King Charles III's coronation took place on May 6, 2o23, following the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022, marking a significant shift in the line of succession to the British throne.
During Queen Elizabeth's reign as Britain's longest-reigning monarch, 73-year-old Charles broke the record as the longest serving British-heir apparent, and surpassed Edward VII's 59 year record on April 20 2011. As for his late mother, Her Majesty was Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
Despite only holding the role for a year-and-a-half, the King's reign thus far seen several challenges, from the release of Prince Harry's memoir Spare to season six of The Crown's approach to addressing Princess Diana's death. When looking at the British line of succession, it's important to know that there are several determining factors at play including descent, religion and primogeniture (ie the state of being the firstborn child).
According to the official Royal Family Website:
'Succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute. The order of succession is the sequence of members of the Royal Family in the order in which they stand in line to the throne.'
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King Charles III's firstborn child, Prince William, is expected to rule after him as next in line to the thrown. In recent years the Prince of Wales has increased the number of his royal duties, no more so than in the last few weeks following his father's cancer diagnosis.
With the announcement King Charles III health issues, here is everything you need to know about the royal family's line of succession:
Who will next be on the throne?
Prince William is next in line to the throne. Upon the King's ascension in 2022, Prince William became heir apparent at the age of 39. As the King's first-born child, he will become king when his father either abdicates the throne or passes away. According to Buckingham Palace, Kin Charles is doing 'extremely well under the circumstances' following news of his cancer diagnosis.
Now aged 41, it's unknown when Prince William will ultimately ascend to the throne, especially given his father is 73 years old and may reign for several years, if Her Majesty's life is anything to go by.
Where are the rest of the Cambridges in the line of succession?
After Prince William, his three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - are next in the line of succession, in descending order of age.
As second in line, it is expected that if Prince George becomes king, he will be known as King George VII. He will be a King Regnant, as he has royal blood — however, the Duke and Duchess have been intentional about giving Prince George ‘a normal upbringing’. It's believed the young royal was told that he would one day be King on his seventh birthday.
As the younger sister of Prince George, Princess Charlotte would only ever become Queen if her older brother predeceased her without having living children. This rule stands after the Queen changed the laws of succession in 2013, which declared the sex of a royal baby doesn't affect their place in the line of succession. The young royal is the first royal princess born 'within the direct line of succession since the Princess Royal in 1950, and is likely to one day inherit the title'. The title of princess is usually give to the oldest daughter of the Monarch.
As for Prince Louis, he is fourth in line to the throne. However, he can only become the reigning monarch if his father and siblings all abdicate or pass away while holding the position themselves.
Kate Middleton gained her title as the Duchess of Cambridge following her marriage to Prince William in 2011. As her husband edges closer to the throne, her title is set to change. When Prince Charles was crowned King, Prince William took over as the Prince of Wales. The Duchess then become the Princess of Wales — a title that Camilla, the Queen Consort, declined to receive of respect for the late Princess Diana who previously held the title.
It was recently announced that the father-of-three's wife, Kate Middleton Princess of Wales, will not return to her royal duties until after Easter following a planned abdominal surgery, which took place in January of this year.
Where are the Sussexes in the line of succession?
Despite Prince Harry’s decision to step down as a senior member of the royal family, should none of the Cambridges become King or Queen, the Duke of Sussex still remains fifth in the line of succession.
Since stepping away from his royal duties, the father-of-two has made a home in the US for himself and his growing family. His first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, is currently seventh in line to the throne, which will only change if the Cambridges welcome another child.
Following the birth of Archie, the Sussexes decided not to give him a royal title despite the fact he was entitled to 'a courtesy title', such as the Earl of Dumbarton, which is one of his father's own titles.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's second child, Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, is the newest addition to the sovereign family, as the Queen’s tenth great-grandchild. She is eighth in line to the throne, behind her big brother — however, Lili's life is expected to look quite different from the royal norm. She was the first royal to be born in California where her parents now live, meaning her life will be somewhat removed from the professional responsibilities of royal family members.
When Prince Charles ascended the throne, both Archie and Lili received a title, as the King’s grandchildren - Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, would become Queen Consort if Prince Harry ever became King. Yet while the Duchess of Cambridge may one day take the title of ‘Princess’ in some capacity, she will most likely remain the Duchess of Sussex. Technically, she holds the title of ‘Princess Henry of Wales’, which is derived from her husband's name, meaning she is not a princess in her own right.
Where is Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, in the line of succession?
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, remains eighth in the royal line of succession, despite being recently stripped of his HRH title and military titles following his US civil action over sexual assault allegations - claims he has repeatedly denied.
At one point, many decades ago, Prince Andrew was second in line to the throne, behind his older brother, Prince Charles. Now, he's ninth in the order of succession.
The Prince’s oldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, is ninth in line. At the time of her birth, she was fifth in the order of succession, just behind her father. The 33-year old-granddaughter of the Queen is known as a ‘blood princess’, meaning she was born royal instead of marrying into the family.
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