Your guide to the British royal family line of succession

Members of the public may have their opinions about who would make the best monarch, but in reality there’s a firm pecking order that determines who sits on the British throne.
The line of succession dates back to the 17th century, and is influenced by both descent and parliamentary statute.
There’ll a change coming in early 2025, with Princess Beatrice expecting her second child.
This graphic lays out how the succession line will look with this new addition to the family:
Originally, the order of the line for the throne was determined by the Bill of Rights of 1681 and the Act of Settlement of 1701.
The stipulations laid out in these statutes have undergone some change in the centuries since, most recently in 2015 when the Succession to the Crown Act (2013) came into force.
One of the major changes brought about by this Act was that female royals born after October 2011 would no longer be displaced in the line by their younger brothers.
Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, was the first to benefit from this amendment, holding her place as fourth in line when Prince Louis was born in 2018. She now sits in the third spot.
Previously, Louis’ arrival would have bumped her down the line; this is why Princess Anne sits below her younger brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and their children.
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is first in the line of succession.
Then come Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, followed by Prince Harry and his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet of Sussex.
Although the Duke and Duchess of Sussex resigned from their roles as senior working royals in 2020, Harry’s position in the line of succession, and those of his children, was not affected.
The top 10 is rounded out by Prince Andrew – who stepped back from public royal life in 2019 amid condemnation of his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – his eldest daughter Princess Beatrice, and her daughter Sienna Mapelli Mozzi.
Beatrice’s second child will slot into the 11th spot, currently held by Princess Eugenie.
It’s not clear exactly how many people are eligible to be in the line of succession (it’s believed there are several thousand).
For brevity’s sake, here is the current top 20:
1. Prince William, The Prince of Wales2. Prince George of Wales3. Princess Charlotte of Wales4. Prince Louis of Wales5. Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex6. Prince Archie of Sussex7. Princess Lilibet of Sussex8. Prince Andrew, The Duke of York9. Princess Beatrice10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi11. Second child of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi12. Princess Eugenie13. August Brooksbank14. Ernest Brooksbank15. Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh16. James, Earl of Wessex17. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor18. Princess Anne, Princess Royal19. Peter Phillips20. Savannah Phillips
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