Q: Olga - St. Petersburg, Russia
I was informed that The Queen's grandfather, George V was a cousin of Nicholas II. Can you please confirm that The Queen is related to the Romanovs of Russia?
Nicholas II was the son of the Empress Marie Feodorovna. His mother's sister, Princess Alexandra, married King Edward VII, thus making King George V and Nicholas II first cousins. There was actually a striking resemblance between the two men. There were therefore close familial ties between the Romanovs and the House of Saxe-Coburgh Gotha (Windsor from 1917). The Imperial family were all killed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
Q: Graham Warburton - Sleaford, Lincolnshire
A friend of mine has recently been given a gift being a first day cover of the recent Jubilee stamp issue. The stamps were cancelled with a Buckingham Palace postmark. Does this mean there is a post office inside the palace? If there is, is it possible for the public to obtain a card or envelope with this postmark?
There is a post office inside Buckingham Palace. All mail which leaves Buckingham Palace bears a Buckingham Palace postmark, including letters to members of the public who may have written to The Queen or any other members of the Royal Family and their offices.
This postmark is restricted to working correspondence sent from Buckingham Palace, and the public therefore cannot obtain correspondences with the Palace postmark on their own behalf.
Q: Katey McNally - Belfast, NI, UK
I am very happy to hear of the pregnancy of HRH The Countess of Wessex. Is the Earl and Countess's child going to be a Prince or Princess of Wessex?
Buckingham Palace announced, on the occasion of the marriage of The Prince Edward to Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones, that any children born to the couple would not carry the title HRH. Therefore, the child will not be a Prince or a Princess. However, as sons of an Earl, any boy born to the child will be known as Viscount Severn (his father's second title), and any girl will have 'Lady' preceding her name.
Q: Elizabeth - Australia
What ladies within the Royal Family currently have been given the Family Order by HM Queen Eliabeth?
Female members of the Royal Family who have been given the Family Order of The Queen are The Princess Royal, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, The Duchess of Gloucester and The Duchess of Kent. In addition, Princess Alice wears the Family Orders of King George V and King George VI. The Queen also wears the Family Orders of her father and her grandfather. The badge normally features a portrait of the Sovereign, surrounded by diamonds. It is suspended from a silk bow and is worn pinned to the left shoulder at formal evening occasions.
Q: Drew - Australia
Which British Sovereign lost the American colonies during the 18th century? Was the King of England at this time also called the King of America, as they are still called in Australia and Canada?
The American War of Independence and the loss of the 13 colonies occurred during the reign of King George III (it is a matter of interpretation as to who was responsible for the loss of the American colonies, as the policies preceeding the American War of Independence were as much, if not more, the responsibility of the British Parliament as of the king).
The title of the king in relation to the wider British territories was never actually stated until the reign of King Edward VII who was titled 'King of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas.' King George III was titled 'King of Great Britain and Ireland'.
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