The British Monarchy Order of Succession: Who Takes the Throne Next?

The British Monarchy is one of the oldest and most prominent monarchies in the world. The British royal household currently consists of King Charles III, his children, siblings, nephews, and nieces. 

King Charles III recently succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms, and the head of the British royal family.

The succession to the British throne is by descent, gender, legitimacy, and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign’s children or by a childless sovereign’s nearest collateral line. 

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth who ruled for 70 years, these are the first 10 people in order of succession to the British throne:

1. The sovereign is King Charles III and his heir apparent (First in line to the throne) is his elder son, Prince William, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge.
2. Second in line to the British throne is Prince William’s elder son, Prince George.
3. Third, in line to the British throne is Prince William’s second child and daughter Princess Charlotte.
4. Fourth in line to the British throne is Prince Louis. He is Prince William’s youngest son.
5. Fifth in line is Prince William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of King Charles III.
6. Sixth in line is Prince Harry and Princess Meghan’s elder child Prince Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. He is the first mixed-race child of the British Royal family.
7. Archie’s sister Princess Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor is seventh in line to the British throne.
8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York is Queen Elizabeth II’s third child and second son. Prince Andrew is 8th in line to the British throne. Due to male preference in the line of succession, Prince Andrew is ahead of his elder sister, Princess Anne who is the second child of the Queen. However, the law was amended for future generations in 2015.
9. Prince Andrew’s elder daughter Princess Beatrice was born fifth in line to the British throne but has since moved 4 places down to 9th place. 
10. Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi is Princess Beatrice’s first daughter and the 10th in line to the British throne.

CHANGE TO ORDER OF SUCCESSION 

In October 2011, a bill was introduced in a meeting by the heads of government of all 16 realms in which the order of succession was changed from male-preference primogeniture (succession passes to the firstborn child with preference given to the elder male child) to absolute primogeniture (succession passes to an individual’s children according to birth order, regardless of sex)

The Perth Agreement, which came into effect in 2015, states that only the first six people in line to the throne require the sovereign’s consent before they can marry; without the sovereign’s consent, they and their children would be disqualified from the succession.

Source: UK GOV on Changes to the Order of Royal Succession Changes

Anne, Princess Royal, Queen Elizabeth’s second born and only daughter is 16th in line to the British throne because of the male primogeniture in place before 2015 which put her little brother Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and their offspring ahead of her.

The bill passed unanimously at a meeting held in Perth, Western Australia. Due to its passing, give equal rights to everyone without discrimination, regardless of race or gender.