British line of succession: Who is next heir to the throne
After Prince Andrew sensationally announced that he was giving up the royal title and other honors of the Duke of York,Independent He took a look at the current line of succession to the British throne.
King Charles’ brother had been hounded for his ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and was poised for further controversy over the release of a memoir by Andrew’s alleged victim, Virginia Giuffre, for whom he paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case.
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Andrew said that in discussions with the King and his immediate and wider family, they decided “the ongoing allegations against me are a distraction from the work of Her Majesty and the royal family”.
King Charles ascended to the throne in September 2022, following the death of his mother. He was crowned in May 2023.
The royal line of succession has been deciding who will be the next king or queen of Great Britain for hundreds of years, and now with a new generation of royals, there is a long list of people who could be our next monarch – some of whom are relatively unfamiliar to the general public.
So everyone closest to the British throne is here, from Prince William to Princess Eugenie and everyone in between.
Prince William, Prince of Wales
Prince William, 43, is the first in line for the British throne after his father becomes king.
William, formerly the Duke of Cambridge, is now known as the Prince of Wales after the Queen’s death. He is King III. Kate, Princess of Wales, 43, Charles’ first child and his wife when he became king, will be known as the Queen Consort.
Prince George
Prince William and Princess Kate’s first son, Prince George, is second in line to the throne after his father.
The twelve-year-old boy will one day become king King Henry VII. He will be called George, but until then his parents want him to have as normal an upbringing as possible.
Princess Charlotte
After a change to the Succession Act in 2013 (which means that eldest children inherit the throne first, regardless of gender), 10-year-old Princess Charlotte became third in line to the throne, after her older brother.
Before the law was changed, his younger brother Louis would be ahead of him in the line of succession simply because of his gender. However, if Prince George has children one day, they will be behind him in the inheritance.
Prince Louis
Seven-year-old Prince Louis, the third child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, is now fourth in line to the throne after his older siblings.
Prince Harry
King III. Prince Harry, 41, the second child of Charles and the late Princess Diana, is fifth in line for the throne after his brother, nephews and nieces. His wife, Meghan Markle, is not a candidate for the throne, like the Duchess of Cambridge, but their two children are.
Prince Archie Mountbatten-Windsor
Six-year-old Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is sixth in line to the throne after his father, uncle and cousins.
Princess Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor
Lilibet (4), the second child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is seventh in line to the throne. The toddler is named after the Royal Family’s late Queen Elizabeth II. It’s a nod to her nickname for Elizabeth, and her middle name is Diana, after Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Queen Elizabeth II The third child of Elizabeth and King Henry III. Prince Andrew, 64, Charles’ younger brother, is eighth in line to the throne.
The royal has renounced the title of Duke of York, the highest rank among British nobility, amid the long-running fallout from the Epstein scandal.
But Andrew still remains a prince. When he was born in 1960, he automatically became a prince as the son of a monarch, and this could only be changed when a Letters Patent was issued by the King.
He has two children with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. His children, as well as his grandchildren, are in the line of succession.
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice, 37, is ninth in line for succession to the throne.
Miss Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi
Her four-year-old daughter, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, whom she shares with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, is in 10th place.
Princess Eugenie of York
Princess Eugenie, 35, the younger sister of Princess Beatrice and the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is 11th in line to the throne.
Master August Brooksbank
August Brooksbank (four years old), Eugenie’s son with husband Jack Brooksbank, is in 12th place.
Master Ernest Brooksbank
August is followed in the line of succession by his younger brother Ernest (born May 2023), who is 13th in line to the throne.
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Following the Princesses of York and their children is Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, 61, who is 14th in line to the throne.
James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex
15th in line to the throne is Prince Edward’s youngest son, James, who is 17 and is also the Queen’s youngest grandson.
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
The Earl of Wessex is followed by his older sister, 21-year-old Louise, who is 16th in line to the throne.
Princess Royal
The 75-year-old Princess Royal, also known as Princess Anne, is the 17th in line to the throne.
Mr Peter Phillips
Princess Anne is followed as heir apparent by her eldest son, 47-year-old Peter Philips, who is 18th in line to the throne.
Miss Savannah Phillips
Peter’s eldest daughter, 13-year-old Savannah Phillips, is 19th in line to the throne.
Miss Isla Phillips
20th in line to the throne is Princess Anne’s youngest grandchild, 13-year-old Isla Philips.
Zara Tindall
The Queen’s eldest grandchild, Zara Tindall, 44, is the 21st in line to the throne.
