How did the British Royal Family start?

The current Royal Family line emerged with the Norman invasion in 1066 when William the Conqueror landed in England. He deposed the monarch at the time, Harald Godwinson, dismantling the House of Wessex.

Who was the first British Royal Family?

SAXON KINGS. Egbert (Ecgherht) was the first monarch to establish a stable and extensive rule over all of Anglo-Saxon England. After returning from exile at the court of Charlemagne in 802, he regained his kingdom of Wessex.

Who were the ancestors of the British Royal Family?

The House of Windsor as we know it today began in 1917 when the family changed its name from the German “Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.” Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather, King George V, was the first Windsor monarch, and today’s working royals are the descendants of King George and his wife, Queen Mary.

Who started the royal family bloodline?

All of the monarchs are descendants of King Alfred the Great, who reigned in 871. Some of those included Henry VIII (who founded the Church of England and beheaded two of his six wives), and Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, under whose rule England prospered in the Golden Age.

How far back does the British royal bloodline go?

The current reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, can trace her ancestral history all the way back to the 9th Century, some 1,200 years. In these 1,200 years, there have been some weird and wonderful members of the Royal Family, each with a more interesting story than the next.

How far back can the Royal Family trace their roots?

Is the Royal Family inbred?

In modern times, among European royalty at least, marriages between royal dynasties have become much rarer than they once were. This happens to avoid inbreeding, since many royal families share common ancestors, and therefore share much of the genetic pool.

Why is the Royal Family German?

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, also a grandson of Queen Victoria, was the king’s cousin; the queen herself was German. As a result, on June 19, 1917, the king decreed that the royal surname was thereby changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.