Alternative successions to the English and British Crown facts for kids

Imagine a world where history took a slightly different turn! This article explores some fascinating "what if" scenarios in British history. It looks at people who, at different times, could have been kings or queens of England (and later Britain) if the rules of who inherits the throne had been interpreted differently, or if certain events hadn't happened. These are called "alternative claimants" to the Crown.

Throughout this article, the names of people who "would-have-been" monarchs are written in italics.

Richard II's Abdication: A Different Path?

Richard II, whose abdication led to an alternative claim.

King Richard II gave up his throne on 29 September 1399. He handed it over to Henry Bolingbroke. However, Henry wasn't actually next in line! The person who should have been king was Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.

Why Edmund? Well, he was a descendant of King Edward III's second son, Lionel of Antwerp. Henry Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt, was Edward III's third son. This meant Edmund had a stronger claim based on who was born first in the royal family.

If Edmund had become king, this "alternative" royal line wouldn't have lasted long. That's because it eventually joined back with the main historical line when Edward IV became king in 1461.

Here's how Edmund's line would have gone:

1. Edward III of England
2. Edward, the Black Prince, Edward III's first son
3. Richard II of England, Edward, the Black Prince's second son
4. Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, Edward III's third son (but the second to survive childhood)
5. Philippa Plantagenet, 5th Countess of Ulster, Lionel's only child
6. Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, Philippa's first son
7. Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, Roger's first son (he died without children)
8. Anne de Mortimer, Roger's first daughter (she took over from her brother Edmund)
9. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, Anne's only son
10. Edward IV of England, Richard's first son

Clarence's Descendants: A Question of Legitimacy

This alternative claim comes from a big question: Was Edward IV truly the son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York? If he wasn't, then Edward IV wouldn't have had a proper claim to the throne.

If Edward IV wasn't legitimate, then when Richard, Duke of York, died, his claim would have gone to his oldest legitimate son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland. Edmund was sadly killed soon after. So, the claim would then have passed to George, Duke of Clarence.

There's another interesting point: King Henry VI made a law in 1470. It said that if he and his son Edward of Westminster died without more male children, the crown would go to Clarence. This was because Henry VI had declared Edward IV an enemy. When Henry VI and his son both died in 1471, Clarence would have become the legal heir for the House of Lancaster.

Today, the main descendant of this line is Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun.

Here's how this line of succession would have gone:

1. George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, Richard, 3rd Duke of York's third son (second "legitimate" son)
2. Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, George's first son
3. Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, George's daughter (she took over from her brother Edward, who had no children)
4. Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, Margaret's first son
5. Henry Pole, Henry's second son (his older brother Thomas died young)
6. Catherine Hastings, Henry's first daughter (she took over from her brother Henry, who had no children)
7. Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, Catherine's first son
8. George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, Catherine's second son (he took over from his brother Henry, who had no children)
9. Francis Hastings, George's first son
10. Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, Francis's only son
11. Ferdinando Hastings, 6th Earl of Huntingdon, Henry's first son
12. Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon, Ferdinando's only son
13. George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, Theophilus's second son (his older brother died young)
14. Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, Theophilus's third son (his older brother George had no legitimate children)
15. Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, Theophilus, 9th Earl's first son
16. Elizabeth Rawdon, 16th Baroness Botreaux, Theophilus's daughter (her brother Francis had no legitimate children)
17. Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, Elizabeth's first son
18. George Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Marquess of Hastings, Francis's oldest legitimate son
19. Paulyn Rawdon-Hastings, 3rd Marquess of Hastings, George's first son
20. Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings, George's second son (his brother Paulyn died young)
21. Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun, George's first daughter (she took over from her brother Henry, who had no children)
22. Charles Rawdon-Hastings, 11th Earl of Loudoun, Edith's first son (he died without children)
23. Paulyn Abney-Hastings, Edith's second son (he took over from his brother Charles, who had no children)
24. Edith Maud Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun, Paulyn's first daughter
25. Ian Huddleston Abney-Hastings, Lord Mauchline, Edith's only son (he died in World War II without children)
26. Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun, Edith's first daughter (she took over from her brother Ian, who had no children)
27. Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, Barbara's oldest son
28. Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun, Michael's oldest son

Mary Tudor's Descendants: A Royal Will

King Henry VIII had a special law passed, called the Third Succession Act. This law gave him the power to decide who would inherit the crown in his will.

In his will, Henry VIII said that if his own children didn't have heirs, the throne should go to the children of his younger sister, Mary Tudor, Queen of France. This meant skipping over the line of his older sister, Margaret Tudor, whose descendants included the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots. King Edward VI later confirmed this decision.

So, according to this plan, the rightful heir after Elizabeth I would have been Anne Stanley, Countess of Castlehaven. This was because Lady Katherine Grey's marriage had been cancelled, and her children were declared illegitimate by Elizabeth I.

Here's how this line of succession would have gone:

1. Henry VIII of England
2. Edward VI of England, Henry VIII's only son
3. Mary I of England, Henry VIII's oldest daughter
4. Elizabeth I of England, Henry VIII's second daughter
5. Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Henry VII's second daughter (Henry VIII's younger sister)
6. Lady Eleanor Brandon, Mary's second daughter
7. Lady Margaret Clifford, Eleanor's only daughter
8. Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, Margaret's first son
9. Anne Stanley, Countess of Castlehaven, Ferdinando's first daughter
10. George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos, Anne's first son
11. Margaret Brydges, George's first daughter
12. George Brydges Skipwith, Margaret's first son
13. Elizabeth Brownlow, Margaret's first daughter (she took over from her brother George, who had no children)
14. George Brownlow Doughty, Elizabeth's first son
15. Henry Doughty, George's only child
16. Henry Doughty, Henry's only son
17. Elizabeth Doughty, Henry Doughty Sr's only daughter

It's believed that Lady Anne Stanley's line ended with the death of Elizabeth Doughty. So, the claim then passed to the descendants of Lady Anne's sister, Lady Frances Stanley:

1. * Lady Frances Stanley, Ferdinando's second daughter
2. John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater, Frances's first son
3. John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater, John's first son
4. Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, John's third son
5. Lady Anne Egerton, Scroop's first daughter
6. George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, Anne's only child
7. George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, George, 4th Earl of Jersey's first son
8. George Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey, George, 5th Earl of Jersey's first son
9. Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, George, 6th Earl of Jersey's only son
10. George Child Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey, Victor, 7th Earl of Jersey's first son
11. George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey, George, 8th Earl of Jersey's first son
12. Lady Caroline Child Villiers, George's only child from his first marriage

Lady Caroline's current heir is her son Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto.

There's a debate about the 9th Earl of Jersey's later marriages. He had sons from a third marriage, but he had divorced his first wife, who was still alive when he married his third. If we strictly follow the old succession laws from 1603, his divorce might not have been valid. This would mean his later marriages and the children from them might not be considered legitimate heirs. Because of this, the current holder of the Stanley claim to the English throne is Lady Caroline Ogilvy (born Child Villiers), who was the only child from the 9th Earl's first marriage.

Edward Seymour's Descendants: A Royal Reconsideration

The marriage between Lady Katherine Grey and Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford was declared illegal in 1562, which meant their children were considered illegitimate. However, King James I later thought that the Seymour family line should still be considered as possible heirs. This unofficial change in opinion placed them ahead of the Stanley family in James's view. In 2012, Mary Freeman-Grenville, 12th Lady Kinloss was listed as the heir to the Mary Tudor claim, rather than the descendants of Frances Stanley.

Here's how her succession follows:

1. Henry VIII of England
2. Edward VI of England, Henry's only son
3. Mary I of England, Henry's oldest daughter
4. Elizabeth I of England, Henry's second daughter
5. Mary Tudor, Queen of France, Henry VII of England's third daughter (Henry VIII's younger sister)
6. Lady Frances Brandon, Mary's first daughter
7. Lady Katherine Grey, Frances's second daughter
8. Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, Katherine's first son
9. William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, Edward's second son (he took over from his brother Edward, who had no children)
10. Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp, William's third son (his older brothers William and Robert died young)
11. Lady Elizabeth Seymour, Henry's only daughter
12. Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury, Elizabeth's second son (his older brother Robert died young)
13. Lady Mary Bruce, Elizabeth's first daughter (she took over from her brothers Robert and George, who had no children)
14. James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos, Mary's only son
15. Lady Anne Elizabeth Brydges, James's only child
16. Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, Anne's first son
17. Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, Richard's only son
18. Mary Morgan-Grenville, 11th Lady Kinloss, Richard's first daughter
19. Luis Chandos Francis Temple Morgan-Grenville, Mary's second son (he took over from his brother Richard, who had no children)
20. Mary Freeman-Grenville, 12th Lady Kinloss, Luis's first daughter
21. Teresa Freeman-Grenville, 13th Lady Kinloss, Mary's first daughter

Lady Kinloss's heir is her sister Hester Josephine Anne Freeman-Grenville. Hester is married to Peter Haworth and has three sons.

The Stuart Line: A Different Royal Family

The Act of Settlement 1701 was a law that changed the line of succession. It specifically skipped over the Catholic heirs of the deposed King James II. This meant that even though they were direct descendants, they couldn't inherit the throne because they were Catholic.

Here's how the Stuart line would have continued if the Act of Settlement hadn't been passed:

1. Charles I of England
2. James II of England, Charles I's second son
3. James Francis Edward Stuart, James II's only son; some called him "James III."
4. Charles Edward Stuart, James Francis's older son. He had no legitimate children with his wife. He did have an illegitimate daughter, but her descendants don't have succession rights. He was also known as "Charles III" or "Bonnie Prince Charlie."
5. Henry Benedict Stuart, James Francis's younger son. He became a Cardinal in the Catholic Church and had no children. Some called him "Henry IX."

When Henry died, the claim passed to his second cousin, Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia. Then it went to Charles Emmanuel's brother, Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. Charles Emmanuel and Victor Emmanuel were great-great-great-grandsons of King Charles I.

Here's how this line continued:

1. Charles I of England
2. Henrietta Anne Stuart, Charles's youngest daughter
3. Anne Marie d'Orléans, Henrietta Anne's second daughter
4. Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, Anne Marie's second son
5. Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia, Charles Emmanuel's second son
6. Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus's oldest son
7. Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus's second son
8. Maria Beatrice of Savoy, Victor Emmanuel's oldest daughter
9. Francis V, Duke of Modena, Maria Beatrice's older son
10. Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este, Maria Beatrice's younger son (he took over from his older brother Francis, who had no surviving adult children)
11. Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Ferdinand's only child
12. Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Maria Theresia's oldest son
13. Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, Rupprecht's second son (his older brother Luitpold died young)
14. Franz, Duke of Bavaria, Albrecht's older son

When Franz passes away, his claim to the English and Scottish crowns will likely go to his younger brother Prince Max. After Max's death, this theoretical claim would most likely be inherited by Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, who is Prince Max's daughter.

See Also

• Britain's Real Monarch
• Jacobite succession

Images for kids

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  Richard II, whose abdication led to an alternative claim.

• George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence.jpg

  George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, whose claim was based on a different view of royal legitimacy.

• Mary Tudor, Queen of France.jpg

  Mary Tudor, whose descendants were named in Henry VIII's will as potential heirs.

• Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp.jpg

  Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, whose line was later considered eligible by James I.

• James Francis Edward Stuart.jpg

  James Francis Edward Stuart, known as "The Old Pretender" by some, was the main Jacobite claimant.