The Next 30 Royals In Line For The British Throne Now That Queen Elizabeth Has Passed
Here's the line of succession.
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning monarch in British history, and she saw. some. things. Like, so many things that The Crown had to add on an entire extra season just to cover all the drama—and they're already talking about sequels! And while we're all pretty familiar with Her Majesty's direct heirs to the British throne (hi, Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George), the royal line of succession stretches back at least 30 people, and it just keeps getting longer as everyone has more children.
And yes, Princess Charlotte is high up on the list (as she should be!) thanks to a shake-up in 2013 that got rid of male primogeniture—a rule that stated male heirs took precedence over their female siblings, even if they were not born first. But keep in mind that any royal children born before 2013 are fresh out of luck (like Princess Anne and her family) and people marrying into the family (like the late Prince Philip) are also not included, so the line of succession can be a littttttle confusing. Which is where we come in. Here are all 30 family members following in Queen Elizabeth's well-heeled shoes, just in case you're wondering what kind of chance your personal faves (hi, Prince Harry and Prince Louis) have at being King/Queen one day.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles is Queen Elizabeth II’s firstborn son and thus literally born to be king. Prince Charles was previously married to the late Princess Diana and is now married to Camilla Parker Bowles. He has now inherited the throne following his mother’s passing, making him the oldest person crowned in the United Kingdom’s history.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Like his father before him, Prince William was born to be king. He’s the first son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and has served as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force and as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance—a job he left in 2017 so he could take on more royal duties. He’s almost sure to become king in his lifetime, and duh, he's married to Kate Middleton.
Prince George of Cambridge
Like his father and grandfather before him, Prince George was (yep!) also born to be king. When he takes the throne, he’ll be King George VII—and hopefully continue his tradition of meeting important politicians and world leaders in his bathrobe like he did when he met former President Barack Obama.
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is the first and youngest female in line for the throne—and she retains the fourth spot over her younger brother Louis thanks to 2013’s Succession to the Crown Act.
Prince Louis of Cambridge
It’s baby Louis! Just four years old and already in a great spot on the line of succession. That’s the royal life for you.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Unlike William, Prince Harry wasn't exactly born to be king—but he seems perfectly cool with that. To the point where he and his wife, Meghan Markle, decided to step back from senior royal duties and move to America. But FYI, despite stepping back, Harry still remains in line to the throne.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Of all the Queen’s children, Prince Andrew is the one who’s been caught up in the most controversies over time. There have been allegations of corruption, sexual misconduct, arms sales, and cash for access scandals. But despite all that and being relieved of his royal duties, he still seems to be in line for the throne.
Princess Beatrice of York
Following the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children, Prince Andrew's daughter Beatrice and her younger sister Eugenie were bumped so sufficiently down the list that they can’t use official royal police bodyguards anymore (and their father Andrew was reportedly a bit annoyed about that).
Princess Eugenie of York
In 2018, Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, the same spot where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got hitched. They recently welcomed their first child together, who comes right after Eugenie herself in the line of succession.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward is Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son. He’s married to Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, who was apparently one of the Queen’s favorite family members. Prince Edward and Sophie have two children together—and they’re next up in line, so get ready!
James, Viscount Severn
Viscount James is technically a prince, but his parents wanted to give him a (slightly) less ostentatious title “to avoid some of the burdens of royal titles.” Still though, he has a lake in Canada named after him and that’s kind of a big deal?
Lady Louise Windsor
Lady Louise Windsor is James’s sister—and, yes, she’s below her brother on the line of succession despite being older than him because the 2013 Succession of the Crown Act does not apply to those born before it was enacted. Womp, womp. Like the Queen and her late sister, Princess Margaret, Lady Louise is a talented carriage driver—she even competed in the British Driving Society Championship for Young Drivers in 2017.
Princess Anne
Princess Anne is the Queen’s second-born child, but she’s below her two younger brothers in the line of succession because, as with Lady Louise above her, the 2013 Succession of the Crown Act doesn’t apply retroactively. Princess Anne competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, riding her mother’s horse, and she is a member of the International Olympic Committee. Oh, and she went viral for shrugging at President Trump.
Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips is Princess Anne's son and Queen Elizabeth’s oldest grandchild. He and his younger sister Zara were not given royal titles by their parents in an attempt to allow them to lead more “normal” lives. Lol.
Savannah Phillips
Savannah is Peter and his ex-wife Autumn’s daughter. Because Princess Anne chose not to give Peter a title, Savannah doesn’t have one either—but she does have great taste in crown-like headbands, so it’s not all bad.
Isla Phillips
Isla Phillips is Savannah’s younger sister and also has excellent headband taste.
Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall is Princess Anne’s second child and, like her brother, doesn't have an official royal title. A talented horse rider since childhood, Zara won an Olympic silver medal in equestrian at the 2012 Games in London—and her mom presented her with the medal.
Mia Tindall
Mia is Zara’s first child with her husband, former England rugby player, Mike Tindall. Her mom has described her as a “quite laid-back” kid. (But she’s also a total scene-stealer. Case in point: that moment she had with her great-grandmother’s handbag during a royal portrait.)
Lena Elizabeth Tindall
2018 was an eventful year for the royal family because in addition to Kate Middleton welcoming Prince Louis, Zara gave birth to her daughter Lena Elizabeth, who was named after the Queen. Baby Louis and Lena Elizabeth are definitely playdate buddies.
Lucas Philip Tindall
Zara and Mike welcomed bb Lucas on March 21, 2021, and Mike revealed that he "arrived very quickly...on the bathroom floor." Love a kid that makes an entrance!
Shannon is a news writer at Cosmopolitan.com, and when she's not obsessing about Cardi B, she's thinking about Justin Bieber and still trying to memorize Beyoncé's Beychella choreography.
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
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