Questions about the line of succession
Who is next to succeed?
The Prince of Wales is the current heir to the throne, followed by Prince George of Wales and his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Dive into the full line of succession here.
Why can't a Catholic be Monarch?
The Sovereign is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and the law requires them to be ‘in communion’ with it, meaning a practising member. Catholics of course have their own set of rules and beliefs which would conflict with the Anglican faith.
On accession, the new Sovereign also swears to maintain the Church of Scotland, and makes a declaration that they are a faithful Protestant.
What has changed is marriage: until 2015, anyone in the line who married a Catholic lost their place in the line of succession. The 2013 Act removed that rule, and did so retrospectively, so Prince Michael of Kent (who married a Catholic in 1978) and his nephew, the Earl of St Andrews (who did the same in 1988), were both restored to the line.
Being a Catholic still excludes a person, however, which is why several members of the Kent family, who converted, do not appear in the list below.
Who needs The King's permission to marry?
This also changed with the 2013 Act, meaning that only the first six people in line need the Monarch’s permission to marry. Today, that means the Prince of Wales, his three children, Prince Harry, and Prince Archie.
Before this, under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, passed by George III after two of his brothers made marriages he disapproved of, almost every descendant of George II needed royal consent to marry.
Can The King choose a different successor - or skip a generation?
No, the line is set by law so the King cannot choose to pass over The Prince of Wales in favour of Prince George, or anyone else. The only way to alter the order is an Act of Parliament, agreed by all the 15 realms.
An abdication would also need legislation.
When Edward VIII gave up the throne on 11th December 1936, Parliament passed an Act the same day which removed both him and any future descendants from the line.
Can someone be removed from the line?
Yes, but only by an Act of Parliament, with the agreement of the other realms. It has happened only once, in 1936.
The question has been raised again over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The King removed his brother’s titles, including that of Prince, in October 2025, but that did not affect his place as eighth in line, because titles are within the Sovereign’s gift and the succession is not.
In February 2026, following Andrew’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office (he denies any wrongdoing), the UK government said it would consider legislation to remove him from the line once the police investigation had concluded. The governments of Australia and New Zealand said they would support such a move. Whether any change would also affect his daughters and their children would depend on how the legislation was written – but given they are not part of the legal issues raised, and they meet all other criteria to be included, it seems unlikely they would be removed too.
What happens when the King dies?
The heir becomes Sovereign immediately, which is the meaning of the old proclamation ‘The King is dead, long live the King’. There is no gap, and no ceremony is needed for the new reign to begin.
The formalities follow. The Accession Council, made up mainly of Privy Counsellors (senior politicians and officials who advise the Sovereign), meets at St James’s Palace to proclaim the new Sovereign, and it is there that the oath to maintain the Church of Scotland is taken.
King Charles III’s Accession Council met on 10th September 2022, two days after the death of the late Queen, and was televised for the first time. The coronation, a religious service rather than a legal requirement, often comes much later: The King’s was on 6th May 2023.
What if the new Monarch is a child when they succeed?
If a Sovereign comes to the throne under the age of 18, a Regent rules on their behalf, under the Regency Acts. The Regent would normally be the next adult in line who meets the legal requirements, though Parliament can make other arrangements, as it did in 1953, when it named Prince Philip as Regent should the young Prince Charles have succeeded as a child.
Related, but separate, are Counsellors of State, who can carry out some of the Sovereign’s duties when he is abroad or unwell. They are the Sovereign’s spouse and the next four adults in line, and the Counsellors of State Act 2022 added The Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Royal, so that working Royals would always be available.
Questions about titles
Who gives out titles?
The Monarch is known as the Fount of Honour, with the exclusive legal right to grant titles of nobility, knighthoods, and orders of chivalry.
Titles and honours are usually granted on the advice of the Prime Minister or the government.
What's the difference between a Sovereign and a Monarch?
Yes, but it’s quite subtle from an everyday language point of view.
Sovereign as a term carries more legal meaning to it: the ultimate source of authority or political power in a nation. In the UK, it is used exclusively throughout legislation, and the Royal Family tends to use this term too.
Monarch is the simpler and more recognisable term for a leader of a Monarchy, and the two are used interchangeably. It is our preference and you will see it used across the site.
Not all Sovereigns are Monarchs, but generally a Monarch is the Sovereign.
What does 'the Crown' mean?
‘The Crown’ is a legal term for the state and its government, which acts in the Sovereign’s name.
That is why the name runs through public life: taxes are collected by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, prosecutions are brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, senior barristers become King’s Counsel (formerly Queen’s Counsel), and The King’s image appears on coins and stamps.
None of this means The King runs these bodies himself – it means they exercise authority that, in law, flows from the Crown.
It is common to see it used in the Commonwealth realms.
Questions about Constitutional Monarchy
What are The King's powers?
The King has a very specific role in the Constitutional Monarchy of the UK and realms.
The Monarch has the power to:
- Appoint the Prime Minister
- Open and dissolve Parliament
- Give royal assent to new laws
- Make appointments and create peerages
- Approving government decisions that do not need an Act of Parliament, via Orders in Council at Privy Council meetings.
Other powers are used in The King’s name by ministers, like:
- declaring war and deploying the Armed Forces
- making and ratifying treaties
- recognising foreign states
- issuing passports
- granting pardons, through what is known as the prerogative of mercy.
We dive into the details of royal powers here.
What is a Constitutional Monarchy?
A Constitutional Monarchy is a system of government where a King or Queen serves as the Head of State, but their powers are limited by law; these powers are exercised alongside an elected parliament.
This is different to an Absolute Monarchy, where the King or Queen has full ruling power and makes all decisions.