# The reign of King Charles III of the United Kingdom **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 8, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232 "2022-09-08T18:05:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 87
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1724 "2024-10-23T03:00:33Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Right. They’ve changed their name, but they’re still basically Hanovers. Really? Here’s summary of how far back you have to go to get to a direct ancestor in the royal line who was born in Hanover: Charles III: born Buckingham Palace, London, England Mother: Elizabeth II, born Mayfair, London, England ( **1926** ) Grandfather: George VI, born York Cottage, Norfolk, England ( **1895** ) Great-Grandfather: George V, born Marlborough House, Westminster, England ( **1865** ) Great-Great-Grandfather: Edward VII, born Buckingham Palace, London, England ( **1841** ) Great-Great-Great Grandmother: Victoria, born Kensington Palace, London, England ( **1819** ) Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather: Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, born Buckingham House, London, England ( **1767** ) Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather: George III, born Norfolk House, London, England ( **1738** ) Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather: Frederick, Prince of Wales, born Hanover, Holy Roman Empire ( **1707** ) Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather: George II, born Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover ( **1683** ) So the most recent ancestor in the direct royal line born in Hanover was Frederick, Prince of Wales, born in 1707. That’s **317 years ago**. Every direct ancestor in the royal line since then has been born in England, starting with George III ( **1738** ), **287 years ago** , who “gloried in the name of Briton”. The last direct ancestor of Charles who was King of Hanover (but never visited) was George III, who died in **1820** , **204 years ago**. The last time someone in the direct line married someone from Germany was Victoria, who married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (not Hanover) in **1840** , **186 years ago**. Every spouse since then has been born in England, except for Alexandra of Denmark (spouse of Edward VII) Yup, they’re basically Hanoverians, no disguising it. Tell me, if you met someone in England, the US or Canada today whose last ancestor born in Hanover was in 1707, whose direct line has been born in England, the US or Canada ever since, and whose last German ancestor was from 1840, would you say that they’re basically Hanoverians, not English, Americans or Canadians? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1725 "2024-10-23T03:03:49Z")
Hah! I can do a lot better! My mother was born in Hannover in **1930**. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1726 "2024-10-23T03:06:06Z")
So clearly you’re a Hannoverian, right? doesn’t matter where you were born. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1727 "2024-10-23T03:09:45Z")
Jahwohl! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1728 "2024-10-23T03:15:26Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Yup, they’re basically Hanoverians, no disguising it. Wow. You go! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1729 "2024-10-23T03:36:32Z")
Thanks for the link to my Staff Report, **Northern\_Piper**. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > … The Windsors have been trying to downplay their inherently German roots since about 1933… Even earlier - try 1917: [House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1730 "2024-10-23T03:53:03Z")
I’m just saying the line from Sophia to Charles is unbroken. The Plantangenet dynasty ended with Richard III, the Tudors with Elizabeth I, the Stuarts with Anne. The Hanovers just changed their names a couple of times (to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha because of Prince Albert and then Windsor because German name bad). But the line is pretty direct. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1731 "2024-10-23T04:01:54Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Even earlier - try 1917: [House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha) Don’t mention the war! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1732 "2024-10-23T04:14:38Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > I’m just saying the line from Sophia to Charles is unbroken. > > The Plantangenet dynasty ended with Richard III, the Tudors with Elizabeth I, the Stuarts with Anne. The Hanovers just changed their names a couple of times (to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha because of Prince Albert and then Windsor because German name bad). But the line is pretty direct. And the line from Edward III Plantagenet is direct: From Edward III to John of Gaunt to Henry VII Tudor a few generations later. Henry VII strengthened his Plantagenet links by marrying the daughter of Edward IV Plantagenet, so Henry VIII was the direct grandson of Edward IV Plantagenet. The name changed to Tudor because of a marriage, but the Tudors were direct descendants of the Plantagenets. The Stuart claim to the throne was from the Tudors: Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and brother of Henry VIII, married James IV Stuart. So still a direct line from the Plantagenets, with another name change due to a marriage. Sophia Stuart became Sophia of Hanover, due to a marriage, but she too was in direct line from the Plantagenets. Victoria married into the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, so another name change due to a marriage, but she was in direct line from Edward III Plantagenet. That was followed by George V re-naming his family (“but let’s not mention the war!”). So, either name changes due to marriages don’t count, and then Charles is a Plantagenet, or they do count, and Charles is a Windsor, not a Hanoverian. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1733 "2024-10-23T04:31:44Z")
Sure. But you have to go through a lot of not kings and queens to get from Edward III to Henry VII, and from Henry VII to James I, and from James I to George I, which is why all of those are considered dynastic changes. The line from George I to Charles is almost all kings and queens (off the top of my head I think the only exceptions are Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Edward Duke of Kent). Victoria was the last Hanover monarch; her son was a Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Windsors may be a new house, but I wouldn’t call them a new dynasty. The broader point is that the various royal houses of Europe tended to get pretty mixed up with each other. Also I’m tired and I think I forgot the point I was making… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1734 "2024-10-23T05:40:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > American forget the Monarchy does a lot of good. First all all, the King takes a lot of Cerimonial stuff off the back of the PM- funerals, ribbon cutting and such. Our President spends a lot of time doing this. Lots of countries have elected presidents for that, separate from their PMs e.g. Ireland. > [@](#): > > next of all the Monarchy brings in a LOT of Money into the UK. Something on the order of a billion pounds. Isn’t a lot of that calculation counting people coming to see physical sites like Buck Palace? How many visitors to Versailles vs BP? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1735 "2024-10-23T05:47:14Z")
Charles is not fluent in Welsh. He can (and does) read speeches in Welsh, but you can tell from those that he’s not fluent. I think it’s fair to say that he speaks Welsh, though, which is more than most people in Wales, so I am not denigrating him at all, just assessing. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1736 "2024-10-23T06:09:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The British monarch does have what historian Robert Lacey calls a “dry and slightly mordant sense of humor,” and has in recent years developed a stock line for whenever the cellphone of a visitor goes off: “You’d better answer that. It might be someone important.” I suspect that might have been adapted from Hyacinth Bouquet (from before the mobile phone era) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1737 "2024-10-23T09:10:36Z")
I think it’s funny that from a certain point of view, William and Cathy’s kid will be the first true Anglo-Saxon monarch since Edward the Confessor. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1738 "2024-10-23T09:18:51Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > William and Cathy’s kid You mean the future George VII? > **[Prince George of Wales](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_George_of_Wales)** > > Prince George of Wales (George Alexander Louis; born 22 July 2013) is a member of the British royal family. He is the eldest child of William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. George is the eldest grandchild of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. He is second in the line of succession to the British throne behind his father. > George was born at St Mary's Hospital, London, during the reign of his paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and was third in li... ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1739 "2024-10-23T09:24:58Z")
Just hedging my bets. They have three children; chances are, at least one of them will ascend to the throne. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1740 "2024-10-23T10:26:41Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > Charles speaks German fairly fluently though I’m told his accent is not great. IIRC, has given public speeches in German, in Germany. > > He has lots of German relatives on his father’s side, remember. That’s true, Charles speaks German fluently, but with a discernible British accent. He held a speech in German at the Bundestag on his last state visit to Germany. His father though spoke German with almost no accent at all. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1741 "2024-10-23T10:38:15Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That’s true, Charles speaks German fluently, but with a discernible British accent. Heh. I speak Russian. When I spoke with a Russian friend’s family, I was informed that I spoke with a Moscow accent, as opposed to their Leningrad (as it was known then) accent. Ohhh-kay. Well, they could still understand me, so that was okay. ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1742 "2024-10-23T14:36:54Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I think it’s funny that from a certain point of view, William and Cathy’s kid will be the first true Anglo-Saxon monarch since Edward the Confessor. But from a different point of view, the Hanoverians were themselves ‘Saxon’ - after all, Hannover is now the capital of Lower Saxony - and they made much of this after 1714. Also, if you go back far enough, the same could be said of the assorted Oldenburgs, Hesse, Coburgs etc. in the Royal Family’s ancestry. So you could just as meaninglessly say that Charles III is already ‘Anglo-Saxon’. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232/1743 "2024-10-23T19:23:30Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > When in Papua New Guinea in 2012, the then Prince of Wales used Tok Pisin to describe himself as “nambawan pikinini bilong Misis Kwin”. Ha, I know no Tok Pisin at all, but I understand that whole thing! Or am I being whooshed? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232.md?page=86) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reign-of-king-charles-iii-of-the-united-kingdom/971232.md?page=88)