Breaking it down. The royal line of succession has been shaken up and moved around — but where do members of the British royal family stand when it comes to their place in line to the throne?
Queen Elizabeth II had been head of the Commonwealth since 1952 when she died in September 2022 at the age of 96, making her the longest-reigning British monarch in history. She and the late Prince Philip‘s eldest son, King Charles III, was officially anointed king at his coronation ceremony in May 2023.
Prince William follows close behind Charles as next in line for the throne. Though it would seem Prince Harry would be after his big brother, he was bumped back following the birth of William and Princess Kate‘s children.
When Kate and William welcomed their first child, Prince George, in July 2013, the little one took the spot above his uncle. The Cambridges later welcomed Princess Charlotte in May 2015 and Prince Louis in April 2018, who then entered spots three and four, respectively.
Harry, who is currently fifth in line, is followed by his firstborn, Archie, whom he shares with Meghan Markle.
The former military pilot and the Suits alum — who wed in May 2018 — announced news of their first child in an Instagram post in May 2019. Harry later beamed with joy as he addressed media after the arrival of his newborn.
“Meghan and myself had a baby boy early this morning — a very healthy boy,” the Duke of Sussex gushed to press. “Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. This has been the most amazing experience I could possibly imagine. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we are both absolutely thrilled and so grateful for all the love and support from everyone out there. It’s been amazing. So we just wanted to share this with everybody.”
The duo later revealed the little one’s name. “Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor,” the couple announced via Instagram. “This afternoon Their Royal Highnesses introduced Her Majesty The Queen to her eighth great-grandchild at Windsor Castle. The Duke of Edinburgh and the duchess’ mother were also present for this special occasion.”
In January 2020, the duo caused a stir when they announced that they would be stepping away from their senior royal roles. Two months later, they settled down in California with their son. After a year of ups and downs, Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that Harry and Meghan would not be returning as working members of the royal family. The news came days after the pair revealed that they were expecting baby No. 2 after Meghan previously suffered a miscarriage in July 2020.
During their first televised interview since their royal exit, the twosome announced that they would be welcoming a baby girl. “Just to have a boy and a girl, what more can we ask for?” Harry gushed at the time. “We’ve got our family. We’ve got, you know, the four of us and our two dogs, and it’s great.”
Their second child, Lili, arrived in June 2021 and became seventh in line, following her brother, Archie.
Scroll down to see where each royal stands in line for the throne.
Sara Donnellan
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