As is traditional in the Royal Family, the Queen has conferred a title upon Prince Harry ahead of his marriage today to American actress Meghan Markle. He has been created the Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. Meghan Markle becomes Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Other titles created in Prince Harry’s immediate family in recent years have been: Prince Andrew, created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh on his marriage to Sarah Ferguson in July 1986. Sarah Ferguson became Sarah, Duchess of York, and remains so even after their divorce. As Prince Andrew has no male children the title will become extant when he dies. Prince Edward, Prince Harry’s other uncle, became the Earl of Wessex when he married Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999. Sophie Rhys-Jones became Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Their son James, Viscount Severn will inherit his father’s title upon Prince Edward’s death. Prince Edward will become the Duke of Edinburgh upon the death of his grandfather and the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, the current Duke of Edinburgh. James, Viscount Severn may become Earl of Wessex upon his father’s accession to the Dukedom of Edinburgh. Prince William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and brother of Prince Harry, was created Duke of Cambridge upon his marriage in April 2011 to Catherine Middleton, and she became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. He may become Prince of Wales when his father inherits the throne and Catherine would then become Princess of Wales. William will eventually become King upon the death of his father, the current Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. At that point, Catherine would become a Queen Consort though is likely to be known as Queen Catherine by most people. The sons of William and Catherine, Prince George and Prince Louis, will remain Prince George and Prince Louis of Cambridge until they marry at which point they too will be conferred a title, most likely a Dukedom or Earldom. Their daughter, Princess Charlotte, will remain Princess Charlotte of Cambridge unless she marries into a foreign royal family. Today’s royal wedding will be the last major royal family wedding until one of the current royal princes and princesses marry. With the pressure that will be on Prince George to marry as quickly as possible, it is highly possible that the next big royal wedding will be his. That could 25 years away.
LINE OF SUCCESSION AS OF THE BIRTH OF PRINCE LOUIS OF CAMBRIDGE
Current monarch: Queen Elizabeth II (reigned since February 1952)
Heir: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, eldest son of the Queen & Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (heir since his mother’s accession to the throne in 1952)
2nd: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, eldest son of Charles & Diana, Princess of Wales
3rd: Prince George of Cambridge, eldest child of William & Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
4th: Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, second child of William & Catherine
5th: Prince Louis of Cambridge, third child of William & Catherine
…any future children of William & Catherine will slot in here, pushing those below down
6th: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, second son of Charles & Diana
…any future children of Harry & Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will slot in here, pushing those below down
7th: Prince Andrew, Duke of York, second son of the Queen & Prince Philip
8th: Princess Beatrice of York, eldest child of Andrew & Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
…any future children of Beatrice will slot in here, pushing those below down
9th: Princess Eugenie of York, second child of Andrew & Sarah
…any future children of Eugenie will slot in here, pushing those below down
10th: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, third son of the Queen and Prince Philip
Left-Right: The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis
Left-Right: Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Prince Edward
Barring tragedies, abdications of childless heirs, it is unlikely that anyone on this list below Prince George will ever become King or Queen. Prince Charles’s reign will be short in comparison to his mother who has already reigned for 66 years. He is seventy this year. William is likely to inherit the throne in his fifties and may reign for possibly 30 years. By this time Prince George will be in his fifties and he will undoubtedly have married and produced heirs of his own.
It is also unlikely that Prince Andrew will have any more children, but if he were to remarry and have a son the boy would not jump ahead of his half-sisters Beatrice & Eugenie due to the change in legislation on male supremacy which applies from the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge onwards. This is why she remains ahead of Prince Louis, where previously he would have jumped ahead of her in the line of succession.
STEPHEN NULTY 