Court Circular

Last updated

The Court Circular is the official record that lists the engagements carried out by the monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms; the royal family; and appointments to their staff and to the court. It is issued by St James's Palace and printed a day in arrears at the back of The Times , The Daily Telegraph and The Scotsman newspapers. An archive of the circular since 1997 is provided on the British monarchy's website.

Contents

The circular is traditionally written in very formal language, and describes persons with their official styles and titles at all times (Michael Ancram, for instance, was referred to as "the Marquess of Lothian MP" from 2004 to 2010). There has, however, been some modernisation of the writing style in recent years.

History

The Court Circular was established in 1803 by King George III, who had become frustrated at inaccurate reporting of royal events by the national press. He arranged for a daily report to be circulated to the press, listing the sovereign's official engagements. [1]

Until the 1960s, the Circular as printed in The Times and elsewhere would record the movements of members of the upper levels of society even if they were not part of the royal family and were not acting on its behalf.

Structure

The Court Circular follows royal protocols strictly. Announcements in the circular are listed by the official residences of those being reported on, in order of precedence. Only engagements which are carried out by the King (or in the UK on the King's behalf) are listed. Certain engagements carried out in the UK by persons not of the King's family but on his behalf are also listed.

Present day

Today, the following members of the Royal Family are listed in the Court Circular:

NameResidencesStyled
King Charles III Buckingham Palace
Windsor Castle
Sandringham House
Balmoral Castle
Holyrood Palace
Various Government Houses
The King, [2] [3] then His Majesty
Queen Camilla Buckingham Palace
Windsor Castle
Sandringham House
Balmoral Castle
Holyrood Palace
Various Government Houses
The Queen, then Her Majesty
William, Prince of Wales Kensington Palace
until July 2013: St James's Palace
until July 2009: Clarence House
The Prince of Wales (in Scotland: The Duke of Rothesay), then His Royal Highness [4]
Catherine, Princess of Wales Kensington Palace
until July 2013: St James's Palace
The Princess of Wales (in Scotland: The Duchess of Rothesay), then Her Royal Highness
Anne, Princess Royal St James's Palace
until February 2019: Buckingham Palace
The Princess Royal, then Her Royal Highness
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh St James's Palace
until March 2019: Buckingham Palace
The Duke of Edinburgh, then His Royal Highness
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh St James's Palace
until March 2019: Buckingham Palace
The Duchess of Edinburgh, then Her Royal Highness
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Kensington Palace The Duke of Gloucester, then His Royal Highness
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester Kensington Palace The Duchess of Gloucester, then Her Royal Highness
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent St James's Palace [5] The Duke of Kent, then His Royal Highness
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy St James's Palace
until April 2019: Buckingham Palace
until April 2015: Thatched House Lodge, Richmond
Princess Alexandra, then Her Royal Highness

Although the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh do not reside permanently at Buckingham Palace, their offices are based there, and they have use of apartments at the palace as a London residence.

Prince William began carrying out royal duties in July 2005, and was listed for the first time in his own right on 2 July for representing the Queen at a war memorial service in New Zealand.

Since they stepped back as senior members of the Royal Family and emigrated to the United States of America, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not carry out official royal engagements and do not appear in the Court Circular, unless attending an important royal function with other members of the Royal Family.

The Duke of York also does not carry out official royal engagements and therefore does not appear in the Court Circular (unless attending an important royal function with other members of the Royal Family) after he stepped down from public duties in November 2019 following intense negative reaction to a BBC television interview he gave regarding allegations of sexual abuse, which he denies.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie do not carry out official royal engagements and do not appear on the Court Circular, except when attending an important royal function with other members of the Royal Family.

Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence is occasionally listed as accompanying his wife, the Princess Royal, on visits overseas and within the United Kingdom. He was styled as Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, until 2011. Now he is styled as Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, with Vice-Admiral occasionally hyphenated. [6]

The Duchess of Kent stepped back from royal duties in 1996 and only appears in the Court Circular when attending an important royal function with other members of the Royal Family.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent only appear in the Court Circular when attending an important royal function as they do not carry out official royal engagements on behalf of the King.

Joint engagements

When Royals undertake joint engagements, it is listed under the section of the Royal with the higher precedence. They are referred to as "X and Y" (in order of precedence), then "Their Majesties," "Their Royal Highnesses," or, "His/Her Majesty and His/Her Royal Highness."

Commonwealth realms

When the King is visiting one of the Commonwealth realms, the relevant Government House or hotel where he is staying is listed in the Court Circular as his residence. This differs from state visits to foreign countries where either the official residence of the foreign Head of State, or whichever hotel the King is staying at, or simply Buckingham Palace is listed.

When other members of the Royal Family visit one of the realms, their UK principal residence is listed.

There is no separate Court Circular for any of the Commonwealth realms other than the UK. The Court Circular only lists engagements carried out by the King, and not engagements carried out by others acting on his behalf outside the UK, for example by vice-regal officers such as governors or governors-general.

Events commonly listed in the Court Circular

See also

Related Research Articles

The British royal family comprises King Charles III and his close relations. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is a part of the royal family. Members often support the monarch in undertaking public engagements, and pursue charitable work and interests. Members of the royal family are regarded as British and world cultural icons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Sweden</span> Monarchy of the Kingdom of Sweden

The monarchy of Sweden is centred on the monarchical head of state of Sweden, by law a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. There have been kings in what now is the Kingdom of Sweden for more than a millennium. Originally an elective monarchy, it became a hereditary monarchy in the 16th century during the reign of Gustav Vasa, though virtually all monarchs before that belonged to a limited and small number of political families which are considered to be the royal dynasties of Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester</span> British prince (born 1944)

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the youngest of the nine grandchildren of George V, nephew of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. He is 31st in the line of succession to the British throne, and the highest person on the list who is not a descendant of George VI. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in line to the throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester</span> Member of the British royal family (1901–2004)

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was a member of the British royal family. She was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the mother of Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy</span> British princess (born 1936)

Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, is a member of the British royal family. The only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, she is a granddaughter of George V, niece of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. Alexandra's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Elizabeth II, making her both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Standard of the United Kingdom</span> Flags used by the British monarchy

The royal standards of the United Kingdom presently refer to either of two similar flags used by King Charles III in his capacity as sovereign of the United Kingdom, the Crown dependencies, and the British Overseas Territories. Two versions of the flag exist, one for use within Scotland and the other for use elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Michael of Kent</span> British prince (born 1942)

Prince Michael of Kent is a member of the British royal family who is 52nd in line to the British throne as of January 2024. The younger son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, he is a grandson of George V, nephew of Edward VIII and George VI, and first cousin of Elizabeth II. Michael's mother was also a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, consort of Elizabeth II, making him both a second cousin and first cousin once removed to Charles III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Patricia of Connaught</span> British princess (1886–1974)

Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Upon her marriage to Alexander Ramsay, she relinquished her title of a British princess and the style of Royal Highness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife</span> Princess Arthur of Connaught

Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, born Lady Alexandra Duff and known as Princess Arthur of Connaught after her marriage, was the eldest surviving grandchild of Edward VII and also the first cousin of George VI. Alexandra and her younger sister, Maud, had the distinction of being the only female-line descendants of a British sovereign officially granted both the title of Princess and the style of Highness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katharine, Duchess of Kent</span> Member of the British royal family

Katharine, Duchess of Kent is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington Palace</span> Residence of the British royal family in London

Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British royal family since the 17th century, and is currently the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons. Kensington Palace is sometimes used as a metonym for the offices of royals who officially reside there.

Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor is a member of the British royal family, and is the elder daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. She is 35th in the line of succession to the British throne as of May 2023. She was known as Lady Davina Lewis between 2004 and 2018, during her marriage to Gary Lewis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland</span> Swedish princess (born 1982)

Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland is the second daughter and youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Upon her birth, she was third in line of succession to the Swedish throne; currently, she is eighth. Princess Madeleine is married to British-American financier Christopher O'Neill. They have three children, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish royal family</span> Family of the Swedish monarch

The Swedish royal family since 1818 has consisted of members of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. Today those who are recognized by the government are entitled to royal titles and styles, and perform official engagements and ceremonial duties of state. The extended family of the King consists of other close relatives who are not royal and thus do not represent the country officially.

An equerry is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a sovereign, a member of a royal family, or a national representative. The role is equivalent to an aide-de-camp, but the term is now prevalent only among some members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Prince étranger was a high, though somewhat ambiguous, rank at the French royal court of the Ancien Régime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Households of the United Kingdom</span> Collective departments of the British royal family

The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, from the large household that supports the sovereign to the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales, with fewer members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal tours of Saint Lucia</span>

Royal tours of Saint Lucia by its royal family have been taking place since the 20th century. Elizabeth II, Queen of Saint Lucia, visited the country twice; in 1966, and 1985.

References

  1. "The Court Circular". royal.uk. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022 via Internet Archive.
  2. A relationship with an organisation or place is generally indicated, e.g. The King, Duke of Lancaster or The Princess Royal, Patron
  3. When visiting the Isle of Man, the style used remains The King, and no mention is made of the style Lord of Mann . See Court Circular, Monday, 7 July 2003 for an example.
  4. Duke of Cornwall is used as an addition, not a replacement to The Prince of Wales
  5. The Duke and Duchess of Kent do not reside at St James's Palace. However, their offices are based there, and they have use of apartments at the Palaces as a London residence.
  6. "November 10".