Let's face the reality here, Queen Elizabeth is not getting any younger. The long-reigning monarch has served as Queen for 66 years, taking the throne after her father passed away in February of 1952.
But as she nears her 92nd birthday, a lot of people are wondering who will take her spot. Of course, next in line would be Prince Charles, her son, but a lot of people wonder if he might abdicate his throne to Prince William.
"[Charles] wants his son to have the chance of a family life before he takes up the burden of kingship "“ a King has no family life as it is so restricting," Ingrid Seward, editor-in-cheif of Majesty says.
So before it's time to name another ruler in England, let's take a look at the current succession order, and what it means for our beloved Prince Harry.
There are some interesting rules when it comes to being an heir to the throne. For example, if one of the six first people in the line of succession marry without the sovereign's consent, currently Queen Elizabeth, they are disqualified from succession. Luckily, Prince Harry received the Queen's blessing for his upcoming marriage to Meghan Markle.
But even if Harry had been disqualified, it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference in the long run. Succession follows the first child and their family, meaning with the impending birth of Will and Kate's newest baby, Harry will be pushed out of the picture altogether.
This is currently what the succession order looks like:
1. Prince Charles
Charles is expected to take the throne after his mother no longer reigns. His wife, Camilla, will receive the title of Queen Consort.
2. Prince William
Prince William will serve as King after his father no longer reigns. Kate will take the title of Queen Consort, and his kids will be next in line.
3. Prince George
He may only be five years old, but if (God forbid) something happened to both Prince Charles and Prince William, Prince George would become King. However, if he becomes King before he is 18 years old, Prince Harry would act as Prince Regent in his place until he came of age.
4. Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte is somewhat of a history maker. In 2011, succession laws were changed which saw succession pass to an individual's child, regardless of gender. Currently, Charlotte is fourth in line for the throne. However, prior to 2011, if Will and Kate's third child was a boy, Charlotte would have been bumped down to fifth, even though she's older. This no longer applies, and gender does not play a role in succession.
5. Prince Harry (for now)
(Almost) everyone's favorite royal, Prince Harry, is currently fifth in line to the throne, but that won't last for long. Once Will and Kate's third child is born, he'll be bumped down to sixth. Because he is younger than William, he and his future children are behind his brother's family in succession order. However, as previously stated, if for some reason either George or Charlotte became King or Queen before they turned 18, Harry would become the Prince Regent, and essentially serve as ruler until the true heir came of age.
Harry doesn't seem to mind however.
"The reason I am now fifth is because of my nephew and niece and I could never wish them away," he said in an interview. "They are the most amazing things ever."
6. Prince Andrew, Duke of York
The Queen's second son, Andrew, would be next in line if all of the aforementioned family members somehow were disqualified or perished at the same time. Not a great position to hold, but someone needs to do it.
