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	Name dates	Princess Royal from (date) to (date)	Parent	Date married	Husband dates	Notes
1	Mary, Princess Royal 1631–1660	1642–1660	Charles I 1600–1649	1641	William II, Prince of Orange 1626–1650
2	Anne, Princess Royal 1709–1759	1727–1759	George II 1683–1760	1734	William IV, Prince of Orange 1711–1751
3	Charlotte, Princess Royal 1766–1828	1789–1828	George III 1738–1820	1797	Frederick I of Württemberg 1754–1816
4	Victoria, Princess Royal 1840–1901	1841–1901	Victoria 1819–1901	1858	Friedrich III of Germany 1831–1888	Heiress presumptive 1840–1841
5	Louise, Princess Royal 1867–1931	1905–1931	Edward VII 1841–1910	1889	Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife 1849–1912
6	Mary, Princess Royal 1897–1965	1932–1965	George V 1865–1936	1922	Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood 1882–1947
7	Anne, Princess Royal 1950–	1987–present	Elizabeth II 1926–	1973–1992	Mark Phillips 1948-
				1992	Timothy Laurence 1955–

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, and later sleeping with her was made High Treason, punishable by death - a law only changed in 1998

List of Eldest daughters of English sovereigns

Name dates	Eldest daughter from (date) to (date)	Father	Date married	Husband dates	Notes
Adela of Normandy 1062/7-1137?	1066/7-1087	William I	1083?	Stephen II of Blois 1045-1102	Mother of Stephen of England.
Empress Matilda 1102-1167	1102–1135	Henry I	1114	Emperor Henry V 1086-1125	Named as her father's heir 1127-1135, briefly (1141) ruler of England; mother of Henry II.
			1128	Geoffrey V of Anjou 1113-1151
Marie of Boulogne 1136-1182	1136–1154	Stephen	1160–1170	Matthew of Boulogne c.1130-1173
Matilda of Saxony 1156-1189	1156–1189	Henry II	1168	Henry the Lion 1129-1195
Joan of England 1210-1238	1210–1216	John	1221	Alexander II of Scotland 1198-1249
Margaret of England 1240-1275	1240–1272	Henry III	1251	Alexander III of Scotland 1241-1286
Eleanor of England 1269-1298	1272–1298	Edward I	1293	Henry III of Bar 1259-1302
Joan of Acre 1272-1307	1298–1307	Edward I	1290	Gilbert de Clare 1243–1295	Became eldest daughter of the king then living when her sister died.
			1297	Ralph de Monthermer c. 1270-1325
Margaret Plantagenet 1275-1333?	Apr.-Jul. 1307	Edward I	1290	John II of Brabant 1275-1312	Very briefly eldest living daughter of the king between her sister's and her father's deaths.
Eleanor of Woodstock 1318-1355	1318–1327	Edward II	1332	Reginald II of Guelders 1295-1343
Isabella de Coucy 1332-1379/82	1332–1377	Edward III	1365	Enguerrand VII de Coucy 1340-1397
Blanche of England 1392-1409	1399–1409	Henry IV	1402	Louis III of Germany (son of King Rupert) 1378-1436
Philippa of England 1394-1430	1409–1413	Henry IV	1406	Eric of Pomerania King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden 1382-1459	Eldest living daughter of the king after her sister's death.
Elizabeth of York 1466-1503	1466–1483	Edward IV	1486	Henry VII of England 1457-1509	Heiress presumptive 1466-70
Margaret Tudor 1489-1541	1489–1509	Henry VII	1503	James IV of Scotland 1473-1513	Heiress presumptive 1509-11, 1511-16. Great-grandmother of James I.
Mary I of England 1516-1558	1516-1547 declared illegitimate 1533	Henry VIII	1554	Philip II of Spain 1527-1598	Heiress presumptive 1516-34 and 1547–53; Queen of England and Ireland 1553-58.
Elizabeth of Bohemia 1596-1662	1603–1625	James I	1613	Frederick V, Elector Palatine 1596-1632	Heiress presumptive 1625-30. Grandmother of George I.
Mary, Princess Royal	1631–1649	See above.
Mary II of England 1662-1694	1685–1689	James II	1677	William III of Orange 1650-1702	Heiress presumptive 1685-88, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland 1689-94.