Q: Natascha - Germany
I've read that Buckingham Palace has got 600 rooms, and they all have to be cleaned! How many people are working at Buckingham Palace and on its premises at the moment?
Buckingham Palace has around 430 rooms and approximately 500 members of staff work on the premises.
Q: Kay McGill - Cleveland OH
I am interested in visiting Frogmore at Windsor but I understand that it is only open a couple days per year. When is it open and what are you able to see or tour?
Frogmore is indeed only open at certain times of the year, largely as it is often used by members of the Royal Family for receptions and other such engagements. To find out when you can visit, telephone the Visitor Office on +44 1753 868 286, x2615)
Q: Star - USA
Were the houses of Stuart, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Hanover, and Hanover all descendents of the House of Plantagenet? If so, is the Queen a descendant of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine from the 12th century? Also, why do British monarchs sometimes change the name of their houses, i.e. York and Lancaster instead of just keeping Plantagenet?
Some commentators have argued that it is possible to trace the descendants much further back than this, to the time of the Anglo-Saxon kings of the seventh and eighth centuries. It is always difficult to pinpoint a particular time in history to begin such lines of descent. Therefore, although it is certainly true to say that The Queen is a descendant of the House of Plantagenet, those kings in their turn are descended from the House of Normandy and beyond.
Royal houses are changed for a variety of reasons, but usually to reflect a marriage or a change in lineage. They also differentiate reigns and kings. The Houses of Lancaster and York were both descended from the sons of King Edward III (the penultimate Plantagenet king), but styled themselves as Lancaster and York possibly to distinguish themselves from one another and give greater status to their respective claims.
The current royal house is Windsor, as created by an Order in Council by King George V in 1917, which changed the name from Saxe-Coburg Gotha during the First World War.
Q: Anna Kutzsche - Freiberg, Saxony, Germany
Is it possible to get tickets for Trooping The Colour?
Unfortunately, ticket applications for this year's Trooping the Colour had to be received by 28 February. However you can still go and watch the troops marching down and Mall towards Horse Guards Parade. Alternatively, it is possible to attend the two rehearsals for the event. The first is held on 29 May at 11.00 am, for which tickets are free. The second is held on 5 June at 11.00 am, for which tickets cost £8. If you would like to attend the rehearsals, you need to write to:
Brigade Major,
HQ Household Division
Horse Guards
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AX,
Or telephone 020 7414 2479 enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope. There are no restrictions on the number of tickets for which you can apply.
Q: Kate Groves - Glasgow
I understand there is a lottery Australians can enter for invitations to events like the Royal Garden Party. How can I enter?
Commonwealth citizens need to apply to their High Commission for tickets to the Garden Party. The Australian High Commission is located at Australia House, the Strand, London, WC2B 4LA.
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