Politics of Great Britain

Who will come the British throne next?

Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales

Prince Charles is presently heir to the British throne. He will not become king until his mother, Queen Elizabeth, abdicates (gives up the throne), retires or dies. When either of these happen, Prince Charles may abdicate and pass the throne to his eldest son Prince William.

What is the title of the heir to the British throne?

The heir to the throne is always called the Prince of Wales. The title was introduced by King Edward l in 1301, after the conquest of Wales.

If the eldest child of the monarch is female, will she become heir to the throne?

Yes, if she does not have any brothers.

No, if she has a brother.

In Britain the crown normally passes from monarch to eldest son. As King George VI had no son, it passed to his elder daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II. If a monarch has sons, they take precedence over daughters: thus, although HR The Princess Royal is older than her brothers HRH The Duke of York and HRH The Earl of Wessex, they (and their children) precede her in the order of succession.

Who can be heir to the British throne?

Succession in the United Kingdom is governed by the Act of Union 1800, which restates the provisions of the Act of Settlement 1701 and the Bill of Rights (1689). Only Protestant heirs of Princess Sophia, granddaughter of James I, may succeed to the British throne. Neither Catholics, nor those who marry a Catholic, nor those born out of wedlock, may remain in the line of succession.

THE END.