The royal line of succession has already changed once in King Charles’s reign and here’s where everyone stands right now.
The royal line of succession is ever evolving and whilst we might all know where high-profile senior royals like Prince William and Prince Harry stand in it, some working members of the Royal Family are surprisingly far down. Nevertheless they play an important part in supporting King Charles and Queen Camilla and they could now be seen stepping up more than ever.
Following the recent statement from Buckingham Palace sharing the poignant news that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer, some people might be looking to those with significant positions in the line of succession. The first four adults in the succession are the King's Counsellors of State and other senior royals could well be taking on more responsibilities during this challenging time too.
The royal line of succession to the British throne
1. Prince William, Prince of Wales
Prince William, Prince of Wales is first in the royal line of succession and is set to succeed his father on the throne as King one day. Following the recent news of King Charles's diagnosis, it's possible that Prince William will be seen stepping up even more and taking on more responsibilities as he supports His Majesty.
Prince William is one of King Charles's Counsellors of State alongside Queen Camilla and the other three royals highest in the succession over the age of 21. Counsellors of State are authorised to carry out some, but not all, of the Sovereign's duties temporarily if they aren't able to fulfil them due to illness or absence.
2. Prince George of Wales
Born third in line to the British throne, Prince George of Wales is the eldest son of Prince William and the Princess of Wales. He is second in the royal line of succession and will follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps as King in the future.
3. Princess Charlotte of Wales
The Prince and Princess of Wales' only daughter, Princess Charlotte, is third in the royal line of succession. In the past, she would have come after her younger brother given she is a female heir, but this all changed before her birth. The system of male primogeniture was ended in 2013 with the Succession to the Crown Act, meaning a younger son would no longer leapfrog an older sister in the line of succession.
4. Prince Louis of Wales
Prince William and Kate's youngest child Prince Louis is the next in line to the throne. As the grandson of the King, he is one of the most frequently-seen royal children alongside Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
5. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
As the younger son of King Charles, Prince Harry comes after Prince William and his nephews and niece in the royal line of succession. The Duke of Sussex is fifth in line to the throne and remains a prominent member of the Royal Family even after "stepping back" as a working royal in 2020. He is one of His Majesty's Counsellors of State, just like his brother Prince William.
6. Prince Archie of Sussex
Next in the line of succession is Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex's oldest child Prince Archie. Born Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019, his new title was announced in March 2023 as grandchildren of the monarch are entitled to be styled Prince or Princess.
7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex
Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter Princess Lilibet is seventh in line to the throne and like her older brother wasn't born with a royal title, but has since officially been announced as a Princess. She was named in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II's childhood nickname, Lilibet, and her late grandmother Princess Diana. The first official picture of her to be released was taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski and was shared in December 2021.
8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York is the third child of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. As he was born before male primogeniture ended, he and his children and grandchildren come before his older sister Princess Anne in the succession. Prince Andrew is one of the King's Counsellors of State due to his high position in the line of succession too.
9. Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Princess Beatrice, also known as Mrs Mapelli Mozzi after her marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020, is ninth in line to the throne. Although she's not a working royal she is patron of several organizations and is often seen attending events alongside other members of the Royal Family. She is one of the King's Counsellors of State given her high up position in the royal line of succession.
10. Miss Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi was born on September 18, 2021 and it's thought that her middle name "Elizabeth" could have been a sweet tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. She is tenth in the royal line of succession after her mother and ahead of her aunt, Princess Eugenie.
11. Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank
Princess Eugenie, also known as Mrs Jack Brooksbank after her marriage, follows her niece Sienna in the line of succession. Like her oldest sister, Princess Eugenie isn't a working royal but she is also regularly seen attending high-profile royal events and has several patronages.
12. Master August Brooksbank
Princess Eugenie's eldest son Master August Brooksbank is twelfth in line to the throne and was born in February 2021. He attended the Platinum Pageant with his mother over Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee weekend in June 2022 and Princess Eugenie shared a rare photo of him for Mother's Day in 2023.
13. Master Ernest Brooksbank
Princess Eugenie's second baby was born on May 30, 2023 and the proud mum took to social media to share news of her son Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank's arrival. He was named after his great-great-great grandfather King George V as well his grandpa George Brooksbank and also his great-grandfather Ronald Ferguson, Sarah Ferguson's father.
14. Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh is the youngest child of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II and is now fourteenth in the royal line of succession. When he was born, Prince Edward was third and as the royals have welcomed new family members over the years, including Ernest Brooksbank most recently, he has moved further down the line of succession.
Despite not being one of the first four royals over the age of 21 in the succession, King Charles requested that Prince Edward was made an additional Counsellor of State. Prince Edward took on this prestigious role from December 2022.
15. James, Earl of Wessex
James, Earl of Wessex, formerly known as Viscount Severn, is the youngest child and only son of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. He is ahead of his older sister Lady Louise in the line of succession at fifteenth and is the youngest of the late Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren.
16. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, often known simply as Lady Louise Windsor, is the sixteenth in line to the British throne. Lady Louise is the eldest of Prince Edward's children but like her aunt Princess Anne, she was born before the system of male heirs coming before female heirs was changed.
17. Princess Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne is the second of Queen Elizabeth's children and comes after her both of her younger brothers and their families in the royal line of succession. She was born in 1950 before the succession system was changed and is one of only seven Princesses Royal in British royal history. Princess Anne is also King Charles's final Counsellor of State as she was given this special role at the same time as Prince Edward at King Charles's request.
18. Mr Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips is the eldest child and only son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. He is eighteenth in line to the throne and doesn't have a royal title as his mother previously decided against her children having HRH titles when they were born.
19. Miss Savannah Phillips
Savannah Phillips is the oldest child of Peter Phillips and his former wife Autumn Kelly. Savannah is also the eldest of the late Queen's great-grandchildren and is also Princess Anne's oldest grandchild.
20. Miss Isla Phillips
Isla Phillips is the youngest child of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, and is twentieth in the royal line of succession since Ernest Brooksbank was born in May 2023.
21. Zara Tindall, Mrs Michael Tindall
Zara Tindall, also known as Mrs. Michael Tindall, is the twenty-first in line to the throne after her nieces. Just like her brother Peter, Zara doesn't have an HRH title, and she was born Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips in 1981.
22. Miss Mia Tindall
Mia Tindall is Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall's eldest child. She made an appearance at both the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip in 2022.
23. Miss Lena Tindall
Following her elder sister, Lena Tindall is twenty-third in the royal line of succession. She also attended the Platinum Pageant during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations alongside many other royals.
24. Master Lucas Tindall
Zara and Mike Tindall's youngest child and only son, Lucas, is twenty-fourth in line to the throne. He was born in May 2021 and is said to have had a double christening with August Brooksbank at the Royal Lodge in Windsor in November last year.
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