British royal family
The surname of the male-line descendants of Queen Elizabeth II, except for women who marry, is Mountbatten-Windsor, reflecting the name taken by her Greek-born husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, upon his naturalisation.
[16] Members of the royal family support the monarch in "state and national duties", while also carrying out charity work of their own.
[17][20] Engagements include state funerals, national festivities, garden parties, receptions, and visits to the Armed Forces.
[25][26] Annual events attended by the royal family include the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour, and the National Service of Remembrance.
[18] According to historian Robert Lacey, Queen Elizabeth II once said that investitures of the honours recipients are the most important thing she does.
[28][18] Family members represent the monarch on official visits and tours to other countries as ambassadors to foster diplomatic relations.
[18] The royal family also participates in state visits on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which includes the welcoming of dignitaries and a formal banquet.
[31] Given the royal family's public role and activities, it is sometimes referred to by courtiers as "The Firm", a term that originated with George VI.
[41] The Prince and Princess of Wales are founding patrons of The Royal Foundation, whose projects revolve around mental health, conservation, early childhood, and emergency responders.
[42] In 2019 following the negative reactions to the "Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal" interview, the Duke of York was forced to resign from public roles; the retirement became permanent in 2020.
[5] Author Edward Owen wrote that during the Second World War, the monarchy sought an image of a "more informal and vulnerable family" that had a unifying effect on the nation during instability.
[27][46] The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in April 2011 led to a "tide of goodwill", and by Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 the royal family's image had recovered.
[47] The role and public relations of the extended royal family again came under increased scrutiny due to the Duke of York's friendship with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and allegations of sexual abuse, along with his unapologetic conduct in the 2019 interview about these subjects and subsequent 2021 lawsuit.
[48][49][50] In June 2019, the royal family, several members of which advocate for environmental causes, faced criticism after it was revealed that they "had doubled [their] carbon footprint from business travel".
[52] In response, the palace stated that it complied "in principle and in practice" with anti-discrimination legislation, and that second-hand claims of "conversations from over 50 years ago should not be used to draw or infer conclusions about modern-day events or operations.
"[55] In March 2022 and during the Caribbean tour of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the family encountered criticism from a number of political figures and the press, given their past connections to colonialism and the Atlantic slave trade via the Royal African Company.
[27] Princes William and Harry have had informal arrangements with the press whereby they would be left alone by the paparazzi during their education in return for invitations to staged photograph opportunities.
Extended members do not retain automatic right to protection; in 2011, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie ceased receiving police security.
[72][73] The Palace of Holyroodhouse and Hillsborough Castle serve as official royal residences when the monarch is in Scotland or Northern Ireland, respectively.
[74][75] Clarence House served as the official residence of Charles III from 2003, when he was Prince of Wales, until he ascended to the throne on 8 September 2022.
