Q: Janie Murphree - Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Who is the oldest living Royal since the recent death of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester?
The Duke of Edinburgh is currently the oldest living member of the British Royal Family. He was born at the family home, Mon Repos, on the island of Corfu on 10 June 1921, making him 83 years old. Also known as HRH The Prince Philip, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, the Duke was the youngest child and only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Q: Dean James - Maldon, UK
I remember hearing the late Princess Margaret commenting that her parents' Coronation was twice as long as that of The Queen's as both King George and Queen Elizabeth had been crowned. Was The Queen Mother as a Queen Consort also anointed? I thought that only the Sovereign could be anointed but would like to know for certain.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was crowned with King George VI. A Queen Consort is crowned with the King, in a similar but simpler ceremony. However, the Coronation would have taken significantly longer than the present Queen's ceremony, it is unlikely that it would have been twice the length. Queen Elizabeth was anointed and crowned, after which she received ornaments similar to but smaller than the King's. She was presented with a simpler version of the sceptre with the cross, but instead of the sceptre with the dove, she received The Queen's ivory rod with the dove; she did not receive an orb, which is reserved purely for the Sovereign. If the new Sovereign is a Queen, her consort is not crowned, hence The Queen was crowned alone.
Q: Jane Harper - Nottingham
Could you tell me more about The Queen's thrones in Buckingham Palace? What is the history behind them?
There are a number of thrones in Buckingham Palace. On the dais in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace stand the Chairs of Estate on which The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were seated during the first part of The Queen's Coronation ceremony. White & Allom made these chairs to the same seventeenth-century design as the Chair of Homage.
On either side of the dais are the coronation chairs of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and against the left-hand wall stand those used by King George V and Queen Mary. In the deep window recess on the east side of the room is the State Throne of Queen Victoria. When she took up residence in Buckingham Palace in 1838 the Throne Room did not have a Seat of State, so this crimson and gold chair was made at her command.
The two chairs made for the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra are situated on the throne dais in the Palace Ballroom.
Q: Clayton - Jamaica
I have read that some of the previous Kings and Queens were also the Dukes and Duchesses of Hanover (Germany). Is this true and does our present Queen use this title?
For over 100 years prior to 1837 Hanover was linked to Great Britain, sharing the same Kings. This link was broken when Queen Victoria ascended the throne of Great Britain in 1837. She was prevented from succeeding to the Hanover throne due to the prevailing Salic laws of that country. Queen Victoria's uncle Prince Ernest (Duke of Cumberland) was next in line to the Hanover throne and became King Ernest August I in 1837.
As Queen Victoria was The Queen's great-great-grandmother, the two families are distantly related.
Q: Tobias - Edinburgh
How does The Queen decide who receives New Year's Honours?
Twice a year, on The Queen's official birthday and on New Years Day, a list, usually of some 1100 names, is produced as a supplement to the London Gazette and released to the national press, of those who have received knighthoods, damehoods or awards of distinction.
The Queen is Fountain of Honour, but in most cases does not make personal recommendations for the honours. Nominations to the lists are made by various government departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Scottish Office and the Welsh Office. Such Commonwealth States as do not have their own honours system also send nominations, while The Queen makes appointments within the Royal Victorian Order for personal services to the Sovereign.
The Prime Minister's list makes up almost half the total number of awards. Recommendations for honours are sent in to the Prime Ministers office from every part of the country. Any private person may make a recommendation. These are then scrutinised by special committees with expert knowledge of, for example, the arts, sport and education. Short lists are then returned to the Prime Minister for confirmation and any additions he may wish to make, and the lists are issued by Number 10 Downing Street
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