British line of succession: Who is next heir to the throne

As King Charles III battles a form of cancer, The Independent has taken a look at the current line of succession to the British throne.

This comes amid a tumultuous time for the Royal Family, with the Princess of Wales revealing last month that she is also undergoing treatment for the disease.

As a result, there are just nine senior working Royals left – the majority of whom are elderly and unknown.

A statement from the Palace said Charles, 75, has “commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties”.

His Majesty ascended the throne in September 2022 after the death of his mother. He was crowned in May 2023.

The royal line of succession has decided who will be the next king or queen of Great Britain for hundreds of years, and now with a new generation of royals, there is a long list of people who could be our next monarch – some of whom are relatively unfamiliar to the general public.

So, from Prince William to Princess Eugenie and everyone in between, here is everyone who is closest in line for the British throne.

Prince William, 41, is first in line to the British throne after his father became king.

open image in gallery

Formerly the Duke of Cambridge, William is now known as the Prince of Wales after the Queen’s death. He is the first child of King Charles III and when he becomes king his wife, Kate, 42, the Princess of Wales, will be known as Queen Consort.

Prince William and Princess Kate’s first son, Prince George, is second in line to the throne after his father.

The ten-year-old will be known as King George VII when he becomes monarch one day, but until then, his parents want him to have as normal an upbringing as possible.

open image in gallery

After an amendment made to the Succession to the Crown Act in 2013 (which means eldest children, regardless of sex, will succeed the throne first), Princess Charlotte, eight, is third in line to the throne after her big brother.

Before the Act’s amendment, her younger brother, Louis, would have been ahead of her in the line of succession simply because of his gender. But if Prince George has children one day, they will slot in behind him in the line of succession.

Six-year-old Prince Louis, the third child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, is currently fourth in line to the throne after his older siblings.

open image in gallery

As the second child of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, Prince Harry, 39, is fifth in line for the throne after his brother, nephews and niece. His wife, Meghan Markle, is not in line for the throne – much like the Duchess of Cambridge – but their two children are.

Four-year-old Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first child, is sixth in line to the throne after his father, uncle and cousins.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s second child, Lilibet, two, is seventh in line to the throne. The toddler’s name is a nod to the Royal Family’s nickname for the late Queen Elizabeth II, and her middle name is Diana, after Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.

open image in gallery

Prince Andrew, 64, Queen Elizabeth II’s third child and King Charles III’s younger brother, is eighth in line to the throne.

The royal, who has denied allegations of sexual abuse, has two children with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. His children are also in the line of succession, as well as his grandchildren.

Princess Beatrice, 35, is ninth in line to the throne.

Her daughter, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, two, who she shares with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, is 10th in line.

Princess Eugenie, 34, Princess Beatrice’s younger sister and daughter to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is 11th in line to the throne.

Eugenie’s son with husband Jack Brooksbank, August Brooksbank, three, is 12th in line.

August is followed in the line of succession by his younger brother, Ernest, born May 2023, who is 13th in line to the throne.

Following the Princesses of York and their children in succession is Prince Edward, 60, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is now 14th in line to the throne.

The 15th in line to the throne is Prince Edward’s youngest son, James, 17, who is also the Queen’s youngest grandchild.

The Earl of Wessex is followed in the line of succession by his older sister, Louise, 20, who is 16th in line to the throne.

The Princess Royal, 73, also known as Princess Anne, is the 17th in line to the throne.

Princess Anne is followed in the line of succession by her eldest son, Peter Philips, 46, who is 18th in line to the throne.

Savannah Phillips, 13, Peter’s eldest daughter, is 19th in line to the throne.

The position of 20th in line to the throne is held by Princess Anne’s youngest granddaughter, Isla Philips, 12.

The Queen’s eldest grandchild, Zara Tindall, 41, is 21st in line to the throne.