A universal remote control device (100) is provided which is able to operate different electronic devices such as television sets, recorders, set top boxes, and audio systems. The universal remote control device (100) is provided with a database (10) in which control data collected from a plurality of individual physical remote control units (2) is stored in a structured manner. To enable the memory storing the database (10) to be kept small, repetitious and/or redundant control data is omitted. In addition, the database structure uses a hierarchical structure and inheritance. The control data of a physical remote in memory may be stored, therefore, in part in a child physical remote and also in one or more parent or grandparent virtual remotes. Such a structure enables control information which is common to a number of remotes to be stored in just a single occurrence.