How does a country pick a family to be Royal?

Question

Is it to do with the familes wealth?I'm talking WAY WAY before Queen Victoria and others.

Anyone have an idea?

Answer 1

No.

If this family has had a history....did something great for the country many many decades ago..they chose them.

Afterwards they can't change them because they already have too much power.

Answer 2

In ancient time, people do not "pick or vote" who is their leader, Kings are not chosen to become a monarch, they actually fought for it. That is how most of the royals came to be, they fought for their land and power through battles against other powerful leaders.

As they conquer more and more land, they become more powerful by absorbing their new found wealth, and more people would join their army and so forth. During ancient time, people did not "choose" their leader in a diplomatic way, whoever wins the battleground wear the crown, they did not have a voting system like we have in modern time.

Once a King was established in their society, his family will obviously become "the royal family." When the King dies, he will have named his successor, or if he was killed in the battlefield by another leader, his royal family will possibly be raped and murdered. The new King will take the crown and establish his own royal house, and the cycle repeats itself.

Answer 3

"Picking" implies a democratic process. Monarchy is far from that. Normally it involves violence and subjugation.

Answer 4

It's the blood line. A family is not just picked at random to be royal, they have to have the same blood running through their veins as the royals before them. The wealth is just something that comes along with the title, something that has been in the family from the first royal of that blood line. That's what you call "old" money.

Answer 5

The families normally become Royal 1000+ years ago through war, alliances, marriage etc. Only occasionally does someone get invited to be king by the Government of the day.

eg William of Orange, or King Carlos of Spain.

Answer 6

It depends on the country.  Some stick rigidly to the first born son or nearest relative.  England have used this principle for centuries.  If there is ever a dispute then the other way somebody can become king is to conquer and win on the field on battle.  Two examples of this are the "war of the roses" and the "hundred years war".

Other countries employ different method and go with the best leader within a close family group.  An example of this is Scotland.  Shakespear misinterpreted the reign of Macbeth based on the difference between the way that the two kingdoms name their leader.

Answer 7

Countries don't pick a family to be royal.

The strongest families go to war with each other, and the biggest, baddest, meanest guy on the victorious side proclaims himself as king.

True.

Answer 8

I have no idea but I have been lobbying Finland to ask me.  If they do, I will let you know.

Answer 9

It's not a matter of the nation choosing, it's more a case of having it imposed upon them.

Monarchy in it's various forms here in UK goes back a very long way indeed.

In more recent times, here's an example of one person who would be King who we have all been taught to hate : -

Laurence Olivier - Richard III by Wm. Shakespeare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thz2EUizC...

There are some 200 battle field sites here in England.  Most of them have had something to do with war concerning who will or will not be King.

Then in the 17thC - we got this : -

Monty Python - the English Civil War

http://pop.youtube.com/watch?v=ObI4eaK_G...

What some of us call the Monarchy, others call Rent-a-King.  Meanwhile in the background the English Republican movement continue their struggle to establish a republic in England.

Funny thing is that the English managed to establish a republic in America after first establishing their colony at Jamestown VA.  

First thing they did was to elect a council from among themselves plus they elected a 'president' of the council.

Next thing, build a fort to keep horrid people out.  etc.

Answer 10

maybe it is to do with their power... i dunno