British Line of Succession: First 60 Persons Eligible to Succeed King Charles III

 

The succession to the British throne is determined by descent, legitimacy, and religion. The only monarchy in Europe where religion is one of the basis of eligibility to succeed to the throne.

Roman Catholics are barred from succeeding the throne since the 18th century or after the death of Queen Anne (House of Stuart). It remained so until today even though the law was repealed in 2015 to respond to the call of modern times. 

The first four in the line of succession

The British Crown is inherited by the monarch's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. 

The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 restrict succession to the throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover (granddaughter of King James I) who are in "communion with the Church of England".

Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, the first in the succession line outside the direct descendants of King George VI.

Spouses of Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015. Today, protestant descendants who married Catholics are no longer barred from succeeding the throne. Royals, such as Prince Michael of Kent and George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews, who were removed from the line of succession upon marrying Catholics, were reinstated in 2015.

King Charles II and his heir-apparent, Prince William

Since 2015, the British throne has followed an Absolute Primogeniture Succession, where females are given equal rights to the throne. Prince William's second son, Prince Louis of Wales, is the first British prince to be outranked by an older sister in the line of succession. The change of succession law only affected children born in 2015 onwards.

Prince Louis of Wales is the first British prince to be outranked by an elder sister in the line of succession. He was born in 2018, three years after the new succession law took effect

There's no provision in the law of succession restricting the line of succession to the reigning British monarch's descendants, so all protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover are eligible to succeed, including foreign royals who are heads of their respective royal houses (reigning and non-reigning) - King Harald V of Norway, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Frederik X of Denmark, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Prince Georg of Prussia (German prince), Crown Princess Margarita of Romania, Grand Duke George of Russia, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, and many more. 

King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, both direct descendants of Queen Victoria, and their descendants barred from succeeding to the throne due to their Catholic faith. 

Here are the first 60 individuals who are eligible to succeed King Charles III:

(1) William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982) - eldest child of Charles III

(2) Prince George of Wales (b. 2013) - eldest child of the Prince of Wales

(3) Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015)  - second child of the Prince of Wales

(4) Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018) - third child of the Prince of Wales

(5) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984)  - second child of Charles III

(6) Prince Archie of Sussex (b. 2019) - eldest child of the Duke of Sussex

(7) Princess Lilibet of Sussex (b. 2021)  - second child of the Duke of Sussex

(8) Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960) - younger brother of Charles III

(9) Princess Beatrice (b. 1988) - eldest child of the Duke of York

(10) Sienna Mapelli Mozzi (b. 2021) - daughter of Princess Beatrice

(11) Princess Eugenie (b. 1990) - second child of the Duke of York

(12) August Brooksbank (b. 2021) - eldest child of Princess Eugenie

(13) Ernest Brooksbank (b. 2023) - second child of Princess Eugenie

(14) Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964) - younger brother of Charles III

(15) James Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex (b. 2007)  - second child of Prince Edward

(16) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2003) - eldest child of Prince Edward

(17) Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950) - only sister of Charles III

(18) Peter Phillips (b. 1977) - eldest child of the Princess Royal

(19) Savannah Phillips (b. 2010) - eldest child of Peter Phillips

(20) Isla Phillips (b. 2012) - second child of Peter Phillips

(21) Zara Phillips-Tindall (b. 1981) - second child of the Princess Royal

(22) Mia Tindall (b. 2014) - eldest child of Zara Tindall

(23) Lena Tindall (b. 2018) - second child of Zara Tindall

(24) Lucas Tindall (b. 2021) - third child of Zara Tindall

(25) David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (b. 1961) - son of Princess Margaret, the youngest daughter of King George VI and younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II.

(26) Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (b. 1999) - second child of the 2nd Earl of Snowdon

(27) Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002) - eldest child of the 2nd Earl of Snowdon

(28) Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones-Chatto (b. 1964) - daughter of Princess Margaret

(29) Samuel Chatto (b. 1996) - eldest child of Lady Sarah 

(30) Arthur Chatto (b. 1999) - second child of Lady Sarah

(31) Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944) - second and only surviving son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (third son of King George V)

(32) Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974) - eldest child of the Duke of Gloucester

(33) Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden (b. 2007) - eldest child of the Earl of Ulster

(34) Lady Cosima Windsor (b. 2010) - second child of the Earl of Ulster

(35) Lady Davina Windsor (b. 1977) - second child of the Duke of Gloucester

(36) Senna Lewis (b. 2010) - eldest child of Lady Davina

(37) Tane Lewis (b. 2012) - second child of Lady Davina

(38) Lady Rose Windsor-Gilman (b. 1980) - third child of the Duke of Gloucester

(39) Lyla Gilman (b. 2010) - eldest child of Lady Rose

(40) Rufus Gilman (b. 2012) - second child of Lady Rose

(41) Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935) - eldest child of Prince George, Duke of Kent (4th son of King George V)

(42) George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (b. 1962) - eldest child of the Duke of Kent

Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (b. 1988) - eldest child of the Earl of St. Andrews. He was removed from the line of succession when he became a Roman Catholic, however, he is still eligible to succeed his father in the Duchy of Kent as British peerage succession is not subjected to religious restriction.

Lady Marina Windsor (b. 1992) - second child of the Earl of St. Andrews. She was removed from the line of succession due to her Roman Catholic faith.

(43) Lady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995) - third child of the Earl of St. Andrews

Lord Nicholas Windsor (b. 1970) - third child of the Duke of Kent. He was removed from the line of succession when he converted to Roman Catholicism. 

(44) Albert Windsor (b. 2007) - eldest child of Lord Nicholas Windsor. He is in communion with the Church of England and thus retained his place in the line of succession.

(45) Leopold Windsor (b. 2009) - second child of Lord Nicholas Windsor. He is in communion with the Church of England and thus retained his place in the line of succession.

(46) Louis Windsor (b. 2014) - third child of Lord Nicholas Windsor. He is in communion with the Church of England and thus retained his place in the line of succession.

(47) Lady Helen Windsor-Taylor (b. 1964) - second child of the Duke of Kent

(48) Columbus Taylor (b. 1994) - eldest child of Lady Helen

(49) Cassius Taylor (b. 1996) - second child of Lady Helen

(50) Eloise Taylor (b. 2003) - third child of Lady Helen

(51) Estella Taylor (b. 2004) - fourth child of Lady Helen

(52) Prince Michael of Kent (b. 1942) - third child of Prince George, Duke of Kent

(53) Lord Frederick Windsor (b. 1979) - eldest child of Prince Michael of Kent

(54) Maud Windsor (b. 2013) - eldest child of Lord Frederick

(55) Isabella Windsor (b. 2016) - second child of Lord Frederick

(56) Lady Gabriella Windsor-Kingston (b. 1981) - second child of Prince Michael of Kent

(57) Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy (b. 1936) - second child and only daughter of Prince George, Duke of Kent.

(58) James Ogilvy (b. 1964) - eldest child of Princess Alexandra

(59) Alexander Ogilvy (b. 1996) - second child of James Ogilvy

(60) Flora Vesterberg (b. 1994) - eldest child of James Ogilvy