Line of succession to the British throne

LONDON: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's newborn baby, whose name is set to be revealed on Wednesday, is seventh in line to the British throne.

The baby's arrival means Prince Andrew, Harry's uncle, dropping down to eighth in line.

The immediate line of succession to the throne includes Queen Elizabeth II's four children and their descendants:

1. PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES

- Born 1948, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth

 

2. PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE

- Born 1982, Charles's eldest son

 

3. PRINCE GEORGE OF CAMBRIDGE

- Born 2013, William's eldest son

 

4. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF CAMBRIDGE

- Born 2015, William's daughter

 

5. PRINCE LOUIS OF CAMBRIDGE

- Born 2018, William's second son

 

6. PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX

- Born 1984, Charles' second son

 

7. ROYAL BABY

- Born on Monday at 5:26am (0426 GMT)

 

8. PRINCE ANDREW, DUKE OF YORK

- Born 1960, Queen Elizabeth's second son

 

9. PRINCESS BEATRICE OF YORK

- Born 1988, Andrew's eldest daughter

 

10. PRINCESS EUGENIE OF YORK

- Born 1990, Andrew's second daughter

 

11. PRINCE EDWARD, EARL OF WESSEX

- Born 1964, Queen Elizabeth's third son

 

12. JAMES, VISCOUNT SEVERN

- Born 2007, Edward's son

 

13. LADY LOUISE WINDSOR

- Born 2003, Edward's daughter

 

14. PRINCESS ANNE, PRINCESS ROYAL

- Born 1950, Queen Elizabeth's daughter

 

15. PETER PHILLIPS

- Born 1977, Anne's son

 

16. SAVANNAH PHILLIPS

- Born 2010, Phillips' eldest daughter

 

17. ISLA PHILLIPS

- Born 2012, Phillips' second daughter

 

18. ZARA TINDALL

- Born 1981, Anne's daughter

 

19. MIA TINDALL

- Born 2014, Tindall's eldest daughter

 

20. LENA TINDALL

- Born 2018, Tindall's second daughter



Queen Elizabeth's descendants are followed by the six of her late sister princess Margaret, her only sibling.

The descendants of their father king George VI's siblings then follow. There are more than 70 living people descended from his father, king George V, who died in 1936.

Only people descended from Sophia of Hanover (1630-1714) can inherit the throne, according to the 1701 Act of Settlement.

The monarchy's website goes down as far as Zara Tindall, though some counts list more than 5,700 living descendants of Sophia, including Roman Catholics, who cannot inherit.

The highest excluded person is 30-year-old Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick, a first cousin twice removed of the queen, who converted to Catholicism. He would otherwise be 39th in line.

In changes to the succession laws which came into effect in 2015, males born after October 28, 2011 no longer take precedence over their older sisters.

Also people married to Catholics are no longer excluded, with Downpatrick's father George Windsor, the Earl of St Andrews, the highest person restored to the line.

The line is a vast tangle of nobility and ordinary, untitled people from all corners of Europe.

Several other European monarchs feature. King Harald V of Norway, like Queen Elizabeth a great-grandchild of king Edward VII, is the highest on the list, coming within the top 100.

Besides Britain, this is also the line of succession to the thrones of 15 other Commonwealth realms.