Royal family: A look at who's who, line of succession after Queen's death
The eldest of Queen's four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 was the oldest heir apparent in British history, became king immediately after his mother's death.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the responsibility of the British monarchy has fallen on her son Charles, now the king. While the Queen was hailed for steering the British monarchy into the 21st century, all eyes will be on King Charles III and how he takes his mother’s legacy forward. Also, with Charles becoming Britain’s king, his sons and grandchildren are next in succession to the monarchy. (Also Read | What changes with incoming King Charles: Notes, coins, stamps and even anthems)
A look at the British royal family’s succession line and who's who among the rest of the senior members
Prince William
King Charles’s eldest son, Prince William, is now the heir apparent and is seen to represent the royal family's future. He is married to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Their three children follow him in the line of succession. While Prince William is credited with bringing a more relaxed and personal approach to royal duties, he came under media scrutiny after the breakdown of his relationship with brother Harry, especially after the latter’s wife, Meghan Markle, accused senior members of the royal family of racism.
Catherine
William's wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has so far proved a model royal, known for making poised public appearances. As the line of succession shifts, the couple’s title will also change. They will be now known as Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. Their official Twitter handle has already been updated to reflect the change. They have three children - George, Charlotte and Louis. Kate and her husband are now the most popular royals, according to the YouGov polling group.
Harry and Meghan
Prince Harry was a much-loved family member but the rift between them surfaced after he married Meghan Markle. The couple enjoyed popularity following their 2018 wedding, but they shocked the family by quitting frontline duties in 2020 and with their criticisms of royal life. The Duke of Sussex revealed that he was deeply unhappy in the confines of the role. The couple shifted to California where they live with their two children, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Prince George of Cambridge
After Prince William, next in the succession line is his eldest son, Prince George of Cambridge. George is 9.
Anne
Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's only daughter, Anne's straight-talking style and unfussy demeanor have earned her high popularity ratings with the British public. She was the first British royal to compete in the Olympics, at the 1976 Montreal Games. She participated in an equestrian three-day event. She is president of the British Olympic Association, and a member of the International Olympic Committee. She has two children, Peter and Zara, from her first marriage to Mark Phillips.
Andrew
Andrew, Duke of York, often courted controversy with his love life and business dealings and his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein plunged the family into a full-blown crisis. A woman claimed in a US court that she was forced to have ‘sexual relations’ with the Duke at a flat in London, at a Caribbean island owned by Epstein and at an undisclosed location in New York between 1999 and 2002. The court papers claimed that the Duke carried out ‘acts of sexual abuse’ against the girl, who was 17 at the time.
Edward
The Queen's youngest son, the Earl of Wessex abandoned training to become a Royal Marine commando to go into theatre and television production before stepping up as a full-time royal. Married to the former public relations executive Sophie Rhys-Jones, the couple has two children, Lady Louise and James Mountbatten-Windsor.
(Compiled from AFP)
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