The United Kingdom has a Royal Family, and a member of the family - the Queen - is actually a head of state.
New Royal Families haven’t been “created” for about a century, indeed activity is in the other direction, as rules, and thus Families are deposed form time to time. But Royal Families, like all families, never really die; someone carries on the name, even a 100th cousin. But once a member ceases to hold any official position the raison d’etre seems to become historic. So if we look at countries that are now republics can we really call decedents of former kings “Royal”?
* Brazilian Imperial Family (deposed)
* Bulgarian Royal Family (deposed)
* Greek Royal Family (deposed)
* Korean Imperial Family (Deposed)
* Koch Rajbongshi Royal Family India (deposed)
* Grand Ducal families of Mecklenburg (Schwerin and Strelitz) (deposed)
* Laotian Royal Family (deposed)
* Nepalese Royal Familydeposed)
* Italian Royal Family (deposed)
* Romanian Royal Family (deposed)
* Portuguese Royal Family (deposed)
* Princely Family of Schwarzenberg (mediatised)
* Yugoslavian (Serbian) Royal Family (deposed)
Let us take the example of Karel Schwarzenberg. Who? Well his full name is Karl Johannes Nepomuk Josef Norbert Friedrich Antonius Wratislaw Mena von Schwarzenberg. He is the current head of the House of Schwarzenberg, the eldest son of Prince Karl VI of Schwarzenberg and Princess Antonie von Fürstenberg. His full title is His Serene Highness The Prince of Schwarzenberg, Count of Sulz, Princely Landgrave in Klettgau, and Duke of Krumlov.
The territory once ruled by the House of Schwarzenberg is now part of the Czech Republic. The President of the Czech Republic is now the head of state of the Czech Republic. So what does Schwarzenberg’s title mean today? Well what does a hereditry British peerage mean? THe raison d’etre of a seat in the House of Lords has been removed.
To answer the question fully would be impossible but having a title retains some advantages’
*A personal sense of pride in ones family history
*Invitations to events in the former terriroty as an honoured guest
*An extra line on the CV
*A prefix on the Business Card
But the most important advantage
*Money - all Royal families were at one stage rich, and so, chances are some of that wealth still exists.
Returning to Karel Schwarzenbeg, while his status as HSH gives him no political power he did manage to get elected and was Minsiter for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic from 9th January 2007 to 8th May 2009. Could he have secured that position without his title?
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