Britain's oldest family business opened when Henry VIII ruled

Telegraph ^ | 11-4-11

[SunkenCiv]

Well said.

[FrdmLvr]

25

[colorado tanker]

The royal estates were eventually forfeited to the government in the 18th Century. The business enterprise of the royal family is the Duchy of Lancaster, which Henry VII declared separate from the crown lands to be passed by inheritance to the Kings (and Queens) of England. It has assets, mostly real estate, all over England and Wales valued at about 383 million pounds.

So, you could date the Windsor family business from 1399, when Henry was crowned, although some take it back to the medieval foundation of the Duchy, before it united with the monarch.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Congratulations to all the Balsons! That is a remarkable feat. I wonder what the rocord is for family run businesses in other countries? Is it possible that this business is the oldest continuously family run business in the world?

[Joe 6-pack]

"Is it possible that this business is the oldest continuously family run business in the world?"

See my #12 for one that's at least 500 years older....

[decimon]

...do you have to axe your wife first?

Axe me no questions, I'll fell you no lies.

[hellbender]

When you look at the origins and histories of these royal families, you realize that they basically are descended from a bunch of warlords essentially like Mafia godfathers or Arab sheikhs. Murderous, backstabbing, conspiratorial trash. They lived off of taxes on the lower orders and spent their time riding to the hounds, screwing harems of mistresses, and fighting other nobles for power.

[colorado tanker]

It’s good to be king. :-))

[colorado tanker]

To your point, the first Duke of Normandy was Rollo, a Viking warrior believed to be a nobleman from Denmark or Norway. He raided Northern France and up the Seine until the King gave him Normandy if he would quit raiding and swear fealty. His descendant, William the Conqueror, invaded England and seized the Crown. The rest, as they say, is history.

[SunkenCiv]

We know a few of his six wives had been around the block, but just once each.

[hellbender]

The present heir, Prince Charles, is named after a couple of the most worthless absolutist Kings of the past. Charles I was beheaded, and deservedly so, after repeatedly making war on Parliament. His successor, Charles II, a philandering playboy, sent agents all around Europe, kidnapping all the “regicides” who voted to execute his father, and had them drawn and quartered (eviscerated while alive). That’s precisely what our Founding Fathers meant by “cruel & unusual punishment.” That was only about a century before the American Revolution, so the Founders remembered it well.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks; I’ll just point out that each of the so-called royal houses (apart from the current one) has died out, going extinct. The most recent extinction was that of the House of Stuart, which ended with Queen Anne, and of course had a few little bumps in the road (the Glorious Revolution, the English Civil War / Protectorate).

I recall reading years ago that all the kings and queens of England have been descended from Alfred the Great, King of Wessex.

http://www.britroyals.com/royals1.htm

[decimon]

We know a few of his six wives had been around the block, but just once each.

They were on a roll.

[SunkenCiv]

Those headsmen were swingers in their own right.

[decimon]

Those headsmen were swingers in their own right.

I heard they never got past necking.

[SunkenCiv]

Mama’s boys, every last one, although they did cut the cord.