Royal Fever

Do you have royal fever today as we watch the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle?  I had another blog planned this week but thought I’d talk a bit about royalty and genealogy.  We’ve all seen charts where someone has “traced their roots” back to Charlemagne.  While I imagine that there are some who may fall into that category, there are very few of us with a genealogical line that we can trace back to royalty.


While we may not have such an illustrious heritage, our ancestors were instrumental in the daily lives of these kingdoms.  The Rulers of Kingdoms relied on countless servants, advisors, soldiers and staff for the day-to-day running of their kingdom.

There are several resources available about the numerous kings and queens of Europe.  I encourage you to read more about the history of the kingdoms where your ancestors lived. If you’re fortunate in your ancestors, perhaps you have someone who worked in royal court or had ties to the government.  There may be records waiting to be found.  Even if you don’t have someone like that, you can better understand what the life of a farmer or shopkeeper or clerk was like in a given time by understanding more about the court.
To get you started here are some resources:

• British royalty – An amusing way to learn more about the British royalty is to watch any of the Lucy Worsley presentations.  She covers everything from the wives of Henry VIII to the Tsars of Russia to German Monarchs and the British Crown.  She has several books on topics from the Cavaliers to Jane Austen.  As a respected yet amusing historian, her work provides an interesting way to learn more about history.
• Our Daily Bread: German Village Life, 1500-1850 -Teva J Scheer.  This book provides insights to the daily life of our ancestors in a typical German village.  It also provides insight into how the kingdoms of Germany and the nobles impacted and relied on these villagers.
• Magazines – Check out magazines such as “Who do you think you are?” and “Familytree UK version” to better understand the impact of events in the United Kingdom.  You can learn more about records that are available specifically to these countries.  A recent publication has “discover your 16th century family”.
• Explore websites both paid and free. For example, on Ancestry.com you can view information about royal weddings at their blog: https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/

As you take in this royal fever surrounding the wedding, think about your ancestors. Who ruled where your ancestor lived?  What impact did they have on their lives? Have fun pondering your link to royalty. And I’ll raise a cup of fragrant tea in honor of the royal couple, wishing them joy as they become part of the royal fabric of time.
 
                     “Archaeologists are underpaid publicity agents for deceased royalty.”
                                                             -John Agar