14 Royals in the British Line of Succession to the Throne

(Last Updated On: September 8, 2022)

British line of succession
The royal family has certainly been making headlines lately. In April, 2018, Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed baby Louis Arthur Charles to the world. More recently, the media was buzzing about the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at 96; making her son the new monarch (King Charles III). All this news about the royal family has also led to questions on how these events impact the succession to the British Throne. Who is next in line to be king or queen anyway?

British Line of Succession

First, let’s get to the British throne basics.

The government of the United Kingdom is considered a constitutional monarchy. In this system, monarchs (kings and queens) do not hold absolute power, but rather, exert their authority within the confines of a written constitution or established legal framework. The current monarch and head of state of the UK is King Charles III, who became King upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8th, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-reigning British monarch.

The reigning monarch and the royal family are responsible for many duties, mostly ceremonial and diplomatic, but some that are more official. The British monarch, for example, is the commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces. Still, in modern times, the role of monarch in the UK has changed quite a bit. While the King or Queen holds formal executive power over the government of the United Kingdom, their actions are still bound by the constraints of laws enacted in Parliament.

History of the British Throne

In the past, there were no real rules that governed the British line of succession. A person could become monarch through a variety of ways, including inheritance, election, or conquest. Oftentimes, it was those with the most political or military power that would ascend to the throne. However, over time, more clear guidelines for British throne succession would develop.

Current British throne succession laws are based on those from the small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the past, which would eventually consolidate into the kingdoms of England and Scotland in the 10th century. In 1066, William the Conqueror would launch the Norman conquest of England, eventually passing the English monarchy to himself and then to his descendants.

In 1603, the Scottish King James VI ascended to the English throne as James I, beginning a period when the kingdoms of England and Scotland were ruled by a single person. The monarchy was abolished following the formation of the republican Commonwealth of England, but this change was short-lived, lasting from 1649-1660.

In 1707, the kingdoms of England and Scotland merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland would join. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the British monarch would take on more responsibilities and power as the leader of the British Empire, which reached its greatest extent in 1921. By the end of World War II, however, many former British colonies and territories had began to gain independence, and the British Empire would ultimately cease to exist.

Today, King Charles III is the monarch of the United Kingdom and the 15 other Commonwealth monarchies that make up the Commonwealth realm.

Who is Next in Line to the British Throne?

So what lies next for the British throne? Today, succession still takes into account descent, legitimacy, religion, and gender. However, due to unforeseeable circumstances and the fact that things can change, there is no official and complete version of the British line of succession. We do have a pretty good idea of who is next in line though. Updated: 2022

1. The Duke of Cambridge

Prince William is next in line. He is the oldest son of King Charles III.

2. Prince George of Cambridge

Prince George is the oldest son of Prince William and Catherine (Kate Middleton), Duchess of Cambridge. He is now second in the British line of succession.

3. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

Princess Charlotte is Prince William and Catherine’s second child, and she is third in line.

4. Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge

Prince Louis is the third child of Catherine and Prince William, and he is the fourth in line.

5. The Duke of Sussex

Britain’s own Prince Harry is fifth in line to the throne. He recently married actress Meghan Markle, who took the title Duchess of Sussex.

6. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had their first child on May 6, 2019. The new royal baby Sussex won’t have an official royal title, nor will he be called a prince.

7. Duke of York

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is former Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, and third child.

8. Princess Beatrice of York

Princess Beatrice, who is 29, is the oldest daughter of Prince Andrew. She is eighth in line.

9. Princess Eugenie of York

Prince Andrew’s youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie is ninth in the British line of succession. She is 28 years old.

10. The Earl of Wessex

This is former Queen Elizabeth’s third son. Prince Edward is 10th in line to the throne.

11. Viscount Severn

James, Viscount Severn, is only 10 years old he is 11th in line for the Crown. He is the only son of Prince Edward, former Queen Elizabeth’s third son.

12. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

The oldest child of Prince Edward, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor is 12th in line.

13. The Princess Royal

Princess Anne is former Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter and is 13th to take the throne.

14. Peter Phillips

No fancy title here. Peter Phillips is the only son of Princess Anne and 14th in line.

When it comes to succession to the British Throne, things can change in a heartbeat. For now though, we can stick with this list.

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