Major Changes in the House of Windsor and the First 60 Successors of King Charles III

Following Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, 2022, in Balmoral estate, Scotland, the British monarchy faces major transitions as King Charles III begins his reign. A new era also now unfolds.

King Charles III's era will be known as the Carolinian era because his name, Charles, is derived from the word, Carol, which originated in the German language, or Carlo in Spanish.

His Majesty King Charles III

He is the third Charles to reign as monarch in British history after the two Stuart kings - Charles I and Charles II. He is also the longest heir-apparent of the British throne, having held the position since February 6, 1952.

His Majesty King Charles III

He is the newest Glucksburg prince to become King in Europe. His father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a Glucksburg prince who directly descended from the male line of the royal House of Glucksburg. 

King Charles III is the third European reigning monarch who is Glucksburg by bloodline after King Harald V of Norway and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. 

So what are the major changes in the House of Windsor?

1. The national anthem will now change to "God Save The King"
2. King Charles III is the new head of the House of Windsor
3. He has been very vocal in saying he wants a slim monarchy, which means that only his direct descendants will be considered working members of the House of Windsor.
4. His wife, Camilla, will be crowned with him as Queen Consort just like the previous wives of the British kings.
5. His two grandchildren: Archie and Lilibet, are now legally Prince Archie of Sussex and Princess Lilibet of Sussex, unless Prince Harry and Meghan chose not to.
6. Prince William automatically assumes the title Duke of Cornwall upon the Queen's death. He is now Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge.
7. Prince William will now take over the management of the duchy of Cornwall, which is primarily the source of income and finances of the heir-apparent to the British throne.
8. William and Kate are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
9. The three Cambridge children are now Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis of Cornwall and Cambridge. 
10. The newly ascended king and his Queen Consort will possibly vacate the Clarence House and move to the official residence of the British monarch - Buckingham Palace.
11. The youngest son of the Queen, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, can now be given the title Duke of Edinburgh. In 1999, it was reported that Prince Philip's heir to his Edinburgh dukedom would be his youngest son, however, the title can only be given to Edward when Charles becomes king.
12. (Update after the King's Speech) King Charles III addressed the nation for the first time after the death of his mother. In his speech, he officially granted Prince William the title Prince of Wales. William will be known as Duke of Rothesay when he is in Scotland.

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte

The Current Line of Succession to the British Throne

Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, legitimacy, and religion. Under common law, the British Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. 

The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 restrict the British throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover, the granddaughter of King James I, which effectively barred the Roman Catholic descendants of King Charles I from succeeding the throne.

The King and his two direct male heirs

Princess Sophia did not ascend the British throne. She predeceased Queen Anne. It was her elder son, George, who succeeded Queen Anne, and began the line of the House of Hanover in the British monarchy. 

The House of Hanover ended in 1837 when King William IV died without legitimate heirs. The British throne was inherited by his niece, Queen Victoria who was ineligible to inherit the House of Hanover due to Salic law. 

The Windsors who are not in line to succeed due to their Catholic faith. Lord Nicholas, Lord Downpatrick (Edward), and his younger sister, Lady Marina Charlotte

Although descendants who married Roman Catholics will no longer be disqualified from succeeding the throne due to the amendments made in 2015, descendants who converted to Catholicism are still barred from succeeding the throne. 

The three members of the British royal family who were stripped of their succession rights when they converted to Roman Catholicism: Lord Nicholas Windsor (youngest child of the Duke of Kent), Edward Windsor (grandson of the Duke of Kent), and Lady Marina (granddaughter of the Duke of Kent). 

Related Topics:

Why Roman Catholics are barred from succeeding the British Throne

Franz Duke of Bavaria, the Rightful British Heir

The newly ascended British King, Charles III, with his sons, William and Harry

King Charles III is the reigning sovereign since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. His heir apparent is his elder son, Prince William, who automatically assumes the title Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge. He will become the Prince of Wales only at the pleasure of his father, or after King Charles conferred it to him.

The current third in the line of succession is Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of Prince William. He is the first British princess in history to outrank a younger brother in the line of succession due to the changes of the Succession Law in 2013, which took effect in 2015, three years before Prince Louis was born.

Royal House name: Windsor

Bloodline: George V->George VI ->Elizabeth II ->Charles III

1. Prince William, the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge - eldest son of Charles III
2. Prince George of Cornwall and Cambridge - son of Prince William
3. Princess Charlotte of Cornwall and Cambridge - daughter of Prince William
4. Prince Louis of Cornwall and Cambridge - son of Prince William
5. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex - second son of Charles III
6. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - son of the Duke of Sussex
7. Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor - daughter of the Duke of Sussex
8. Prince Andrew, the Duke of York - second son of Elizabeth II
9. Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi - eldest child of the Duke of York
10. Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli-Mozzi - daughter of Princess Beatrice
11. Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank - younger child of the Duke of York
12. August Philip Hawke Brooksbank - son of Princess Eugenie
13. Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex - youngest son of Elizabeth II
14. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn - son of the Earl of Wessex
15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor - daughter of the Earl of Wessex
16. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal - daughter of Elizabeth II
17. Peter Phillips - son of the Princess Royal
18. Savannah Phillips - eldest child of Peter Phillips
19. Isla Phillips - youngest child of Peter Phillips
20. Zara Phillips-Tindall - daughter of the Princess Royal
21. Mia Tindall - eldest child of Zara Tindall
22. Lena Tindall - second child of Zara Tindall
23. Lucas Tindall - third child of Zara Tindall
24. David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon - son of Princess Margaret (the youngest daughter of George VI)
25. Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley - son of 2nd Earl of Snowdon
26. Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones - daughter of the 2nd Earl of Snowdon
27. Lady Sarah Chatto - daughter of Princess Margaret
28. Samuel Chatto - eldest son of Lady Sarah Chatto
29. Arthur Chatto - younger son of Lady Sarah Chatto
30. Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester - son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (third son of George V)
31. Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster - son of the Duke of Gloucester
32. Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden - son of the Earl of Ulster
33. Lady Cosima Windsor - daughter of the Earl of Ulster
34. Lady Davina Windsor - eldest daughter of the Duke of Gloucester
35. Senna Lewis - eldest child of Lady Davina
36. Tane Lewis - youngest child of Lady Davina
37. Lady Rose Windsor-Gilman - youngest daughter of the Duke of Gloucester
38. Lyla Gilman - eldest child of Lady Rose
39. Rufus Gilman - youngest child of Lady Rose
40. Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent - eldest child of Prince George, Duke of Kent (fourth son of George V) Note: the youngest child of Prince Edward - Lord Nicholas Windsor was removed from the line of succession because he converted to Roman Catholicism. However, his three sons: Albert, Leopold, and Louis who are in communion with the Church of England, retained their places in the line of succession.
41. George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews - eldest son of the Duke of Kent (his two children: Edward and Lady Marina were removed also because they converted to Roman Catholicism)
42. Lady Amelia Windsor - daughter of the Earl of St. Andrews
43. Albert Windsor - son of Lord Nicholas Windsor
44. Leopold Windsor  - son of Lord Nicholas Windsor
45. Louis Windsor  - son of Lord Nicholas Windsor
46. Lady Helen Windsor-Taylor - eldest daughter of the Duke of Kent
47. Columbus Taylor - son of Lady Helen
48. Cassius Taylor - son of Lady Helen
49. Eloise Taylor - daughter of Lady Helen
50. Estella Taylor - daughter of Lady Helen
51. Prince Michael of Kent - youngest son of Prince George, Duke of Kent
52. Lord Frederick Windsor - son of Prince Michael of Kent
53. Maud Windsor - elder daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor
54. Isabella Windsor - younger daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor
55. Lady Gabriella Windsor-Kingston - daughter of Prince Michael of Kent
56. Princess Alexandra, Lady Angus Ogilvy - daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent (fourth son of George V)
57. James Ogilvy - son of Princess Alexandra
58. Alexander Ogilvy - son of James Ogilvy
59. Flora Ogilvy-Vesterberg - daughter of James Ogilvy
60. Marina Ogilvy - daughter of Princess Alexandra