The Line of Succession to the British Throne, Explained
Who is next in line, how the order is decided, and the modern rule change that put sons and daughters on an equal footing.
Every so often a royal birth or a new reign sends people reaching for the same question: who, exactly, is next in line? The line of succession is one of the oldest mechanisms in British public life — and, thanks to a recent reform, one that has quietly become a good deal fairer.
How the order works
The line of succession is simply the order in which members of the royal family would inherit the throne. It runs down through the monarch’s children and their descendants before moving across to siblings and their lines. The monarch’s direct heir holds the title Prince (or Princess) of Wales.
Who is next in line
As of 2026, King Charles III is on the throne, and the order at the top of the line is led by his elder son, Prince William, the Prince of Wales. After him come his three children in order of birth — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — followed by the King’s younger son, the Duke of Sussex, and his children. The order naturally shifts over time as the family grows.
The reform that changed everything
For centuries, succession followed “male-preference primogeniture” — a younger son would leapfrog an elder daughter. The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 ended that for anyone born after October 2011, replacing it with absolute primogeniture: the crown now passes to the eldest child regardless of whether they are a son or a daughter. It is the reason Princess Charlotte keeps her place ahead of her younger brother, Prince Louis.
A living order
The line of succession is not a fixed list but a living one, gently rearranged by each new birth and generation. It is a quiet reminder that the monarchy, for all its history, keeps slowly evolving with the times.
Succession details reflect the position as of 2026; for the official, current line of succession, see royal.uk.
