The Royal Line of Succession: How it Works

Posted on by Vanessa Brockwell

As it stands, we all know that Prince Charles is next in the line of succession to the British throne, with his son, Prince William, second in line.

However, what else do we know about the royal line of succession, and how it all works? In this blog we will be exploring what the line of succession is, and the different factors that determine a person’s position within the line of succession.

What is the line of succession to the British throne?

The order of royal succession is the sequence of members of the Royal Family in the order that they stand in line to the British throne. The origin of the succession was introduced in the seventeenth century, as a result of The Bill of Rights (1689) and the Act of Settlement (1701). The succession is determined by sex, legitimacy and religion. Under common law, the Crown is to be inherited by a sovereign’s child or by a childless sovereign’s nearest family member on the collateral line (branches on the family tree).

The Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement still govern succession to the throne today. However, there were some amendments made in the United Kingdom by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. The original law advised that younger male heirs would be considered closer in line of succession, before their older female siblings. However, any older female sibling born after 28th October 2011 can now be considered first. Also, under the Perth Agreement of 2015, only the first six in line of succession now require the sovereign’s consent before they marry, and without consent, they and their children would be removed from succession.

Prince Charles is currently next in the line of succession, as he is the first-born child of Queen Elizabeth II. He will become king when the Queen gives up the throne or dies. His wife Camilla will become Queen Consort when he takes the throne, granted by the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. If Prince Charles dies before the Queen, his son Prince William will take the throne when the time comes, and the same process would follow if something happened to Prince William, and so on.

Nevertheless, if the Queen decides to retire, or if someone abdicates the throne, a similar process to if they had died would occur. However, there would be more involvement in the succession from Parliament. The last time a person abdicated from the throne was in 1936, when King Edward VIII stepped down and his brother, King George VI (the Queen’s father), took his place.

The current line of Succession:

  1. Charles, Prince of Wales (b. 1948)

  2. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (b. 1982)

  3. Prince George of Cambridge (b. 2013)

  4. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (b. 2015)

  5. Prince Louis of Cambridge (b. 2018)

  6. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984)

  7. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2019)

  8. Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2021)

  9. Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960)

  10. Princess Beatrice (b. 1988)

  11. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi (b. 2021)

  12. Princess Eugenie (b. 1990)

  13. August Brooksbank (b. 2021)

  14. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (b. 1964)

  15. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (b. 2007)

  16. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2003)

  17. Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950)

  18. Peter Phillips (b. 1977)

  19. Savannah Phillips (b. 2010)

  20. Isla Phillips (b. 2012)

  21. Zara Tindall (Phillips) (b. 1981)

  22. Mia Tindall (b. 2014)

  23. Lena Tindall (b. 2018)

  24. Lucas Tindall (b. 2021)

We have released an incredible new range in celebration of Prince William’s 40th Birthday. As Prince William is second in the line of succession, at some time in the future, he will in all likelihood appear on sovereign coins in his own name, as monarch. At that time, these 2022 commemorative gold sovereign coins will take on increased significance as the very first Portrait Coins of Prince William, sitting at the very start of his own series. You can secure this fantastic new range HERE.