Royal family of the United Kingdom is the family of the reigning monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II, who has been the monarch since 1952, is currently the most important member of the royal family. Around her is the inner circle of her immediate relatives. The senior member of this circle is her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The other members are the queen's four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; the Princess Royal (Princess Anne), Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Charles is the heir to the throne. His son Prince William is second to Charles in the line of succession.
In addition, there is a wider circle consisting of the descendants of Queen Elizabeth II's sister Princess Margaret (1930-2002) and other descendants of their grandfather, King George V. Members of this more extended family also occasionally represent the queen at public occasions. People sometimes speak of them collectively as "the royals."
The queen's subjects have traditionally regarded the queen and her family with great affection and respect. Like those who came before her in the Windsor dynasty (line of monarchs), she is a symbol of the power and prestige of the United Kingdom. She is also the head of the Church of England and the Commonwealth of Nations. Her portrait is on all United Kingdom postage stamps. Her coat of arms, or sometimes the simple image of a crown, appears on every official document and building. People often use the term the Crown to mean the monarchy as an institution and symbol of the nation (see Crown, The).
Tradition also demands that, because the royal family represents so many things, it should itself be above reproach. Since the time of the present queen's great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria (reigned 1837-1901), it has been assumed that the monarch's family life must be a moral and religious example to others. Although Queen Elizabeth's own life has strictly observed these standards, a number of incidents concerning her children have shaken this view. In the 1990's, while respect and affection for the queen remained high, the reputation of the royal family as a whole declined.
