(RNN) – Prince Harry, who will marry Meghan Markle on Saturday, is sixth in line to the British throne. Just a few weeks ago, he was fifth.
And, a few years ago, he was still third. The line of succession is funny that way.
The rules direct priority to a single line. Prince William, Harry’s older brother, used to be the only person ahead of him after their father, Charles. But his own children now take precedence, and he’s had three of them since 2013, leaving Harry sixth.
That part is pretty well known. Queen Elizabeth’s oldest son is Charles, and he has two sons, and his eldest son William has two sons and a daughter, and that accounts for the first six people who would be king or queen.
What’s less understood, at least on our side of the pond, is how the line continues.
Charles had three siblings, and their children and grandchildren all fall into the line. Then there’s the lineage of Queen Elizabeth’s late sister, Princess Margaret. They, too, have their place.
And it goes on, up to the siblings of King George VI, Elizabeth’s father who died in 1952, and their lines.
The “rest of the royals” start with Prince Andrew, seventh in line. He’s actually Elizabeth’s third child, but under the old rules that prioritized male heirs, he leapfrogged his older sister, Anne.
(William’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, was the first to benefit from the end of male prioritization, remaining ahead of the new royal baby, Prince Louis.)
Andrew has two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are eighth and ninth. Eugenie actually will herself have a royal wedding in October.
The line then falls to Andrew’s younger brother (who also leapfrogged Anne), Prince Edward. He’s 10th. His two young children, James, Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise Windsor are 11th and 12th.
Here is who is in line to the British royal throne. (Source: AP Photos/Created by Tesalon Felicien)
(Two notes there: Louise, 14, is older than James, 10, but they were born under the old rules regarding male and female hierarchy. Also, as children of one of the Queen’s sons, they are entitled to being prince and princess, but their parents wanted to raise them more low-key. They may change their title later in life.)
Then it finally comes back around to Anne, who when she was born in 1950 was second in line to the throne, and is now 13th.
Her son, Peter Phillips is 14th, and his two young daughters Savannah Phillips and Isla Phillips are 15th and 16th.
(Another note: Phillips doesn’t get a royal title, because his royal parent is his mother Anne, a woman. Unlike the male/female hierarchy rule, this rule remains in place, and, yes, that means as of now Charlotte’s future children will have no royal title, but Louis’ will.)
Phillips’ sister, Zara Tindall, is 17th, and her young daughter Mia Tindall is 18th. She is also expecting a child this summer, who will become 19th in line.
That rounds out the royal descendants of Queen Elizabeth. Going any farther, you get to Margaret’s two children and four grandchildren. Any further down the line brings up the descendants of the Queen’s aunts and uncles.
Got all of that?
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