Line of Succession

The Act of Settlement (1701) laid down that only Protestant heirs of Princess Sophia, granddaughter of James I, may succeed to the British throne. Neither Roman Catholics, nor those who marry a Roman Catholic, nor those born out of wedlock, may remain in the line of succession. Under common law the crown was passed on by male primogeniture under which younger sons succeed before their elder sisters. See Line of Succession FAQs

This changed on the 26 March 2015 with the introduction of the Succession to the Crown Bill 2013 which changed the succession laws so that the right of male primogeniture no longer applies. Males born after 20 October 2011 no longer precede their elder sisters in the line of succession. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child born on 22 July 2013 was a boy Prince George. Their second child Princess Charlotte was born on 2 May 2015. She is 3rd in line and did not lose her position when her younger brother Prince Louis was born.

The Bill removed the disqualification of those who marry Roman Catholics so that George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, who married a Catholic in 1988 was restored in 41st place after the Duke of Kent. It also repealed the Royal Marriages Act 1772 so that only the first 6 persons in line to the throne require the Sovereign's approval to marry. This means that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie no longer required permission from Queen Elizabeth II to marry. Royal Family

The British monarch is head of the Protestant Church of England so the requirement remains that only Protestants can be in the line of succession. The current line of succession to the British Throne is given below.

1. HRH Prince William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982)
2. HRH Prince George of Wales (b. 2013)
3. HRH Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015)
4. HRH Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018)
5. Prince Henry (Harry), The Duke of Sussex (b. 1984)
6. Prince Archie of Sussex (b. 2019)
7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex (daughter of Prince Henry)(b.2021)
8. Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (b. 1960)
9. HRH Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988)
10. Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi (daughter of Princess Beatrice) (b. 2021)
11. HRH Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990)
12. August Philip Brooksbank (son of Princess Eugenie) (b. 2021)
13. Ernest George Brooksbank (son of Princess Eugenie) (b. 2023)
14. HRH Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964)
15. James, Earl of Wessex (b. 2007)
16. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2003)
17. HRH Princess Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950)
18. Peter Phillips (b. 1977)
19. Savannah Phillips (b. 2010)
20. Isla Phillips (b. 2012)
21. Zara Tindall (b. 1981)
22. Mia Grace Tindall (b. 2014)
23. Lena Elizabeth Tindall (b. 2018)
24. Lucas Philip Tindall (b. 2021)
25. David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (b. 1961)
26. Charles Armstrong Jones, Viscount Linley (b. 1999)
27. Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002)
28. Lady Sarah Chatto (b. 1964)
29. Samuel Chatto (b. 1996)
30. Arthur Chatto (b. 1999)
31. HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944)
32. Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974)
33. Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden (b. 2007)
34. Lady Cosima Windsor (b. 2010)
35. Lady Davina Windsor (b. 1977)
36. Senna Lewis (b. 2010)
37. Tane Mahuta Lewis (b. 2012)
38. Lady Rose Gilman (b. 1980)
39. Lyla Gilman (b. 2010)
40. Rufus Gilman (b. 2012)
41. HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935)
42. George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews (b. 1962)
Edward Windsor, Baron Downpatrick (excluded by becoming a Roman Catholic)
Lady Marina Charlotte Windsor (excluded by becoming a Roman Catholic)
43. Lady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995)
Lord Nicholas Windsor (excluded by becoming a Roman Catholic)
Albert Windsor (excluded by being Roman Catholic)
Leopold Windsor (excluded by being Roman Catholic)
Louis Windsor (excluded by being Roman Catholic)
44. Lady Helen Taylor (b. 1964)
45. Columbus Taylor (b. 1994)
46. Cassius Taylor (b. 1996)
47. Eloise Taylor (b. 2003)
48. Estella Taylor (b 2004)
49. HRH Prince Michael of Kent (b. 1942)
50. Lord Frederick Windsor (b 1979)
51. Maud Windsor (b. 2013)
52. Isabella Windsor (b. 2016)
53. Lady Gabriella Kingston (b. 1981)
54. HRH Princess Alexandra the Hon. Lady Ogilvy (b. 1936)
55. James Ogilvy (b. 1964)
56. Alexander Ogilvy (b. 1996)
57. Flora Ogilvy, Mrs Timothy Vesterberg, (b. 1994)
58. Marina Ogilvy, Mrs Paul Mowatt, (b. 1966)
59. Christian Mowatt (b. 1993)
60. Miss Zenouska Mowatt (b. 1990)
61. David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood (b. 1950)
62. Alexander Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles (b. 1980)
63. Hon. Ivy Lascelles (b. 2018)
64. Hon. Kit Lascelles (b. 2023)
65. Hon. Edward Lascelles (b. 1982)
66. Sebastian Lascelles (b. 2020)
67. Hon. James Lascelles (b. 1953)
68. Rowan Lascelles (b. 1977)
69. Tewa Lascelles (b. 1985)
70. Fran? (son of Tewa) Lascelles (b. 2014)
71. Sophie Lascelles (b. 1973)
72. Hon. Jeremy Lascelles (b. 1955)
73. Thomas Lascelles (b. 1982)
74. Cleo Lascelles (b. 2017)
75. Celeste Lascelles (b. 2020)
76. Ellen Lascelles (b. 1984)
77. Amy Lascelles (b. 1986)
78. Tallulah Lascelles (b. 2005)
79. Henry Lascelles (b. 1953)
80. Maximilian Lascelles (b. 1991)
81. David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife (b. 1961)
82. Charles Duff Carnegie, Earl of Southesk (b. 1989)
83. Lady Chloe Francoise Carnegie (b. 2022)
84. Lord George William Carnegie (b. 1991)
85. Lord Hugh Alexander Carnegie (b. 1993)
86. Lady Alexandra Etherington (b. 1959)
87. Amelia Mary Carnegie Etherington (b. 2001)
88. HM King Harald V of Norway (b. 1937)
89. HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (b. 1973)
90. HH Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (b. 2005)
91. HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (b. 2004)
92. Princess Martha Louise of Norway (b.. 1971)
93. Maud Angelica Behn (b. 2003)
94. Leah Isadora Behn (b. 2005)
95. Emma Talullah Behn (b. 2008)
96. Haakon Lorentzen (b. 1954))
97. Olav Lorentzen (b. 1985)
98. Christian Lorentzen (1988)
99. Sophia Lorentzen (b. 1994)
100. Ingeborg Ribeiro (b. 1957)