Princess Royal

Princess Royal is a title often given by the reigning British King or Queen to his or her eldest daughter. The title is a gift of the monarch, unlike Prince of Wales which is always given to the eldest son

There can only be one Princess Royal at a time, so Elizabeth II never held the title because her aunt, Princess Mary was already called Princess Royal.

List of Princesses Royal

The following is a full list of women officially called  "Princess Royal":

 Order  Namedates  Princess Royalfrom (date) to (date)  Parent  Date married  HusbanddatesNotes 1  Mary, Princess Royal1631–1660  1642–1660   Charles I1600–1649  1641  William II, Prince of Orange1626–1650  2  Anne, Princess Royal1709–1759  1727–1759  George II1683–1760  1734  William IV, Prince of Orange1711–1751  3  Charlotte, Princess Royal1766–1828  1789–1828  George III1738–1820  1797  Frederick I of Württemberg1754–1816  4  Victoria, Princess Royal1840–1901  1841–1901  Victoria1819–1901  1858  Friedrich III of Germany1831–1888  Heiress presumptive 1840–1841 5  Louise, Princess Royal1867–1931  1905–1931  Edward VII1841–1910  1889  Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife1849–1912  6  Mary, Princess Royal1897–1965  1932–1965  George V1865–1936  1922  Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood1882–1947 7  Anne, Princess Royal1950–  1987–present  Elizabeth II1926–  1973–1992  Mark Phillips1948-  1992  Timothy Laurence1955–

Princess Louisa Maria (1692–1712), the last daughter of King James II (d. 1701), was born after he lost his crown in the Glorious Revolution.  She was given the title of Princess Royal during James's exile at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and was so called by Jacobites, even though she was never even James's eldest living daughter.

 Eldest daughters of English sovereigns 

Before Charles II in 1660 started using the title of Princess Royal, the eldest daughters of the King of England had a special status.  Magna Carta made the Barons to pay for the eldest daughter's wedding,Nullum scutagium vel auxilium ponatur in regno nostro.... nisi.... ad filiam nostram primogenitam semel maritandam and later sleeping with her was made High Treason,si home violast la compaigne le roy, ou leigne file le roy nient marie, ou la compaigne leigne fitz et heire le roy.... doit estre ajugge treson a nostre Seigneur le Roi punishable by death - a law only changed in 1998 Crime and Disorder Act 1998 c37 §36.

List of Eldest daughters of English sovereigns
 Namedates  Eldest daughterfrom (date) to (date)  Father  Date married  HusbanddatesNotes Adela of Normandy1062/7-1137?  1066/7-1087  William I  1083?  Stephen II of Blois1045-1102  Mother of Stephen of England. Empress Matilda1102-1167  1102–1135  Henry I  1114  Emperor Henry V1086-1125 Named as her father's heir 1127-1135, briefly (1141) ruler of England; mother of Henry II.1128  Geoffrey V of Anjou1113-1151 Marie of Boulogne1136-1182  1136–1154  Stephen  1160–1170  Matthew of Boulognec.1130-1173  Matilda of Saxony1156-1189  1156–1189  Henry II  1168  Henry the Lion1129-1195  Joan of England1210-1238  1210–1216  John  1221  Alexander II of Scotland1198-1249  Margaret of England1240-1275  1240–1272  Henry III  1251  Alexander III of Scotland1241-1286  Eleanor of England1269-1298  1272–1298  Edward I  1293  Henry III of Bar1259-1302   Joan of Acre1272-1307   1298–1307   Edward I  1290  Gilbert de Clare1243–1295  Became eldest daughter of the king then living when her sister died. 1297  Ralph de Monthermerc. 1270-1325  Margaret Plantagenet1275-1333?  Apr.-Jul. 1307  Edward I  1290  John II of Brabant1275-1312  Very briefly eldest living daughter of the king between her sister's and her father's deaths. Eleanor of Woodstock1318-1355  1318–1327  Edward II  1332  Reginald II of Guelders1295-1343  Isabella de Coucy1332-1379/82  1332–1377  Edward III  1365  Enguerrand VII de Coucy1340-1397  Blanche of England1392-1409  1399–1409  Henry IV  1402  Louis III of Germany(son of King Rupert)1378-1436  Philippa of England1394-1430  1409–1413  Henry IV  1406  Eric of PomeraniaKing of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden1382-1459  Eldest living daughter of the king after her sister's death. Elizabeth of York1466-1503  1466–1483  Edward IV  1486  Henry VII of England1457-1509  Heiress presumptive 1466-70 Margaret Tudor1489-1541  1489–1509  Henry VII  1503  James IV of Scotland1473-1513  Heiress presumptive 1509-11, 1511-16. Great-grandmother of James I.  Mary I of England1516-1558  1516-1547declared illegitimate 1533  Henry VIII  1554  Philip II of Spain1527-1598  Heiress presumptive 1516-34 and 1547–53; Queen of England and Ireland 1553-58.  Elizabeth of Bohemia1596-1662  1603–1625  James I  1613  Frederick V, Elector Palatine1596-1632  Heiress presumptive 1625-30. Grandmother of George I. Mary, Princess Royal  1631–1649  See above. Mary II of England1662-1694  1685–1689  James II  1677  William III of Orange1650-1702  Heiress presumptive 1685-88, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland 1689-94. 

References