The Order of Succession to the British Throne


Contents
The Order of Succession
Notes
Explanations/comments
Sources
Recommended genealogical literature
In the news
Links

This page lists the first 100 in the line of succession to the British Throne. The order is conveyed in the Act of Settlement of 1701. The original text of this act can be read here.(1) The text currently in force can be read here. Briefly, the act gives succession rights to descendants of Electress Sophia of Hannover(2) (1630-1714) born in wedlock. Roman Catholic descendants and descendants who are married to a Roman Catholic are excluded from the list.

There have been some discussions, for instance in the newsgroup , about how the Act of Settlement should be interpreted. In order to understand the list below and why certain individuals are left out, you have to ask the very same question for the person in question: Would the descendant be eligible for succession if all the persons above him/her were deceased? Examples of people left out are given at the bottom of the page.

Finally, besides the 3-4 first persons, the list is of course only of academic interest. The chances that Victoria da Silva (no. 100) will ever succeed are like zero.

NB! The list is not updated to include the latest births, for instance Ragnhild Lorentzen's daughter born in December 2007. The list will hopefully soon be updated. (DTH 14.01.2008)

The Order of Succession

1. HRH The Prince of Wales (b. 1948)
2. HRH Prince William of Wales (b. 1982)
3. HRH Prince Henry of Wales (b. 1984)
4. HRH The Duke of York (b. 1960)
5. HRH Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988)
6. HRH Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990)
7. HRH The Earl of Wessex (b. 1964)
8. HRH Princess Louise of Wessex, known as Lady Louise Windsor (b. 2003)(3)
9. HRH The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) (b. 1950)
10. Peter Philips (b. 1977)
11. Zara Philips (b. 1981)
12. Viscount Linley (b. 1961)
13. Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones (b. 1999)(4)
14. Hon. Margarita Armstong-Jones (b. 2002)(5)
15. Lady Sarah Chatto (b. 1964)
16. Samuel Chatto (b. 1996)
17. Arthur Chatto (b. 1999)
18. HRH The Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944)
19. Earl of Ulster (b. 1974)
20. Lord Culloden (b. 2007)(6)
21. Lady Davina Lewis (b. 1977)
22. Lady Rose Windsor (b. 1980)
23. HRH The Duke of Kent (b. 1935)(7)
24. Lady Marina Charlotte Windsor (b. 1992)
25. Lady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995)
26. Lady Helen Taylor (b. 1964)
27. Colombus Taylor (b. 1994)
28. Cassius Taylor (b. 1996)
29. Eloise Taylor (b. 2003)(8)
30. Estella Taylor (b. 2004)(9)
31. Lord Frederick Windsor (b. 1979)
32. Lady Gabriella Windsor (b. 1981)
33. HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy (b. 1936)
34. James Ogilvy (b. 1964)
35. Alexander Ogilvy (b. 1996)
36. Flora Ogilvy (b. 1994)
37. Marina Ogilvy (formerly Mrs. Mowatt) (b. 1966)
38. Christian Mowatt (b. 1993)
39. Zenouska Mowatt (b. 1990)
40. The Earl of Harewood (b. 1923)
41. Viscount Lascelles (b. 1950)
42. Hon. Alexander Lascelles (b. 1980)
43. Hon. Edward Lascelles (b. 1982)
44. Hon. James Lascelles (b. 1953)
45. Rowan Lascelles (b. 1977)
46. Tewa Lascelles (b. 1985)
47. Sophie Lascelles (b. 1973)
48. Hon. Jeremy Lascelles (b. 1955)
49. Thomas Lascelles (b. 1982)
50. Ellen Lascelles (b. 1984)
51. Amy Lascelles (b. 1986)
52. Henry Lascelles (b. 1953)
53. Maximillian Lascelles (b. 1991)
54. The Duke of Fife (b. 1929)
55. Earl of Southesk (b. 1961)
56. Lord Carnegie (b. 1989)
57. Hon. George Carnegie (b. 1991)
58. Hon. Hugh Carnegie (b. 1993)
59. Lady Alexandra Etherington. (b. 1959)
60. Amelia Mary Etherington (b. 2001)
61. HM The King of Norway (b. 1937)
62. HRH The Crown Prince of Norway (1973)
63. Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (b. 2005)(10)
64. HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (2004)(11)
65. Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (1971)
66. Maud Angelica Behn (2003)(12)
67. Leah Isadora Behn (2005)(13)
68. Princess Ragnhild, Mrs. Lorentzen (1930)(14)
69. Olav Lorentzen (b. 1985)
70. Christian Lorentzen (b. 1988)
71. Sophia Lorentzen (b. 1994)
72. Victoria Lorentzen Ribeiro (b. 1988)
73. Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner (b. 1932)
74. Alexander Ferner (b. 1965)
75. Stella Ferner (b. 1998)
76. Carl-Christian Ferner (b. 1972)
77. Cathrine Ferner Johansen (b. 1962)
78. Sebastian Ferner Johansen (b. 1990)
79. Madeleine Ferner Johansen (b. 1993)
80. Benedikte Ferner (b. 1963)
81. Elisabeth Ferner Beckman (b. 1969)
82. Benjamin Ferner Beckman (b. 1999)
83. HRH Princess Margarita of Romania (b. 1949)
84. HRH Princess Helen of Romania, Mrs. McAteer (formerly Mrs. Medforth-Mills) (b. 1950)
85. Nicholas Medforth-Mills (b. 1985)
86. Karina Medforth-Mills (b. 1989)
87. HRH Princess Irina of Romania, Mrs. Kreuger (b. 1953)
88. Michael Kreuger (b. 1985)
89. Angelica Kreuger (b. 1986)
90. HRH Princess Sophie of Romania (b. 1957) (15)
91. Elisabeta-Maria de Laufenborg (b. 1999)
92. HRH Prince Peter of Yugoslavia (b. 1980)
93. HRH Prince Philip of Yugoslavia (b. 1982)
94. HRH Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (b. 1982)
95. HRH Prince Nicholas of Yugoslavia (b. 1958)
96. HRH Princess Maria of Yugoslavia (b. 1993)
97. HRH Prince George of Yugoslavia (b. 1984)
98. HRH Prince Michael of Yugoslavia (b. 1985)
99. HRH Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia (b. 1959)
100. Victoria da Silva (b. 1991)

Notes

  1. It should be noted that this text, quite ironically indeed, is published at the website The Jacobite Heritage, edited by Noel McFarran, who belongs to the minority group which denies "the validity of the usurpation of the throne first by the Prince and Princess of Orange, next by the Princess Anne of Denmark, and finally by the Elector Georg I of Hannover and his heirs" (quote taken from The Jacobite Heritage website).
  2. Electress Sophia Hannover was the granddaughter of King James I/VI of England and Scotland. As the Electress died before Queen Anne, the latter was succeeded by Sophia’s eldest son, King George I (1660 -1727).
  3. The child was born at the Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey on Saturday 8 November 2003. It has earlier been announced that any child of the couple would not get a royal title and would be addressed as son/daughter of an earl. However, no royal warrant has yet been issued, meaning that the letters patent of 1917 remains unchanged and that the child is legally titled 'princess' as of now. On Wednesday 26 November 2003 the Queen's secretary released a press statement informing that the child had received the name Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary. She has the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, but will be styled Lady Louise Windsor.
  4. Viscount Linley's first child, Charles, was born at Portland Hospital, London 1 July 1999.
  5. Viscount Linley's second child, Hon. Margarita Armstong-Jones, was born at Portland Hospital, London 14 May 2002, cf. Femail.co.uk and The Mail 15 May 2002. Her full name, Margarita Elizabeth Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, was published by The Sunday Telegraph 30 June 2002.
  6. The Daily Telegraph 5 April 2007 carried the the announcement of the birth of the first child of the Earl and Countess of Ulster. The child, a boy, was born on 12 March 2007 and was named Xan Richard Anders Culloden».
  7. Lord Downpatrick (b. 1988), son of Lord of St. Andrews and grandson of the Duke of Kent, was to be be confirmed as a Roman Catholic in a ceremony at Eton College Chapel in May, cf. The Times 16 April 16, 2003 (column "People"). The Duke of Kent's office confirmed in an e-mail to Marlene Koenig (cf. ERMB 29 May 2003) that the ceremony had already taken place "earlier this month at Eton". The confirmation meant that Lord Downpatrick lost his place in the line of succession to the British throne (at the time no. 22)
  8. Lady Helen Taylor gave birth to a daughter, Eloise, on Sunday March 2, 2003, cf. information at alt.talk.royalty 3 March 2003. The name was published in The Times 6 March 2003.
  9. Estella Taylor, daughter of Lady Helen Taylor and her husband Tim, was born on 21 December 2004, cf. Scotsman.com/PA News 4 January 2005.
  10. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway gave birth to a son, Prince Sverre Magnus, at Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital), Gaustad, Oslo, on Saturday 3 December 2005. Following the extraordinary Council of State at the Royal Palace on Monday 5 December 2005, a press release told that the prince was not given the style Royal Highness.
  11. Princess Ingrid Alexandra, daughter of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, was born on Wednesday 21 January 2004. The name became publically known after an extraordinary state council was held on Thursday 22 January 2004.
  12. Princess Märtha Louise of Norway gave birth to a daughter, Maud Angelica Behn, at Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital), Gaustad, Oslo, on 29 April 2003.
  13. Princess Märtha Louise of Norway gave birth to her second daughter, Leah Isadora Behn, at Bloksbjerg, Hankø, Fredrikstad, on 8 APril 2005.
  14. See interview with Princess Ragnhild's youngest daughter Ragnhild Lorentzen Long in The Guardian 27 May 2002 concerning the succession to the British throne. Lorentzen married on 21 Nov 2003 Aaron M. Long, a Roman Catholic, and was excluded from succession to the British throne.
  15. Sophie de Laufenborg, nee Princess of Romania, married at Neuilly 29 August 1998 Alain Michel Léonce Biarneix (b. Nancy 10 July 1957). The marriage was not approved by HM The King of Romania, whereupon Mrs. de Laufenborg lost her style, title and rank as Princess of Romania. Her husband, who calls himself "de Laufenborg", converted to the Orthodox faith prior to the wedding, which means that Mrs. de Laufenborg and her daughter are in line of succession to the British throne. The couple have now divorced, and the former Mrs. de Laufenborg has been reconciled with her parents.

Explanations/comments

Examples of descendants excluded from succession because of marriage to a Roman Catholic are Lord of St. Andrews (son of no. 23, HRH The Duke of Kent – the Earl’s children are raised in the Anglican faith and are therefore eligible for succession ), HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Haakon Lorentzen, Ingeborg Lorentzen Ribeiro, Ragnhild Lorentzen Long and Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia. But the children of such marriages are in line of succession as long as they are not raised in the Catholic faith.

Lord Nicholas Windsor (b. 1970), younger son of HRH The Duke of Kent, converted to Roman Catholism during the spring of 2001, cf. The Daily Telegraph 20 August 2001, and has thus forfeited his rights to the British throne. He was no. 25 at the event of conversion.

The Earl of Harewood’s fourth son, the Hon. Mark Lascelles and James Lascelles’ younger daughter Tanit are examples of persons excluded because they were born out of wedlock.

Sources

With the assistance of Marlene A. Eilers (Mrs. William Koenig), author of Queen Victoria’s Descendants, I contributed to an article about the line of succession to the British Throne, published in Aftenposten 27 October 1996. Since then I have updated the list in my personal files, based on information taken from various newspapers, the newsgroup alt.talk.royalty and the periodical Royal Book News.

Recommended genealogical literature

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This page was last updated on Monday 14 january 2008.

© 1999-2008 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth

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