The Queen’s passing at the age of 96 after 70 years on the British throne has meant that a successor must fulfill the role left behind by the late monarch.
As the Royal Family tree has grown and changed, it has become harder to follow the line of succession – so who is next in line for the throne?
How does succession work?
The position of head of state is hereditary, meaning the Queen’s eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales will be King.
Prince Charles’ oldest, William, Duke of Cambridge is next in line following the passing of his father.
In 2015, the rules of succession were changed – previously, a younger son would have been prioritised over his older sister. However, current rules place the eldest, regardless of gender, above their younger siblings.
Line of Succession
1 – Charles, Prince of Wales
The Queen’s eldest son, the Prince of Wales will be the next British head of state.
The prince, aged 73, married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and went on to have two children, William, and Harry. The two later separated and Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
2 – William, Duke of Cambridge
The duke is the eldest son of Charles and Diana and the next in line to be crowned king.
When William was 15, his mother passed away following a fatal car accident in Paris. He later studied in St Andrews and become an RAF search and rescue pilot before marrying Kate Middleton in 2011.
They had three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis – who are all next in line to the throne.
3 – George, Prince of Cambridge
9-year-old prince George was born in 2013 and is third in line to succeed the Queen.
4 – Charlotte, Princess of Cambridge
William and Kate’s second child, princess Charlotte is fourth in line to the throne. Born in 2015, she started attending Thomas’s School in 2019.
5 – Louis, Prince of Cambridge
The Duke and Duchess’ third child is fifth in line and was born in 2018.
6 – Harry, Duke of Sussex
Prince Charles and Diana’s second son, Harry, a former lieutenant in the British Army, is sixth in line for the throne.
He and his wife, Meghan Markel, Duchess of Sussex, distanced themselves from the Royal Family and now split their time between North America and the United Kingdom.
7 – Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Harry and Meghan’s first child, Archie was born in 2019 and is seventh to the crown.
8 – Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
Born in 2021, the Sussex’s youngest child is eighth to the throne. She was given the name Diana in honour of her late grandmother, Diana Spencer.
9 – Andrew, Duke of York
Andrew is ninth in the line of succession but has recently caused controversy regarding his friendship with US financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffery Epstein.
He stepped away from royal duties in 2019 after an interview with Emily Maitlis on the BBC’s Newsnight program.
10 – Beatrice, Princess of York
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