Vocabulary · UK culture
The royal family in English
B1
The royal family in English: the king and queen, princes and princesses, titles like duke, the crown and the throne, royal palaces and big ceremonies. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The royal family
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| king(n.)“King Charles III is the British monarch.” | a man who rules a country | /kɪŋ/ |
| queen(n.) | a woman who rules, or a king's wife | /kwiːn/ |
| prince(n.) | the son or grandson of a monarch | /prɪns/ |
| princess(n.) | a monarch's daughter, or a prince's wife | /prɪnˈses/ |
| duke(n.) | a man with a very high noble title | /djuːk/ |
| duchess(n.) | a woman with a very high noble title | /ˈdʌtʃɪs/ |
| heir(n.) | the next person to get the throne | /eə/ |
Power and titles
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| monarch(n.) | a king or queen | /ˈmɒnək/ |
| monarchy(n.) | a country ruled by a king or queen | /ˈmɒnəki/ |
| crown(n.) | a gold circle worn on the head | /kraʊn/ |
| throne(n.) | the special chair of a king or queen | /θrəʊn/ |
| reign(n.) | the time when a monarch rules | /reɪn/ |
| coronation(n.) | the ceremony where a monarch receives the crown | /ˌkɒrəˈneɪʃən/ |
Royal places
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| palace(n.) | a very large, grand home | /ˈpælɪs/ |
| Buckingham Palace(n.) | the king's official home in London | /ˈbʌkɪŋəm ˈpælɪs/ |
| castle(n.) | a big, strong old building with towers | /ˈkɑːsəl/ |
| Windsor Castle(n.) | a royal castle west of London | /ˈwɪnzə ˈkɑːsəl/ |
Ceremonies
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| royal wedding(n.) | the marriage of a prince or princess | /ˈrɔɪəl ˈwedɪŋ/ |
| jubilee(n.) | a celebration of years on the throne | /ˈdʒuːbɪliː/ |
| ceremony(n.) | a formal public event | /ˈserɪməni/ |
| tradition(n.) | a custom that people keep for years | /trəˈdɪʃən/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
/heə/ ❌: the h of heir is silent
Heir (the person who will be the next king or queen) is pronounced /eə/, like air. The h is silent, as in hour and honest. So you say an heir, not a heir.
Queen or queen consort?
A queen can be a queen who rules the country (like Elizabeth II) or the wife of a king. The wife of a king is the queen consort: she has no royal power of her own. That is why Camilla, the wife of King Charles III, is a queen consort.
Practice quiz
Related pages: The royal family
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Frequently asked questions
What is the title of the British monarch?+
King or Queen of the United Kingdom. The monarch is also Head of the Commonwealth, a group of countries that were mostly part of the British Empire.
What is the difference between a prince and a duke?+
A prince is the son or grandson of the monarch: it is a title from birth. A duke is a noble title, and the monarch can give it as an extra title. For example, Prince William has been Prince of Wales since 2022, and he is also Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Cambridge.
Where does the royal family live?+
Buckingham Palace in London is the official home of the monarch. Windsor Castle is a royal castle west of London. There are other royal homes too, like Sandringham (in England) and Balmoral (in Scotland).
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/royal-family
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.