British line of succession: Who will inherit the throne and is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor still in line?
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and is in police custody – the first senior royal to be arrested in modern times.
Charges were brought against the King’s brother following the release of millions of pages of dossiers on child sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Police have launched an investigation into allegations that the former prince shared sensitive information with the late pedophile while serving as Britain’s trade envoy.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, who was forced to give up the titles of prince and Duke of York last year, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The arrest does not immediately affect the current line of succession to the British throne, which has decided for hundreds of years who will be the next king or queen of Great Britain.
It is not possible to remove a person from inheritance without new legislation. Former King Edward VIII and his descendants were deposed by the Abdication Declaration Act 1936 after he abdicated.
Labor MP for York Central Rachael Maskell and Conservative MP Chris Philp said the former Duke of York should no longer ascend to the throne.
Now with a new generation of royals, there is a long list of people who could be the next monarch; some of these 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.
King Charles II, his mother He ascended to the throne in September 2022, following Elizabeth’s death. He was crowned in May 2023.
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, became Prince of Wales after the Queen’s death. King III. She is Charles’ first child, and when he becomes king, his wife, Princess of Wales Catherine (known as Kate), 44, will be referred to as the Queen Consort.
Prince George
Prince William and Princess Kate’s first son, Prince George, is second in line to the throne.
The 12-year-old boy will one day become king King Henry VII. He will be called George, but until then his family wants him to have as normal an upbringing as possible.
Princess Charlotte
Following an amendment to the Law of Succession to the Crown in 2013, which meant that the eldest children would 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 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.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The controversial 66-year-old, who is no longer a member of the royal family, has been married to Queen Elizabeth II. The third child of Elizabeth and King Henry III. Charles’ younger brother. Although he has given up his royal titles and honors, he remains eighth in line to the throne.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor renounced his title as Duke of York, the highest rank among the British nobility, last October as the Epstein scandal began to emerge.
Then in November 2025, the King was officially stripped of the title of prince and the style of His Highness (HRH) through a mechanism called the Letters Patent.
He has two children with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. In addition to his grandchildren, his daughters are also 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, is 11th in line to the throne.
Master August Brooksbank
August Brooksbank (5 years old), Eugenie’s son with her 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
The 15th in line to the throne is Prince Edward’s youngest son, James, who is 18 and is also the Queen’s youngest grandson.
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
The Earl of Wessex is followed by his 22-year-old sister 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, Peter Philips, 48, who is 18th in line to the throne.
Miss Savannah Phillips
Peter’s eldest daughter, 15-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.
