Who is the Prince of Wales now and what is the line of succession after King Charles III?
King Charles III is no longer the Prince of Wales, the title normally given to the monarch’s eldest son. So, will his son Prince William now get the title?
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-ruling British monarch, has died and her son Charles will now wear the crown. The transition will cause a shakeup in other royal family titles as well.
Upon ascending to the throne, King Charles III is no longer the Prince of Wales, the title normally given to the reigning monarch’s eldest son. However, his first son, and now first in line to succeed his father, doesn’t automatically get the title.
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Prince William gets a new title
Upon the Queen’s passing Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, inherited the title Duke of Cornwall, and his wife, Kate Middleton, became the Duchess of Cornwall. This is the title is inherited by the eldest son of the ruling monarch and comes with a 150,000 acre estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, and a yearly income of roughly £20 million ($23 million).
William and Kate will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. William, however, does not automatically become the Prince of Wales, that is a title bestowed by the ruling monarch. It is expected that King Charles III will give the title to William, his first-born son and presumptive heir.
British royal titles are inherited and bestowed by the monarch
Children born to sons of the reigning British monarch are automatically given the title prince or princess, but not the children of their daughters. However, the ruling monarch can bestow the title of prince or princess, or other royal titles according to rules established by King George V in 1917. The protocols were designed to limit the titles for members of the royal family to only those in direct line of succession.
In the case of Prince Williams children, Queen Elizabeth II stepped in so that the title of prince and princess were conferred on his and Kate’s children, George, Charlotte and Louis, when they were born. Likewise, she granted the couple the title of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day.
Her Majesty did the same for Harry and Meghan when they were married, bestowing on them the Duchy of Sussex. However, she didn’t step in to grant the title of prince and princess to their children Archie and Lilibet. One day though, Archie can inherit the title of Duke of Sussex.
Prince of Wales, the title normally given to the heir to the British throne
It is expected that King Charles III will bestow the title of Prince of Wales on his son William. Generally, the eldest son of the British monarch, and heir apparent, has been given the title, a tradition that began in 1301.
What is the current line of succession for the United Kingdom’s throne?
There are currently 23 royals in waiting to assume the throne with Prince William first in line and last in line Lucas Tindell, the Princess Royal’s, (Queen Elizabeth’s second child, Anne), second child’s third child. However, the line of succession could change in the future. It has been reported that King Charles III plans to trim down the royal family.
The current British line of Succession
1. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge - King Charles’ eldest child
2. Prince George of Cambridge - Prince William’s first child
3. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge - Prince William’s second child
4. Prince Louis of Cambridge - Prince William’s third child
5. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex - King Charles’ second child
6. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - Prince Harry’s first child
7. Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor - Prince Harry’s second child
8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York - Queen Elizabeth’s third child
9. Princess Beatrice - Prince Andrew’s first daughter
10. Sienna Mapelli Mozzi - Princess Beatrice’s first daughter
11. Princess Eugenie - Prince Andrew’s second daughter
12. August Brooksbank - Princess Eugenie’s first daughter
13. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex - Queen Elizabeth’s fourth child
14. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Edward’s second child
15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince Edward’s first child (the rule of male primogeniture applies to the children of Prince Edward, being born before 2011)
16. Anne, Princess Royal, the second child of Queen Elizabeth (despite being Queen Elizabeth’s second born the rule of male primogeniture applies to the Princess Royal)
17. Peter Philips - the Princess Royal’s eldest child
18. Savannah Philips - Peter Philips’ eldest child
19. Isla Philips - Peter Philips’ second child
20. Zara Tindell (née Philips) - the Princess Royal’s second child
21. Mia Tindall - Zara Tindell’s first child
22. Lena Tindell - Zara Tindell’s second child
23. Lucas Tindell - Zara Tindell’s third child