Succession to the British Throne Under King Charles III

Many people watched the coronation of King Charles III. Wikipedia noted that he is now the sovereign, and his heir apparent is his elder son, William, Prince of Wales. William’s three children are next, in order of birth: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Fifth in line is Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son of the king. Sixth is Harry’s elder child, Prince Archie.

Under the Perth agreement, which came into effect in 2015, only the first six in line of succession require the sovereign’s consent before they marry; without such consent, they and their children would be disqualified from succession.

The first four individuals in the line of succession who are over 21, and the sovereign’s consort, may be appointed counsellors of state. Councillors of state perform some of the sovereign’s duties in the United Kingdom while the sovereign is out of the country or temporarily incapacitated. Otherwise, individuals in the like of succession need not have specific legal or official roles.

The United Kingdom is one of the Commonwealth realms, which are sovereign states that share the same person as monarch and the same order of succession. In 2011, the prime ministers of the then-16 realms agreed unanimously to amend the rules of succession. Male-preference primogeniture was abandoned, meaning that males born after 28 October 2011 no longer precede females in line, and the ban on marriages to Catholics was lifted.

Current line of Succession

King Charles III (b. 1948)

1. William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982)
2. Prince George of Wales (b. 2013)
3. Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015)
4. Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018)
5. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984)
6. Prince Archie of Sussex (b. 2019)
7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex (b. 2021)
8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960)
9. Princess Beatrice (b. 1988) – Child of Prince Andrew
10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi (b. 2021) – Child of Princess Beatrice
11. Princess Eugenie (b 1990) – Child of Prince Andrew
12. August Brooksbank (b. 2021) – Child of Princess Eugenie
13. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964)
14. James, Earl of Wessex (b. 2007) – Child Prince Andrew
15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2003) – Child of Prince Edward
16. Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950) – Daughter of Queen Elizabeth
17. Peter Phillips (b. 1977) – Child of Anne, Princess Royal
18. Savannah Phillips (b. 2010) -Child of Peter Phillips
19. Isla Phillips (b. 2012) – Child of Peter Phillips 
20. Zara Tindall (née Phillips) (b. 1981) – Daughter of Anne, Princess Royal
21. Mia Tindall (b. 2018) – Child of Zara Tindall (née Phillips)
22. Lucas Tindall (b. 2021) – Child of Zara Tindall (née Phillips)

People Magazine reported that Queen Camilla’s title received a royal refresh on coronation day. On Saturday, Buckingham Palace updated Camilla’s biography page  to reflect her Queen title. 

King Charles’ wife is now addressed as “Her Majesty The Queen” and “The Queen” on second reference throughout the web page. The change comes following wide reports that Camilla, 75, would be officially recognized as Queen Camilla and no longer styled as Queen Consort on coronation day. 

Related Articles on FamilyTree.com:

Line of Succession To The British Throne – 2022

Princess Diana’s Family Tree

Prince Harry Will Marry Meghan Markle

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