. The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco for eight centuries, making it Europe’s longest-ruling royal family.

In 1297, François Grimaldi, dressed as a Franciscan monk, seized the Rock of Monaco. His cousin Rainier I, Lord of Cagnes, was the first Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. However, Genoa, Milan, and France occupied the area for several periods. The first rulers were Lords of Monaco. From 1612 onward, the rulers were sovereign Princes. Monaco has had one sovereign Princess, Louise Hippolyte, who reigned for ten months in 1731 before she died from smallpox.

The Style His Serene Highness and Her Serene Highness

Monaco is a principality. A principality is a sovereign state ruled by a regnant monarch with the title of Prince or Princess. The sovereign of Monaco (the reigning Prince or Princess of Monaco) and the other Princes and Princesses of Monaco are all styled His Serene Highness and Her Serene Highness. This is the usual style for a Princely Family of a Principality. The same practice is used in the Principality of Liechtenstein, except Liechtenstein’s succession does not allow for a female Sovereign Princess.

The Monarch of Monaco

Prince Albert II of Monaco; Credit – By Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2024 from Belgium – 24_03_07_BLUE_LEADERS_ByPixelshake-344, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146336017

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II is the current reigning Prince of Monaco. His father Prince Rainier III died on April 6, 2005, and Albert became the reigning Prince of Monaco. Monaco had one reigning Princess, Louise-Hippolyte, who reigned for ten months in 1731 before she died from smallpox.

In 1612, Honoré II, Lord of Monaco started using the title of Prince of Monaco, becoming the first Prince of Monaco. Monaco was recognized as a sovereign principality by King Felipe IV of Spain in 1633 and by King Louis XIII of France in the 1641 Treaty of Péronne. Under the Treaty of Péronne, the Principality of Monaco became a French protectorate and the Spanish troops in Monaco were finally removed. The Princes of Monaco became vassals of the Kings of France while remaining sovereign princes.

Because of the treaty with France, Honoré II lost his Spanish lands and their income. To make up for the loss, King Louis XIII gave Honoré II the Duchy of Valentinois, the Marquisate of Baux, the County of Carladès, the City of Chabeuil, the Baronies of Calvinet, Buis, and the Lordship of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Although the lands connected to these titles eventually reverted to France, some of these titles have been bestowed upon members of the Princely Family of Monaco over the years.

The Consort of Monaco

Princess Charlene of Monaco; Credit – Prince’s Palace of Monaco

The wives of the reigning Prince of Monaco have been styled Her Serene Highness Princess <name> of Monaco. The current consort of Monaco is Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene, born Charlene Lynette Wittstock in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, the former name of the country of Zimbabwe.

So far, there has only been one male consort of Monaco, the husband of Louise-Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco, Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon. The greatest concern of Louise-Hippolyte’s father, Antonio I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1701 – 1731), was the future of the House of Grimaldi. Because Antonio’s only legitimate children were all daughters, the heir to the throne was his only brother François Honoré Grimaldi, a Catholic priest with the title Monsieur l’Abbé de Monaco, later Archbishop of Besançon. In 1715, François Honoré renounced his claim to the throne of Monaco, and Antonio’s elder surviving daughter Louise-Hippolyte became his heir. Antonio decided, with the permission of King Louis XIV of France, that Louise-Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her.

In 1689, Louise-Hippolyte married Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon, from a wealthy French noble family, and the couple resided in Paris, France. Jacques was given the style and title His Serene Highness Prince Jacques of Monaco. In 1731, Louise-Hippolyte’s father Antonio I, Prince of Monaco died, and she was now the reigning Princess of Monaco, and Jacques was to co-reign.

However, Louise-Hippolyte traveled alone from Paris to Monaco, and the people of Monaco received her enthusiastically. Louise-Hippolyte immediately took the loyalty oath, but her husband Jacques was not mentioned. Louise-Hippolyte decreed that she would be the sole ruler, all documents would be issued in her name only, and her husband and children would stay in France. Louise-Hippolyte had a very short reign of ten months. She died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731.

Upon Louise-Hippolyte’s death, her husband Jacques became the legal guardian of their eldest son, Prince Honoré III, and returned to Monaco with a plan. Jacques should rule as Prince of Monaco until Honoré reached his twenty-fifth birthday. However, Jacques I, Prince of Monaco neglected the affairs of state and, under pressure, was forced to leave Monaco. In May 1732. Jacques officially abdicated in favor of his son Honoré III on November 7, 1733.

The Heir to the Throne of Monaco – Hereditary Prince of Monaco

Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco with his twin sister Princess Gabriella of Monaco

His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux is the current heir to the throne. He is the only (legitimate) son of Prince Albert II and has a twin sister Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès, who was born first.

The line of succession to the throne of Monaco is male-preference primogeniture, where males take precedence over females and older children take precedence over younger ones. Illegitimate children have no succession rights, however, if their parents marry, they would be legitimized. If there is no heir, the Crown Council selects a new reigning prince from the more distant members of the family who are citizens of Monaco

Members of the Princely Family must have the sovereign’s consent to marry. Those who marry without consent lose succession rights for themselves and their descendants. If a family member marries without the sovereign’s consent, and no children are born, and the marriage is dissolved, then that person will regain succession rights.

Currently, the title of Hereditary Prince of Monaco is regulated by the second paragraph of Article 2 of the Ordinance of May 15, 1882, revised by order on May 29, 2002, which says “heir of the reigning prince who is closest in the order of succession resulting from the said provisions is hereditary prince”. For a woman to be the Hereditary Princess of Monaco, the sovereign of Monaco must issue a Sovereign Order. The eldest child of Prince Rainier III, Princess Caroline, who descended from the reigning sovereign prince and was first in the order of succession from her birth on January 23, 1957, until the birth of her brother, the future Prince Albert II, on March 14, 1958, was never titled Hereditary Princess, but was titled Princess of Monaco.

There has been only one Hereditary Princess of Monaco, Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois. She started life as Charlotte Louise Juliette Louvet, the illegitimate daughter of the future Prince Louis II of Monaco and Marie Juliette Louvet. Because Louis was unmarried and without an heir, the Monegasque throne was likely to pass to his first cousin once removed, Wilhelm, Duke of Urach, a German nobleman, the son of his father’s aunt Princess Florestine of Monaco.

To avoid this, Louis’ father, Prince Albert I had a law passed recognizing Charlotte as Louis’ heir and a member of the princely family. However, this law was later ruled invalid under earlier statutes. In October 1918, another law was passed allowing for the adoption of an heir with succession rights. On May 16, 1919, Prince Louis II legally adopted Charlotte. Prince Albert I gave Charlotte the Grimaldi surname and named her Her Serene Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. Upon Prince Louis II’s accession in 1922, Charlotte became the Hereditary Princess of Monaco. However, Charlotte knew that because of the circumstances of her birth, the very Catholic Monaco would never fully accept her as the reigning Princess of Monaco. In 1944, Charlotte renounced her succession rights to the Monegasque throne in favor of her son Rainier. Five years later, Charlotte’s father died and her son became Rainier III, the reigning Prince of Monaco.

Prince and Princess of Monaco

Princess Stephanie of Monaco, the younger of the two daughters of Prince Rainier III

The children of the Sovereign of Monaco are styled and titled His/Her Serene Highness Prince/Princess <name> of Monaco. We are surmising that children of the Hereditary Prince of Monaco and other male-line grandchildren, the children of sons of the sovereign of Monaco, are also styled His/Her Serene Highness Prince/Princess <name> of Monaco. However, it has been quite a while since that situation existed. Going back to Prince Joseph of Monaco, the second son of Honoré III, Prince of Monaco, Joseph’s three daughters were princesses, so there is a precedent.

Princess Caroline, daughter of Prince Rainier III and sister of Prince Albert II, is styled and titled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover. In 1999, Caroline married His Royal Highness Prince Ernst August (V) of Hanover, the pretender to the thrones of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick. In 1919, German royalty and nobility lost their privileges in Germany. Thereafter, hereditary titles could only be used legally as part of surnames. In 1931, Prince Ernst August (III), Duke of Brunswick declared that his descendants, as the senior male-line descendants of King George III of the United Kingdom, who was also King of Hanover, would continue to use British HRH Prince/Princess. However, legally, they are not British HRH Prince/Princess. All titles used by the family are used in pretense.

Other Titles

The sovereign of Monaco also holds other hereditary titles, some of which are occasionally bestowed on relatives or their spouses. All these titles were received with their lands, at different times and in different ways. These titles no longer imply ownership of territories, although the Princes of Monaco have long owned property in France. The French titles have been considered extinct in France since 1949. The most prominent titles, Duke of Valentinois and Marquis of Baux, are discussed below.

Duke of Valentinois

Prince Honoré II of Monaco, King Louis XIII of France created him Duke of Valentinois; Credit – Wikipedia

Originally in the French peerage, Duke of Valentinois is a title held by the Sovereign of Monaco despite its extinction in French law in 1949.

1498 – First Creation – The title was first created by King Louis XII of France for Cesare Borgia, an illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI of the House of Borgia in 1498. Cesare Borgia had no legitimate sons so the title became extinct when he died.

1548 – Second Creation – King Henri II of France created his mistress Diane de Poitiers Duchess of Valentinois. Because of the Salic Law, when Diane de Poitiers died the title became extinct.

1642 – Third Creation – King Louis XIII of France created the title by letters patent for Honoré II, Prince of Monaco. Honoré II’s only child Hercule Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux predeceased him. When Honoré II died, Hercule’s only son Louis I, Prince of Monaco succeeded his grandfather and then bore all his titles. The title then proceeded to Louis I’s son Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. The title’s inheritance was restricted to males and Antonio had only daughters, so his brother François-Honoré Grimaldi was the heir. However, François-Honoré became a priest and renounced his claims to the throne of Monaco, and Antonio’s elder daughter Louise Hippolyte became his heir. With the permission of King Louis XIV of France, Antonio decided that Louise Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her.

1715 – Fourth Creation – In 1715, Antonio’s eldest daughter and heiress Louise-Hippolyte married Jacques-François de Goyon-Matignon. King Louis XV of France recreated the title of Duke of Valentinois by letters patent for Jacques, who was to rule jointly with his wife Louise-Hippolyte. Like the previous creation, the Duke of Valemtinois’s inheritance was restricted to males. The title passed uninterrupted for several generations from Prince of Monaco to Prince of Monaco: Jacques to Honoré III, Honoré IV, Honoré V, Florestan I, Charles III, Albert I.

As stated above, the only child of Prince Albert I, the future Prince Louis II, was unmarried and without an heir. Prince Albert I had a law passed recognizing Louis II’s illegitimate child Charlotte as Louis’ heir and a member of the princely family and named her Her Serene Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. At this time, there was not a new creation of the French title Duchess of Valentinois. The fourth creation allowed for only male inheritance. The male descendants of Prince Louis II were legally the only claimants.

In 1949, when Prince Louis II died, he was succeeded by his grandson Prince Rainier III, the son of Princess Charlotte. Rainier III claimed the title Duke of Valentinois, possibly under the assumption that in 1919, France, no longer a monarchy, but a republic, implicitly recreated the French title for his mother Princess Charlotte when she was legally adopted by her father Prince Louis II. However, no French republic has ever created or re-created any title.

Marquis of Baux

Prince Ercole, son of Prince Honoré III was the first heir to use the title, but he predeceased his father; Credit – Wikipedia

The current Marquis of Baux is Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, the only (legitimate) son of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Marquis of Baux is a subsidiary title of the sovereign of Monaco and is usually given to the male heir-apparent or male heir presumptive of the throne of Monaco. The title was originally Lord of Baux and was used by several other noble and royal houses.

King Louis XIII of France re-granted the title Lord of Baux as the Marquis of Baux to Prince Honoré II of Monaco by the 1641 Treaty of Péronne. The first heir to use the title was Prince Honoré III’s only child Prince Ercole, who predeceased his father, dying in a firearms accident.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Contributeurs aux projets Wikimedia. (2005). titres de comtes de Valence (IXe au XIe siècle), puis de comtes de Valentinois (XIIe au XVe siècle). Wikipedia.org; Fondation Wikimedia, Inc. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_comtes_puis_ducs_de_Valentinois
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  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Principality. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Serene Highness. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Succession to the Monegasque throne. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Luxembourg Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Luxembourg, a microstate in Western Europe, is bordered by Belgium, Germany, and France. It is the only remaining Grand Duchy. During its history, Luxembourg has been a part of several countries. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luxembourg was made a Grand Duchy and united in a personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The King of the Netherlands was also the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg remained in personal union with the Netherlands until the death of King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1890. His successor was his daughter Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands who could not inherit the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law which prevented female succession. The new Grand Duke of Luxembourg was Adolphe who was Duke of Nassau until it was annexed to Prussia in 1866. The Grand Ducal Family was then, and still is, members of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, a branch of the House of Nassau.

Adolphe’s son Grand Duke Guillaume IV had six daughters and no sons so he had to do a bit of tinkering with the succession law. The law was changed to the Semi-Salic Law, where succession first goes to all the male dynasts and then to female dynasts only upon the extinction of all the male dynasts. This allowed his two elder daughters to succeed to the throne. Eventually, In 2011, the succession law was changed to absolute primogeniture whereby the succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender, and males and females have equal succession rights.

His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness

In earlier practice, a reigning grand duke, his heir apparent, and their spouses would use the style of Royal Highness. The male line descendants of a reigning grand duke, other than the heir, would use the style Grand Ducal Highness. This practice was followed by the ruling families of Luxembourg, Hesse and by Rhine, and Baden. The current practice of Princes and Princesses of Luxembourg and Princes and Princesses of Nassau holding the style Royal Highness refers to their Bourbon-Parma origins. See Prince and Princess of Bourbon-Parma below.

The Monarch of Luxembourg

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

The monarch of Luxembourg is His/Her Royal Highness Grand Duke/Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is the current monarch of Luxembourg. On October 7, 2000, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg abdicated, and his son Henri became Grand Duke of Luxembourg. In his Christmas Eve speech on December 24, 2024, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg announced that he would abdicate in favor of his eldest child Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg on October 3, 2025.

The Consort of Luxembourg

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess <name> of Luxembourg. The current consort of Luxembourg is Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista Falla in Havana, Cuba.

In 1919, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg married her first cousin Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, the only time so far, when there was a male consort. Felix retained his title as Prince of Bourbon-Parma and was created a Prince of Luxembourg in his own right.

The Heir to the Throne of Luxembourg – Hereditary Grand Duke or Hereditary Grand Duchess

Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Credit – Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

His Royal Highness Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke, the eldest child of Grand Duke Henri is the current Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Since June 2011, Luxembourg’s line of succession has been based on Cognatic (Absolute) Primogeniture, beginning with the children of Grand Duke Henri. The succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender with males and females having equal succession rights.

The title Hereditary Grand Duke or Hereditary Grand Duchess is held by the heir apparent to the throne of Luxembourg. The eldest child of the reigning Prince or Princess of Luxembourg may be granted the title of Hereditary Grand Duke or Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.

Prince and Princess of Luxembourg

Prince Felix of Luxembourg, the second child of Grand Duke Henri, with his wife Princess Claire of Luxembourg with the eldest two children Princess Amalia of Nassau and Prince Liam of Nassau

The children of the reigning Grand Duke/Grand Duchess or the heir apparent, the Hereditary Grand Duke/Hereditary Grand Duchess, hold the titles Prince/Princess of Luxembourg and the additional title Prince/Princess of Nassau with the style of Royal Highness. The wives of Princes of Luxembourg and Princes of Nassau (below) hold the female counterparts of their husband’s titles.

Prince and Princess of Nassau

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg uses the Duke of Nassau as his secondary title. Prince or Princess of Nassau is used as a title by the other members of the Grand Ducal family. The Nassau titles derive from Adolphe, Duke of Nassau who became Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890. The Duchy of Nassau was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in the current German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse.

Male line descendants of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg who are not the children of a Grand Duke or Hereditary Grand Duke and their wives are titled Prince/Princess of Nassau with the style of His/Her Royal Highness.

For instance, the children of His Royal Highness Prince Félix of Luxembourg, the second child of Grand Duke Henri, are male line descendants and are not children of a Grand Duke of Hereditary Grand Duke. They are styled His/Her Royal Highness and titled Princess Amalia of Nassau, Prince Liam of Nassau, and Prince Balthasar of Nassau.

Prince and Prince of Bourbon-Parma

Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1919, Grand Duchess Charlotte married her first cousin Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, the son of Roberto I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal. Prince Felix held the style His Royal Highness. Since then, members of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg, besides being members of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, a branch of the House of Nassau, are also members of the House of Bourbon-Parma with the title of Prince or Princesses of Bourbon-Parma and the style Royal Highness.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2004). Adelsgeschlecht. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haus_Nassau
  • Legilux. (2025). Public.lu. https://legilux.public.lu/eli/etat/adm/dec/2012/06/11/n1/jo
  • Official website of the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg. (n.d.). Www.monarchie.lu. https://monarchie.lu/en
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Duchy of Nassau. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). House of Bourbon-Parma. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024, December 27). House of Nassau-Weilburg. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • ‌Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Monarchy of Luxembourg. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Nassau Family Pact. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Liechtenstein Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Liechtenstein is a micro-state in Alpine Central Europe bordered by Switzerland and Austria. The House of Liechtenstein which takes its name from Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, near Vienna, built circa 1140, has ruled in the area since the 12th century. Over the centuries, the family gained land in Moravia, Lower Austria, Silesia, and Styria. Several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisors to the Habsburg family.

In 1608, Karl I, Baron of Liechtenstein was made the Fürst (Prince) of Liechtenstein by Holy Roman Emperor Matthias after siding with him in a political battle. The family purchased the Lordship of Schellenberg in 1699 and the County of Vaduz in 1712 from the Hohenems family. Then, in 1719, Karl VI, Holy Roman Emperor elevated the territory to a Fürstentum (Principality). Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (reigned 1938 – 1989) was the first sovereign prince to live full-time in Liechtenstein.

The succession to the throne of Liechtenstein is based upon agnatic primogeniture which forbids women to succeed. A United Nations committee raised concerns regarding gender equality with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In 2007, Prince Hans-Adam II explained that the succession law is older than the Principality of Liechtenstein itself, it is a family tradition that does not affect the citizens, and the Constitution of Liechtenstein states that succession to the throne is a private family matter.

His Serene Highness and Her Serene Highness

Liechtenstein is a principality. A principality is a sovereign state reigned by a monarch with the title of Prince or Princess. As stated above, Liechtenstein forbids female succession so, in the past and currently, a Sovereign Princess is not allowed. The reigning Prince of Liechtenstein and the other Princes and Princesses of Liechtenstein are all styled His Serene Highness and Her Serene Highness. This is the usual style for the Princely Family of a Principality. The same practice is used in the Principality of Monaco except Monaco’s succession is male-preference primogeniture, where males take precedence over females and older children take precedence over younger ones. Monaco had one reigning Princess, Louise Hippolyte, who reigned for ten months in 1731 before she died from smallpox.

The Monarch of Liechtenstein

Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

His Serene Highness Prince Hans-Adam II is the current reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. On August 26, 1984, Prince Franz Josef II appointed his son Prince Hans-Adam as his deputy, handing over most of his duties as Head of State. Franz Josef died on November 13, 1989, and Hans-Adam became the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II. In a similar move, in 2004, Prince Hans-Adam II appointed his son Hereditary Prince Alois as his deputy. While Prince Hans-Adam remains Head of State, Hereditary Prince Alois assumed most of the duties of the Head of State. The reigning Prince bears the titles Prince of Liechtenstein, Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg, and Ruler of the House of Liechtenstein.

The Consort of Liechtenstein

The late Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, the last Consort; Credit – Wikipedia

The wives of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein have been styled Her Serene Highness Princess <name> of Liechtenstein. Currently, there is no Consort of Liechtenstein. Prince Hans-Adam II’s wife Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, born Countess Marie Aglaë of Wchinitz and Tettau, in 1940, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic, died in 2021. The Consort bears the titles Princess of Liechtenstein, Duchess of Troppau, Duchess of  Jägerndorf, and Countess of Rietberg, and retains these titles while a widow.

The Heir to the Throne of Liechtenstein – Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein

Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The title Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein is held by the heir apparent to the throne of Liechtenstein. The eldest son of the Prince of Liechtenstein automatically becomes the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein when his father succeeds to the throne. The current Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein is His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the eldest son of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein.

The right to succeed to the throne of Liechtenstein is reserved for male patrilineal descendants of Prince Johann I Joseph (reigned 1805 – 1836), who were born to married parents, excluding those born of a marriage to which the sovereign did not consent. If there is no eligible male patrilineal descendant, the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein has the right to adopt an heir presumptive. There is no scenario under which a woman could succeed to the throne of Liechtenstein.

Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Hereditary Prince Alois’ wife is Her Royal Highness Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein. However, Sophie is styled Her Royal Highness and not Her Serene Highness, like the other members of the Liechtenstein Princely Family. Sophie is the eldest of the five daughters of Prince Max-Emanuel, Duke in Bavaria, and descends in a direct line from the last Bavarian King Ludwig III, her great-great-grandfather. Sophie’s uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria is the current pretender to the throne of the former Kingdom of Bavaria. Franz never married, so his heir is his brother, Sophie’s father, Prince Max-Emanuel, Duke in Bavaria. In 1973, Sophie’s father inherited the family name and style Duke in Bavaria from his great-uncle Duke Ludwig Wilhelm of Bavaria who had adopted him as heir in 1965. From birth, Sophie was styled Her Royal Highness Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, Princess of Bavaria. On her marriage in 1993, she became Her Royal Highness Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, with the Principality of Liechtenstein recognizing and retaining her use of the style Her Royal Highness.

Sophie is a member of the House of Wittelsbach, formerly the reigning house of the Kingdom of Bavaria. The Jacobites sought to restore the British crown to King James II of England after he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and subsequently, to his heirs. The current Jacobite heir is Sophie’s childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, who has never pursued the claim. Franz’s heir is Sophie’s father, Max-Emanuel, Duke in Bavaria who only has five daughters. As the eldest of her father’s daughters, Sophie will be her father’s heir to the Jacobite claim, and her eldest son Prince Joseph Wenzel (born 1995) will be her heir and the Jacobite claim to the British throne will reside in the House of Liechtenstein.

See Unofficial Royalty – The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne for more information including a line of the the Jacobite succession.

Prince of Liechtenstein and Princess of Liechtenstein

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, son of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein, and his wife Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, born a Princess of Luxembourg

Members of the Princely House of Liechtenstein are the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein and all those who descend in the male line from Prince Johann I of Liechtenstein (reigned 1805 – 1836) and are the result of a marriage consented to by a reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. Members of the Princely House of Liechtenstein are styled and titled His/Her Serene Highness Prince/Princess <name> of Liechtenstein, except for Her Royal Highness Hereditary Princess Sophie as noted above.

A Princess of Liechtenstein by birth does not lose her membership in the Princely House of Liechtenstein when she marries. However, her children do not acquire membership in the Princely House by birth and are not Princes or Princesses of Liechtenstein. The wives of the Princes of Liechtenstein become members of the Princely House at their marriage and are styled Her Serene Highness Princess <name> of Liechtenstein.

Count of Rietberg and Countess of Rietberg

All dynastic members of the House of Liechtenstein and their wives bear the title Count or Countess of Rietberg along with their princely title. The County of Rietberg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present-day German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was an independent territory from 1237 to 1807 when the County of Rietberg was redistributed to the Kingdom of Westphalia. The House of Liechtenstein claimed the County of Rietberg in 1848 when the last member of the Moravian branch of the Kaunitz family, Prince Aloys von Kaunitz-Rietberg, died.

Duke of Troppau and Duke of Jägerndorf

The Duchy of Troppau, now in the Czech Republic, was a territory split off from the Margraviate of Moravia circa 1269 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia to provide for his illegitimate son, Nicholas I, the first Duke of Troppau. When that branch became extinct in 1464, the Duchy of Troppau reverted to the Bohemian Crown, and in 1526, it became part of the Habsburg monarchy. Prince Karl I of Liechtenstein was invested with the Duchy of Troppau in 1614 by Holy Roman Emperor Matthias.

In 1377, the Duchy of Jägerndorf (also known as the Duchy of Krnov), now in the Czech Republic, emerged from the Duchy of Troppau. It was a Hohenzollern territory since 1523. However, the Habsburg rulers of the Holy Roman Empire regarded the duchy as a reverted fief, and after the 1620 Bohemian Revolt, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II confiscated the Hohenzollern possessions in his Bohemian lands. Ferdinand’s loyal supporter Prince Karl I of Liechtenstein, received the Duchy of Jägerndorf which was merged with the Duchy of Troppau in 1623.

The Duchy of Troppau and the Duchy of Jägerndorf were dissolved with the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, however, the titles of Duke of Troppau and Duke of Jägerndorf still exist, and belong to the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • 1993.100 | Lilex – Gesetzesdatenbank des Fürstentums Liechtenstein. (2025). Gesetze.li. https://www.gesetze.li/konso/1993100000
  • Das Fürstenhaus von Liechtenstein. admin. (2021. Fuerstenhaus.li. https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2021). The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/the-jacobite-succession-pretenders-to-the-british-throne/
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Duchy of Krnov. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). County of Rietberg. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
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  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Monarchy of Liechtenstein. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Succession to the Liechtensteiner throne. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_the_Liechtensteiner_throne

Dutch Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

After Napoleon’s first defeat and surrender in May 1814, Willem VI, Prince of Orange, urged by the powers who met at the Congress of Vienna, proclaimed the Netherlands a monarchy on March 16, 1815. After Napoleon’s final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and his second exile, the Congress of Vienna formally confirmed Willem VI, Prince of Orange as the hereditary ruler, King Willem I, the first King of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands’ line of succession to the throne is based upon absolute primogeniture where males and females have equal succession rights. The Dutch Constitution limits the line of succession to those within three degrees of kinship to the Monarch. Therefore, upon King Willem-Alexander’s accession in 2013, two of his cousins who had previously had succession rights were removed from the succession. Members of the Dutch royal family must have the consent of the monarch and the government to marry. Several family members were excluded from the succession due to marriage without proper consent.

The Dutch Royal House and The Dutch Royal Family

Members of the Dutch Royal Family include people born into the family who are legally recognized as such or who have married into the family. However, not every royal family member is a member of the royal house.

Members of the Dutch Royal House are those Dutch Royal Family members who can succeed the monarch according to the Dutch Constitution and are related to the monarch in the first or second degree of consanguinity, any former monarch who had abdicated, and the spouses of the persons mentioned above. The first degree of consanguinity refers to a direct parent-child relationship, and the second degree of consanguinity refers to siblings, grandparents, or grandchildren of an individual. Members of the Royal House will lose their membership if they lose their Dutch nationality, are dismissed by Royal Decree, or marry without the permission of parliament.

Members of the Royal House are:

  • The reigning King or Queen
  • An abdicated King or Queen
  • The legitimate descendants of King William I who are related to the current King or Queen in the 1st or 2nd degree of consanguinity and are eligible for succession to the throne
  • The spouses of those mentioned above

The Dutch Monarch

Willem-Alexander, the current King of the Netherlands; Credit – Wikipedia

His Majesty King Willem-Alexander is the current King of the Netherlands. On January 28, 2013, Willem-Alexander’s mother Queen Beatrix (known as Princess Beatrix after her abdication) announced her intention to abdicate in favor of him. Queen Beatrix signed the Instrument of Abdication at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on April 30, 2013. Afterward, Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as King at the Nieuwe Kerk, adjacent to the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

The Netherlands’ line of succession to the throne is based upon cognatic primogeniture where males and females have equal succession rights. The Dutch Constitution limits the line of succession to those within three degrees of kinship to the Monarch. Therefore, upon King Willem-Alexander’s accession in 2013, two of his cousins who had previously had succession rights were removed from the list.

Members of the Dutch Royal Family must have the monarch’s and the government’s consent to marry. Several family members were excluded from the succession due to marriage without the proper consent. These include King Willem-Alexander’s younger brother Prince Friso (died 2013), his aunt Princess Irene, and his aunt Princess Christina (died 2019).

The Dutch Royal Consort

Queen Máxima, current royal consort of the Netherlands – Credit: Dutch Royal House, © RVD, photo by Rineke Dijkstra

The wives of Kings of the Netherlands have been titled Queen of the Netherlands and styled Her Majesty. Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, born Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the current royal consort.

From 1890 – 2013, the Netherlands had three Sovereign Queens: Queen Wilhelmina (reigned 1890 – 1948, abdicated in favor of her daughter), Queen Juliana (reigned 1948 – 1980, abdicated in favor of her daughter), and Queen Beatrix (reigned 1980 – 2013, abdicated in favor of her son). These three Queens succeeded to the throne because their monarch parents had no sons. From 1814 until 1887, a monarch could only be succeeded by their closest female relative if there were no eligible male relatives. Male-preference cognatic primogeniture (sons and their lines of descent come before the daughters and their line) was adopted in 1887. In 1983, absolute primogeniture (males and females have equal succession rights) came into effect.

In 1901, Queen Wilhelmina married Duke Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the youngest of the four children of Friedrich Franz II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (reigned 1842 – 1883) and his third wife Princess Marie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Following the wedding, Heinrich became a Prince of the Netherlands, with the style His Royal Highness, and was known by Hendrik, the Dutch version of his name. Wilhelmina decreed that the Dutch royal house would remain the House of Orange-Nassau and not change to the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

In 1937, Princess Juliana, the daughter of Queen Wilhelmina and the future Queen Juliana, married His Serene Highness Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, the elder son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe (younger brother of Leopold IV, the last Prince of Lippe, forced to abdicate on November 12, 1918) and his wife Armgard von Cramm. His parents’ marriage was considered morganatic, so the younger Bernhard was styled Graf von Biesterfeld (Count of Biesterfeld) at birth. In 1916, Bernhard’s uncle, the reigning Prince of Lippe, created Armgard a Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld with the style Serene Highness and this title and style also extended to her two sons. Before the wedding, Bernhard had been granted Dutch citizenship and on his wedding day, he became His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

On March 10, 1966, Princess Beatrix, the eldest of the four daughters of Queen Juliana and the future Queen Beatrix, married Klaus-Georg von Amsberg, a member of the German diplomatic corps, born at Haus Dötzingen, his family’s estate near Hitzacker, Germany. He was the only son of the seven children of Klaus von Amsberg, a member of the German Niederer Adel (lower nobility), and Baroness Gösta von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen. On December 10, 1965, Klaus-Georg received a Dutch passport and on February 16, 1966, his name was officially changed to Claus. After his marriage, Claus was granted the style and titles His Royal Highness Prince Claus of the Netherlands. In 1980, after his wife became Queen of the Netherlands, Claus was granted the title His Royal Highness The Prince of the Netherlands.

The Heir to the Dutch Throne – The Prince of Orange or The Princess of Orange

Princess Catharina-Amalia, The Princess of Orange, the current heir apparent to the Dutch throne; Credit – Wikipedia

The title Prince/Princess of Orange is held by the heir apparent to the Dutch throne. The eldest child of the Dutch monarch, regardless of gender, automatically becomes The Prince of Orange or The Princess of Orange when his/her father or mother succeeds to the Dutch throne. The current Princess of Orange is Princess Catharina-Amalia, the eldest of the three daughters of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Her style and title are Her Royal Highness The Princess of Orange.

Prince of Orange is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange is known as the Vader des Vaderlands (Father of the Fatherland) and is the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau and the ancestor of the Dutch monarchs. When Willem’s childless cousin René of Châlon, Prince of Orange died in 1544, he left the Principality of Orange to Willem. Over the years, the title Prince of Orange became prestigious in the Netherlands and throughout the Protestant world despite losing the territory that had originally gone with the title. The Princes of Orange were also Stadtholders of various Dutch provinces during the period of the Dutch Republic and gained much power.

By the Proclamation of March 16, 1815, the title Prince of Orange was retained by King Wilhelm I, the first King of the Netherlands, formerly Willem VI, Prince of Orange, and immediately given to his eldest son. Until the constitutional amendment of 1983, the “eldest son of the King” automatically bore that title. Since 2002, the Royal House Act has determined that the title Prince or Princess of Orange is granted to the presumed successor of the Sovereign King or Queen of the Netherlands.

Prince or Princess of the Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima with their three daughters Princess Catharina-Amalia (The Princess of Orange), Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane

Children of the Dutch monarch, and spouses and children of The Prince of Orange or Princess of Orange, the heir apparent to the Dutch throne, are His/Her Royal Highness Prince or Princess of the Netherlands. It is customary for wives and widows of male members of the Dutch royal family to be accorded the female counterparts of their husbands’ titles.

Two of Queen Juliana’s daughters, Princess Irene and Princess Christina, married Roman Catholics. Before her marriage, Princess Irene converted to Catholicism, forfeiting her place in the royal succession. Princess Christina had not received the consent of the monarch and the government to marry and relinquished her succession rights to the Dutch throne for herself and her descendants and her position as a member of The Royal House. However, both princesses retained their royal style and title.

Prince or Princess of Orange-Nassau

Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, eldest of the four sons of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven

Prince/Princess of Orange-Nassau is a historical title of members of the House of Orange-Nassau and is currently used by members of the Dutch Royal House. The title Prince or Princess of Orange-Nassau originated among the legitimate children and descendants of Willem I (the Silent), Prince of Orange (reigned 1559 – 1584), who was both Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau and thus founder of the House of Orange-Nassau.

In 1901, when Queen Wilhelmina married Heinrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, there was concern that “Nassau” was in danger of being lost from the name “of Orange-Nassau”. By Royal Decree in 1937, Queen Wilhelmina declared that Prince or Princess of Orange-Nassau would be borne by all children of her daughter Princess Juliana with and in addition to any name derived from their father.

According to the Royal House Membership Act adopted on May 30, 2002, the Dutch monarch, his/her heir presumptive, and the King or Queen who has abdicated bear the title Prince or Princess of Orange-Nassau. The title can be granted as a personal, non-hereditary title by Royal Decree to other members of the Royal House and former members of the Royal House. It is customary for wives and widows of male members of the Dutch royal family to be accorded the female counterparts of their husbands’ titles.

When Princess Margriet, the third daughter of the four daughters of Queen Juliana, married Pieter van Vollenhoven, it was decreed that any children from the marriage would be titled Prince/Princess of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, with the style of Highness. However, the title would not be held by their descendants.

In June 2003, the engagement of Prince Friso, the second son of Queen Beatrix, to Mabel Wisse Smit was announced. (Prince Friso died on August 12, 2013 due to injuries received when he was buried under an avalanche on February 17, 2012.) There was public controversy regarding Mabel’s past and her reported relationship with a known drug lord. Having been somewhat vague in their responses to questions about the issue, and Friso’s insistence that he would marry Mabel with or without formal approval from the government, the decision was made not to request formal consent from the Dutch parliament for the marriage. In doing so, Prince Friso relinquished his rights to the Dutch throne and his title of Prince of the Netherlands. However, he retained his personal title of Prince of Orange-Nassau and was granted the hereditary title Count of Orange-Nassau, with the surname Orange-Nassau van Amsberg. His wife was styled Her Royal Highness Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau.

Count or Countess of Orange-Nassau

Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, the eldest child of Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands

To limit the number of Dutch princes and princesses, changes were made in who would be a prince or princess. By Royal Decree of May 11, 2001, it was declared that all children and male-line descendants of Queen Beatrix’s third son Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands and his wife Princess Laurentian of the Netherlands, born Laurentien Brinkhorst, would bear the title of Count or Countess of Orange-Nassau. Similarly, by Royal Decree of March 19, 2004, it was declared that any children born to Queen Beatrix’s second son Prince Friso and Mabel Wisse Smit, after her marriage, Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, would also bear the title of Count or Countess of Orange-Nassau.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

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Danish Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Queen Mary and King Frederik X; Photo: © Hasse Nielsen

A unified Danish monarchy can be traced back to Gorm the Old who died in 958. In the 10th and 11th centuries, several Kings of Denmark were also Kings of England. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway were ruled together under one monarch from 1397 until 1523 when Sweden seceded and became its own kingdom. In 1814, after the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark lost Norway to Sweden. Eventually, in 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved and Norway became its own kingdom. Norway’s first king, Haakon VII, was born Prince Carl of Denmark, a son of King Frederik VIII of Denmark. The House of Oldenburg reigned in Denmark from 1448 – 1863 when the crown passed to the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch of the same house, because there were no Oldenburg heirs.

The Danish Monarch

King Frederik X of Denmark

His Majesty King Frederik X is the current monarch of Denmark. In her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, Frederik’s mother Queen Margrethe II announced that she would step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her accession.

The monarchs of Denmark have a long history of royal and noble titles. Historically Danish monarchs also used the titles King of the Wends and King of the Goths. In 1972, when Queen Margrethe II succeeded to the throne, she eliminated all titles except the style and title Her Majesty Queen of Denmark.

Only descendants of King Christian X and his wife Queen Alexandrine may inherit the Danish throne. The monarch must be a member of the Lutheran Evangelical Church and must have Parliament’s permission to marry. The succession law was changed in 1953 to allow female succession. The monarch at that time, King Frederik IX, had only three daughters. Before 1953, the Salic Law, which prohibits female succession, was in effect. As of 2008, the succession has been based on absolute primogeniture, meaning the eldest child is heir, regardless of gender. Since 1513, the regnal names of male Danish monarchs have traditionally alternated between Frederik and Christian.

The Danish Royal Consort

Queen Mary of Denmark; Credit – Wikipedia

The wives of Danish monarchs have been titled Queen of Denmark and styled Her Majesty. Her Majesty Queen Mary of Denmark, born Mary Donaldson in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, is the current royal consort.

There have been only two reigning Queens of Denmark: Margarethe I, Queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (reigned in Denmark 1387 –1412, reigned in Norway 1388 – 1412, reigned in Sweden 1389 – 1412) and Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (reigned 1972 – 2024, abdicated). Queen Margrethe I’s husband was also a monarch, Haakon VI, King of Norway and Sweden, so a royal Danish title was unnecessary.

In 1967, the future Queen Margrethe II of Denmark married a commoner, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, born in Talence, France. After his marriage, Henri was known by Henrik, the Danish version of his name, and was created a Prince of Denmark with the style His Royal Highness. In 2005, Queen Margrethe II gave her husband the title The Prince Consort of Denmark. In her New Year’s speech on December 31, 2015, Queen Margrethe II announced that Prince Henrik would slow down and give up most of his official duties beginning January 1, 2016. On April 14, 2016, Prince Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort and reverted to His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark.

The Heir to the Danish Throne – Crown Prince of Denmark or Crown Princess of Denmark

Crown Prince Christian of Denmark; Photo: © Dennis Stenild

The eldest child of the Danish monarch, regardless of gender, automatically becomes the Crown Prince of Denmark or the Crown Princess of Denmark when his/her father or mother succeeds to the Danish throne. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the eldest of the four children of King Frederik X, is the current heir to the throne. He automatically became Crown Prince of Denmark after his grandmother’s abdication and his father’s subsequent ascension to the Danish throne on January 14, 2024.

Count of Monpezat

Although the right to use the title is disputed, members of the Laborde de Monpezat family, the family of the late Prince Henrik of Denmark, born Henri Laborde de Monpezat in Talence, France, the husband of Queen Margrethe II, have styled themselves as Comte de Laborde de Monpezat (English: Count of Laborde of Monpezat) since the late nineteenth century.

On April 30, 2008, Queen Margrethe II conferred the title of Count of Monpezat (Greve af Monpezat in Danish), as a Danish title of nobility, on her two sons Crown Prince Frederik (now King Frederik X) and Prince Joachim. Crown Princess Mary (now Queen Mary of Denmark) became Countess of Monpezat, and when Prince Joachim married Marie Cavallier on May 24, 2008, she became Princess Marie of Denmark and Countess of Monpezat. Descendants born in a legal marriage also bear the title, so the sons of King Frederik X and Prince Joachim are all Counts of Monpezat and their daughters are all Countesses of Monpezat.

The Danish Royal House’s announcement:

Her Majesty the Queen has decided that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will be given the title of “Count of Monpezat”. Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary and His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s future spouse Ms. Marie Cavallier will consequently bear the title of “Countess of Monpezat”. The title will also be borne by descendants born in lawful marriage, in accordance with the general rules applicable to this, which means that the title “Count of Monpezat” will be carried on by male descendants, while female descendants will bear the title “Countess of Monpezat”. This is a new, additional title that can be used in connection with the existing ones. The title does not affect the currently applicable predicates.

Prince and Princess of Denmark

King Frederik X and his family on the day of his accession to the Danish throne (Left to right: Princess Isabella, Crown Prince Christian, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Princess Josephine, and Prince Vincent)

On September 28, 2022, the Danish Royal House announced changes for royal titles within the Danish Royal Family. Queen Margrethe II decided that, as of January 1, 2023, the children of her son His Royal Highness Prince Joachim would no longer hold the style and title of His/Her Highness Prince/Princess. Instead, they would only hold the title Count/Countess of Monpezat, with the style of His/Her Excellency. Prince Joachim had two sons with his first wife Alexandra Manley (divorced 2005), styled after her divorce, Her Excellency Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg. He had one son and one daughter with his second wife Marie Cavallier, styled after her marriage, Her Royal Highness Princess Marie. It is unclear if this is a permanent change, and only the children of the monarch and the heir apparent will be Princes and Princesses of Denmark, or if it is a change just for the children of Prince Joachim, the second of Queen Margrethe II’s two sons.

As of January 1, 2023, Prince Joachim’s children are styled:

Here is the full statement issued by the Danish Royal House:

In April 2008, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat. In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.

As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued. Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future. The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.

With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves. All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.

Count of Rosenborg

Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, his wife Countess Sussie (center), and his sister Princess Elisabeth of Denmark; Photo: BilledBladet.dk

The title Count of Rosenborg is named after Rosenborg Castle, a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The title Count of Rosenborg has been granted to seven Danish princes, all of whom relinquished their position within the Danish Royal Family upon marrying without official consent from the Danish monarch. The first three, Aage, Erik, and Viggo, retained some of their royal status, however, the others lost all of their official connection to royalty, being delegated to the highest level of the Danish aristocracy.

  • 1914 – HRH Prince Aage of Denmark – eldest son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg
  • 1924 – HRH Prince Erik of Denmark – third son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Erik, Count of Rosenborg
  • 1924 – HRH Prince Viggo of Denmark – fourth son of Prince Valdemar (son of King Christian IX) became His Highness Prince Viggo, Count of Rosenborg
  • 1948 – HH Prince Oluf of Denmark– younger son of Prince Harald (son of King Frederik VIII) became His Excellency Count Oluf of Rosenborg
  • 1949 – HH Prince Flemming of Denmark – son of Prince Axel (son of Prince Valdemar – son of King Christian IX) became His Excellency Count Flemming of Rosenborg
  • 1968 – HH Prince Ingolf of Denmark – elder son of Prince Knud (son of King Christian X) became His Excellency Count Ingolf of Rosenborg
  • 1971 – HH Prince Christian of Denmark – younger son of Prince Knud (son of King Christian X) became His Excellency Count Christian of Rosenborg

The first three in the list above all gave up their status during the reign of King Christian X, their first cousin. He allowed them to retain the title of Prince (without the “of Denmark” designation), with the lesser style of His Highness. This was limited to them and their wives only and did not pass to their children. However, the Rosenborg title was granted to them with the provision that it would be passed down through male-line descendants. Sons continue to carry the title, while daughters retain it until they marry.

However, by 1948 when Prince Oluf relinquished his status, there was a new King on the throne, King Frederik IX. Privately, King Frederik IX was more accepting of unequal’ marriages, however, he feared that giving his consent would encourage previous royals who had lost their titles to re-claim their royal status and succession rights. So Princes Oluf, Flemming, Ingolf, and Christian gave up their royal status and became His Excellency Count <Name> of Rosenborg. They were no longer considered part of the Danish Royal House or Danish Royal Family and were relegated to the top level of the Danish aristocracy.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Bidragsydere til Wikimedia-projekter. (2015). Greve af Monpezat. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greve_af_Monpezat
  • Changes in titles and forms of address in the Royal Family. (2022). Kongehuset.dk. https://www.kongehuset.dk/en/news/changes-in-titles-and-forms-of-address-in-the-royal-family
  • Mehl, Scott. (2022). Change of Titles within the Danish Royal Family as of January 1, 2023. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/change-of-titles-within-the-danish-royal-family/
  • Mehl, Scott. (2014). King Frederik X of Denmark. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/crown-prince-frederik-of-denmark/
  • Mehl, Scott. (2014). The Danish Counts of Rosenborg. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/the-danish-counts-of-rosenborg/
  • Monarchy of Denmark. (2021). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Denmark
  • The Royal House. (2025). Kongehuset.dk. http://kongehuset.dk/en
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Count of Monpezat. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

Belgian Styles and Titles

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, formerly Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Credit – Wikipedia

In August 1830, the southern provinces (modern-day Belgium) of the Netherlands rebelled against Dutch rule. International powers meeting in London agreed to support the independence of Belgium, although the Dutch refused to recognize the new country. On April 22, 1831, the National Congress of Belgium asked Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the uncle of both Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, if he wanted to be King of the Belgians. Leopold swore allegiance to the new Belgian constitution on July 21, 1831, and became Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians. Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belgian monarch is styled “King/Queen of the Belgians” to reflect that the monarch is “of the Belgian people.”

Since the first King of the Belgians was Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1790 – 1865), the Belgian Royal Family’s family name originally was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Because of World War I and anti-German sentiment, the family name was changed in 1920 to van België, de Belgique, or von Belgien (“of Belgium”) in the country’s three official languages, Dutch, French, and German. In a 2015 royal decree, Philippe, King of the Belgians decreed that in the future, the title of Prince or Princess of Belgium would be restricted to the children and grandchildren of the monarch. Other family members would bear the title Prince or Princess of Saxe-Coburg. More information is in the Prince and Princess of Belgium section below.

Members of the Belgian Royal Family are often known by two names: a French name and a Dutch name. For example, the current monarch is called ‘Philippe’ in French and ‘Filip’ in Dutch and the fifth King of the Belgians was ‘Baudouin’ in French and ‘Boudewijn’ in Dutch.

The Belgian Monarch

King Philippe, the current King of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

The title of the Belgian monarch is “King/Queen of the Belgians” not “King/Queen of Belgium” as is the practice for other European monarchies. “King/Queen of the Belgians emphasizes the bond and connection to the people of Belgium rather than the land the Kingdom of Belgium controls. His Majesty Philippe, King of the Belgians is the current King of the Belgians. Philippe ascended to the Belgian throne on July 21, 2013, upon the abdication of his father King Albert II of Belgium. After the abdication, it was decided that the former king would be styled His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium, the same style his father King Leopold III of Belgium used after his abdication.

Since 1831, there have been seven Kings of the Belgians. Until 1991, the Salic Law, which prohibits female succession, was in effect. The succession law was changed in 1991 to Absolute Cognatic Primogeniture. The succession passes to the eldest child of the sovereign regardless of gender, males and females have equal succession rights. Princess Elisabeth, The Duchess of Brabant, the eldest child of King Philippe, is the heir to the throne and will be Belgium’s first Sovereign Queen of the Belgians.

The Belgian Royal Consort

Queen Mathilde, the current Queen of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, born Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz, is the current royal consort. All Belgian monarchs so far have been male, so there have only been female consorts. The wives of Belgian monarchs have all been titled Queen of the Belgians and styled Her Majesty, except for King Leopold III‘s second wife, born Mary Lilian Baels in London, England, and known as Lilian.

Lilian’s marriage to King Leopold III was controversial. In September 1941, Leopold married Lilian Baels, in a religious ceremony held in the chapel of the Palace of Laeken. The couple planned to hold a civil ceremony after World War II but instead held it in December 1941, after discovering they were expecting a child. Several issues with the marriage further damaged Leopold’s reputation with the Belgian people. First, the order of the ceremonies went against Belgian law, which states that a civil ceremony must occur before a religious one. Secondly, and perhaps most impactful, was the fact that Leopold remarried at all. The Belgian people loved the late Queen Astrid, born a Princess of Sweden, who died at the age of twenty-nine in a car accident in a car driven by her husband Leopold. Lilian was perceived as a “social climber”. Following the marriage, Lilian was given the title Princess de Réthy and was not styled as Queen. It was also decided that any children would be Prince and Princess of Belgium but without any rights of succession.

The Heir to the Belgian Throne – Duke or Duchess of Brabant

Princess Elisabeth, the current Duchess of Brabant; Credit – Wikipedia

Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth, The Duchess of Brabant, the eldest child of King Philippe of the Belgians, is the current heir to the Belgian throne and holds the title Duchess of Brabant. Originally, the Duke of Brabant ruled the Duchy of Brabant. The title was created in 1183 by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa for Henri I, a member of the House of Reginar and the first Duke of Brabant from 1183 until he died in 1235. The Duchy of Brabant consisted of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant, and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region, and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.

The Royal Decree of December 16, 1840 designated the title Duke of Brabant to the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. The title Duke of Brabant was first granted in the Kingdom of Belgium in 1840, to Prince Leopold (the future Leopold II, King of the Belgians), the second but the eldest surviving son of Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians.

The Royal Decree of December 16, 1840 was amended in 2001 to account for male and female equal succession rights. The 2001 amendment states: “The title of Duke of Brabant or Duchess of Brabant will be held, in the future, by the Prince or the Princess, the eldest son or eldest daughter of the Sovereign, and, if lacking, by the eldest son or eldest daughter of the eldest son or daughter of the Sovereign.” The eldest child of the Belgian Sovereign automatically becomes The Duke or Duchess of Brabant when his/her parent becomes the Belgian Sovereign. There is no ceremony or formal oath. The Duke or Duchess of Brabant takes precedence over the other Princes and Princesses of Belgium.

Prince and Princess of Belgium

The four children of Philippe, King of the Belgians: Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant (in the pink dress) with her siblings Princess Eleonore, Prince Gabriel, and Prince Emmanuel of Belgium

Since 1891, three Royal Decrees have been issued defining who would bear the titles Prince of Belgium and Princess of Belgium, who hold the style His/Her Royal Highness.

The Royal Decree of March 14, 1891, issued during the reign of Leopold II, King of the Belgians, bestowed the titles Prince of Belgium and Princess of Belgium to all who descended in a direct male line from Leopold I, King of the Belgians, and to those women who married a Prince of Belgium.

The Royal Decree of December 2, 1991, issued during the reign of the childless Baudouin, King of the Belgians, amended the 1891 Royal Decree, additionally bestowing the titles Prince of Belgium and Princess of Belgium to direct male and female descendants of Baudouin’s brother and successor, the future Albert II, King of the Belgians.

The Royal Decree of November 12, 2015, issued during the reign of Philippe, King of the Belgians abolished the Royal Decree of 1991. All members of the Belgian royal family, by birth or by marriage, who held the title Prince of Belgium or Princess of Belgium, would keep their titles. However, in the future, the titles Prince of Belgium and Princess of Belgium will be bestowed upon only the children and grandchildren of the reigning monarch and the children and grandchildren of the heir apparent, The Duke of Brabant or The Duchess of Brabant. The spouses of a Prince of Belgium or Princess of Belgium are no longer automatically granted the title of Prince of Belgium or Princess of Belgium. However, the Belgian Sovereign retains the power with the government’s agreement, to bestow the title Prince of Belgium and Princess of Belgium on an individual basis. This will allow the spouses of the Belgian Sovereign’s children to become Princes or Princesses of Belgium.

The children and grandchildren of Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, the eldest child of Philippe, King of the Belgians, and the heir to the Belgian throne, will be Princes and Princesses of Belgium. However, only the children of Elisabeth’s siblings Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eléonore, who will be the grandchildren of Philippe, King of the Belgians, will have the title Prince of Belgium or Princess of Belgium. The grandchildren of King Philippe’s siblings Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent will not be grandchildren of a Belgian Sovereign and will not have the titles Prince and Princesse of Belgium. Instead, they will have the titles Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Princess of Saxe-Coburg.

Works Cited

  • Clevers, Antoine. (2015). Le Roi limite l’octroi du titre de “prince de Belgique.” La Libre.be. https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/2015/11/25/le-roi-limite-loctroi-du-titre-de-prince-de-belgique-OAJD4QP75FBDTPQU5BH6ZHBQQM/
  • ‌Monarchy of Belgium. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_Belgium
  • The Belgian Monarchy. (n.d.). The Belgian Monarchy. https://www.monarchie.be/en
  • Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Duke of Brabant. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Titles of English and British Sovereigns

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Besides being the Sovereign King or Queen, the English and British sovereigns had other titles over the years. One of the titles, Duke of Lancaster, will be explored in a separate article.

Duke of Normandy

Map of France in 1154; Credit – By Reigen – Own work.Sources :Image:France 1154 Eng.jpg by Lotroo under copyleftfrance_1154_1184.jpg from the Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1911., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37306574

  • Duke of Normandy: William I, William II, Henry I, Stephen, Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III

The Duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in northwest France. The duchy originated when King Charles III of West Francia granted land to the Viking leader Rollo in 911. In 1035, a young boy succeeded his father as William II, Duke of Normandy. William was the first cousin once removed of Edward the Confessor, King of the English. Edward the Confessor’s mother Emma of Normandy was the sister of William’s grandfather Richard II, Duke of Normandy. William’s marriage to Matilda of Flanders may have been motivated by his growing desire to become King of England. Matilda was a direct descendant of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. In 1051, William visited his first cousin once removed, Edward the Confessor, King of England, and apparently Edward named William as his successor.

In 1065, Edward the Confessor, King of the English died and Harold Godwinson was selected to succeed Edward as King Harold II. When William heard that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King of the English, he began preparations for an invasion of England. At the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, the army of William II, Duke of Normandy won the battle and King Harold II was killed. On Christmas Day 1066, William, Duke of Normandy was crowned William I, King of the English at Westminster Abbey.

In 1202, during the reign of King John, King Philippe II of France confiscated the Duchy of Normandy and by 1204, the French army had conquered it. King Henry III continued to use the title until 1259 when he renounced it in the Treaty of Paris (1259).

Count of Anjou (see map above)

  • Count of Anjou: Henry II, Richard I

The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou in northwest France. The future King Henry II became Count of Anjou upon the death of his father Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou in 1151. Three years later, he became King of the English upon the death of his mother’s cousin King Stephen of England. When King Richard I of England died childless in 1199, the title was inherited by his nephew Arthur, Duke of Brittany, the son of his deceased brother Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany. However, in 1204, Anjou was lost to King Philippe II of France.

Duke of Aquitaine (see map above)

  • Duke of Aquitaine: Henry II, Richard I, John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III

The Duke of Aquitaine was the ruler of the Duchy of Aquitaine in western, central, and southern areas of France. It was a duchy that women could inherit and manage independently from their husbands or male relations and that is how it came into the English royal family. Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of King Henry II, was the Duchess of Aquitaine, Countess of Poitiers and Duchess of Gascony in her own right. When Henry II became King of the English in 1153, Eleanor’s possessions merged with the English crown.

In 1337, King Philippe VI of France claimed Aquitaine from King Edward III of England. Edward III then claimed the title of King of France, by right of his descent from his maternal grandfather King Philippe IV of France. This started the Hundred Years’ War, in which the House of Plantagenet and the House of Valois fought over the control of the territories in France.

Lord of Ireland

Arms of the Lordship of Ireland; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Lord of Ireland: John, Henry III, Edward I, Edward II, Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III, Henry VII, Henry VIII

An invasion of Ireland starting in 1169 by King Henry II eventually brought about the end of the rule of the High Kings of Ireland and the direct involvement of the English/British in Irish politics until 1922. In 1177, King Henry II gave the part of Ireland he controlled at that time to his ten-year-old son John as the Lordship of Ireland and John became Lord of Ireland. When John succeeded to the English throne in 1199, he remained Lord of Ireland, bringing the Kingdom of England and the Lordship of Ireland into personal union. The title of Lord of Ireland was abolished by King Henry VIII of England who was made King of Ireland by the Parliament of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542.

King/Queen of France

Edward III quartered the Royal Arms of England with the ancient arms of France, the fleurs-de-lis on a blue field, to signal his claim to the French throne; Credit – Wikipedia

  • King/Queen of France: Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V, Richard III, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey (disputed), Mary I, Elizabeth, James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, Anne, George I, George II, George III

The Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain listed above were never really sovereigns of France. From 1337 to 1801, the Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain claimed the throne of France.

In 1337, King Edward III of England claimed the title of King of France, by right of his descent from his maternal grandfather King Philippe IV of France. This started the Hundred Years’ War fought from 1337 to 1453 by the English House of Plantagenet against the French House of Valois over the right to rule the Kingdom of France. By the time the war was over, France had achieved a victory and England permanently lost all of its French possessions except the Pale of Calais. The Pale of Calais remained under English control until it was lost to France in 1558 during the reign of Queen Mary I of England, who reportedly said: “When I am dead and opened, you shall find ‘Calais’ written on my heart.

Despite having no territory in France, the English and British monarchs continued to call themselves Kings/Queens of France and the French fleurs-de-lis was included in the royal arms. The French Revolution had abolished the monarchy in 1792 and replaced it with the French First Republic. The French government demanded that the King of Great Britain relinquish the title of King of France. In 1801, King George III decided to drop his claim to the French throne and the fleurs-de-lis was removed from the British royal arms.

King/Queen of Ireland

Ancient Royal Arms of the Kingdom of Ireland, as first used by the monarchs of the Kingdom of England; Credit – Wikipedia

  • King/Queen of Ireland: All sovereigns from King Henry VIII to King George V (1542 – 1927)

The Crown of Ireland Act 1542 was an act of the Irish Parliament replacing the Lordship of Ireland, which had existed since 1177, with the Kingdom of Ireland. The title changed from Lord of Ireland to King of Ireland. This was a personal union between t.he English and Irish crowns and whoever was King of England was to be King of Ireland as well. The first King of Ireland was King Henry VIII of England. In 1922, the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland, became independent. Today’s Northern Ireland still remains part of the United Kingdom.

Defender of the Faith

  • Defender of the Faith: All sovereigns from King Henry VIII to the present sovereign

In 1521, a theological treatise called The Defense of the Seven Sacraments was published. It was written by King Henry VIII of England, supposedly with the assistance of Sir Thomas More, and it defended the Roman Catholic Church’s seven sacraments and the supremacy of the Pope. This treatise was an important opposition to the Protestant Reformation, especially Martin Luther, one of the Reformation’s chief proponents. In recognition of the treatise, Pope Leo X granted King Henry VIII the title Defender of the Faith (Fidei Defensor in Latin).

In 1530, King Henry VIII decided to break away from the Roman Catholic Church and establish himself as head of the Church of England. Since Henry VIII’s decision was considered an attack on “the Faith”, Pope Paul III revoked the title Defender of the Faith and excommunicated Henry VIII.

In 1544, the Parliament of England conferred the title “Defender of the Faith” on King Henry VIII and his successors. Now they were defenders of the Protestant Anglican faith (Church of England) except for Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Mary I, who was Catholic.

Supreme Head/Supreme Governor of the Church of England

  • Supreme Head of the Church of England: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I
  • Supreme Governor of the Church of England: Elizabeth I to the present sovereign

The Supreme Head of the Church of England was a title created in 1531 for King Henry VIII of England. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 confirmed Henry VIII’s status as Supreme Head of the Church of England and granted the same status to subsequent sovereigns. Henry VIII’s Roman Catholic daughter Queen Mary I of England attempted to restore the Roman Catholic Church and repealed the Act of Supremacy in 1555.

After Mary I’s death in 1558, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy 1558 which restored the original act. The act also changed the sovereign’s title to Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This change avoided the charge that the sovereign was claiming to be divine and negating that the New Testament says that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. All sovereigns from Queen Elizabeth I to the present sovereign have been the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

King/Queen of Scots

Royal Standard of the King of Scots; Credit – Wikipedia

  • King/Queen of Scots: James I as James VI, Charles I, Charles II, James II as James VII, William III as William II, Mary II, Anne

In 1603, when Queen Elizabeth I of England, the last Tudor monarch died, James VI, King of Scots became King of England as King James I of England. This was a personal union, the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain separate. James VI, King of Scots was the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband (and first cousin) Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, both grandchildren of James IV, King of Scots and Margaret Tudor who was the daughter of King Henry VII of England and the sister of King Henry VIII of England. In terms of primogeniture, James VI was the next in line to the English throne and on her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I of England gave her assent that James should succeed her.

The English Stuart monarchs that followed James I were all sovereigns of the Kingdom of England and separately sovereigns of the Kingdom of Scotland. Some of them had two different regnal numbers reflecting the English sequence of sovereigns and the Scottish sequence of sovereigns – William III of England was the third William to reign in England but was the second William to reign in Scotland so he was William II, King of Scots. During the reign of Queen Anne, England and Scotland were formally united into Great Britain by the Acts of Union 1707. The sovereign then was King/Queen of Great Britain.

Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel

Coat of Arms of the Prince of Orange; Credit – Wikipedia

King William III of England, who came to the English throne as a joint ruler with his wife and first cousin Queen Mary II of England, was also Willem III, Sovereign Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, and Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic. William inherited the principality of Orange from his father, Willem II, Prince of Orange, who died a week before William’s birth. His mother Mary, Princess Royal was the daughter of King Charles I of England. William and Mary had no children and so William’s first cousin once removed, Johan Willem Friso, became Prince of Orange.

Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg

Coat of arms of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg: George I, George II, George III

The Duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg and the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, located in northwestern Germany, was an Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. It was commonly known as the Electorate of Hanover after its capital city of Hanover.

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire (Electors for short) elected the Holy Roman Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire was a limited monarchy composed kingdoms, principalities, duchies, counties, prince-bishoprics, and Free Imperial Cities in Central Europe from 800 – 1806.

When the Stuart dynasty appeared to be dying out, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701, giving the succession to the British throne to Sophia of the Palatinate, Electress of Hanover and her non-Catholic heirs. This act ensured the Protestant succession and bypassed many Catholics who had a better hereditary claim to the throne. Sophia’s mother was Elizabeth Stuart who was the second child and eldest daughter of James VI, King of Scots / James I, King of England and Ireland. Sophia narrowly missed becoming queen, having died two months before the last Stuart monarch Queen Anne. Sophia’s son George, Elector of Hanover, became King George I of Great Britain. George remained Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and his son George II and great-grandson George III inherited those titles.

King of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg

Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Hanover; Credit – By Glasshouse – Own work, using elements by Sodacan, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78034759

  • King of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg: George III, George IV, William IV

The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1806, when the last Holy Roman Emperor Franz II (from 1804, Emperor Franz I of Austria) abdicated, following a military defeat by the French under Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz. After the final defeat of Napoleon in 1814, much of Europe was reorganized. The Hanover territories became the Kingdom of Hanover and became a personal union with the United Kingdom.

The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 upon the accession of Queen Victoria. The succession to the throne of Hanover followed Salic Law which did not allow female succession and so Victoria could not inherit the Hanover throne. Instead, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, the eldest surviving son of King George III, became King of Hanover. His son George succeeded him as King George V of Hanover but he reigned for only fifteen years. He was exiled from Hanover in 1866 as a result of his support for Austria in the Austro-Prussian War and Hanover was annexed by Prussia.

Empress/Emperor of India

New Crowns for Old, the cartoon’s caption references a scene in Aladdin where lamps are exchanged. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, is offering Queen Victoria an imperial crown in exchange for an earl’s coronet. She made him the Earl of Beaconsfield at this time; Credit – Wikipedia

  • Empress/Emperor of India: Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI

One thing Queen Victoria wanted was an imperial title. She was disturbed because Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia held a higher rank than her and was appalled that her eldest daughter Victoria, Princess Royal who was married to the Crown Prince of Prussia and the future German Emperor, would outrank her when her husband came to the throne.

Queen Victoria pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli to introduce a bill that would make her Empress of India. At the time, India was a colony of the United Kingdom. Disraeli did so but his handling of the bill was awkward. He did not notify either the Prince of Wales or the Liberal opposition. When they found out, the Prince of Wales was irritated and the Liberals went into motion with a full-scale attack. Disraeli was reluctant to bring the bill to a vote because he thought it would be defeated. However, it passed with a majority of 75.

On January 1, 1877, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. For the rest of her life, Victoria signed her name “Victoria R & I” – Regina et Imperatrix in Latin, Queen and Empress in English. Four of Victoria’s successors, her son Edward VII, her grandson George V and her great-grandsons Edward VIII and George VI also were Emperors of India. George VI ceased to use the title when India became an independent country in 1947.

Head of the Commonwealth

Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations; Credit – By Rob984 – Derived from File:BlankMap-World-Microstates.svg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50344792

  • Head of the Commonwealth: George VI, Elizabeth II

The Commonwealth of Nations, established in 1949, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three member nations that are mostly former territories of the United Kingdom. The British sovereign is head of state of sixteen member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while thirty-two other members are republics and five others have different monarchs.

The Head of the Commonwealth is the “symbol of their free association” and serves as a leader, alongside the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. The position of Head of the Commonwealth is technically not hereditary and does not necessarily have to be the sovereign or a member of the royal family. However, following the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Commonwealth leaders officially declared that Charles, Prince of Wales would be the next Head of the Commonwealth, and upon the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, King Charles III became the Head of the Commonwealth.

Sovereign of Other Realms

Currently, the British sovereign is also the sovereign of fourteen other countries, besides the United Kingdom: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

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