Succession to the British throne
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Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, sex,
The United Kingdom is one of the
Current line of succession
No official, complete version of the line of succession is maintained. The exact number, in more remote collateral lines, of the people who would be eligible is uncertain. In 2001, American genealogist
The annotated list below covers the first part of this line of succession, being limited to
- King George V(1865–1936)
- King Edward VIII(1894–1972)
- King George VI(1895–1952)
- Queen Elizabeth II(1926–2022)
- King Charles III(b. 1948)
- (1) William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982) B D W
- (2) Prince George of Wales (b. 2013) B D W
- (3) Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015) B D W
- (4) Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018) B D W
- (5) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984) B D W
- (6) Prince Archie of Sussex (b. 2019) B D W
- (7) Princess Lilibet of Sussex (b. 2021) B D
- (1) William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982) B D W
- (8) Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960) B D W
- (9) Princess Beatrice (b. 1988) B D W
- (10) Sienna Mapelli Mozzi (b. 2021) B D
- (11) Princess Eugenie (b. 1990) B D W
- (9) Princess Beatrice (b. 1988) B D W
- (14) Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964) B D W
- (17) Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950) 1952 B D W
- (18) Peter Phillips (b. 1977) B D W
- (21) Zara Tindall (née Phillips; b. 1981) B D W
- Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930–2002) 1952
- (25) David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (b. 1961) D W
- (26) Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (b. 1999) D W
- (27) Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002) D W
- (28) Lady Sarah Chatto (née Armstrong-Jones; b. 1964) D W
- (25) David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon (b. 1961) D W
- Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974) 1952
- Prince William of Gloucester (1941–1972) 1952
- (31) Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944) 1952 D W
- (32) Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974) D W
- (35) Lady Davina Windsor (b. 1977) D W
- (38) Lady Rose Gilman (née Windsor; b. 1980) D W
- (32)
- Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942)
- (41) Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935) 1952 D W
- (42) George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (b. 1962) M D W
- Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (b. 1988) X D W
- Lady Marina Windsor (b. 1992) X D W
- (43) Lady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995) D W
- Lord Nicholas Windsor (b. 1970) X D W
- (47) Lady Helen Taylor (née Windsor; b. 1964) D W
- (42) George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (b. 1962) M D W
- (52) Prince Michael of Kent (b. 1942) 1952 M W
- (53) Lord Frederick Windsor (b. 1979) W
- (56) Lady Gabriella Kingston (née Windsor; b. 1981) W
- (57) Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (b. 1936) 1952 W
- (58) James Ogilvy (b. 1964) W
- (61) Marina Ogilvy (b. 1966) W
- (41) Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935) 1952 D W
Mark | Source for listing or note on exclusion from succession |
---|---|
1952 | Succession published on the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952[5] |
B | Listed by the official website of the British monarchy, "Succession", retrieved 9 June 2023. |
D | Debrett's website (as of 6 June 2023[update]): "The Line of Succession" |
W | ISBN 978-1-7810-8978-1 , p. 26
|
M | These people had been excluded through marriage to a Roman Catholic. This exclusion was repealed on 26 March 2015, restoring them to the line of succession, when the Perth Agreement came into effect. |
X | Excluded as Roman Catholics. This exclusion is not affected by changes subsequent to the Perth Agreement. |
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2015) |
England
In 1485, Henry Tudor, a female-line descendant of a legitimated branch of the
Henry VII was followed by his son,
Henry VIII's multiple marriages led to several complications over succession. Henry VIII was first married to
Edward VI succeeded Henry VIII in 1547. Edward VI attempted to divert the course of succession in his will to prevent his Catholic half-sister, Mary, from inheriting the throne. He excluded both Mary and Elizabeth, settling on the Duchess of Suffolk's daughter,
Mary was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth, who broke with the precedents of many of her predecessors, and refused to name an heir. Whilst previous monarchs (including Henry VIII) had specifically been granted authority to settle uncertain successions in their wills, the Treasons Act 1571 asserted that Parliament had the right to settle disputes, and made it treason to deny parliamentary authority. Wary of threats from other possible heirs, Parliament further passed the Safety of the Queen, etc. Act 1584, which provided that any individual involved in attempts to murder the sovereign would be disqualified from succeeding (the act was repealed in 1863).
Scotland
The House of Stewart (later Stuart) had ruled in Scotland since 1371. It followed strict rules of primogeniture.
After the union of the crowns
Stuarts
Elizabeth I of England and Ireland was succeeded by King
James's eldest surviving son and successor, Charles I, was overthrown and beheaded in 1649 and the monarchy was abolished. A few years later, it was replaced by the Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell, a de facto monarch with the title of Lord Protector rather than King. Cromwell had the right to name his successor, which he exercised on his deathbed by choosing his son, Richard Cromwell. Richard was ineffective and was quickly forced from office. Shortly afterwards, the monarchy was restored, with Charles I's son Charles II as King.
The English
After Mary II died in 1694, her husband continued to reign alone until his own death in 1702. The line of succession provided for by the Bill of Rights was almost at an end; William and Mary had no children and Princess Anne's children had died. Parliament passed the Act of Settlement 1701. The Act maintained the provision of the Bill of Rights whereby William would be succeeded by Princess Anne and her descendants, and thereafter by his own descendants from future marriages. The Act declared that they would be followed by James I & VI's granddaughter Sophia, Electress Dowager of Hanover (the daughter of James's daughter Elizabeth Stuart), and her heirs. As under the Bill of Rights, non-Protestants and those who married Roman Catholics were excluded. Because Sophia was a foreign citizen, Parliament passed the Sophia Naturalization Act 1705 to make her and her descendants English and therefore eligible for the throne.[10]
Upon William's death, Anne became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. Because the Parliament of England settled on Sophia as Anne's heir-presumptive without consulting Scottish leaders, the
Hanoverians and Windsors
Anne was predeceased by Sophia, Electress Dowager of Hanover, and was therefore succeeded by the latter's son, who became George I in 1714.
Attempts were made in the
On the death of William IV in 1837, his 18-year-old niece
Edward VIII became King on the death of his father, George V, in January 1936.[11] Edward opened Parliament in November, but abdicated in December 1936, and was never crowned. Edward had desired to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorcee, but the Church of England, of which the British Sovereign is Supreme Governor, would not authorise the marriage of divorcees. Consequently, Parliament passed His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, by which Edward VIII ceased to be Sovereign "immediately upon" his royal assent as King being signified in Parliament on 11 December. The Act provided that he and his descendants, if any, were not to have any "right, title or interest in or to the succession to the Throne". Edward died childless in 1972.
Edward's abdication was "a demise of the Crown" (in the words of the Act), and the Duke of York, his brother who was then next in the line, immediately succeeded to the throne and to its "rights, privileges, and dignities", taking the regnal name George VI. He in turn was succeeded in 1952 by his elder daughter, Elizabeth II. By that time, the monarch of the United Kingdom no longer reigned in the greater part of Ireland (which had become a republic in 1949), but was the monarch of a number of independent sovereign states (Commonwealth realms). She was then succeeded in 2022 by her eldest son, Charles III.
Commonwealth realms
By the terms of the
Following the changes coming into effect, the positions of the first 27 in line remained unchanged, including Princess Anne and her children and grandchildren, until the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on 2 May 2015. The first to be affected by the changes, on the day they came into effect on 26 March of that year, were the children of Lady Davina Windsor—her son Tane Mahuta Lewis (born 2012) and her daughter Senna Kowhai Lewis (born 2010)—who were reversed in the order of succession, becoming 29th and 28th in line respectively (now 36th and 35th as of September 2022[update]).[14]
Current rules
The Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement (restated by the Acts of Union) still govern succession to the throne. They were amended in the United Kingdom by the
Anyone ineligible to succeed is treated as if they were dead. That person's descendants are not also disqualified, unless they are personally ineligible.
Marriages
The
The
The constitutional crisis arising from Edward VIII's decision to marry a divorcee in 1936 led to His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, which provided that Edward VIII and his descendants would have no claim to the throne.[17] The Act is no longer applicable, because Edward died in 1972 without issue.
Under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, the first six persons in line to the throne must obtain the sovereign's approval before marrying.[16] Marriage without the Sovereign's consent disqualifies the person and the person's descendants from the marriage from succeeding to the Crown,[16] but the marriage is still legally valid.
Religion
Rules relating to eligibility established by the Bill of Rights are retained under the Act of Settlement and the Acts of Union 1707. Under Article II of the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland (which was given legal force by the acts of the English and Scottish parliaments), the succession to the throne is limited to "the Heirs of [Electress Sophia's] body being Protestants."[18] The Act of Settlement also states that "whosoever shall hereafter come to the Possession of this Crown shall join in Communion with the Church of England".[19] The definition of being "in Communion with the Church of England" has been interpreted broadly; for instance, King George I was Lutheran.[20]
The Bill of Rights specifically excludes Roman Catholics from being sovereign, to the extent that they "shall be excluded and be for ever uncapeable to inherit possesse or enjoy the Crowne", thus ignoring any potential conversion from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism.[21] As such, a Roman Catholic is viewed as "naturally dead" for the purposes of succession.[22] The Act of Settlement further provided that anyone who married a Roman Catholic was ineligible to succeed. The Act did not require that the spouse be Anglican; it only barred those who married Roman Catholics. The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 removed the ban on individuals who marry Roman Catholics, though not on Roman Catholics themselves, because the monarch is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Treason
Under the
Accession
In the Commonwealth realms, upon the death of a sovereign, the heir apparent or heir presumptive succeeds to the throne immediately, with no need for confirmation or further ceremony.
Formerly, a new sovereign proclaimed his or her own accession. But on the death of Elizabeth I an Accession Council met to proclaim the accession of James I to the throne of England. James was then in Scotland and reigning as King James VI of Scotland. This precedent has been followed since. Now, the Accession Council normally meets in
Upon his or her accession, a new sovereign is required by law to make and subscribe several oaths. The Bill of Rights of 1689 first required the sovereign to make a public declaration of non-belief in Roman Catholicism.
After a period of mourning,[29] the new sovereign is usually consecrated and crowned in Westminster Abbey. Normally, the Archbishop of Canterbury officiates, though the sovereign may designate any other bishop of the Church of England. A coronation is not necessary for a sovereign to reign; for example, Edward VIII was never crowned, yet during his short reign was the undoubted king.
Regency Act 1937
In the event that the sovereign is under 18, or is incapacitated, the first person in the line of succession who is over the age of 21 (or 18 in the case of the heir apparent) and is domiciled in the United Kingdom becomes regent, and exercises the powers of the sovereign.
The first four individuals in the line of succession who are over 21 (or 18 in the case of the heir), and the sovereign's consort, may be appointed
Otherwise, individuals in the line of succession need not have specific legal or official roles.
Princess Anne and Prince Edward were added as extra counsellors of state in 2022 by an act of Parliament, following the death of Elizabeth II.[31]
See also
- Accession Declaration Act 1910
- Alternative successions of the English crown
- British prince
- British princess
- Family tree of the British royal family
- History of the English and British line of succession
- Jacobite succession
- List of British monarchs
- List of descendants of George V
- List of heirs to the British throne
- List of heirs to the English throne
- List of heirs to the Scottish throne
- List of monarchs in the British Isles
- Posthumous birth
- Royal Succession Bills and Acts
- Succession to the Crown Act 2013 (United Kingdom)
- Succession to the Throne Act, 2013 (Canada)
- Royal Succession Act 2013 (New Zealand)
- Succession to the Crown Act 2015 (Australia)
Explanatory notes
- ^ Males born on or before 28 October 2011 precede their elder sisters in the line of succession.[1]
- ^ a b Albert and Leopold Windsor were listed on the official website of the British monarchy until 2015 and in the 2013 edition of Whitaker's Almanack as following Estella Taylor (b 2004) and eligible to succeed; MSN News, Debrett's and Whitaker's Almanack 2015 and 2021 list them after Lady Amelia Windsor and before Lady Helen Taylor. They were baptised as Catholics, and are not listed in line in editions of Whitaker's earlier than 2012.
- ^ Neither the Legitimacy Act 1926 nor the Legitimacy Act 1959 changed the Law of Succession.
- ^ Per the His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936.
- ^ A letter from Tony Newton as Lord President of the Council to Tony Benn indicated this was the effect of the Act of Settlement after Benn had indicated he intended to block the next accession at the Privy Council.[24]
- ^ This declaration was similar to what members of both Houses of Parliament were originally required to take by the Test Acts. Eventually, by the time it was changed in 1910, the monarch was the only one left required to make the declaration.
References
Citations
- ^ a b c "Succession". Official website of the British monarchy. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ a b Bogdanor (1995), p. 55.
- ^ Reitwiesner, W. A. "Persons eligible to succeed to the British Throne as of 1 Jan 2001". wargs.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2005.
- ^ Lewis, David. "Persons eligible to succeed to the British Throne as of 1 Jan 2011". wargs.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
- ^ "Line of succession to the throne". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 February 1952. p. 6. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-3000-7883-1.
- ^ "Rotuli Parliamentorum A.D. 1485 1 Henry VII". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
- ^ Smith, G. Barnett (19 March 2021) [1892]. History of the English Parliament. Ward, Lock, Bowden & Co. p. 298.
- ^ "Succession to the Crown Act 1603" Archived 5 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Princess Sophia". www.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ "Prince of Wales proclaimed King Edward VIII". London: UPI. 21 January 1936. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Girls equal in British throne succession". BBC News. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- ^ The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 (Commencement) Order 2015 Archived 29 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine legislation.gov.uk; Clegg, Nick (26 March 2015). "Commencement of Succession to the Crown Act 2013: Written statement" Archived 5 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine. UK Parliament.
- ^ "What do the new royal succession changes mean?" Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Royal Central. 26 March 2015.[unreliable source?]; "Line of Succession". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ Blackstone (1765).
- ^ a b c "Succession to the Crown Act 2013" Archived 9 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine. UK Parliament. Section 3.
- ^ His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, section 2
- ^ "Article II of the Treaty of Union in the Union With Scotland Act 1706". Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ Act of Settlement, section 3
- ^ Lathbury, Thomas (1858). A History of the Book of Common Prayer and Other Books of Authority. Oxford: John Henry and James Parker. p. 430.
George I. remained a Lutheran as long as he lived, and had his German chaplain; but he conformed on some occasions with the Church of England. George II. was in the same position. Though Lutherans, they exercised acts of supremacy in the Church of England; and the common opinion was, that there was no opposition between the views of the two Churches
- ^ Bill of Rights Archived 26 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine section I
- ^ Bill of Rights, section I; Act of Settlement, preamble
- ^ "Accession" Archived 5 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Official website of the British monarchy. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ Bogdanor (1995), p. 45.
- ^ "Gun Salutes" Archived 1 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Official website of the British monarchy. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ Accession Declaration Act 1910, schedule
- ^ Union with Scotland Act 1706, article XXV. "...And Lastly that after the Decease of Her Present Majesty (whom God long preserve) the Soveraign succeeding to her in the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Great Britain shall in all time comeing at his or her accession to the Crown Swear and Subscribe That they shall inviolably maintain and preserve the foresaid settlement of the True Protestant Religion with the Government Worship Discipline Right and Priviledges of this Church as above established by the Laws of this Kingdom in prosecution of the Claim of Right..."
- ^ Regency Act 1937, section 1(2)
- ^ "Coronation". Official website of the British monarchy. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ "Counsellors of State". The Royal Family. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
- ^ "Counsellors of State Act 2022". The National Archive. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
General and cited sources
- Blackstone, William (1765). "Chapter 3: Of The King, and His Title" Archived 3 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Commentaries on the Laws of England, Vol. 1. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Bogdanor, Vernon (1995). The Monarchy and the Constitution. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-1982-9334-7.
- Bryant, A. (1975). A Thousand Years of British Monarchy. London: Collins.
- Cox, Noel (1999). "The Law of Succession to the Crown in New Zealand". Waikato Law Review. 7: 49–72. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
External links
- Text of the Bill of Rights 1689
- Text of the Act of Settlement 1701
- Full text of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.
- "Royal Family tree and line of succession" at the BBC website, 29 June 2018. Biographies of the Queen's descendants in order of their place in the line of succession.
- British line of succession on any date back to 1820.