List of heirs to the British throne

For heirs to the thrones of England and Scotland before 1707, see List of heirs to the English throne and List of heirs to the Scottish throne.

This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to succeed the British monarch to inherit the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present), should the incumbent monarch die or abdicate.

The list commences in 1707 following the Acts of Union, which joined the Kingdoms of England and Scotland (previously separate states, with separate legislatures but with the same monarch) into a single Kingdom of Great Britain. Anne became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702 and Queen of Great Britain from 1707. The 1701 Act of Settlement established Electress Sophia of Hanover as successor to the English throne, and this was extended to Scotland through the Treaty of Union (Article II) and the Acts of Union.

List of heirs

Heir	Status	Relationship to monarch	Became heir		Ceased to be heir		Next in succession Relation to heir	Monarch
			Date	Reason	Date	Reason
Electress Sophia of Hanover[1]	Heir presumptive	First cousin, once removed	1 May 1707	Formation of Kingdom of Great Britain	8 June 1714	Died	George Louis, Elector of Hanover Son	Anne
George Louis, Elector of Hanover	Heir presumptive	Second cousin	8 June 1714	Mother died	1 August 1714	Became king	George Augustus of Hanover Son
George, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Eldest son	1 August 1714	Father became king	11 June 1727	Became king	Prince Frederick, Duke of Edinburgh Son	George I
Frederick, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Eldest son	11 June 1727	Father became king	31 March 1751	Died	Prince William, Duke of Cumberland 1727–1737 Younger brother	George II
							Princess Augusta 1737–1738 Daughter
							Prince George 1738–1751 Son
George, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Grandson	31 March 1751	Father died	25 October 1760	Became king	Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany Younger brother
Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany	Heir presumptive	Younger brother	25 October 1760	Brother became king without children	12 August 1762	Supplanted: son born to king	Prince William Henry Younger brother	George III
George, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Eldest son	12 August 1762	Born	29 January 1820	Became king	Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany 1762–1763 Uncle
							Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany 1763–1796 Younger brother
							Princess Charlotte of Wales 1796–1817 Daughter
							Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany 1817–1820 Younger brother
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany	Heir presumptive	Younger brother	29 January 1820	Brother became king without children	5 January 1827	Died	Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews Younger brother	George IV
Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews	Heir presumptive	Younger brother	5 January 1827	Older brother died without children	26 June 1830	Became king	Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent Niece
Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent	Heir presumptive	Niece	26 June 1830	Uncle became king	20 June 1837	Became queen	Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland Uncle	William IV
Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover	Heir presumptive	Uncle	20 June 1837	Niece became queen	21 November 1840	Supplanted: Daughter born to queen	George, Crown Prince of Hanover Son	Victoria
Princess Victoria	Heir presumptive	Eldest daughter	21 November 1840	Born	9 November 1841	Supplanted: Brother born	Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover Granduncle
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Eldest son	9 November 1841	Born	22 January 1901	Became king	Princess Victoria, Princess Royal 1841–1844 Elder sister
							Prince Alfred 1844–1864 Younger brother
							Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale 1864–1892 Son
							Prince George, Duke of York 1892–1901 Son
George, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Second son	22 January 1901	Father became king	6 May 1910	Became king	Prince Edward of Wales Son	Edward VII
Edward, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Eldest son	6 May 1910	Father became king	20 January 1936	Became king	Prince Albert, Duke of York Younger brother	George V
Prince Albert, Duke of York	Heir presumptive	Younger brother	20 January 1936	Brother became king without children	11 December 1936	Became king	Princess Elizabeth of York Daughter	Edward VIII
Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh	Heir presumptive	Elder daughter	11 December 1936	Father became king	6 February 1952	Became queen	Princess Margaret 1936–1948 Younger sister	George VI
							Prince Charles of Edinburgh 1948–1952 Son
Charles, Prince of Wales[a]	Heir apparent	Eldest son	6 February 1952	Mother became queen	8 September 2022	Became king	Princess Anne 1952–1960 Younger sister	Elizabeth II
							Prince Andrew 1960–1982 Younger brother
							Prince William, Duke of Cambridge 1982–2022 Son
William, Prince of Wales	Heir apparent	Elder son	8 September 2022	Father became king	Incumbent		Prince George of Wales Son	Charles III

Notes

1. Charles, eldest son of Elizabeth II, was the longest-serving heir apparent or presumptive in British history at 70 years, 214 days.

See also

• Succession to the British throne
• List of heirs to the English throne
• List of heirs to the Scottish throne
• Family tree of the British royal family