Prince Patrick's Day

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought we'd test your knowledge of some of the royals who were named in honor of this Irish saint. You may send your answers via the comments section, e-mail them to princessesreign@gmail.com or direct message (DM) them on Twitter to @palaceprincess.

1. Canada's Prince Patrick Island was named for the third son of Queen Victoria, whose third name honored the Irish saint and who was also given an Irish title. Who was he and what was his connection to Canada?

2. This granddaughter of Queen Victoria voluntarily gave up her royal title when she married a commoner. Popularly known as "Princess Pat," what was her full title?

3. In 1936, this great-grandson of Queen Victoria also surrendered his title for love. Who was he and which other saints was he named for?

4. This current member of the British royal family became a royal duke when he was only six years old. Like the children of the Queen, he also had one British royal parent and one Greek royal parent. Who is he?

5. This royal was heir presumptive to The Peacock Throne for six years as a child. Earlier this year, he once again became first in line for the deposed crown. Who is he and how did he become heir again?

Princess Royal Answers

Louise
Princess Royal

Only one modern British royal title has ever been created specifically for women: Princess Royal. This quiz tested your knowledge of the title and the select women who have borne it.

Mary Princess Royal

1. Which king created the title and why?
In a royal case of "keeping up with the Joneses," King Charles I created the title Princess Royal for his daughter Mary in 1642, so that she would be honored as the Daughters of France were. In France, the title "Madame Royale" was traditionally used by the oldest, unmarried daughter of the king. It was only used until the royal parent's death or the daughter's marriage. Then, it was passed to the next unmarried princess. Charles' wife Henrietta Maria of France was the Madame Royale from the marriage of her older sister Christine in 1619 until her own marriage six years later. In England, the title Princess Royal is a bit different. It is formally granted by Royal Warrant instead of by etiquette. The bearer keeps the title for life. It is only granted to the oldest daughter of a monarch.

Louisa Maria Stuart

2. With one exception, all of the Princesses Royal have been the eldest surviving daughter of the monarch. Who is the one exception?
The only woman granted the title who was not the eldest daughter was the Jacobite Princess Louisa Maria whose father King James II had been forced off the throne in 1688 and replaced by his eldest daughter Mary and her husband William. Ex-King James still had two older living daughters at the time but they had both "betrayed" him in the Glorious Revolution. Since he was no longer king, it is debatable whether he had the right to grant the title.

Mary, aunt of
Queen Elizabeth II

3. Since its first creation, the title has bot been given to every eldest daughter. Which monarchs did not grant the title?
Charles II, who had many daughters, but no legitimate ones
William and Mary, who had no surviving children
Anne, whose daughters died before she became queen
George I, whose only daughter was already Queen in Prussia when he ascended the throne
George IV, whose only daughter died in childbirth two years before he became king
William IV, whose infant daughters died before he before he became king
Edward VIII, who had no children
George VI, who could not grant the title to his eldest daughter, the current Queen Elizabeth II, because his own sister Mary held the title until after his death

Charlotte Princess Royal

4. How many bearers of the title married foreign monarchs? Who were they?
Counting Princes of Orange (predecessors of the Kings of the Netherlands), the first four Princesses Royal married foreign monarchs: Mary (daughter of Charles I) married William II of Orange; Anne (daughter of George II) married William IV of Orange; Charlotte (daughter of George III) married Frederick I of Wurttemburg (which wasn't a kingdom for very long); and Victoria (daughter of Victoria) married Frederick III of Germany. The last time a Princess Royal married a prince/king was in 1858.

Victoria Princess Royal

5. Only one Princess Royal ever held the distinction of being the Heiress Presumptive. Why did she never accede the throne?
Only Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Vicky, ever held the distinction of being both Princess Royal and the Heiress Presumptive. Because Victoria acceded the throne before she married and had children, her first child was automatically the heir to the throne, even though that child was a girl. However, little Princess Vicky lost that distinction less than a year later, due to male primogeniture when her first brother was born. He grew up to be King Edward VII.

BONUS
What is the full name of the current Princess Royal?

The current Princess Royal is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. She was granted the title in 1987 when she was 36, even though the title had been available since the death of her great-aunt Mary in 1965. Her full name is Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise. Anne is presumable a name liked by the queen as it is rare in the modern royal family, while Elizabeth and Alice pay tribute to the princess's grandmothers. As for Louise, this name is found in both the Windsor and Mountbatten family trees, and may be a tribute to Prince Philip's uncle (and surrogate father) Earl Louis Mountbatten of Burma.

Princesses Royal Quiz

Only one modern British royal title has ever been created specifically for women: Princess Royal. This quiz tests your knowledge of the title and the select women who have borne it. You may send your answers via the comments section, e-mail them to princessesreign@gmail.com or direct message (DM) them on Twitter to @palaceprincess.

1. Which king created the title and why?

2. With one exception, all of the Princesses Royal have been the eldest surviving daughter of the monarch. Who is the one exception?

3. Since its first creation, the title has bot been given to every eldest daughter. Which monarchs did not grant the title?

4. How many bearers of the title married foreign monarchs? Who were they?

5. Only one Princess Royal ever held the distinction of being the Heiress Presumptive. Why did she never accede the throne?


BONUS
What is the full name of the current Princess Royal?

Royal Babies Answers

This quiz to test your knowledge of the royal babies was clearly to easy for our royal experts. Shall we say it was child's play?

1. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is due to have her first child in 2012. Who was the last heiress to a throne to give birth while still heiress?

This appeared to be the most challenging question with the three most recent heiresses presumptive (Elizabeth II, Beatrix and Margrethe II) all getting guesses. However, Beatrix was the most recent one to give birth. Her youngest son, Prince Constantijn, was born October 11, 1969, barely four months after Margrethe's youngest son, Prince Joachim. As for Elizabeth, her youngest child was born in 1964, but she was already queen by then--her last child when she was still the heiress was Princess Anne in 1950.

2. Which two current heirs to thrones married within days of each other and had each of their first two children within days of each other?
Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark was married on May 14, 2004 and the Spanish heir, Felipe Prince of the Asturias was married eight days later. Fredrik's first, Prince Christian, was born on October 15, 2005. Felipe's first child, Infanta Leonor, was born sixteen days later on Halloween. Fredrik edged out Felipe on the second child too when his daughter Isabella was born on April 21, 2007 followed eight days later by Felipe's daughter Sofia. Fredrik is really ahead on the third and fourth children since his twins were born in January 2011, and there is no indication that Felipe will have any more children.

3. Which current reigning monarch was "betrayed" when a former governess wrote a book about the royal nursery?

One of the earliest "tell-all" books by a former royal employee was written by Marion Crawford, who was known as Crawfie to the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret of York. The book, "The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by her Nanny," was published in 1950. She later wrote other books and articles about the royal family, who never spoke to her again. Since then, many others have followed her example. Elizabeth, of course, grew up to be queen.

4. Which former monarch is said to have developed a debilitating disability partly because of an abusive nanny?
King George VI's stammer was well-depicted in the Oscar-winning film, "The King's Speech." However, this was not his only medical issue: he also suffered from recurrent stomach issues all of his life. Both conditions have been partially attributed to mistreatment he received from one of his first nursery attendants, Mrs. Green, who is said to have sometimes fed him while pushing him in an unsprung baby carriage and at other times not to have fed him at all. Finally, an undermaid, Mrs. Bill known affectionately as Lala, revealed Mrs. Green's abusive behavior and the woman was sacked. Lala wrote in her diary that she feared for the baby prince's life.

5. How many of Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren were christened in a gown created for the children of Queen Victoria?
The first seven of Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren were christened in a gown of Honiton lace that was originally created for the first child of Queen Victoria in 1841. Her final grandchild, James Viscount Severn was the first child christened in a replica of that gown because the original was in such delicate condition. The original has now been preserved.