Baby Sussex and the British royal line of succession

Written by:
May 6, 2019
Updated on May 8, 2019
Chris Jackson // Getty Images

Baby Sussex and the British royal line of succession

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, gave birth to a boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, at 5:25 a.m. BST on May 6, 2019, one week after her due date. Both Meghan and the baby are “doing incredibly well,” according to father Prince Harry, who in announcing the birth of his first child said, “As every father and parent would ever say, you know, your baby is absolutely amazing. But this little thing is absolutely to die for, so I’m just over the moon.” From the point Meghan and Harry announced their pregnancy in October 2018 following their May wedding earlier that year, fans of the royal family have kept an extra eye on the high-profile couple for hints about names and more.

America’s fascination with the British royal family soared to new heights with the introduction of Diana, Princess of Wales, who married into the British royal family in 1981 at age 20—it is estimated that 750 million people tuned in to watch Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II. Diana was known as the “People’s Princess”: She spent her time frequently interacting with the public, visiting hospitals and schools, and working with charities in the U.K. and around the globe. Many say she broke down some of the longstanding barriers between the royal family and the public they reign over. She made it a point to make sure her two sons, William and Harry, were raised with a sense of normalcy, despite being in line to the throne. Even after her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996, Diana held the public’s heart. It’s been more than two decades since her tragic death in 1997, though her name still graces the pages of today’s media with some regularity.

The world has watched William and Harry grow into men; with a particular public interest in the brothers’ respective love lives—they were, after all, eligible bachelors until they both found their spouses. While America took a keen interest in William’s long-time girlfriend and now wife, Kate Middleton, the marriage of Harry to American actress Meghan Markle has given the country a new connection to the royal family. The baby could be the first royal child to hold dual nationality (American and British); and may very well be the first baby of mixed race to be born into this royal family.

Queen Elizabeth II has been the monarch since 1952. It is hard to imagine a different head of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth; but at age 93, it is likely we will see the queen pass down her crown in the next several years. But who will replace her and how far down the line of succession is Baby Sussex?

Stacker researched the official British Royal Line of Succession to find out. Though the line of succession is lengthy, Stacker focused on the current monarch through to the 15th in line. Read on to discover who will take over once the queen steps down and who else may wear the crown in your lifetime. 

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Current monarch: HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Title: Queen Elizabeth II
Full name: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
Father: King George VI
Mother: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Born: April 21, 1926, at 17 Bruton St., London
 

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1st in line: Prince Charles

Title: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Full name: Charles Philip Arthur George
Father: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Mother: Queen Elizabeth II
Relation to Elizabeth II: Son
Born: Nov. 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, London

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2nd in line: Prince William

Title: Prince William of Wales, Duke of Cambridge
Full name: William Arthur Philip Louis
Father: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Mother: Diana, Princess of Wales
Relation to Elizabeth II: Grandson
Born: June 21, 1982, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

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3rd in line: Prince George

Title: Prince George of Cambridge
Full name: George Alexander Louis
Father: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Mother: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Relation to Elizabeth II: Great grandson
Born: July 22, 2013, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

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4th in line: Princess Charlotte

Title: Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
Full name: Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
Father: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Mother: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Relation to Elizabeth II: Great granddaughter
Born: May 2, 2015, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

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5th in line: Prince Louis

Title: Prince Louis of Cambridge
Full name: Louis Arthur Charles
Father: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Mother: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Relation to Elizabeth II: Great grandson
Born: April 23, 2018, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

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6th in line: Prince Harry

Title: Prince Henry, Duke of Sussex
Full name: Henry Charles Albert David
Father: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Mother: Diana, Princess of Wales
Relation to Elizabeth II: Grandson
Born: Sept. 15, 1984, at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

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7th in line: Baby Sussex

Title: Not yet announced
Full name: Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor
Father: Prince Henry, Duke of Sussex
Mother: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Relation to Elizabeth II: Great grandchild
Born: May 6, 2019, at Frogmore Cottage, Windsor, England

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8th in line: Prince Andrew

Title: Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Full name: Andrew Albert Christian Edward
Father: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Mother: Queen Elizabeth II
Relation to Elizabeth II: Son
Born: Feb. 19, 1960, at Buckingham Palace, London

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9th in line: Princess Beatrice

Title: Princess Beatrice of York
Full name: Beatrice Elizabeth Mary
Father: Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Mother: Sarah, Duchess of York
Relation to Elizabeth II: Granddaughter
Born: Aug. 8, 1988, at Portland Hospital, London

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10th in line: Princess Eugenie

Title: Princess Eugenie of York
Full name: Eugenie Victoria Helena
Father: Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Mother: Sarah, Duchess of York
Relation to Elizabeth II: Granddaughter
Born: March 23, 1990, at Portland Hospital, London

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11th in line: Prince Edward

Title: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Full name: Edward Antony Richard Louis
Father: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Mother: Queen Elizabeth II
Relation to Elizabeth II: Son
Born: March 10, 1964, at Buckingham Palace, London

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12th in line: James, Viscount Severn

Title: Viscount Severn
Full name: James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor
Father: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Mother: Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Relation to Elizabeth II: Grandson
Born: Dec. 17, 2007, at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey

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13th in line: Lady Louis Windsor

Title: Lady Louise Windsor
Full name: Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor
Father: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Mother: Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Relation to Elizabeth II: Granddaughter
Born: Nov. 8, 2003, at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey

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14th in line: Princess Anne

Title: Princess Anne, Princess Royal
Full name: Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise
Father: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Mother: Queen Elizabeth II
Relation to Elizabeth II: Daughter
Born: Aug. 15, 1950, at Clarence House, London

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15th in line: Peter Phillips

Full name: Peter Mark Andrew Phillips
Father: Mark Phillips
Mother: Princess Anne, Princess Royal
Relation to Elizabeth II: Grandson
Born: Nov. 15, 1977 at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London

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