List of heirs to the British throne
This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to succeed the British monarch to inherit the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present), should the incumbent monarch die or abdicate. Those who actually succeeded (at any future time) are shown in bold.
The list commences in 1707 following the Acts of Union, which joined the Kingdoms of England and Scotland (previously separate states, with separate legislatures but with the same monarch) into a single Kingdom of Great Britain. Anne became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702 and Queen of Great Britain from 1707. The 1701 Act of Settlement established Electress Sophia of Hanover as successor to the English throne, and this was extended to Scotland through the Treaty of Union (Article II) and the Acts of Union.
| Monarch | Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir; reason | Ceased to be heir; reason | Next in succession, relation to heir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anne | Electress Sophia of Hanover | Heir presumptive | First cousin, once removed | 1 May 1707; formation of Kingdom of Great Britain | 8 June 1714; died | George Louis, Elector of Hanover 1707–1714, son |
| George Louis, Elector of Hanover | Heir presumptive | Second cousin | 8 June 1714; mother died | 1 August 1714; succeeded | George Augustus of Hanover 1714, son | |
| George I | The Prince George, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 1 August 1714; father succeeded | 11 June 1727; succeeded | Prince Frederick, Duke of Edinburgh 1714–1727, son |
| George II | The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 11 June 1727; father succeeded | 31 March 1751; died | The Prince William, Duke of Cumberland 1727–1737, younger brother |
| Princess Augusta 1737–1738, daughter | ||||||
| Prince George 1738–1751, son | ||||||
| Prince George, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Grandson | 31 March 1751; father died | 25 October 1760; succeeded | Prince Edward, Duke of York 1751–1760, younger brother | |
| George III | Prince Edward, Duke of York | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 25 October 1760; brother succeeded | 12 August 1762; son born to king | Prince William Henry 1760–1762, younger brother |
| The Prince George, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 12 August 1762; born | 29 January 1820; succeeded | Prince Edward, Duke of York 1762–1763, uncle | |
| The Prince Frederick, Duke of York 1763–1796, younger brother | ||||||
| Princess Charlotte of Wales 1796–1817, daughter | ||||||
| The Prince Frederick, Duke of York 1817–1820, younger brother | ||||||
| George IV | The Prince Frederick, Duke of York | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 29 January 1820; brother succeeded | 5 January 1827; died | The Prince William, Duke of Clarence 1820–1827, younger brother |
| The Prince William, Duke of Clarence | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 5 January 1827; older brother died | 26 June 1830; succeeded | Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent 1827–1830, niece | |
| William IV | Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent | Heir presumptive | Niece | 26 June 1830; uncle succeeded | 20 June 1837; succeeded | The Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland 1830–1837, uncle |
| Victoria | Ernest Augustus I of Hanover | Heir presumptive | Uncle | 20 June 1837; niece succeeded | 21 November 1840; daughter born to queen | George, Crown Prince of Hanover 1837–1840, son |
| The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal | Heir presumptive | Eldest daughter | 21 November 1840; born | 9 November 1841; brother born | Ernest Augustus I of Hanover 1840–1841, great-uncle | |
| The Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 9 November 1841; born | 22 January 1901; succeeded | The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal 1841–1844, elder sister | |
| The Prince Alfred 1844–1864, younger brother | ||||||
| Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence 1864–1892, son | ||||||
| Prince George, Duke of York 1892–1901, son | ||||||
| Edward VII | The Prince George, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Second son[lower-alpha 1] | 22 January 1901; father succeeded | 6 May 1910; succeeded | Prince Edward of Wales 1901–1910, son |
| George V | The Prince Edward, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 6 May 1910; father succeeded | 20 January 1936; succeeded | Prince Albert, Duke of York 1910–1936, younger brother |
| Edward VIII | The Prince Albert, Duke of York | Heir presumptive | Younger brother | 20 January 1936; brother succeeded | 11 December 1936; brother abdicated; succeeded | Princess Elizabeth of York 1936, daughter |
| George VI | The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh | Heir presumptive | Eldest daughter | 11 December 1936; father succeeded | 6 February 1952; succeeded | The Princess Margaret 1936–1948, younger sister |
| Prince Charles of Edinburgh 1948–1952, son | ||||||
| Elizabeth II | The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales[lower-alpha 2] | Heir apparent | Eldest son | 6 February 1952; mother succeeded | Incumbent | The Princess Anne 1952–1960, younger sister |
| The Prince Andrew 1960–1982, younger brother | ||||||
| Prince William, Duke of Cambridge 1982–present, son |
- ↑ Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, eldest son of Edward VII, died before his father ascended the throne.
- ↑ Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Elizabeth II, is the longest-serving heir apparent or presumptive in the history of the British Monarchy (and the world) at 63 years, 319 days.
See also
- Succession to the British throne
- List of heirs to the English throne
- List of heirs of Scotland
- Line of succession to the British throne
- History of the British line of succession
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