Heirs To The Royal Throne You Probably Haven't Heard Of
The death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the coronation of King Charles III in 2023 brought forth many members of the extended royal family whom we don't often see or read about in the media. Nor are we talking just about the descendants of the late queen, i.e., her four children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who make up the first 23 places in the order of succession to the royal throne.
Queen Elizabeth had a younger sister, Princess Margaret (1930-2002), whose children and grandchildren are in line as well. Moreover, Elizabeth and Margaret were the daughters of King George VI, who was one of six children of King George V and Queen Mary. Five, including Edward VIII and George VI, survived to adulthood. In addition to George VI, three had children and grandchildren of their own.
Although you may have never heard of these extended royal family members, almost all are in the line of succession. Some, like the children of Princess Margaret, were within what might have seemed like striking distance at birth but got further away over time because the order of succession follows a dynasty rubric. In other words, all of the descendants of the eldest child of the monarch come before all of the eldest child's younger siblings in the order, and so on down the line. Follow along as we introduce you to numbers 24 through 68 in line to the British throne — and a few who don't qualify, as well!
David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon and his kids (24th-26th in line)
Princess Margaret had two children with her photographer husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones, whom she married in 1960 (the two divorced in 1978) and who became the First Earl of Snowdon in 1961. That was the same year the couple's first child was born. At birth, David Albert Charles Armstrong-Jones was fifth in line to the throne, right behind his mother, who, in turn, was right behind Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew. As the son of the Earl of Snowdon, David was given the courtesy title, Viscount Linley. Unlike a dukedom, a courtesy title is not associated with land ownership or other legal rights but is bestowed by the monarch as a courtesy.
When his father died in 2017, David, who has a career as a furniture designer, inherited the title, Earl of Snowdon. Nevertheless, with the births of the many children and grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II thus far, this first cousin of the king has now dropped to number 24 in the order of succession.
David married Serena Stanhope in 1993. They divorced in 2020, after having two children, the Honorable Charles Patrick Inigo Armstrong-Jones, now Viscount Linley, born July 1999, and Lady Margarita Elizabeth Rose Alleyne Armstrong-Jones, born May 2002. Charles now stands at number 25 in line to the throne. Margarita, who is pursuing a career in the arts, stands at 26.
Lady Sarah Chatto and her kids (27th-29th in line)
David Armstrong-Jones' younger sister, Lady Sarah Chatto was born on May 1, 1964, at Kensington Palace and christened Sarah Frances Elizabeth Armstrong-Jones. She was allowed the courtesy title of "Lady" because her father had been styled since 1961 as the Earl of Snowdon. Sarah's last name, Chatto, is that of her husband, Daniel, who has worked in the creative arts, including as an actor. Sarah has also worked in the arts, which is how she met Daniel (they were working on the same set).
At Sarah and Daniel's 1994 wedding, one of Sarah's bridesmaids was Zara Tindall (then, Zara Phillips), the daughter of Princess Anne, Princess Royal, and her then-husband, Captain Mark Phillips. But before that, Sarah herself was a bridesmaid at the weddings of both Princess Anne (to Captain Phillips) in 1973 and King Charles III (to his former wife, the late Diana Princess of Wales) in 1981.
Born at 17th in the line of succession (she missed out on sixth place because Queen Elizabeth's youngest child, Prince Edward was born in March of that same year), she is now number 27. Lady Sarah and her husband have two children, Samuel David Benedict Chatto and Arthur Robert Nathaniel Chatto, born in 1996 and 1999, respectively. They are numbers 28 and 29 in line to the throne. First cousins once removed of King Charles, the brothers are nevertheless living their lives largely outside the public eye.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (30th in line)
His Royal Highness Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is the first royal family member in the line of succession who's not a direct descendant of King George VI. Rather, Prince Richard is the son of George VI's younger brother, Prince Henry, who was the fourth child and third son of King George V (George V's third child, Henry's older sister, Mary, discussed below, was born in the days of male primogeniture, so her place in the order of succession was usurped by all three of her younger brothers, Henry, George, and John).
Born in 1944, this first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth was christened Richard Alexander Walter George. His older brother, William, was born in 1942 but died at age 30 in a plane crash, leaving no heirs. Accordingly, Prince Richard, who had been planning a career in the field of architecture, inherited his father's title, Duke of Gloucester, and became a full-time working member of the royal family. He remains so to this day.
At the time of his birth, Richard was just fifth in line to the throne. After the births of all of the children and grandchildren of his older brother, George VI, he is now number 30. Richard married Birgitte van Deurs of Denmark in 1972, and the couple has three children, Alexander, Davina, and Rose, each of whom has their own children, all of whom are discussed below.
Major Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster and his children (31st-33rd in line)
The oldest child and only son of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster, was born in 1974 and christened Alexander Patrick Gregers Richard Windsor. He is the heir apparent to the dukedom of Gloucester, but his "Earl of Ulster" title is one of courtesy until such time as he does become Duke of Gloucester.
Alex, as he is known by friends and family, earned the title of Major during his career in the British Army (1998-2008). He is also a member of the Royal Air Force. Although he served as a page of honor to Queen Elizabeth II and was a member of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, among other royal duties, and while he has taken on the patronages of various charitable organizations, he lives his life largely as a private citizen.
In 2002, Alex, who is number 31 in the line of succession, married Dr. Claire Booth, a pediatrician. The couple has two children. The older child, Xan Richard Anders Windsor, who's styled with the courtesy title, Lord Culloden, was born in 2007. He stands at number 32 in line to the throne, and someday, he is expected to inherit the dukedom of Gloucester. His younger sister, Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor, who was born in 2010, stands at number 33.
Lady Davina Lewis and her children (34th-36th in line)
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester's second-born child is Lady Davina Lewis. Born in 1977 and christened Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor, she grew up, along with Alex, and their younger sister, Rose, in Kensington Palace. Davina's wedding was at the Palace's chapel. However, she is not a working member of the royal family and has never courted much in the way of media attention, according to Tatler.
In 2004, Lady Davina married Gary Lewis, a Maori man from New Zealand. When the two met on a surfing holiday in Bali back in 2000, Lewis was a manual laborer whose work included construction and sheep shearing. The couple had two children together — daughter Senna Kowhai Lewis who was born in 2010 and son Tane Mahuta Lewis who was born in 2012. The family lived together in New Zealand until 2018 when the couple divorced due to "cultural differences." Lady Davina currently lives with her children in London.
Although Lady Davina was 10th in line to the throne at birth, she has since dropped to number 34. Her children are right after her at numbers 35 and 36.
Lady Rose Gilman and her children (37th-39th in line)
The third child of Prince Richard of Gloucester is Lady Rose Gilman who was born in March 1980 and christened Rose Victoria Birgitte Louise Windsor. At the time of her birth, Lady Rose was 12th in line to the throne. But that was one year before her second cousin, Prince Charles of Wales married Princess Diana and two years before her second cousin once removed, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge was born. The order of succession changed quickly soon after, and Lady Rose is now 37th in line to the British throne.
Lady Rose married George Gilman in 2008 at the Queen's Chapel at St. James Palace, wearing the Iveagh Tiara from the Crown Jewels. According to Tatler, the Gilman wedding was one of the first royal events in which Prince William took his future wife, Princess Catherine. Like her cousin, Lady Sarah Chatto, Rose has also worked in the film industry, including as an art assistant on two movies in the "Harry Potter" franchise.
Lady Rose and George Gilman have two children — daughter Lyla who was born in 2010 and stands at number 38th in the line of succession, and son Rufus who was born in 2012 and stands at 39th.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (40th in line)
Having run through all of the extant descendants of Prince Henry, who was an uncle of the late Queen Elizabeth II and great-uncle of King Charles III, we now come to the descendants of the next younger sibling of King George VI, Prince George of Kent. Prince George was the fourth son and fifth child of King George V. Born in 1902, George married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark in 1934. He died in a plane crash in 1942, leaving behind three children, Edward, Alexandra, and Michael, in that order.
The eldest, Prince Edward of Kent was born in 1935 and christened Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick. This first cousin of the late Elizabeth II is not just a member of the British royal family, but through his mother, he's also related to the Greek and Danish royal families, as well as the former Russian royal family. Edward has been a full-time working member of the royal family since 1976 when he retired from the British Army. He currently stands at number 40 in line to the British throne.
Prince Edward and his wife, Katharine, who married in 1961, have three children. The eldest, George, Earl of St Andrews, and George's younger sister, Lady Helen Taylor, are in the line of succession. Their younger brother, Lord Nicholas Windsor lost his succession right when he converted to Catholicism in 2001.
George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews and his progeny (41st-45th in line)
Born in 1962, and christened George Philip Nicholas Windsor, the eldest son of Prince Edward of Kent is known as George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews. He's the heir apparent to the Kent dukedom and stands 41st in line to the throne. But for a period of time starting in 1988, George had no succession right, having been disqualified as a matter of law, for having married a Catholic, the Canadian-born Sylvana Tomaselli. That changed in 2015 when the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 became effective, reversing the rule excluding family members with Catholic spouses and restoring George's succession right.
Together, the pair have three children. The eldest, Edward, Lord Downpatrick, was born in 1988 and is a practicing Catholic — therefore he's not in the line of succession. However, Edward is eligible to inherit the Kent dukedom from his father, nevertheless (laws can be funny that way). The second, Lady Marina, born in 1992, is also a practicing Catholic and not eligible to inherit the crown. Accordingly, George's youngest child, Lady Amelia, born in 1996, stands behind him at number 42 in the order of succession as she was not confirmed in the Catholic faith before the 2013 Act came into effect.
Although George's younger brother, Nicholas isn't eligible, his children, Albert (born 2007), Leopold (born 2009), and Louis (born 2014), remain in line at numbers 43, 44, and 45.
Lady Helen Taylor and her children (46th-50th in line)
George Windsor's younger sister, Lady Helen Taylor, was born in 1964 and christened Lady Helen Marina Lucy Windsor. She currently stands at number 46 in the order of succession. The reason she comes after the three children of her younger brother, Nicholas who was born in 1972, is that she and Nicholas were born before the elimination of male primogeniture, which occurred in 2015. Accordingly, all of a male heir's progeny come before said male heir's older female siblings. However, these circumstances may change if and when Albert, Leopold, and Louis become adult members of the Catholic Church. That would preclude them from having succession right, as the law now stands.
Lady Helen has the distinction of being one of the first female students at Gordonstoun, the Scottish prep school attended by both the late Prince Philip and King Charles, as well as other royal family members, and which Charles is known to have detested. She works in the fashion industry and has been married to Timothy Taylor, an art dealer, since 1992.
The couple has four children — son, Columbus, who was born in 1994 and is number 47 in the line of succession and son, Cassius, born in 1996, who is number 48. Daughter Eloise, born in 2003, is number 49 and daughter Estella, born in 2004, is number 50.
Prince Michael of Kent and his progeny (51st-55th in line)
The third child and younger son of Prince George of Kent is Prince Michael of Kent who was born in 1942, just prior to his father's death. At the time of his christening as Michael George Charles Franklin, he was eighth in line to the throne. Today, Prince Michael is 51st in line to the throne. Like his nephew, George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Prince Michael gave up his succession right as a matter of law when, in 1978, he married the German-born Baroness Marie Christine von Reibnitz, who was and remains a practicing Catholic. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, as the couple is known on the society pages, have two children.
The first is Lord Frederick Michael George David Louis Windsor. Born in 1979, Lord Frederick Windsor stands at 52nd in the order of succession, works in finance, and is married to actress Sophie Winkleman. Frederick's older daughter, Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina Windsor, born in the U.S. in 2013 at number 42, is now number 53. Frederick's younger daughter, Isabella Alexandra May Windsor, born in London in 2016, is now 54th in line.
The second child of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent is Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Kingston. Born in 1981, Lady Gabriella stands at number 55. As of late, Gabriella may be best known for having fainted at the site of Queen Elizabeth's casket. Elizabeth II was Gabriella's first cousin once removed.
Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Honorable Lady Olgilvy and her descendants (56th-62nd in line)
Born in 1936 and christened Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel, Princess Alexandra of Kent, aka the Honorable Lady Ogilvy, is the younger sister of Prince Edward of Kent but the older sister of Prince Michael of Kent. She comes after both of her brothers and all of their eligible descendants in the line of succession because she was born before male primogeniture's abolishment. Accordingly, Princess Alexandra, born sixth in line to the British throne, and once a bridesmaid at the late Queen Elizabeth II's wedding, now stands at 56.
Princess Alexandra married Sir Angus Ogilvy, a son of the Earl of Airlie, in 1963 at Westminster Abbey. Her "chief bridesmaid" was Princess Anne. The couple had two children, neither of whom carry out royal duties on behalf of the monarch. The first, James Robert Bruce Ogilvy, born in 1964, is currently number 57 in the order of succession. James' son Alexander, born in 1996, is number 58, and his daughter, Flora Alexandra Vesterberg, née Ogilvy, born in 1994, is number 59 (male primogeniture strikes again).
The second, Marina Victoria Alexandra Ogilvy, born in 1966 is number 60. She married freelance photographer, Paul Mowatt in 1990. The two have since divorced. Their son, Christian Mowatt, born in 1993 is 61st in line to the throne, and their daughter, Zenouska Mowatt, born before in 1990, but female, is number 62.
David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood (63rd in line)
We've now run through the descendants of all King George V's sons (neither King Edward VIII nor young Prince John, who died in childhood, had children). That leaves George V's only daughter, Princess Mary (1897-1965). Christened Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary, she was fifth in line at birth but began losing ground with the births of each of her three younger brothers. Princess Mary had two sons with her husband, Henry "Harry" Lascelles, whom she married in 1922 when he was still the heir to the Earldom of Harewood. When Lascelles inherited the Earldom, Princess Mary, then Princess Royal, also became the Countess of Harewood.
Princess Mary's eldest son, George Henry Hubert Lascelles (1923-2011), inherited the Harewood Earldom from his father in 1947, becoming the 7th Earl of Harewood. Princess Mary's second son, the Honorable Gerald Lascelles (1924-1998), had only one child, Martin, born in 1964 out of wedlock, so he's not eligible to inherit the crown. But George Lascelles went on to have four sons. The oldest is David Lascelles, who was born 13th in line to the throne and now stands at number 63.
David Lascelles was born in 1950 with the title, Viscount Lascelles. David went on to inherit his father's title a the time of his death and is now the 8th Earl of Harewood. David has four children, the first two of whom were born out of wedlock and therefore are ineligible to ascend to the throne.
David Lascelles' children, nieces, and nephews
Because David Lascelles' first two children were born out of wedlock, the third child is considered the eldest for succession purposes. Accordingly, Alexander Lascelles, born in 1980, is styled as Viscount Alexander Edgar Lascelles presumably until such time as he inherits the Harewood Earldom from David. Viscount Alexander stands at number 64 in the order of succession. His first child was born out of wedlock and therefore not in line. His second child, the Honorable Ivy Lascelles (born in 2018) stands at number 65. David's fourth child, the Honorable Edward Lascelles (born 1982), is number 66. Edward Lascelles' son, Sebastian Lascelles (born in 2020), is number 67.
Immediately after Sebastian, the next royal heir is David Lascelles' younger sibling, the Honorable James Lascelles. Born in 1953, James Lascelles is number 68 in line to the throne, followed immediately by his four legitimate children and their progeny.
James and his descendants are, in turn, followed by the next sibling of David Lascelles, Jeremy (born in 1955), as well as his progeny. David's youngest brother, Mark, was born out of wedlock and is therefore not in the line of succession. After all of Princess Mary's descendants, the next royals in line to the throne are the descendants of George V's siblings ... and then the descendants of the siblings of his father, Edward VII, the firstborn son of Queen Victoria.