As the world follows the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, here’s a look at the British royal family and what the monarch’s passing means for the line of succession.
It all starts with Elizabeth II, the eldest daughter of George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the longest British monarch in history with a reign of 70 years.
In 1947, the Queen, born in 1926, married Prince Philip, who was the son of Princess Alice of Battenberg and Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark.
Together, they welcomed King Charles in 1948, Princess Anne in 1950, Prince Andrew in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964.
Since then, all four of the Queen’s children have welcomed their own little ones: Here’s how that shakes out in terms of the royal lineage.
1. King Charles
King Charles, who immediately became king upon his mother’s death, married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 earning her the title Diana, Princess of Wales.
Together, they welcomed sons Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984.
Charles and Diana had a contentious relationship, complicated by affairs on both sides. Diana’s time as a royal was made worse by constant criticism of her image and actions in the press.
The couple eventually divorced in 1996, and Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in 1997. She was 36 years old.
2. Prince William
Prince William, who is second in the line of succession to the throne, married Kate Middleton in 2011.
Together, they welcomed Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.
3. Prince George
Prince George is third in line to the throne.
He is the first son of William and Middleton and was born in 2013. He started primary school in 2017.
4. Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte is the fourth in line to the throne.
The second child and only daughter of William and Middleton was born in 2015.
5. Prince Louis
Prince Louis is the fifth person in line to be the head of the Commonwealth.
Born in 2018, Louis is the youngest child and second son of William and Middleton.
6. Prince Harry
Prince Harry, who is sixth in the line of succession to the British throne, married Meghan Markle in 2018.
Together, they welcomed son Archie Harrison in 2019 and daughter Lilibet “Lili” Diana in 2021.
The couple, who quit royal life and moved to California in 2020, claimed that the family never had plans to give Archie a royal title.
The duo also revealed that they never planned on leaving their duties as royals but decided to when “The Firm” (a nickname for the family) offered no help after Markle admitted to having suicidal thoughts while pregnant with Archie.
7. Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Archie is the seventh in line for the British throne.
Born in 2019, he is the first son of Harry and Markle.
Archie, unlike the children of William and Middleton, does not have a royal title.
8. Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor
Markle and Harry’s youngest child, daughter Lilibet Diana, is eighth in line to the British throne.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their second child in 2021.
Lilibet Diana was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, Harry’s late mother.
9. Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, the eighth in the line of succession to the British throne, married Sarah Ferguson in 1986.
He and the Duchess of York welcomed two daughters together: Princess Beatrice in 1988 and Princess Eugenie in 1990.
Prince Andrew and Fergie divorced in 1996 and neither remarried.
Andrew has been criticized publicly for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, leading him to step back from public duties in 2019.
10. Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice is ninth in line to the throne.
The eldest daughter of Andrew and Ferguson was born in 1988.
She married British property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a private ceremony in 2020 after canceling their wedding amid the coronavirus pandemic.
They got engaged in September 2019.
11. Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie, 10th in line to the British throne, was born in 1990.
The youngest daughter of Andrew and Ferguson married British bar manager Jack Brooksbank in 2018.
The couple welcomed their first child, son August Philip Hawke, in 2021.
12. August Philip Hawke Brooksbank
Little August Philip Hawke Brooksbank is currently 11th in line for the throne.
August was born in 2021 and named after his grandfather Prince Philip.
He is the only child of Eugenie and Brooksbank, who wed in 2018.
13. Prince Edward
Prince Edward, 12th in the line to the British throne, married Sophie, Countess of Wessex, in 1999.
Together, they welcomed Lady Louise Windsor in 2003 and James, Viscount Severn, in 2007.
14. James, Viscount Severn
James, Viscount Severn, is 13th in the line of succession to the British throne.
The only son of Edward and Sophie was born in 2007.
15. Lady Louise Windsor
Lady Louise Windsor is 14th in line to the throne.
Born in 2003, she is the firstborn child and only daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex.
16. Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, 15th in the line of succession to the British throne, married English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman Mark Philips in 1973.
Together, they welcomed two children: Peter Phillips, born in 1977, and Zara Tindall, born in 1981.
Anne and Mark divorced in 1992, and she married her current husband, Navy officer Timothy Laurence, that same year.
17. Peter Phillips
Peter Phillips is the 16th in line to the British throne,
Born in 1977, Peter is the eldest child of Anne and her first husband, Mark.
Peter married Autumn Phillips in 2008, and they welcomed two daughters together: Savannah in 2010 and Isla two years later.
Peter and Autumn announced that they were breaking up in February 2020.
18. Savannah Phillips
Savannah Phillips, born in 2008, is 17th in the line of succession to the British throne.
She is the eldest daughter of Peter and Autumn.
19. Isla Phillips
Isla Phillips is the 19th in line to the British throne.
She was born in 2012 and is the youngest daughter of Peter and Autumn.
20. Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall, the 19th in line for the British throne, was born in 1981.
The equestrian is the only daughter of Anne and Captain Mark Philips.
Zara married former English rugby player Mike Tindall in 2011, and they welcomed two daughters together: Mia Grace, born in 2014, and Lena Elizabeth, who was born in 2018.
21. Mia Grace Tindall
Mia Grace Tindall is the 20th in line to the British throne.
She is the first child and eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall and was born in January 2014.
22. Lena Elizabeth Tindall
Lena Elizabeth Tindall — the seventh grandchild of the Queen — is 21st in line for the throne.
Lena is the youngest daughter and second child of Zara and Mike Tindall. She was born in 2018.
Lena and her sister Mia do not have royal titles.
