Recently, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan Markle spoke to Oprah Winfrey about being royalty and facing prejudice. They stepped away from the British leadership to lead a quieter life and, with the passing of Prince Philip earlier this year, the question of lines of succession have been brought to the forefront around the world.
The British line of succession determines who will inherit the throne and become the king of Great Britain. It is sometimes confusing that a country with a Prime Minister (currently Boris Johnson) also has a monarch in power, but that is the case.
Queen Elizabeth II is the current head of the British monarchy. She has reigned for nearly seven decades alongside her husband, who passed on April 9. As he was not born a prince of Denmark and Greece, he had not direct lineage to the throne of Great Britain, so he was not able to take the title of King.
When Queen Elizabeth II, who is 95 years old, passes on, the title of King is expected to go to her firstborn child, Charles, Prince of Wales. He is 72, and when he passes, his Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is next in line. Prince William is currently 38.
After that, Prince William’s firstborn, Prince George, is next in line, although that probably won’t be a problem for a while as Prince George is only 7 years old. You can see more of this direct line at BAZAAR.
If you are wondering what the roles of the younger siblings are, and how likely any of them, in any generation, might become King or Queen of England, feel free to follow a pictorial family tree at Royalty.