Prince William is a commoner, he holds no titles in his own right. Obviously that will change over time, probably when he marries. There is no legal reason why he can’t vote in an election (there isn’t any reason why QEII can’t either, but it gets a bit metaphysical if she does ;)). Recent reform of the House of Lords means that a title, even a hereditary one, is no barrier to standing for election to the Commons.
I must ask for cites, please. I can’t see how titled members of the Royal Family as close in relation to Her Majesty as Princess Anne and Prince William can be considered, by any stretch of the imagination, commoners.
Her Majesty could theoretically vote in local or European elections, but not a general election. She’s already part of Parliament. While hereditary peers can now vote and stand for the House of Commons, they can only do so if they aren’t a member of the House of Lords. Ninety-two hereditary peers still sit the the House of Lords (not counting the ones who also hold life peerages). The rest of the Royal Family have the same voting rights as everyone else.
I’d agree. I understand the distinction that **Polycarp **is making between those who have peerages and those who don’t. But as for those who are “royalty” and those who are “commoners”, I’d go with the royal family’s own definition. Both the Princess Royal and Prince William carry the style HRH and are included as members of the royal family on the official website.
They aren’t even “the Honourable”. They’re just plain old “Mr Peter Phillips” and “Miss Zara Phillips”. Anne’s first husband declined the Queen’s offer of an earldom (customary for male commoners marrying a princess) and Anne declined her offer to grant her children titles by letters patent.
The only way you can get can get a courtesy title from your mother is if she’s the queen (or a peeress in her own right). Even Prince Charles wasn’t entitled to be a prince at birth despite his mother being the heiress presumptive. The king needed to issue letters patent at the last minute (Elizabeth was pretty far along in her pregnancy) to allow her children to enjory the princely status they’d have gotten automatically if she were a man. Otherwise Charles and Anne would’ve only had the courtesy titles of a duke’s children.