The Royal family keeps expanding, what with Duchess Kate and Prince
William expecting their third baby, and Prince Harry starting a family
with Meghan Markle. This means a continuous shift in the line of
succession.
Take a look at the 25 royals of the house of Windsor who are in the line of succession.
Beginning with the eldest of Queen Elizabeth II’s children, Prince
Charles. The royal, whose official title is Charles, Prince of Wales, is
first in line to assume the highest seat in the British monarchy. Upon
Charles’ ascension to the throne, however, his wife, Camilla, Duchess of
Cornwall, will likely not be crowned Britain’s queen consort because of
bad blood following her and Charles’ affair during his marriage to the
late Princess Diana. Instead, in keeping with the same tradition
followed by Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Camilla
will be known as the princess consort.
Upon the death of Prince William’s father, Prince Charles (who will
become King Charles), William will ascend the throne and be crowned king
of England. Unlike Camilla Parker-Bowles, however, Duchess Kate will be
crowned queen consort, meaning she’ll hold the title of queen but will
not have the privilege of ruling. Many surmise that Kate will be known
as Queen Catherine upon William’s coronation.
Third in line to the throne is young Prince George, who will be
crowned king upon the death of his father, Prince William. While that
day is many years in the future, it’s interesting to note that the
youngest monarch ever crowned in British history was King Henry VI, who
ascended the throne when he was only 8 months and 26 days old.
Following her brother in the line of succession is Princess
Charlotte, who is fourth in line to the British crown. While not
completely unlikely, her chance at actually holding the highest seat in
the monarchy is low, requiring her brother to die or renounce the throne
before he has children. Thanks to an agreement passed in 2011 by
Parliament, the long-held practice of male-heir preference officially
ended, meaning that even if Duchess Kate and Prince William’s third
child is a boy, Charlotte will not be skipped (which is what happened to
Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter, Princess Anne).
Kate Middleton’s unborn baby, due in April 2018, is the fifth in
line. This child will only be crowned king or queen in the event both of
his or her older siblings pass away (or renounce the throne) before
they start families of their own.
Sixth in the royal line of succession is Prince Henry of Wales, more
informally known as Prince Harry. While Harry’s not likely to ever be
crowned king (it would take the tragic passing of Prince William and all
of his heirs — a horrible thing to even think about), if he were to
hold the title, it is unlikely his bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, would be
crowned queen consort.
Although Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and
Prince Philip, is currently seventh in line to the throne, his place is
likely to get bumped further down over the next few years. That’s
because Prince Harry’s future children will fall in line in front
of him, pushing Andrew down the list. In the meantime, it’s unlikely
that Andrew, the Duke of York, will ever actually wear the crown.
Eighth in line for the throne is Princess Beatrice of York, the
daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his ex-wife, Sarah
Ferguson, Duchess of York. Before Princess Charlotte’s birth on May 2,
2015, Princess Beatrice was the highest ranking female in the royal line
of succession. Although she grew up alongside cousins Prince William
and Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice is unlikely to ever actually be
crowned queen.
Coming in ninth place is Princess Beatrice’s little sister, Princess
Eugenie. As the royal cousin of Prince Harry and Prince William, Eugenie
has experienced all the highs and lows of life in the British monarchy,
including the very public divorce of her parents, Prince Andrew and
Sarah Ferguson. Happily, on Jan. 23, 2018, it was announced that Eugenie
and her beau of seven years, Jack Brooksbank, a commoner, were engaged.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s youngest son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is the 10th in line for the throne.
Following in his father’s footsteps and coming in at No. 11 in line
for the throne is James, Viscount Severn, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II
and son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Although he’s technically the
youngest child in his family, he snagged a higher place on the list
than his big sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, due to the archaic
(and now defunct) rule that favored male over female heirs. Although
the rules have changed, they only impact children born after 2011.
Twelfth in line for the throne is Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor,
eldest child of Prince Edward, Earl of Essex, and granddaughter to Queen
Elizabeth II. As previously mentioned, Louise got robbed of her
rightful spot as the 11th heir to the throne because Britain’s former
line of succession rules favored boys over girls (until the rule changed
in 2011), so her spot went to her little brother James, Viscount
Severn. She’s probably not too mad about it, though, as neither she nor
her brother are likely to ever be crowned king or queen.
Princess Anne should have been the seventh in line to the throne,
considering she’s the second-born child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince
Philip, but because male heirs were favored over females in the former
line of succession rules, her younger brothers were placed before her in
the line of succession.
No. 14 in line for the throne is Peter Phillips, who holds no
official royal title, though he is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II
and the son of Princess Anne. Peter wasn’t afforded a title because of
the tradition that only fathers can pass titles to their children, not
mothers. Since 2008, Peter has been married to Canadian commoner Autumn
Kelly.
Coming in right behind her father in the No. 15 spot in line for the
crown is young Savannah Phillips, the great-granddaughter of Queen
Elizabeth II, granddaughter of Princess Anne and daughter of Peter
Phillips. While she’ll never ascend the throne, she will continue to
grow up alongside her second cousins, Princess Charlotte and Prince
George, the latter of whom will be crowned king in the distant future.
The 16th royal family member in line for the throne is little Isla
Phillips, the youngest daughter of Peter Phillips, granddaughter of
Princess Anne and great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Like big
sister Savannah Phillips, it’s unlikely Isla will ever ascend the
throne, but she’s got the distinct privilege of growing up alongside the
future king of England, Prince George.
Coming in at No. 17 is Zara Tindall, the younger sister of Peter
Phillips and daughter of Princess Anne. Although Zara grew up with
cousins Prince William and Prince Harry, to whom she’s very close, she
managed to step outside of their shadows to become her own independent
woman. Zara is an award-winning Olympic equestrian and mother, who
announced in January 2018 that she’s expecting her second child with her
husband, retired rugby player Mike Tindall.
Zara Tindell’s daughter, Mia Tindall, is currently the 18th royal
family member in line for the British throne. Mia will become a big
sister in the summer of 2018. In the meantime, she gets to have a blast
playing with her second cousins, Prince George and Princess Charlotte,
as well as her first cousins, Savannah Phillips and Isla Phillips.
Although David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (also known as David
Linley), is currently 19th in line for the British throne, his spot will
be bumped to No. 20 once Zara Tindall’s second baby is born. David is
the nephew of Queen Elizabeth and the son of Elizabeth’s sister,
Princess Margaret, who passed away in 2002. While he grew up alongside
Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, David followed a different path
in his adult life. He became a renowned furniture maker and once served
as the chairman of Christie’s, the elite auction house.
In the 20th spot is David Armstrong-Jones’s son, Charles
Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (the father and son are seen together
here in 2016). A viscount is a nobleman who is one level below an earl
and one above a baron. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II named Charles her
Page of Honour, a ceremonious title typically bestowed upon teenage sons
of members of the royal family.
The 21st person in line for the throne is Lady Margarita
Armstrong-Jones, the youngest child of David Armstrong-Jones. In 2011
when Margarita was only 8 years old, she served as one of Duchess Kate’s
bridesmaids.
Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, is in the 22nd spot.
As the niece of Queen Elizabeth II and sister of David Armstrong-Jones,
Sarah experienced all the pomp and circumstance that came with growing
up in the inner circle of the royal family. However, as an adult, Sarah
has chosen to live a more low-key life out of the spotlight. Even though
she’s a lesser known royal, she is still quite close to her
aristocratic family. Sarah lives with her husband and children in
London’s Kensington neighborhood and is a close friend and confidant of
the queen.
Coming in behind his mother in 23rd place is Samuel Chatto, the son
of Lady Sarah Chatto and grandson of the late Princess Margaret. Samuel
(seen here with his mom in 2017) might have a baby face, but he’s
actually in his early 20s!
Right behind big brother Samuel Chatto in the No. 24 spot for the
throne is teenaged Arthur Chatto, the hunky son of Lady Sarah Chatto and
grandson of the queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret. Dubbed “the
royal family’s heartthrob,” Arthur is known for sharing shirtless
pictures on Instagram that have earned him a dedicated following of
adoring fans.
Last on the list in 25th place is Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
Richard is the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and the son of Elizabeth’s
uncle, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. At 73, he is also the youngest
grandchild of the late King George V.
Discover more from Niyi Daram
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
