A
royal family is the immediate family of a
king or
queen regnant, and sometimes his or her extended family. The term
imperial family appropriately describes the family of an
emperor or
empress, while the terms
ducal family,
grand ducal family or
princely family are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning
duke,
grand duke, or
prince. However, in common parlance members of any family which
reigns by hereditary right are often referred to as royalty or "royals." It is also customary in some circles to refer to the extended relations of a deposed
monarch and his or her descendants as a royal family. A
dynasty is sometimes referred to as "the House of ...". As of July 2013, there are 26 active sovereign monarchies in the world who rule or reign over 43 countries in all.