image copyrightHarpo Productions/Joe PuglieseThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to appear in a much-anticipated television interview with Oprah Winfrey.
It will air in the US on Sunday and in the UK on ITV on Monday at 21:00 GMT.
Who are the members of the UK’s Royal Family and how does it work?
Who is in the Royal Family?
The 94-year-old monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip), who is 99, have four children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
image copyrightPA MediaOther members of the Royal Family include:
- The Prince of Wales (Prince Charles), 72, who is married to the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla). He is the Queen’s eldest child and will become king when she dies
- The Duke of Cambridge (Prince William) who is married to the Duchess of Cambridge (Catherine). William is the eldest son of the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales
- The Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry) is William’s brother. He is married to the Duchess of Sussex (Meghan). Last year, they said they would step back as senior royals and now live in Los Angeles
How do you become a royal?
Only those born into the Royal Family can be in line to the throne.
However, those who marry a royal also become a member of the Royal Family.
They are given a title when they marry. For example, Lady Diana Spencer became Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles in 1981.
What happens at royal weddings?
Royal weddings often take place at some of the oldest and grandest places, and attract huge crowds.
The Queen and Prince Philip were married in 1947 at Westminster Abbey, which was founded in 960 AD and is next door to the Houses of Parliament.
More than six decades later, in 2011, crowds lined the streets outside the Abbey to celebrate the marriage of her grandson William, to Catherine Middleton. They became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Other royals have exchanged vows at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, which is more than 900 years old.
The weddings there include Prince Harry’s to Meghan Markle in 2018.
What about when there is a royal baby?
A number of senior royals have been born at St Mary’s Hospital in London.
Princess Diana gave birth to Prince William and Prince Harry there, and the Duchess of Cambridge her three children: Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.
Both women were photographed with their husbands and babies outside the hospital.
image copyrightPAWhat does the Royal Family do?
The Queen meets with the prime minister once a week, as a reminder of her place in government, but the prime minister doesn’t seek her approval for policies.
The Queen and other senior royals carry out official engagements.
Family members also represent her in visits to other countries. For example, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out an official visit to the Republic of Ireland last March.
image copyrightJulien BehalMany are patrons for charities, and some have established their own – such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme for young people.
They have close ties to the armed forces. Prince William served in the Royal Air Force and Prince Harry served in the Army.
image copyrightPA MediaDo royals always carry out official duties?
image copyrightGetty ImagesThe Duke of York (Prince Andrew) stepped away from royal duties in 2019.
Where do the Royal Family get their money?
Every year, the UK government gives the Queen a single payment called the Sovereign Grant.
This is based on 25% of the Crown Estate’s revenue from two years previously. The Crown Estate is an independent commercial property business. It includes the 4,800-acre Windsor Great Park and the Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, but is mostly made up of residential and commercial property.
The Sovereign Grant, which is £85.9m for 2020-21, supports official royal duties and maintains occupied royal palaces.
Where do the Royal Family live?
image copyrightPA MediaThe Queen’s official London home is Buckingham Palace.
She usually spends weekends and a month over Easter at Windsor Castle in Berkshire. However, she and Prince Philip have lived there throughout the pandemic.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall live in Clarence House – less than half a mile from Buckingham Palace – when they are in London.
Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, also live nearby – in Kensington Palace.
