Newest royal baby has already affected the succession to the throne

Queen Elizabeth II. Photo: By NASA/Bill Ingalls - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/queen_egress_8.html, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

A recent rule change means that the newest member of the royal family will occupy an unfamiliar spot in the line for the throne.

Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, had their third child on Tuesday and it will have a notable impact on the order of succession to the throne. The changes made to the succession also spell bad news for Prince Harry in his quest to ever become King.

Due to a recent law change in the succession rules, Princess Charlotte will have her position unchanged. According to the website of the royal family, the succession “is regulated not only through descent but also by Parliamentary statute.”

The birth of the New Prince of Cambridge, the baby is yet to be named, means a slight reshuffle of the order of succession as the newest member of the royal family manages to slip into number five in the succession.

Queen Elizabeth II is currently 92 and so, unsurprisingly, the talk around the next King or Queen is starting to build. Next in line is the oldest child of the Queen, Charles, Prince of Wales who is currently 69 years old.

Below is a list of those next in line for the throne.

  1. Prince William

The Duke of Cambridge and his wife Kate are second in line for the throne after marrying in 2011. William is the oldest son of Charles.

  1. Prince George of Cambridge

The eldest son of Prince William is third in line for the throne at just four years of age.

  1. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is just 2 years old and already fourth in line for throne. Interestingly, in the past the birth of her younger brother would have seen her moved down the succession order. However, there was a change to the laws in 2013 that ensured male and female heirs hold exactly the same power merely separated by age.

  1. New Prince of Cambridge (the third child of William and Kate)

Born only a few days ago, the youngest child of William and Kate is fifth in line for the throne.

  1. Prince Harry

Prince Harry, officially known as Prince Henry of Wales, is now sixth in line for the thrown following the birth of his second nephew. Despite this, Harry has sought to stay out of the spotlight in his time, taking on his own challenges to help the world around him.

His marriage to Meaghan Markle has no doubt brought him back into the spotlight and I’m sure he’ll be hoping that the constant media attention simmers down soon.

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