Friederike I, the woman who would be Queen

Friederike Thyra Marion Wilhelmine Dorothea von der Osten, 52, from Halle in Germany, is descended from the long-serving monarch’s eldest daughter Princess Victoria.

Speaking about succession, she that she had always known that if the rules were different she could have been Queen – but that she could not see British people now accepting “a German educated person” in the role.

Her heir apparent would be Felicitas Catharine Malina Johanna von Reiche, a 25-year-old marketing manager from Berlin, who said she was “easy-going” about her family history, but probably knew more than most people about English royalty.

Mother and daughter can trace their links to the British Royal family back through Wilhelm II, the last German emperor and King of Prussia, who took his country into the First World War.

Dr van Osten, who was born in Bonn in what was then West Germany, moved east after the fall of the Berlin wall and has her own medical practice in Halle.

She said: “I have always been aware of my place as descendant of Queen Victoria and that, if different succession rules had been observed, I could have had a right to the British throne.

As a young girl, my mother met the Queen Mother but, as far as I know, she had no further contact. I have never met any members of the British royal family.

“I cannot imagine the Crown itself or the British people would vote for a change that would see a German-educated person in the role.”

Ms von Reiche told an Australian newspaper: “Yes, my two sisters and I grew up being aware of who we were.

''There was no special point in time I can remember when our family told us. It always belonged to my family history. We have no monarchy any more in Germany. Germans are less interested in their former royal dynasties than other European peoples that still have a king or queen.

“That is why most Germans are not aware of my background, especially my connection to the English Crown. Some of my friends know about my ancestors.”

Ms von Reiche, a marketing manager at an online furniture company, said some of her colleagues at work had also recently found out about her status thanks to media interest in her position.

It came after the announcement last week that rules were to be changed to allow first-born females to accede to the throne even if they had a younger brother.

She added: “When people find out, some will ask me about it and some won’t.

''Their first reactions range from respect and insecurity to prejudice. But I am very easy-going about my family history, so most people treat me normally.

“I probably know more about the English royal family than I would if they were not my ancestors. But I am not an expert in English royal history.

''When my grandmother was still alive, she sometimes told us stories and anecdotes.”