Her Majesty The Queen
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926)[a] is the queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth was born in London as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and she was educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947, she married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Andrew, Duke of York; and Edward, Earl of Wessex.
She has reigned through major constitutional changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation, and the decolonisation of Africa. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence and realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits to or from five popes. Significant events have included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012 respectively. In 2017, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. |
When her father died in February 1952, she became head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon.
She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch as well as the world's longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state, the oldest and longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state.
Line of succession: 1-25 | Born: | Family relation: |
01. Prince Charles Prince of Wales | 1948 | the eldest son of H.M.The Queen & Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
02 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge | 1982 | the eldest son of Prince Charles & Princess Diana) |
03 Prince George of Cambridge | 2013 | the eldest son of Prince WIlliam, Duke of Cambridge & Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge |
04 Princess Charlotte of Cambridge | 2015 | the daughter of Prince WIlliam, Duke of Cambridge & Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge |
05 Prince Louis of Cambridge | 2018 | the younger son of Prince WIlliam, Duke of Cambridge & Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge |
06 Prince Henry, the Duke of Sussex | 1984 | the younger son of Prince Charles & Princess Diana |
07 Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor | 2019 | son of Prince Henry, Duke of Sussex & Metghan, Duchess of Sussex |
08 Prince Andrew. Duke of York | 1960 | the second son of H.M.The Queen & Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
09 Princess Beatrice of York | 1988 | the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York & Sarah, Duchess of York |
10 Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank | 1990 | the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York & Sarah, Duchess of York |
11 Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex & Earl of Forfar (in Scotland) | 1964 | the youngest son of H.M.The Queen & Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
12 James, Viscount Severn | 2007 | the son of Price Edward, Earl of Wessex & Sophie, Countess of Wessex |
13 Lady Louise Windsor | the daughter of Price Edward, Earl of Wessex & Sophie, Countess of Wessex | |
14 Anne, Princess Royal | 1950 | the daughter of H.M.The Queen & Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
15 Peter Philips | 1977 | the son of Anne, Princess Royal & Mr. Mark Philips |
16 Savannah Phillips | 2010 | the eldest daughter of Peter Phillips & Atumn Philips |
17 Isla Phillips | 2012 | the younger daughter of Peter Phillips & Atumn Philips |
18 Zara Tindall | 1981 | the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal & Mr. Mark Philips |
19 Mia Tindall | 2014 | the eldest daughter of Zara Tindall & Mr. Mike Tindall |
20. Lena Tindall | 2018 | the younger daughter of Zara Tindall & Mr. Mike Tindall |
21 David Armstrong-Jones,2nd Earl of Snowdon. | 1961 | Son of Princess Margaret & Anthony Armstrong-Jones, |
22 Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley | 1999 | son of David Armstong-Jones & Serena, Countess of Snowdon |
23 Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones | 2002 | daughter of David Armstong-Jones & Serena, Countess of Snowdon |
24 Lady Sarah Chatto (née Armstrong-Jones) | 1964 | daughter of Princess Margaret & Anthony Armstrong-Jones, |
25 Samuel Chatto | 1996 | the eldest son of Lady Sarah Chatto & Mr. Daniel St. George Chatto |
26 Arthur Chatto | 1999 | the youngest son of Lady Sarah Chatto & Mr. Daniel St. George Chatto |
Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, gender (for people born before October 2011), legitimacy, and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701, restrict succession to the throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover that are in "communion with the Church of England". Spouses of Roman Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015. Protestant descendants of those excluded for being Roman Catholics are eligible. Before 2011 the sons of the monarch and their children were before older daughters of the monarc in the line of succession. This the reason why Princess Anne, (though born before her younger brothers) The Princess Royal is no 13 in the present line of succession. The Act of Settlement (1701) laid down that only Protestant heirs of Princess Sophia, granddaughter of James I, may succeed to the British throne. Neither Roman Catholics, nor those who marry a Roman Catholic, nor those born out of wedlock, may remain in the line of succession. Under common law the crown was passed on by male primogeniture under which younger sons succeed before their elder sisters. This changed on the 26 March 2015 with the introduction of the Succession to the Crown Bill 2013 which changed the succession laws so that the right of male primogeniture no longer applies. Males born after 20 October 2011 no longer precede their elder sisters in the line of succession. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child born on 22 July 2013 was a boy Prince George. Their second child Princess Charlotte was born on 2 May 2015. She is 4th in line and will not lose her position even if she has a younger brother. The Bill removed the disqualification of those who marry Roman Catholics so that George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, who married a Catholic in 1988 was restored in 35th place after the Duke of Kent. It also repealed the Royal Marriages Act 1772 so that only the first 6 persons in line to the throne require the Sovereign's approval to marry. This means that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie no longer require permission from the Queen to marry. |
