United Kingdom is in mourning following the death of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning British monarch, and the first to have Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking 70 years on the throne.
As the royal family grieves and the country enters into a period of national mourning, Prince Charles will be preparing to begin his duty as sovereign.
The order of succession to the throne is a sequence that is regulated through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute. Since the seventeenth century, the process of choosing a monarch has changed. Most recently, through the Succession to the Crown Act (2013) which ended the male primogeniture system, meaning that a younger son could no longer displace an elder daughter in line to the throne.
The monarch can have their title taken away through "misgovernment", something that happened to James II in 1688, when he fled the country, effectively "abdicating the government" and leaving the throne vacant.
Following the Queen’s death, this is now the line of succession:
The Sovereign: King Charles III
The eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
1. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William
The eldest child of King Charles III and Princess Diana.
2. Prince George of Cambridge
The eldest child of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.
3. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
The second eldest child of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge
4. Prince Louis of Cambridge
The third eldest child of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.
5. The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry
The second eldest child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
6. Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first born directly follows Harry.
7. Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor
Harry and Meghan's second child.
8. The Duke of York, Prince Andrew
The second eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
9. Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
The eldest child of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
10. Miss Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
Beatrice's first child.
11. Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank
The second eldest child of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
12. Master August Brooksbank
Eugenie's first child.
13. The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward
The third eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
14. James, Viscount Severn
The eldest son of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.
15. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor
The eldest child of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.
16. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne
The daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
17. Mr. Peter Phillips
The eldest son of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips.
18. Miss Savannah Phillips
The eldest child of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly.
19. Miss Isla Phillips
The second eldest child of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly.
20. Mrs. Michael Tindall
The second eldest child of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips.
21. Miss Mia Tindall
The eldest child of Zara and Mike Tindall.
22. Miss Lena Tindall
The second child of Zara and Mike Tindall.
23. Master Lucas Tindall
The third child of Zara and Mike Tindall.
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
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