LONDON - When the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday elevated her son Charles to the British throne, it also reordered the line of succession, with members of the royal family each moving up one position.
Prince William, 40, the eldest son of King Charles III, is now next in line to the throne.
Prince William's three children – Prince George, nine; Princess Charlotte, seven; and Prince Louis, four – follow him in the succession order.
Prince William's brother, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is now fifth in line, but he has taken a step back from royal duties. Prince Harry, 37, and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, moved to the United States two years ago after saying that they wanted to become financially independent.
The couple have spoken openly about the intense scrutiny they faced from the British tabloid press and the toll this took on their mental health, and have alleged that members of the royal family made racist comments about their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, three, who is now sixth in line to the throne.
The couple's daughter, one-year-old Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, who is named after the affectionate nickname given to the queen by her family, is seventh in line.
Prince Andrew, 62, the queen's third child, is eighth in line to the throne, but stepped away from royal duties in 2019 after giving an interview to the BBC about his links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in prison in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The rules of succession were changed in 2013 to prevent younger male siblings from overtaking their elder sisters in line to the throne. The change was made two months before Prince William's second child, Charlotte, was born, and meant that she retained her position in line to the throne when her younger brother, Louis, was born.
Separately, Prince William said he was honoured to be made the new Prince of Wales when he spoke with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford on Sunday, Kensington Palace said in a statement.
The title was previously held by his father for more than 50 years.
“The Prince acknowledged his and the Princess’s deep affection for Wales, having made their first family home in Anglesey, including during the earliest months of Prince George’s life,” the statement said.
“The Prince and Princess will spend the months and years ahead deepening their relationship with communities across Wales. They want to do their part to support the aspirations of the Welsh people and to shine a spotlight on both the challenges and opportunities in front of them.” NYTIMES, REUTERS
