When a monarch dies, or abdicates, a successor is immediately decided according to rules which were laid down at the end of the seventeenth century.

These guidelines, and the current order of succession in the Royal Family, are explained in this section.

The family name of the House of Windsor dates back to 1917, when King George V decided to adopt it. This section also contains information about Royal surnames – whether members of the Royal Family have one, and, if so, what it is.

Most members of the Royal Family, however, are known by formal titles which date back centuries – for example, The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal. Read about the history of Royal titles in this section.