Royal Family line of succession explained
Following recent upheaval within the British monarchy, questions have been raised regarding the current line of succession to the throne.
It's long been the case that a royal's individual positioning in relation to the throne shifts with the passing of each individual monarch.
Such was the case most recently, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, at the age of 96. With 70 years under her belt, she boasted the longest reign in royal history.
Immediately upon the passing of her majesty, The Queen and Prince Phillip's eldest son, the former Prince Charles, took to the throne.
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His coronation in May of the following year cemented his position as King Charles III. Interestingly, being 73 at the time, the celebration made Charles the eldest person to succeed to the British throne in history.
Being born ahead of his younger siblings, Princess Anne (1950), the former Prince Andrew (1960), and Prince Edward (1964) afford him this position.
If Charles hadn't welcomed any children, the throne would have passed down to his brother, Andrew, upon his death.
'But what about Anne?', I hear you ask. 'She's older than Andrew.'
Well, before the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton's daughter, Princess Charlotte, there was a male-preference primogeniture in place that saw male heirs take precedence over their older female siblings.
Thankfully, however, Charles did welcome children - Princes William, as already mentioned, and Harry. He bore the twosome with the late Princess Diana, to whom he was married between 1981 and 1996.
William, being the King's eldest child, makes him first in line to the British throne.
Before the 43-year-old Prince of Wales married Kate in 2011, his little brother, Harry, was next in line behind him.
The succession line shifted all over again two years later, however, following the birth of their first child, Prince George.
The 12-year-old youngster, who is currently primary school age, is now second in line to the throne, as well as second head of the Commonwealth.
William and Kate's other two children, Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, and Prince Louis, born in 2018, stand in third and fourth position.
Given that George is too young yet to bear any children of his own, his uncle Harry, 41, is fifth in the line of succession.
Any grandchildren that George, Charlotte and Louis welcome in the years to come will push the red-haired Prince further down the line.
Even if the worst were to happen, however, and Harry were to stand up to the plate, it's unlikely he'd even be willing to take on the role of King, given that he and his wife, Meghan Markle, resigned from the royal responsibilities back in 2020.
Citing mistreatment from a number of senior royals, the couple fled to Montecito, California, with their son, Prince Archie, where they went on to welcome a daughter, Princess Lilibet.
As things currently stand, however, six-year-old Archie is sixth in line to the throne.
His little sister, Lilibet, four, is close behind him in seventh.
Given that his big brother, King Charles, is a father-of-two and a grandfather-of-five, the man previously known as Prince Andrew has been knocked down the pecking order to eighth in the line of succession.
In light of recent revelations regarding his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, however, there have been calls to remove 66-year-old Andrew from the line of succession entirely.
The father-of-six was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid accusations that he shared confidential information with Epstein whilst serving as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Lib Dem MP Luke Taylor last week demanded Labour officials enact legislation to remove Andrew from the succession line, reminding House of Commons attendees last week that the disgraced royal was photographed with Epstein as late as 2011 - three years after the latter's first charge for soliciting a child for prostitution.
Trade minister Chris Bryant responded to claim his team were working 'at pace' to see legislation put into place to enact Andrew's removal.
Until then, however, he remains in eighth.
This places his eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, whom he shares with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, in ninth position.
Beatrice's younger sister, Princess Eugenie, had previously been in the 10th spot. That was, until Beatrice, 37, welcomed a daughter with her property developer husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in 2021.
Their eldest little one, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, therefore, currently sits in 10th in line to the throne. Sienna's little sister, Athena, born in January of last year, meanwhile, sits in 11th.
With Beatrice's two children out of the way, the throne would subsequently pass to Eugenie, who is currently 12th in the royal line of succession.
Eugenie's two sons, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, born in 2021, and Ernest 'Ernie' George Ronnie Brooksbank, born in 2023 to her bar manager husband Jack Brooksbank, are currently placed 13th and 14th, respectively.
After Charles' children and grandchildren, and the disgraced Andrew and his, Prince Edward comes next, sitting in 15th position as the King's youngest sibling - again, surpassing Anne. Awkward!
Despite Edward and wife, Sophie Wessex, welcoming a daughter first - Lady Louise Windsor, born in 2003 - given ancient royal traditions, their son, James Viscount Severn, born in 2007, comes in next at 16th.
Louise, therefore, is placed in 17th.
Eventually, once Charles' brothers and their offspring are out of the way, the crown falls to Princess Anne.
Currently 18th in line to the throne, the Princess Royal (as she's so nicknamed) would pass the baton down to her son, Peter Phillips, whom she shares with English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman Mark Philips.
After Peter, who sits in 19th, comes his daughter, Savannah, born in 2008, in 20th.
The youngster's mother is Peter's ex-wife, Autumn Phillips, with whom he also shares Isla Phillips, born in 2012. The latter currently places 21st in line to the throne.
The last of Charles' grandchildren is Zara Tindall, Princess Anne's sole daughter.
She is currently in 22nd position, with her three children, Mia, born in 2014, and Lena and Lucas, both born in 2018, following closely behind her in 23rd, 24th and 25th.
Zara shares the trio with ex-rugby star husband, Mike Tindall.
Topics: Royal Family, UK News, King Charles III, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Archie, Prince George, Prince Harry, Prince Louis, Prince William, Princess Beatrice, Princess Charlotte, Princess Diana, Princess Lilibet
Rhianna Benson