They no longer hold the reins of power or exert any direct political influence in the UK, but the British Monarchy remains one of the most beloved and respected institutions in the world.
Queen Elizabeth II is the current ruler of the British Monarchy and the Commonwealth realms, including Australia, but who is in line to take the place of the 96 year old? And who ruled the Monarchy before her?
For the last 70 years, the British Royal family has been presided over by Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II, the first-born daughter of King George VI. She is the longest reigning British monarch of all time, overtaking Queen Victoria’s 63-year stint in 2015. She’s also the oldest living monarch.
Elizabeth II’s path to the throne took many historical twists and turns.
The Queen’s grandfather was George V, who was the grandson of Queen Victoria. He was not first in line to the throne and did not expect to become king; he only did so because his elder brother Prince Albert died in 1892. He married Queen Mary, who was also a royal by birth (her great-grandfather was King George III).
King George and Queen Mary’s first-born son, King Edward VIII, was crowned king after his father’s death in 1936. His reign would last under a year due to a scandal of his own making: he proposed to Wallis Simpson, an American woman who had been divorced. The Church of England, of which Edward was the nominal head, opposed the marriage, and so did the British government. Putting his money where his heart was, he abdicated to be with his wife, leaving the second-born son, Prince Albert, to take the throne.
Albert was crowned King George VI, and he married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Elizabeth). They had two children, Elizabeth and Margaret. When George died in 1952, Elizabeth began her long and ongoing (as of 2019) tenure as Queen Elizabeth II. Her mother, Queen Elizabeth, became known as the Queen Mother. Elizabeth’s sister, Princess Margaret, died in 2002.
Who is in line for the British throne?
In 1947, Elizabeth married Philip, Prince of Greece and Denmark, who was given the title Duke of Edinburgh. The couple had four children: Charles, who is first in line to the throne and will now become King of England following the Queen’s death, followed by Anne, Andrew and Edward.
In 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who as Princess Diana became one of the most beloved members of the royal family of all time. The couple had two children, William and Harry.
Diana and Charles sensationally divorced in 1996 following infidelities on both parts. Charles had long been in a relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. Upon their divorce, Diana was permitted to retain her title of Princess and had equal custody to her children.
At the age of 36, Diana died in a car crash in Paris, a tragedy which sent much of the world into mourning.
In 2005, Charles married Camilla, to become the Duchess of Cornwall.
Diana and Charles’ first-born, Prince William, is second in line to the throne. In 2011, he married Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, and they have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 means that younger males can no longer take the throne over their older female siblings (previously, daughters could only inherit the British throne if there were no living sons). This means that the three children are all in line to the throne after their father, respective of their birth order.
In 2018, Prince Harry, who is sixth in line to the throne, married American actress Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, and in 2019 they had a son, Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, who is 7th in line to the throne. Younger sister Lilibet, born in 2021, is, as such, eigth in line for the throne.
Ninth in line to throne is Prince Andrew, who has long been embroiled in the controversial life of Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019. Andrew’s children with his ex wife Sarah Ferguson – Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – hold the tenth and eleventh places respectively.
The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, is next in line, followed by his and his wife Sophie’s children, James and Louise.
And then there’s Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister, Princess Anne, who is the 15th in line, followed by members of her family.
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