Genealogy Chat

Just been on eBay and their are a few people doing a brisk trade in Birth, Marriage and Death certificates of famous people. Right now, you can buy a copy of Princess Dianas Death, Charles and Camillas marriage, the birth certificates of various Beatles and the American Death Certificates of JFK and John Lennon. It got me thinking a bit about acquiring these in the same why I acquire my own family stuff from the GRO and finding them in the 1837 online indexes. A bit of poking around in the biographies of various actors, pop stars or footballers could probably allow me to find stuff like David Beckham's birth certificate (not that I'd want to) and send off for it. As I understand the law I can apply for anyones birth certificate, even if they are not related to me, and I presume the same goes for marriages and deaths. There's nothing to stop me going into business like this is there? It also got me wondering whether people like Royalty, such as the Queen, Prince Charles, William and Harry have their entries in the GRO indexes and in theory could be ordered. What about someone like Queen Victoria, who died in 1901 - would she be in the BMD indexes, or is the monarch excluded from GRO certificate laws - Princess Diana obviously wasn't. Has anyone tried looking for Royalty in the 1861-1901 census' - would you find Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace for example, or would she and her family have been exempt? I'm not going to do this of course (I've got far too many of my own family to look for first without trying to get certificates of the rich and famous!), I just have far too much time on my hands to think about things like this. Michael

Not sure about the BMD's, but royalty are certainly included on the census. There was a thread about this some time ago, will see if I can find it and nudge it up... ...found and nudged!

They were all listed on the censuses. This is taken from 1851, when Albert was still alive... Her Majesty Alexandrina Victoria abt 1820 Kensington Palace Wife St George Hanover Square Middlesex (occupation - The Queen) H R H Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emanuel abt 1820 Head St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa abt 1841 Buckingham Palace, Buckinghamshire, England Daughter St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Albert Edward abt 1842 Buckingham Palace, Buckinghamshire, England Son St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Alice Maud Mary abt 1844 Buckingham Palace, Buckinghamshire, England Daughter St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Alfred Ernest Albert abt 1845 Windsor Castle Son St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Helena Augusta Victoria abt 1847 Polan, Buckinghamshire, England Daughter St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Louisa Carolina Alberta abt 1848 Polan, Buckinghamshire, England Daughter St George Hanover Square Middlesex H R H Arthur William Patrick Albert abt 1850 Polan, Buckinghamshire, England Son St George Hanover Square Middlesex

Prince Harry is listed on the Birth index, so I don't see why any of the others wouldn't be. (Yes, I'm /that/ sad lol) (I also found Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie) The Queen Mother is also on the Death index.

I read somewhere that the monarch is exempt from the GRO indexes, but have never thought to look.......... Queen Victoria's death doesn't show up. Merry

The Charles and Camilla certificate has to be a fake as it is less than 18 months since the wedding, and indexes are only available from the regestsring office for the fist 18 months and the wouldn't let any Tom, Dick or Harriett have a copy surely! Diana's death would have been registered in france so wouldn't show up in the normal BMD index. More recently the royals have been regestring in the same was as the rest of us, so do show up in the GRO index. Am sure I have seen William indexed. Drat can't find it now :-(((

Charles & Camilla's marriage certificate can be bought from the local register office, it's perfectly legal to do so. In fact, immediately after their wedding a limited supply of the cert was offered at half the normal fee at the shop attached to Buckingham Palace. This was announced on national TV, they sold like hot cakes, and why not? A little piece of history, I was tempted... Sam

Does Ancestry REALLY say that for 1851? I suppose we are lucky that the birthplace isn't given as Poland.

In 1881 census Queen Victoria was at Windsor - another useless piece of info!