16 Royal Family Members And Where They Rank In The Current Line Of Succession To The Throne
In recent weeks, public interest in the British Royal Family has soared even higher than usual. While the Windsors are pretty much always objects of fascination for "commoners" around the world, one particular event has really thrust them into the public eye once again. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you'll know what we're referring to!
On Saturday, May 19th, Prince Harry wed actress and humanitarian Meghan Markle in a beautiful ceremony at Windsor. The newly-titled Duke and Duchess of Sussex's nuptials were witnessed by millions of people worldwide, and this so-called "fairytale ending" captured the hearts of dedicated royalists and more casual fans alike.
Of course, one of the many notable things about the wedding was the fact that it brought together pretty much every member of the immediate royal family. As you'd expect, the usual big names attended - the Queen, Prince Philips, and their children, for starters. However, Prince Harry's royal cousins, both direct and distant, also came together for this happy occasion.
Keeping track of who's who in the House of Windsor - and where they stand in the line of succession - can be a little bit complicated for anyone who's not a total royalty fanatic! Luckily for you, we've assembled a little guide to those family members who are closest to the throne, and which exact spot in the line of importance they occupy. You'll never have to frantically search the Internet to work out who's who again!
16 Lady Sarah Chatto: Twenty-Second In Line
As the daughter of the late Princess Margaret-the Queen's sister-and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, Lady Sarah Chatto stands at 22nd in line to the British throne. The resemblance between Lady Chatto and her regal aunt is pretty uncanny, to say the least!
Despite being fairly far away from the throne, as 'Hello Magazine' noted earlier this month, 54-year-old Sarah is known for her close relationship with the Queen.
Apparently, the bond between niece and aunt became incredibly strong following Princess Margaret's sad passing over 15 years ago.
Hello adds that Lady Sarah is popular due to being one of the more down-to-earth members of the Royal Family. She prefers to live a private and quiet life with her husband, Daniel, and the couple's two sons. According to Unofficial Royalty, one of the only times Sarah was in the public eye was on the day of her wedding to Daniel Chatto back in 1994. Even then, the ceremony was far from lavish, taking place in the small St. Stephen Walbrook Church in London. The pair reportedly met on a movie set, while Sarah was working in the costume department and David as an actor. Both Sarah and David are currently working as painters, with the former tending to avoid official Royal engagements where possible.
15 David Armstrong-Jones: Nineteenth In Line
As the elder brother of Lady Sarah Chatto, David Armstrong-Jones and his two children slightly overtake his sister in the line of Royal succession. David currently stands at 19th in line, with his son, Viscount Linley, and daughter, Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, occupying 20th and 21st respectively. Armstrong-Jones is now known as the 2nd Earl Snowdon following his father's passing in 2017, having occupied his son's current title until this point.
According to People, Earl Snowdon - like his younger sister - has worked in the artistic sector for most of his life. Specifically, he trained as a craftsman and furniture designer, founding his own company - David Linley Furniture Ltd. - almost thirty years ago. Town and Country Magazine claims that the company's furniture designs have some pretty high-profile fans: the singer Elton John is just one example! Not bad! The Earl attributes his passion for creativity to his father, telling the Telegraph that "I was pretty bad at making things as a child but he was an excellent teacher."
Like his sister Lady Sarah, Earl Snowdon seems to be pretty close to his aunt, the Queen. In January 2017, the Telegraph reported that he'd been spotted attending church at Sandringham with the monarch in the days following his father's passing. Considering how close the Queen and Princess Margaret were, it's perhaps unsurprising that these family connections are so strong.
14 Zara Tindall: Seventeenth In Line
Despite being the Queen's granddaughter, Olympian and former BBC Sports Personality of the Year Zara Tindall doesn't carry a Royal title. She's also a mere 17th in line to the throne, despite being the daughter of the Queen's second-eldest child, Princess Anne. Why is this, we hear you ask? Well, as Metro reports, it's due to "archaic" Royal protocols that deny female Royals the same privileges as their male counterparts.
The children of female children of the monarch are not automatically bestowed titles: this is instead enacted at the discretion of the monarch. According to 'Metro', the Queen did offer Princess Anne titles for her children, but she declined.
Likewise, as the BBC notes, until 2013 any male Royal children were given precedence over female offspring, regardless of age. Thus, Princess Anne and her children - all born long before this change in the law - are lower down the line of succession than the Queen's younger sons and their children. Not that Zara Tindall seems to mind this, of course - she's got a successful sporting career outside of her Royal duties! As The Guardian reported back in 2012, Tindall is an accomplished equestrian rider, winning a silver medal at that year's Olympic Games in London. Her husband, Mike, is also a sportsman - specifically a Rugby player who once won the World Cup with the England team. They're a talented pair!
13 Peter Phillips: Fourteenth In Line
Just like his younger sister Zara, Peter Phillips - the only son of Princess Anne - doesn't have an official Royal title. However, that doesn't stop him from being 14th in line to the British throne! Surprisingly, Phillips is very private regarding his Royal status. According to the Telegraph, he didn't tell his future wife, Autumn Kelly, that he was the Queen's eldest grandson until they'd been dating for six weeks! Talk about a bombshell to drop right there!
In general, Phillips tries to live as "normal" a life as possible. According to Town and Country, Princess Anne rejected the offer of a title for Phillips in an attempt to shield him from the stress and constant scrutiny of Royal life, and it seems to have worked. Phillips married a "commoner", the Canadian Autumn Kelly, back in 2008, and the couple now has two young daughters. Phillips has also held a number of "ordinary" jobs - fulfilling Royal duties isn't his vocation. He's worked for banks, a Formula 1 racing team, and the car company Jaguar in the past, and now runs his own sports-related business.
Despite seemingly shunning many aspects of Royal life, Phillips is reportedly very close to his grandmother, the Queen. According to the Telegraph, he's the monarch's "favorite grandson"! In an interview with the newspaper, Phillips revealed that the Queen has been "an inspirational person throughout my life." We don't doubt it!
12 Anne, Princess Royal: Thirteenth In Line
As the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne has a rather unique and special title: that of Princess Royal. While the now-abolished law of male-preference primogeniture relegated Anne to 13th in line to the throne - behind her young brothers and their families - the Princess has always had an important and very public role in the Royal family.
According to Anne's page on the official Royal Family website, the Princess began to attend Royal engagements in place of her mother at the age of just 18.
Hello Magazine reports that she now undertakes around 500 engagements each year - that's more than one per day! Being a Royal is a busy life! However, as Anne well knows, it can also be a dangerous one. In the 1970s, she was the target of a failed kidnapping attempt in an incident that wounded her personal bodyguard. Luckily, the Princess escaped unscathed - but understandably shaken.
In her free time, Anne likes to take part in many of the Windsor family's favorite hobbies. As the official Royal Family website states, the Princess Royal - like her mother, and her daughter Zara - is a huge fan of horses. Just like Zara, she competed in an Olympic Games in the Equestrian events, specifically appearing at the 1976 Games in Montreal. She also presented Zara with her silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics. It must have been a proud moment for her!
11 Lady Louise Windsor: Twelfth In Line
After Princess Anne and her family, the next Royals up in the line of succession are Prince Edward and his children. Despite being the Prince's eldest child, Lady Louise Windsor is placed behind her younger brother, James, in the pecking order. Again, this is due to the formerly male-preference nature of the Royal line. However, young Louise - currently aged 14 - still has a bright future ahead of her as a Lady of the Royal House of Windsor.
According to Town and Country, Louise came into the world in somewhat stressful and dangerous circumstances. Not only was she a month premature, she also lost a lot of blood during the birthing process. Luckily, the doctors of the Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey were on hand to save her life, and that of her mother, Countess Sophie of Wessex.
While Louise's young age means that she's understandably been kept out of the public eye for most of her life so far, some Royal fans may recognize her from the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton back in 2011. As PopSugar recently recalled, the then-8-year-old Louise was a bridesmaid at the ceremony! At the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it was hard to ignore just how much Louise has grown up. In fact, People reported last week that the young Royal is beginning to take on limited official duties: she joined her parents at an engagement at Bristol Zoo last year. Impressive stuff!
10 James, Viscount Severn: Eleventh In Line
Lady Louise Windsor's younger brother, James, ranks one place ahead of her in the Royal succession at number eleven.
Currently known as Viscount Severn, the ten-year-old is the youngest child of Prince Edward and Countess Sophie of Wessex and is the youngest grandchild of the Queen.
According to Nine.com, James' parents are endeavoring to raise the young Viscount and his sister in as "normal" a manner as possible. Just because he has a title doesn't mean he'll have an easy ride through life - at least, not if his mother has anything to do with it! She told the BBC in 2016 that she expects both of her children to get "normal" jobs, alongside completing their Royal duties.
Still, James does enjoy some luxuries that many children his age can only dream of. In April of this year, the Telegraph reported that he'd been seen driving a Land Rover car around the gardens of Windsor Castle! It was later clarified that James was sat on the lap of another driver - a slight relief considering his young age. His feet surely wouldn't be able to reach the pedals! Perhaps this experience was a treat to cheer James up - he'd been seen a few days before in tears at the traditional royalty-attended Easter Church Service at Windsor Castle. Even Royal kids get upset sometimes, clearly!
9 Prince Edward: Tenth In Line
Now, onto Prince Edward himself. The Queen's youngest son is currently tenth in line to the throne but could be pushed down further if the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex bring any children into the world. Unlike his older brother Andrew, Edward has not received the title of Duke: instead, as the Metro notes, he's been the Earl of Wessex since 1999. There are a couple of potential reasons behind this lower-rank title. Some Royal experts suspect that Edward will be made the Duke of Edinburgh upon the passing of his father, Prince Philip. However, the Metro claims that Edward may have actually chosen to be an Earl, as the title is the same as that of his favorite character from the movie Shakespeare in Love!
In general, Edward has a lot of links to the world of film, television, and theatre. According to the Sunday Post, after dropping out of his Royal Marines training - a move that angered his parents - Edward decided to pursue a career in show business. However, this was less than successful. Edward's first disaster was the televised charity fundraiser It's A Royal Knockout, back in 1987, which embarrassed the Queen greatly. Then, in 2001, his production company was ejected from St. Andrews University after an attempt to secretly film Prince William. Needless to say, the rest of the Royal Family wasn't pleased! These days, Edward sticks to carrying out Royal engagements - according to the Post, he undertakes around 250 each year.
8 Princess Eugenie: Ninth In Line
As the younger of Prince Andrew's two daughters, Princess Eugenie occupies the ninth spot in line to the throne.
However, as the Daily Mail notes, she's the next in line to have a Royal Wedding - she'll marry her fiancée, Jack Brooksbank, at Windsor Castle's chapel in October this year!
According to Good Housekeeping, the spouses-to-be are currently living in Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, next door to Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex and just down the way from Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge's abode. Sounds like they're a pretty close family!
According to the Duchy of York's official website, Eugenie has a number of charitable causes that she actively supports as a Royal Patron. For one, she currently works with the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital in Middlesex - the same hospital in which she underwent surgery to correct scoliosis back when she was 12. Alongside this, she's also a patron of The European School of Osteopathy. It's a cause that's very close to her heart!
As well as undertaking many Royal duties, Eugenie works full-time. According to her father's official site, she works in an unspecified role in the "art world." She's also become something of a fashion icon, beginning with her rather unusual choice of hat at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011! As PopSugar notes, she wore a rather less ostentatious headpiece at Harry and Meghan's nuptials. Probably for the best!
7 Princess Beatrice: Eighth In Line
Princess Eugenie's older sister, Princess Beatrice, is the highest-up of the Queen's grandaughters in the Royal line of succession, being eighth in line to the throne at present. While, like her sister, Beatrice is well-known for her fashion sense (and hat choices), Good Housekeeping claims that she's one of the most interesting Royal Family members out there. That's a pretty bold statement!
To be fair, Beatrice does have a lot of interesting strands to her life. For one, she's got a lot of famous friends! According to Town and Country, she was spotted watching the U.S. Open tennis tournament with model Karlie Kloss, First Daughter Ivanka Trump, and the former wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Wendi Deng. Like her sister, she's also chosen to work full-time, and currently holds a position at the New York-based artificial intelligence company Afiniti.com.
However, Beatrice hasn't shunned her Royal duties completely. Like Eugenie, she's a patron of many charities and good causes - especially relating to individuals with learning difficulties. As Town and Country notes, the Princess herself is dyslexic, meaning this is a cause close to her heart. According to Good Housekeeping, she's also a co-founder of the Big Change project, which aims to promote and assist projects and ideas put forward by young people. Beatrice has certainly got a lot on her plate!
6 Prince Andrew: Seventh In Line
The Queen's third child and second son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has been the subject of quite a few prominent headlines over the years - and not always for positive reasons. The seventh in line to the throne has been the talk of the world's press numerous times now, firstly due to his high-profile divorce from Sarah, Duchess of York back in 1996. According to Hello Magazine, the Royal couple's marriage was rocky due to Andrew being frequently abroad due to his naval career.
Rumors that both the Duke and the Duchess had been unfaithful also plagued the couple, although this was never proven. Surprisingly, despite their divorce, the Duke and Duchess are still close friends.
In 2009, Andrew once again courted controversy due to his seemingly excessive helicopter use. According to the Telegraph, the Prince would frequently make journeys in the air that were easily completed by car or other means. This situation led to him being branded "Air Miles Andy" by the press, with a lot of public anger brewing surrounding his use of taxpayer money for these unnecessary flights. That's not really the kind of reputation that a member of the Royal Family wants to acquire!
5 Prince Harry, Duke Of Sussex: Sixth In Line
Now, here's a member of the Royal Family that we've heard a lot about lately! Prince Harry - the newly created Duke of Sussex - has been thrust even further into the spotlight than usual due to his marriage to the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. To avoid total Royal Wedding saturation in your brain, that's the last we'll say about the beautiful ceremony for now!
Prince Harry has always held a special place in the hearts of the British public, mainly due to the strength he showed in the wake of the passing of his mother. As USA Today notes, Harry was just 12 when Princess Diana perished in a car crash in Paris. The young boy broke the nation's hearts when he walked behind his mother's coffin at her funeral and has since stated that he "doesn't think any child should be asked to do that." Diana's loss is still keenly felt in Britain and beyond, but most of all by her two sons.
Despite gaining a reputation as a bit of a "party prince" in his early 20s, Harry has since settled into his life as sixth in line to the throne. As the Telegraph notes, he's served in Afghanistan twice, produced a documentary film about the country of Lesotho, and became the first member of the Royal Family to visit the South Pole. Who knows what he'll do next, now that he's a married man!
4 Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis Of Cambridge: Fourth And Fifth In Line
Major cuteness alert: we're on to Prince William and Duchess Catherine's adorable Royal children! Following his birth at the end of April 2018, Prince Louis became the fifth person in line to the British throne! That's a big responsibility for a newborn baby… We haven't seen much of Louis since his birth, but early indications suggest that he is indeed as cute as Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Following the birth of Louis, Princess Charlotte technically made history - without really doing anything!
As the Telegraph reported,
The 2013 law that prevented male heirs from overtaking their elder sisters in the line of succession was demonstrated for the first time. While in the past young Charlotte would have been pushed down a place by Louis' birth, she kept her spot at number four thanks to this new inheritance rule!
Despite being just three years of age, Princess Charlotte seems to be enjoying her life in the public eye. As E! Online reported, she stole the show both at the birth of her brother Louis and the recent Royal Wedding with her adorable and often amusing antics! She confidently waved to the assembled press when meeting her baby brother for the first time, and even stuck out her tongue at onlookers when departing her uncle's wedding! Toddlers, eh…
3 Prince George Of Cambridge: Third In Line
By reaching the number three spot in the British Royal Family's line of succession, we've made it to the individuals who will one day become the country's monarch. First up is Prince George, the four-year-old eldest son of Prince William and Duchess Catherine of Cambridge! George has been spotted out-and-about with his parents at numerous Royal engagements since his birth, and he's quickly become known for his adorable and often cheeky personality.
Despite his young age - and his presumably long wait to become King - George is already making friends in high places. As Time reported, in 2016 he met the outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, when they visited the United Kingdom. George greeted the Obamas dressed in an incredibly cute miniature bathrobe and received the gift of a rocking horse from the First Family. As diplomatic meetings go, it was a successful one!
Most recently, we got a glimpse of young George at his uncle Prince Harry's wedding. The young prince served as a pageboy during the ceremony, and, according to Harper's Bazaar, he seemed to enjoy himself! While George was spotted looking a bit sullen during some parts of the ceremony, he had a massive grin on his face in the official wedding photographs. Too cute!
2 Prince William, Duke Of Cambridge: Second In Line
As the second in line to the British throne, Prince William is one of the best-known members of the Royal Family. The Queen's grandson has been in the public eye since he was very young, not least because of the tragic passing of his mother when he was just a teenager. However, he's matured into what Hello Magazine calls "a strong, sensitive man" who is "the pride of not just his family, but the nation as well."
William certainly is one of the most popular royals out there - if not the best-loved! Earlier this year, a poll conducted by Ipsos MORI revealed that William is indeed the British people's favorite Royal, closely followed by his brother.
We've got a while to wait before he becomes King, though! Not that it really matters - the Prince already works incredibly hard and champions numerous charities and causes.
Most recently, the Prince, his wife Duchess Catherine, and Prince Harry have begun a drive to raise awareness of mental health issues across all groups in society. In an interview with GQ, he revealed that this campaign is deeply personal - the Prince struggled greatly in the aftermath of Princess Diana's tragic accident. His interviewer, former political spin doctor Alaistar Campbell, noted that the experience "partly explains why [Prince William] is determined to get us all talking more about our emotions." It must take great courage to take this traumatic event and use it as a force for good.
1 Charles, Prince Of Wales: First In Line
We've reached the top spot! Well, technically the second-to-top spot: Prince Charles isn't the British King quite yet! He's had to do a fair bit of waiting already, and it doesn't look like his mother The Queen will be letting go of her title any time soon. In fact, The Telegraph has noted that if and when Charles finally is crowned, he'll become the oldest person to be crowned in British history. Is that something to celebrate? We're not quite sure!
During his tenure as Prince of Wales, Charles has certainly got up to a lot - both professionally and personally. Many people remember him best for his turbulent marriage to Princess Diana, a relationship which was infamous for infidelities and issues on both sides. Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles - the woman who became his second wife, and the Duchess of Cornwall - incited what Reader's Digest calls "accusatory fingers" to be directed Charles' way. This only increased following Diana's passing, and reportedly caused the Prince to get into serious disagreements with his mother, the Queen.
Still, in recent years Charles has managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat. As The Guardian notes, he's become an outspoken activist surrounding climate change, even penning a short guide on the subject. He's also recently celebrated his 70th birthday with, according to Hello Magazine, a party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, and he seems to be getting on well with his son Harry's new wife, Meghan Markle. Hooray for a happy family!
References: Hello Magazine; Unofficial Royalty; People; The Telegraph; Town and Country Magazine; The Telegraph; Metro; BBC News; The Guardian; The Telegraph; Town and Country; The Telegraph; Royal.UK; Hello Magazine; Town and Country; PopSugar; People; BBC (via News Time on YouTube); Nine.com; The Telegraph; Metro; The Sunday Post; Duchy of York Official Site; The Daily Mail; Good Housekeeping; PopSugar; Good Housekeeping; Town and Country; Hello Magazine, The Telegraph; USA Today; The Telegraph; The Telegraph; E! Online; Time; Harper's Bazaar; Hello Magazine; Ipsos Mori; GQ; Hello Magazine; The Guardian; Reader's Digest; The Telegraph