The Royal family keeps expanding, what with Duchess Kate and Prince William expecting their third baby, and Prince Harry starting a family with Meghan Markle. This means a continuous shift in the line of succession.
Take a look at the 25 royals of the house of Windsor who are in the line of succession.
Beginning with the eldest of Queen Elizabeth II's children, Prince Charles. The royal, whose official title is Charles, Prince of Wales, is first in line to assume the highest seat in the British monarchy. Upon Charles' ascension to the throne, however, his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will likely not be crowned Britain's queen consort because of bad blood following her and Charles' affair during his marriage to the late Princess Diana. Instead, in keeping with the same tradition followed by Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Camilla will be known as the princess consort.
Upon the death of Prince William's father, Prince Charles (who will become King Charles), William will ascend the throne and be crowned king of England. Unlike Camilla Parker-Bowles, however, Duchess Kate will be crowned queen consort, meaning she'll hold the title of queen but will not have the privilege of ruling. Many surmise that Kate will be known as Queen Catherine upon William's coronation.
Third in line to the throne is young Prince George, who will be crowned king upon the death of his father, Prince William. While that day is many years in the future, it's interesting to note that the youngest monarch ever crowned in British history was King Henry VI, who ascended the throne when he was only 8 months and 26 days old.
Following her brother in the line of succession is Princess Charlotte, who is fourth in line to the British crown. While not completely unlikely, her chance at actually holding the highest seat in the monarchy is low, requiring her brother to die or renounce the throne before he has children. Thanks to an agreement passed in 2011 by Parliament, the long-held practice of male-heir preference officially ended, meaning that even if Duchess Kate and Prince William's third child is a boy, Charlotte will not be skipped (which is what happened to Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne).
Kate Middleton's unborn baby, due in April 2018, is the fifth in line. This child will only be crowned king or queen in the event both of his or her older siblings pass away (or renounce the throne) before they start families of their own.
Sixth in the royal line of succession is Prince Henry of Wales, more informally known as Prince Harry. While Harry's not likely to ever be crowned king (it would take the tragic passing of Prince William and all of his heirs -- a horrible thing to even think about), if he were to hold the title, it is unlikely his bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, would be crowned queen consort.
Although Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, is currently seventh in line to the throne, his place is likely to get bumped further down over the next few years. That's because Prince Harry's future children will fall in line in front of him, pushing Andrew down the list. In the meantime, it's unlikely that Andrew, the Duke of York, will ever actually wear the crown.
Eighth in line for the throne is Princess Beatrice of York, the daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Before Princess Charlotte's birth on May 2, 2015, Princess Beatrice was the highest ranking female in the royal line of succession. Although she grew up alongside cousins Prince William and Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice is unlikely to ever actually be crowned queen.
Coming in ninth place is Princess Beatrice's little sister, Princess Eugenie. As the royal cousin of Prince Harry and Prince William, Eugenie has experienced all the highs and lows of life in the British monarchy, including the very public divorce of her parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Happily, on Jan. 23, 2018, it was announced that Eugenie and her beau of seven years, Jack Brooksbank, a commoner, were engaged.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's youngest son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is the 10th in line for the throne.
Following in his father's footsteps and coming in at No. 11 in line for the throne is James, Viscount Severn, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Although he's technically the youngest child in his family, he snagged a higher place on the list than his big sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, due to the archaic (and now defunct) rule that favored male over female heirs. Although the rules have changed, they only impact children born after 2011.
Twelfth in line for the throne is Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, eldest child of Prince Edward, Earl of Essex, and granddaughter to Queen Elizabeth II. As previously mentioned, Louise got robbed of her rightful spot as the 11th heir to the throne because Britain's former line of succession rules favored boys over girls (until the rule changed in 2011), so her spot went to her little brother James, Viscount Severn. She's probably not too mad about it, though, as neither she nor her brother are likely to ever be crowned king or queen.
Princess Anne should have been the seventh in line to the throne, considering she's the second-born child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, but because male heirs were favored over females in the former line of succession rules, her younger brothers were placed before her in the line of succession.
No. 14 in line for the throne is Peter Phillips, who holds no official royal title, though he is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and the son of Princess Anne. Peter wasn't afforded a title because of the tradition that only fathers can pass titles to their children, not mothers. Since 2008, Peter has been married to Canadian commoner Autumn Kelly.
Coming in right behind her father in the No. 15 spot in line for the crown is young Savannah Phillips, the great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, granddaughter of Princess Anne and daughter of Peter Phillips. While she'll never ascend the throne, she will continue to grow up alongside her second cousins, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, the latter of whom will be crowned king in the distant future.
The 16th royal family member in line for the throne is little Isla Phillips, the youngest daughter of Peter Phillips, granddaughter of Princess Anne and great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Like big sister Savannah Phillips, it's unlikely Isla will ever ascend the throne, but she's got the distinct privilege of growing up alongside the future king of England, Prince George.
Coming in at No. 17 is Zara Tindall, the younger sister of Peter Phillips and daughter of Princess Anne. Although Zara grew up with cousins Prince William and Prince Harry, to whom she's very close, she managed to step outside of their shadows to become her own independent woman. Zara is an award-winning Olympic equestrian and mother, who announced in January 2018 that she's expecting her second child with her husband, retired rugby player Mike Tindall.
Zara Tindell's daughter, Mia Tindall, is currently the 18th royal family member in line for the British throne. Mia will become a big sister in the summer of 2018. In the meantime, she gets to have a blast playing with her second cousins, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as well as her first cousins, Savannah Phillips and Isla Phillips.
Although David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (also known as David Linley), is currently 19th in line for the British throne, his spot will be bumped to No. 20 once Zara Tindall's second baby is born. David is the nephew of Queen Elizabeth and the son of Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret, who passed away in 2002. While he grew up alongside Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, David followed a different path in his adult life. He became a renowned furniture maker and once served as the chairman of Christie's, the elite auction house.
In the 20th spot is David Armstrong-Jones's son, Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (the father and son are seen together here in 2016). A viscount is a nobleman who is one level below an earl and one above a baron. In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II named Charles her Page of Honour, a ceremonious title typically bestowed upon teenage sons of members of the royal family.
The 21st person in line for the throne is Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the youngest child of David Armstrong-Jones. In 2011 when Margarita was only 8 years old, she served as one of Duchess Kate's bridesmaids.
Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, is in the 22nd spot. As the niece of Queen Elizabeth II and sister of David Armstrong-Jones, Sarah experienced all the pomp and circumstance that came with growing up in the inner circle of the royal family. However, as an adult, Sarah has chosen to live a more low-key life out of the spotlight. Even though she's a lesser known royal, she is still quite close to her aristocratic family. Sarah lives with her husband and children in London's Kensington neighborhood and is a close friend and confidant of the queen.
Coming in behind his mother in 23rd place is Samuel Chatto, the son of Lady Sarah Chatto and grandson of the late Princess Margaret. Samuel (seen here with his mom in 2017) might have a baby face, but he's actually in his early 20s!
Right behind big brother Samuel Chatto in the No. 24 spot for the throne is teenaged Arthur Chatto, the hunky son of Lady Sarah Chatto and grandson of the queen's late sister, Princess Margaret. Dubbed "the royal family's heartthrob," Arthur is known for sharing shirtless pictures on Instagram that have earned him a dedicated following of adoring fans.
Last on the list in 25th place is Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard is the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and the son of Elizabeth's uncle, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. At 73, he is also the youngest grandchild of the late King George V.
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