History of the English and British line of succession facts for kids
Since William the Conqueror first claimed the English throne, the way new kings and queens took power has changed a lot. Sometimes it was decided by a will, sometimes by a battle, sometimes by the rule of the eldest son (called primogeniture), and sometimes by the government (Parliament). This article explains how the crown passed from one ruler to the next through many centuries.
Contents
- William I (The Conqueror)
- William II (Rufus)
- Henry I
- Stephen
- Henry II
- Richard I
- John
- Henry III
- Edward I
- Edward II
- Edward III
- Richard II
- Henry IV
- Henry V
- Henry VI (First Time)
- Edward IV (First Time)
- Henry VI (Second Time)
- Edward IV (Second Time)
- Edward V
- Richard III
- Henry VII
- Henry VIII
- Edward VI
- Mary I
- Elizabeth I
- James I
- Charles I
- Charles II
- James II
- William III & Mary II
- William III
- Anne
- George I
- George II
- George III
- George IV
- William IV
- Victoria
- Edward VII
- George V
- Edward VIII
- George VI
- Elizabeth II
- Charles III
William I (The Conqueror)
When William the Conqueror was dying on 9 September 1087, he decided how his lands would be split. His oldest son, Robert Curthose, got the Duchy of Normandy. His second son, William Rufus, received the Kingdom of England. His youngest son, Henry Beauclerc, got money to buy land.
So, when William I died, the next in line for the English throne was:
- William Rufus (born 1056), William I's third son.
William II (Rufus)
William Rufus had no children. He and his older brother Robert had agreed that if one died, the other would become king. However, when William II died on 2 August 1100, Robert was away on a religious journey called a crusade. Their younger brother, Henry Beauclerc, convinced the important nobles to choose him as king. Henry later fought Robert and eventually, an agreement recognized Henry as the rightful king.
Henry I
The plan for who would follow Henry I changed when his only son, William Adelin, died. With no male heirs left, Henry did something new: he made his powerful nobles promise to accept his daughter, Empress Matilda, as his heir. Matilda was the widow of a powerful German emperor.
However, her cousin, Stephen of Blois, managed to get the support of the nobles and took the throne illegally. He claimed that Henry had changed his mind just before he died. This led to a seventeen-year civil war between Stephen and those who supported Matilda.
Stephen
The plan for who would follow King Stephen also changed. His son, Eustace, died. Stephen had wanted Eustace to be crowned king while he was still alive. Even though Stephen had another son, William, he was too young to challenge Matilda's son, Henry of Anjou, for the throne.
To end the civil war, Stephen agreed to the Treaty of Wallingford. This agreement said that Henry would be his successor. So, on the day Stephen died, 25 October 1154, Henry became King Henry II.
Henry II
The plan for who would follow Henry II changed when his son, Henry the Young King, died. This son had been crowned king while his father was still alive. Henry II had wanted to divide his lands among his children when he died. But he was forced to sign a difficult agreement with the King of France and his rebellious sons. This happened on 4 July 1189, just two days before Henry II died. The agreement recognized his eldest son, Richard, as the only heir.
On the day Henry II died, 6 July 1189, the throne went to his oldest living son: Richard I.
Richard I
Richard I had no children who could legally inherit the throne. When he died on 6 April 1199, if the rule of the eldest son (primogeniture) had been followed, his nephew Arthur I, Duke of Brittany would have been next. Arthur was born in 1187 and was the son of Richard I's brother, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany.
However, Arthur had sided with Philip II of France, who was Richard's enemy. So, Richard named his younger brother, John, as his heir, and John became king.
John
King John died on 19 October 1216, during a fight with his powerful nobles. Most of them had already accepted Prince Louis of France as their king. But when John died, his nobles saw his young son as a safer choice. John's eldest son became Henry III, and the French were forced to leave the country.
Henry III
When Henry III died on 16 November 1272, the throne passed to his eldest son, Edward I.
Edward I
When Edward I died on 7 July 1307, the throne passed to his eldest living son, Edward II.
Edward II
On the day Edward II gave up his throne, 25 January 1327, the throne passed to his eldest son, Edward III.
Edward III
The rules for who would follow Edward III were set by his own plan for the crown in 1376. When he died on 21 June 1377, the order of who would inherit the English throne was:
- Richard of Bordeaux, Prince of Wales (born 1367), the only son of Edward III's oldest son, Edward, the Black Prince, who had already died.
- John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (born 1340), Edward III's fourth son.
- Henry Bolingbroke (born 1367), John of Gaunt's only legal son.
The throne went to the first person on this list, who became Richard II.
Richard II
After Richard's uncle, John of Gaunt, died in 1399, the two main people who could become Richard II's heir were:
- Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March (born 1391), the eldest son of a deceased grandson of Edward III.
- Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster (born 1367), John of Gaunt's only legal son.
Richard took away Henry's right to inherit because Henry was living in exile. But Richard was later removed from power, and Bolingbroke became king as Henry IV.
Henry IV
Henry said he had the right to take the throne because he was a male descendant of the royal family. When Henry IV died on 20 March 1413, the order of who would inherit the English throne, following the rule of the eldest male heir, was:
- Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales (born 1386), Henry IV's eldest son.
- Thomas, Duke of Clarence (born 1387), Henry IV's second son.
- John (born 1389), Henry IV's third son.
When Henry IV died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Henry V.
Henry V
When Henry V died on 31 August 1422, the order of who would inherit the throne, following the rule of the eldest male heir, was:
- Henry, Duke of Cornwall (born 1421), Henry V's only son.
- John, Duke of Bedford (born 1389), Henry IV's third son.
When Henry V died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Henry VI.
Henry VI (First Time)
When Henry VI was first removed from power on 4 March 1461, the order of who would inherit the throne, following the rule of the eldest male heir, was:
- Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (born 1453), Henry VI's only son.
- Edward, Duke of York (born 1442), a cousin of Henry VI.
However, during the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI was forced off the throne by his cousin, Edward, Duke of York, who became Edward IV.
Edward IV (First Time)
When Edward IV was removed from power on 3 October 1470, the throne was given back to Henry VI, the previous king. This time was known as the Readeption of Henry VI.
Henry VI (Second Time)
When Henry VI was removed from power for the second time on 11 April 1471, the order of who would inherit the throne, following the rule of the eldest male heir, was:
- Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (born 1453), Henry VI's only son.
- Edward Plantagenet (born 1442), a cousin who had been king before.
Henry was defeated in the Battle of Barnet and removed from power. He died in the Tower of London on 21 May 1471, shortly after his enemies won the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Edward IV (Second Time)
When Edward IV died on 9 April 1483, the first two people in line to the throne were his sons:
- Edward, Prince of Wales (born 1470)
- Richard, Duke of York (born 1473)
When Edward IV died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Edward V.
Edward V
On the day Edward V was removed from power, 25 June 1483, he and his brother Richard, Duke of York, were declared not to be legal heirs. Their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, then claimed the throne.
Richard III
Until the day Richard III died, 22 August 1485, he had recognized the children of his sister, Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk, as his heirs. The eldest was John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln.
However, Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was replaced by the winner of the battle, Henry Tudor, who was a distant relative. Henry became Henry VII. He also made his claim stronger by marrying Elizabeth of York, who was Edward IV's daughter.
Henry VII
When Henry VII died on 21 April 1509, the throne passed to his only living son, Henry VIII.
Henry VIII
When Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547, the order of who would inherit the throne was set by a law called the Third Succession Act.
- Edward, Prince of Wales (born 1537), Henry VIII's only legal son.
- Lady Mary (born 1516), Henry VIII's elder daughter.
- Lady Elizabeth (born 1533), Henry VIII's younger daughter.
- Lady Jane Grey (born 1536/7), a granddaughter of Henry VIII's younger sister.
When Henry died, the throne went to his son, who became Edward VI.
Edward VI
When Edward VI died on 6 July 1553, the order of who would inherit the English throne was generally based on Henry VIII's will.
- Lady Mary (born 1516), Henry VIII's first daughter.
- Lady Elizabeth (born 1533), Henry VIII's second daughter.
- Lady Jane Dudley (born 1536/7), a cousin.
Edward VI tried to change the rules for who would inherit the throne in his own plan. He wanted to exclude his sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. In Edward's plan, the first person in line was:
- Lady Jane Dudley (born 1536/7), a cousin.
When Edward died, the first person in line according to his plan was announced as Queen Jane. But within days, Lady Mary claimed the throne and became Mary I.
Mary I
When Mary I died on 17 November 1558, the throne passed to her half-sister, who became Elizabeth I.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I never officially named who would take the throne after her. When she died on 24 March 1603, her possible heirs came from the families of her father's two sisters.
Even though Henry VIII's will had tried to exclude them, the most likely heir was:
- James VI of Scotland (born 1566), the only child of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was a descendant of Henry VIII's elder sister.
When Elizabeth died, despite Henry VIII's will, the throne passed to King James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England.
James I
When James I died on 27 March 1625, the order of who would inherit the English throne was:
- Charles, Prince of Wales (born 1600), James I's only living son.
- Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia (born 1596), James I's only living daughter.
When James died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Charles I.
Charles I
When Charles I was executed on 30 January 1649, the order of who would inherit the English throne was:
- Charles, Prince of Wales (born 1630), Charles I's eldest son.
- Prince James, Duke of York (born 1633), Charles I's second son.
- Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (born 1631), Charles I's first daughter.
However, the monarchy in England was ended for a time, and Oliver Cromwell became the leader. After Cromwell's death, the monarchy was brought back in 1660. Charles I's eldest son, Charles II, became king.
Charles II
When Charles II died on 6 February 1685, the order of who would inherit the English throne was:
- Prince James, Duke of York and Albany (born 1633), Charles I's second son.
- Mary, Princess of Orange (born 1662), the Duke of York's first daughter.
- Princess Anne of Denmark and Norway (born 1665), the Duke of York's second daughter.
When Charles died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became James II.
James II
On 11 December 1688, James II left the country. At that time, the order of who would inherit the English throne was:
- James, Prince of Wales (born 1688), James II's only living son.
- Mary, Princess of Orange (born 1662), James II's first daughter.
- Princess Anne of Denmark and Norway (born 1665), James II's second daughter.
The government (Parliament) then offered the throne together to James II's elder daughter, who became Mary II, and her husband and cousin, William III.
William III & Mary II
A law called the Bill of Rights 1689 said that if one of the joint rulers, William III and Mary II, died first, the other would rule alone. Since Mary II died first on 28 December 1694, William III became the only ruler. On the day Mary died, the order of who would inherit the English throne was:
- Princess Anne of Denmark (born 1665), James II's second daughter.
- Prince William of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Gloucester (born 1689), Anne's only living child.
William III
When William III died on 8 March 1702, the order of who would inherit the English throne was set by a law called the Act of Settlement 1701.
- Princess Anne of Denmark (born 1665), sister of the king's late wife and daughter of James II.
- Sophia, Electress of Hanover (born 1630), a granddaughter of James I.
When William died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Queen Anne.
Anne
When Queen Anne died on 1 August 1714, the order of who would inherit the British throne was set by the Act of Settlement 1701.
- George Louis, Elector of Hanover (born 1660), whose mother, Sophia, Electress of Hanover, had died less than two months earlier. Sophia was a granddaughter of James I.
- George Augustus, Electoral Prince of Hanover (born 1683), the Elector of Hanover's only son.
When Anne died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became George I.
George I
When George I died on 11 June 1727, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- George, Prince of Wales (born 1683), George I's only son.
- Prince Frederick, Duke of Edinburgh (born 1707), the Prince of Wales's eldest son.
When George I died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became George II.
George II
When George II died on 25 October 1760, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- George, Prince of Wales (born 1738), the eldest son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, who was George II's deceased eldest son.
- Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany (born 1739), the second son of Frederick, Prince of Wales.
When George II died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became George III.
George III
When George III died on 29 January 1820, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- George, Prince Regent, Prince of Wales (born 1762), George III's eldest son.
- Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (born 1763), George III's second son.
- Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (born 1765), George III's third son.
- Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (born 1819), the only child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, George III's fourth son who had died six days earlier.
When George III died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became George IV.
George IV
When George IV died on 26 June 1830, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (born 1765), George III's third son.
- Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (born 1819), the only child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, George III's deceased fourth son.
When George IV died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became William IV.
William IV
When William IV died on 20 June 1837, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent (born 1819), the only child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, George III's deceased fourth son.
- Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (born 1771), George III's fifth son.
When William IV died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Queen Victoria.
Victoria
When Victoria died on 22 January 1901, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (born 1841), Victoria's eldest son.
- Prince George, Duke of York (born 1865), the Prince of Wales's only living son.
- Prince Edward of York (born 1894), the Duke of York's eldest son.
When Victoria died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Edward VII.
Edward VII
When Edward VII died on 6 May 1910, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- George, Prince of Wales (born 1865), Edward VII's only living son.
- Prince Edward of Wales (born 1894), the Prince of Wales's eldest son.
- Prince Albert of Wales (born 1895), the Prince of Wales's second son.
When Edward VII died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became George V.
George V
When George V died on 20 January 1936, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Edward, Prince of Wales (born 1894), George V's eldest son.
- Prince Albert, Duke of York (born 1895), George V's second son.
- Princess Elizabeth of York (born 1926), the Duke of York's elder daughter.
When George V died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Edward VIII.
Edward VIII
On the day Edward VIII gave up his throne, 11 December 1936, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Prince Albert, Duke of York (born 1895), George V's second son.
- Princess Elizabeth of York (born 1926), the Duke of York's elder daughter.
- Princess Margaret of York (born 1930), the Duke of York's younger daughter.
When Edward VIII gave up his throne, the crown passed to the first person on this list, who became George VI.
George VI
When George VI died on 6 February 1952, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (born 1926), George VI's elder daughter.
- Prince Charles of Edinburgh (born 1948), Princess Elizabeth's only son.
- Princess Anne of Edinburgh (born 1950), Princess Elizabeth's only daughter.
When George VI died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth II
When Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022, the order of who would inherit the British throne was:
- Charles, Prince of Wales (born 1948), Elizabeth II's eldest son.
- Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (born 1982), the Prince of Wales's elder son.
- Prince George of Cambridge (born 2013), the Duke of Cambridge's eldest child.
When Elizabeth II died, the throne went to the first person on this list, who became Charles III.
Charles III
Currently, the order of who would inherit the British throne is:
- William, Prince of Wales (born 1982), Charles III's elder son.
- Prince George of Wales (born 2013), the Prince of Wales's eldest child.
- Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015), the Prince of Wales's second child.
- Prince Louis of Wales (born 2018), the Prince of Wales's third child.
- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born 1984), Charles III's younger son.
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