Surprising changes to Royal Family's line of succession since King Charles became monarch

The line of succession to the British throne has undergone some unexpected changes since King Charles III became monarch.

Multiple births, changes in royal status, and the controversial, long-running dispute over Prince Andrew have reshaped the list.

Charles succeeded his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, with Prince William immediately becoming first in line.

William's three children then follow him in order: Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, eight.

That part of the succession has remained unchanged, and Prince George has made headlines this week as the future king started his education at Eton.

A past rule change cemented Princess Charlotte’s position.

Under the old rules, a younger son could have overtaken an older daughter in the line of succession.

That changed with the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which introduced absolute primogeniture for those born after 28 October 2011.

The line of succession has changed significantly since King Charles became monarch (Getty Images/ Samir Hussein)

As a result, Charlotte remains ahead of her younger brother Louis, despite being a girl. She is currently third in line, while Louis is fourth.

The change was particularly significant for the Wales children because Charlotte was born in 2015, after the new rules had taken effect.

Further down the list, however, there have been several significant developments.

Prince Harry remains fifth in line despite stepping down as a working royal and moving to the United States with Meghan Markle

Their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are sixth and seventh in line.

The position of Harry's family is sometimes misunderstood because of the couple's departure from royal duties.

Surprisingly for many, leaving the working Royal Family does not mean forfeiting a place in the line of succession.

The same applies to several other relatives who no longer undertake official engagements.

The succession has also continued to expand as members of the wider Royal Family have had children.

The line of succession as it currently stands (Tyla)

Princess Beatrice's daughters Sienna, four, and Athena, one, both have places in the line, while Princess Eugenie's sons August, five, and Ernest, three, are also included.

Eugenie's third child, Adelaide, who was born in August, enters the succession as the 15th person in line.

Her arrival pushes Prince Edward and his children one place further down the list.

Perhaps the most unusual situation concerns Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew.

Despite being stripped of his royal titles and removed from official royal life, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne.

People reported in March 2026 that he remained in the succession even after losing his titles and honours.

InStyle says that removing him from the succession would require significant legislation, rather than being something the King could simply order.

The succession itself, however, remains governed by legislation rather than the King's personal preferences.

For now, the first seven places are firmly established: William, George, Charlotte, Louis, Harry, Archie and Lilibet.

Further down the list, the changes of Charles's reign have produced a succession that looks noticeably different from the one inherited from Elizabeth II, and further births, deaths or changes in royal status could alter it again.