The Act of Succession to the Throne was passed by the English Parliament in 1701 and provides that the throne passes to male heirs first.
Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne only because her father, King George VI, had no sons; if she had a brother, even a younger one, then the crown would go to him. In addition to giving priority to male heirs, the Succession Act provides that a Catholic or a person married to a Catholic cannot become King or Queen of England.
However, the law does not formally prohibit members of the royal family from marrying adherents of other religions or atheists.
There have been discussions about changing the order of succession to the throne in Great Britain since the early 1980s. However, this idea did not find support from the British government.
In 2011, in order to bring the law into line with modern social norms of gender equality and religious freedom, the issue of succession reform was brought up for discussion. Final approval of the new law required the consent of all 16 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, where the British monarch is formally the head of state.
On October 28, 2011, at the Commonwealth summit, the heads of state and government of the organization approved changes to the rules of succession to the British throne. The new rules end the British monarchy's tradition of male succession to the throne. Now the heir will be considered the first child born to the royal couple, regardless of gender. The principle that a future British monarch could not marry a Catholic was also annulled.
In April 2013, the UK's Succession to the Throne Act, enacting the reforms, was passed into law. But it will not come into force unless all 16 Commonwealth countries agree to the same changes by order of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in his capacity as Lord President of the Privy Council.
In the future, changes to the rules of succession to the British throne will mean that third in line to the British throne after Prince Charles of Wales and Duke William of Cambridge could be the first child of William and his wife Catherine, regardless of gender. In this case, Prince Charles's youngest son, Prince Harry, would only take fourth place.
On June 7, 2013, professors Genevieve Motard and Patrick Taillon, constitutional law experts at Laval University in the Canadian province of Quebec, filed a lawsuit in the Quebec Superior Court. They claim the Canadian government acted unconstitutionally by failing to obtain the approval of each of the country's ten provinces before agreeing to changes to the law of succession. Their case, expected to take between six months and five years, threatens to derail efforts by Commonwealth leaders to quickly change the law.
Due to a lawsuit, the first child of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, may not inherit the throne if a girl is born.
Currently (as of July 20, 2013), according to the current Act of Succession 1701, after Queen Elizabeth II succession to the throne occurs in the following order:
1. Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales, born in 1948, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, heir to the throne (future King Charles III);
2. William Arthur Philip Louis, Duke of Cambridge, born in 1982, son of the Prince of Wales (future King William V);
3. Prince Henry (Harry) Charles Albert David, born in 1984, son of the Prince of Wales;
4. Andrew Albert Christian Edward (Prince Andrew), Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duke of York), born in 1960, son of Queen Elizabeth II;
5. Princess Beatrice of York (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York), born in 1988, daughter of the Duke of York;
6. Princess Eugenie of York (Eugenie Victoria Helena of York), born in 1990, daughter of the Duke of York;
7. Edward Anthony Richard Louis (Prince Edward), Earl of Wessex (Edward Antony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex), born in 1964, son of Queen Elizabeth II;
8. James Windsor, Viscount Severn, born in 2007, son of the Earl of Wessex;
9. Lady Louise Windsor, born in 2003, daughter of the Earl of Wessex;
10. Princess Royal Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise of Great Britain, born in 1950, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II;
11. Peter Mark Andrew Phillips, born in 1977, son of the Princess of Great Britain;
12. Savannah Phillips, born in 2010, daughter of Peter Phillips;
13. Isla Phillips, born in 2012, daughter of Peter Phillips;
14. Zara Phillips (Zara Anne Elizabeth, Mrs. Michael Tindall), born in 1981, daughter of the Princess of Great Britain.
Born on July 22, 2013, the Prince of Cambridge, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, is third in line to the British throne after his grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince William.
Death of Queen Elizabeth
“London Bridge has collapsed,” the queen’s private secretary will tell you.
“London Bridge has collapsed”: the death code of Elizabeth II has become known, writes Vesti.ru
Britain is going through difficult times. One of the tragic events that may shock the country in the coming years is the death of Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated her 90th birthday in 2016. However, the British authorities and even the media have a clear plan on how to act in this case, the Guardian reports.
“London Bridge has collapsed,” is the password that the Queen’s personal secretary, Sir Christopher Heidt, will tell the Prime Minister of the country as soon as the death of Elizabeth II becomes known. Doctors estimate that the queen has about four years and three months to live.
The authorities will try to make sure that Elizabeth II dies surrounded by loved ones. In the final period of the Queen's life, her closest person would be her personal physician, Hugh Thomas. It is he who will decide who is allowed into the queen’s chambers during this difficult time for the royal family.
Following the Prime Minister, the Queen's death will be reported to the authorities of the 15 countries where she ruled, and to representatives of the 36 member countries of the Commonwealth. For them, Elizabeth II is an important symbol. All this time the British will be in the dark.
Citizens of the country learn about the queen's death from the news of the British Press Association, from where the tragic news will be reported to all the world's media. The largest local newspapers and television channels have already prepared dozens of materials dedicated to Elizabeth II. TV channels ITN and Sky News even conducted “trainings” among their employees in this case.
Interestingly, the BBC has been conducting such “exercises” regularly for 30 years.
Record holder for the longest reign in the history of Great Britain. The Queen is already 91 years old, and it is no secret to anyone, including Elizabeth herself, that she does not have long to reign. But what will happen when the British throne becomes vacant?
Elizabeth II has sat on the British throne for 65 years. It's like Brezhnev, only three and a half times larger. Millions of British people were born, lived, lived and went into another world without seeing anyone else at the head of state. Accordingly, the impending shock will completely cover all subjects of the British Crown, and such news will not pass us by.
Let's figure out what exactly will happen after the death of Elizabeth II.
Source: The Richest
Absolutely everything in the UK will stop
Immediately after the death of the queen, the country will stand. Literally. Classes in schools will stop, public institutions will close, office workers will go into mourning, something like “Swan Lake” will start on TV, only in the British way, the stock exchange and banks will stop working. And not for an hour or a day. For at least 12 days of mourning, the calm life of the British will cease to be so.
Obituaries have already been prepared
News agencies in Great Britain and all other Commonwealth countries have already prepared decent obituaries. No self-respecting news outlet can afford to let this happen: it is too significant an event for the entire world. Of course, when it happens, the necessary changes will be made to the draft, but now everything is ready to press the button and publish the sad news through all channels - be it print media or the Internet.
The media was best prepared for the event in the cult newspaper The Times - they stocked materials for the first 11 (!) days after the death of Elizabeth: while journalists from other publications will be knocked down, the Times will be able to have a good rest.
"The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King"
There is an old tradition according to which royal power is never interrupted. As soon as one monarch gives up the ghost, his successor immediately takes his place. For this reason, the Royal Standard (i.e. the flag) is never flown at half-mast, like other flags, during times of mourning. Those rare cases when this rule of succession was violated are known in history as “times of troubles.”
So by the time the Queen's death is announced, the United Kingdom will already have a new monarch. And with 100% probability it will be Crown Prince Charles (and not William, as frivolous media often write). Because there is no other succession to the throne.
When Charles becomes king, his brothers and sisters will kiss his hands. However, Prince Charles will not necessarily become “King Charles.” Upon ascending the throne, members of the royal family can choose a throne name from any of their Christian middle names. Thus, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George may take the name "King Philip", "King Arthur" or "King George".
There will be nothing to laugh about... literally.
The British take the monarchy very seriously! So much so that after the death of Queen Elizabeth, all comedy programs on the BBC will be removed from the broadcast network, and no stand-up performances in clubs around the country are expected either - until the mourning is over. Yes, the British really love their comedians and are known for their sense of humor, but in times of grief, things will be serious and mature. All entertainment will be cancelled, and this is simply a tribute to the Queen.
Mourning will cost a pretty penny
So, the mourning will last at least 12 days. Need I explain that in the modern world such a stop means huge financial losses. London is one of the world's financial centers, and the closure of the London Stock Exchange will result in the loss of a huge amount of money. In fact, billions will be lost.
Kate may not receive the title of Princess of Wales (out of respect for Diana's memory)
The closest contender to the throne automatically receives the title "Prince of Wales". His wife becomes Princess of Wales. Prince William will indeed be known as the Prince of Wales when his father ascends to the throne, but given the fact that William's mother is the beloved Princess Diana, who tragically died in 1997, William's wife Kate has been advised to consider giving up the title of Princess of Wales. . This is just a guess, of course. Whether Kate will become Princess of Wales or not, time will tell.
By the way, Camilla Parker-Bowles - Charles's wife - decided not to take this title and made do with something else - “Duchess of Cornwall”. The title “Princess of Wales” is too closely associated with the deceased Diana to claim it.
To notify about the death of a queen, a secret code is used. The death of a queen is an event that must be kept under control, and all subsequent steps must be taken clearly and quickly. The prime minister and other leaders of the country should be the first to know about everything. An action plan and a secret code for notification have already been developed. It sounds like “London Bridge is down” - “London Bridge has fallen.” Well, that is, this code is no longer so secret, since they write about it everywhere. Maybe I'll have to come up with a different phrase.
We will have to change the words of the British national anthem (and not only)
Let's start with the national anthem, the words of which "God Save the Queen" will have to be replaced with "God Save the King". Surely it will not be easy for those who have sung this hymn all their lives to relearn. New coins and banknotes will also be issued, for which the British Mint has already prepared appropriate blanks with a portrait of Charles. A new inscription will appear on the helmets of British police officers, because they now bear the Queen's initials. British military symbols will also need to be updated. Postage stamps featuring the Queen's image will be retired.
Oath of Members of Parliament
All members of Parliament must take an oath or oath of allegiance to the Queen, which they are given a few days to do. Without doing this, no parliamentarian receives a salary and has no right to attend meetings or vote. After the death of the Queen, all members of the British Parliament will have to re-conduct the oath of allegiance to the new king.
It's funny, but true: the few republicans who advocate the abolition of the monarchy in the country take the oath with their fingers pointedly crossed. This is how adult serious men try to convince themselves of the inconsistency of what is happening.
Probability of problems in the Commonwealth of Nations
The Queen's death will have deeper consequences than new postage stamps. Now the British Monarchy not only leads Great Britain, Elizabeth II is also the official head of 52 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Barbados. The Commonwealth represents the remnants of the British Empire, which in the modern world remains in the form of trade and political relations between the former colonies of Britain. Many of these countries became part of the British Empire against their will, and almost all of them had long ago declared their independence.
Each Commonwealth country has the unconditional right to unilaterally withdraw from it. And the queen's death could be a reason for some Commonwealth countries to end their alliance with Great Britain once and for all. The British Crown, of course, will make every effort to avoid such a turn of events. And for King Charles, this could be a major challenge.
All roads lead to Buckingham Palace
Regardless of where the Queen meets her death, her body will first be taken to Buckingham Palace. If she is traveling abroad at this time, the body will be immediately flown to London. The royal coffin will be on display at Buckingham Palace for several days. People will be able to come to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth and pay their respects.
The British could end the monarchy with a simple referendum
The British really love their queen. Her ratings among the population have always been high, and remain so to this day. It is not difficult to achieve such ratings, because the monarch in Great Britain has no real power and does not rule the country. And if the people wanted to get rid of the monarchy, they could very simply - with an ordinary referendum. In much the same way that the British left the European Union, they could have abolished the monarchy. But it’s unlikely that anyone will want this in the near future.
The Royal Physician and his duties
According to analysts, it is most likely that Queen Elizabeth II will pass away after a short illness, surrounded by her family. In the last hours of the monarch's life, the main person will be the royal physician, professor of medicine Huw Thomas. It is he who will decide who can be allowed into the queen’s chambers and what the subjects learn about her state of health.
For example, a few hours before the death of King George V, who died in 1936, His Majesty's attending physician published a bulletin: "The King's life is moving peacefully to an end," after which he injected George with 750 milligrams of morphine and a gram of cocaine, enough to kill two of people.
Announcement on the gates of Buckingham Palace
When the Queen leaves this world and the time comes to tell people about this sad news, a footman in mourning livery will come out of the doors of Buckingham Palace, cross the courtyard and, without saying a single word, hang a notice in a mourning frame on the gate. This is an old and beautiful tradition.
Activation of the RATS system
In the event of the Queen's death, the BBC will activate the RATS (Radio Alert Transmission System) system, which will notify everyone by radio. This is a secret protocol used to report the death of high-ranking royals. It began to be used in the 30s and is still supported today. Few people know about him. A signal from this system is enough - and the action plan developed by the BBC to the smallest detail in the event of the death of the Queen will be carried out.
And although analysts suggest that the queen will live for about four more years, let's better wish Elizabeth II to celebrate her centenary in 2026. Which is quite realistic, considering that her mother lived to be 101 years old.
Queen of Great Britain ElizabethII begins to gradually “hand over matters.” So, on April 19, she nominated her son, Prince Charles, as his successor as head of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental association of 53 countries, which includes former British colonies and a number of other states.
The April Commonwealth summit in London will likely be the queen's last, writes The Guardian. Queen turned 92 years old, she no longer travels abroad, so the British crown is most likely at the next summit in two years in Rwanda will represent prince Charles.
The Queen's latest decisions (and her expected retirement) have brought to the fore perhaps main question, at least for the near future.
So. Whowill become the next British monarch after Elizabeth's departureII? Sequence, chances, discussions. In general, we’ll talk about everything interesting.
But first, let’s clarify the “rules of the game.”
How is the line to the British throne formed?
Elizabeth II Photos from open sources
Rules of succession to the British throne set in the Act of Union 1800. This act, in turn, consolidates the rules written down in the Act of Settlement 1701 And Bill of Rights 1689.
Initially the order of succession was determined by primogeniture with advantage male over female and religion.
Seventh in line
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew Photos from open sources
Second son Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. In February he turned 58 years old.
Interesting
- In 2012 Prince Andrew conquered the tallest building in Europe at that time. He climbed down the rope from London's Shard skyscraper, from the 87th to the 20th floor. The event was held for charitable purposes.
Eighth in line
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Beatrice Photos from open sources
Eldest daughter Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York. In August she turns 30 years old.
Interesting
- At 19 years old princess month worked as a saleswoman at Selfridges department store in London. She did not receive money for her work - this became her work experience, which all members of the royal family are required to purchase.
Ninth in line
Princess Eugenie of York
Princess Eugenie Photos from open sources
Youngest daughter Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York. In March she turned 28 years old.
Interesting
- Princess Eugenie was first royal child, who was baptized publicly.
Tenth in line
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward Photos from open sources
Third son Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her husband Prince Philip. In March he turned 54 years old.
Interesting
- Refused a military career(unlike Princes William and Harry) and for several years worked for companies that produce theatrical productions.
In 1993 founded the company Ardent Productions, which specialized in the production of television films, however, left the post of managing director in 2002.
Who else?
Edward is followed by his children James and Louise, Elizabeth II's daughter Anne, Princess Anne's only son Peter Phillips, his two daughters Savannah and Isla, Princess Anne's daughter Zara Phillips and Zara Phillips' daughter Mia Grace Tindell.
And that's just nearest queue. Total in order of British succession to the throne more than 50 people, although more "distant" applicants do not hold positions of the Crown and are not titled Royal Highnesses.
And there is no reason to seriously consider them as contenders for the crown. At least to date.
On Monday, April 23, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child, a boy. In accordance with the protocol, the sex of the child was not announced in advance, remaining an intrigue until the moment of birth. However, the happy parents claim that the gender of all three of their children was unknown even to them before birth. The baby's weight is 3830. Mother and child feel well.
Bookmakers accepted bets on the date of birth, gender and name of the child. According to bookmakers, the little prince is most likely to be named Arthur, James or Albert.
What happens when the queen is gone?
Queen Elizabeth II, who turned 92 last week, is the longest-reigning monarch in British history, having inherited the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, 65 years ago on February 6, 1952.
After Queen Elizabeth II, her son, Prince Charles, now 69, will inherit the throne. Thanks to the longevity of his mother, he has already earned the unspoken title of heir, who has held this status for an unprecedentedly long time - since 1952. In April 2018, Charles managed to set a kind of “waiting for the British crown” record - more than 65 years. By the way, according to sociologists, most Britons prefer to see his son William as the next king, not Prince Charles.
Second in line to the British throne is Prince Charles' first-born son, Duke of Cambridge William. The waiting period for the prince, who is now 35 years old, could drag on for 20-30 years if his father lingers in this world in the best traditions of the royal family.
Third in line to be crowned is the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son, four-year-old George, who could one day become King George VII. This means that it is unlikely that any of the people living on the planet will find another female British monarch. Unless George's first child is a girl and he rushes to transfer her right to the throne.
Prince George's two-year-old sister, Princess Charlotte, will most likely remain with her title. The young princess is already coping well with royal duties, charmingly waving to the enthusiastic public and journalists.
She will become crowned only if George dies before her, leaving no heirs.
If it weren't for the changes made to the Succession Act in 2013, which removed priority in inheritance for male heirs, poor Charlotte would have had to "move up" even further in favor of her younger brother, born yesterday, as well as other hypothetical younger male brothers. In 2013, the bedrock of the UK's constitutional monarchy, the law of succession to the throne, underwent major changes. The new version of the law puts an end to discrimination against women in matters of succession to the throne: now princesses will not have to “give up” their place in line to their younger brothers.
The new Prince of Cambridge, William and Kate's third child whose name is not yet known, is fifth in line to inherit the throne.
If William and Kate limit themselves to three children, 33-year-old Prince Harry is destined for sixth place. He will ascend to the throne only if he survives his father, brother and three nephews, which, of course, is unlikely. On the day of the birth of each new nephew, the prince will move down another position.
The chances of Harry ever becoming king of Great Britain are close to zero. However, he does not seem to be upset by this at all: the prince has an interesting, eventful life and a beautiful bride, former American actress Meghan Markle, with whom there is less than a month left before her wedding.
7, 8 and 9
Despite the fact that the chances of further heirs can be weighed on apothecary scales, the line does not end with Prince Harry: the honorable seventh place is taken by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the little-known third son of Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip. He was once second on the “waiting list.”
Due to the population explosion in his brother's family, he has become such an unlikely heir and therefore not so, from a state point of view, an important branch of the family tree that his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, can no longer count on bodyguards at the expense of the royal house. and Prince Andrew pays for family safety expenses out of his own pocket.
Prince Andrew's daughters, Princesses Beatrice (29 years old) and Eugenie (27 years old), occupy positions 8 and 9 on the "waiting list", but, apparently, they do not even think about the lost opportunities and live an active life: getting an education, doing charity work, running marathons and looking great.
10, 11 and 12
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex - the youngest and, as usual, "unlucky" son of the royal couple - fell out of favor with his crowned parent for his school and student pranks. The queen's patience ran out when the prince, who worked at a record company, married his subordinate Sophie Rhys-Jones, a commoner by the standards of the royal house, thereby committing a terrible misalliance. Their wedding took place not in Westminster Abbey, but in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Prince Edward was given the title Earl of Wessex. At the wedding it was also announced that Prince Edward's children would be treated as children of an earl and would not receive the titles of princes or princesses and would not be styled royal highnesses. He is the only member of the royal family who actually works and receives a salary for his work. His daughter Louisa and son James are respectively tenth and eleventh in the line of succession to the British throne.
Despite changes to the Succession Act in 2013 that removed priority for princes, 67-year-old Princess Anne, Prince Charles' younger sister and Elizabeth and Philip's second child, was out of luck because the law doesn't work in retrospect. , and the princess, who once had any chance of taking the throne, now has to play the role of “wedding general” when a member of the royal family is expected to attend the event. It is believed that Princess Anne bears the brunt of participation in various ceremonies and events - several hundred annually, and at the same time she is unfairly ignored by the press.
This is the list of heirs to the throne today. The royal family will soon have another big celebration and further expansion of the family, which will likely change the above order again.
Angelica Azadyants
Queen Elizabeth II has already begun to take the necessary steps to become king. For three years, until Her Majesty turns 95, she will mentor her eldest son. Afterwards, the 69-year-old prince will become regent and will actually rule the state until the death of his mother, the site reports.
Elizabeth II prepares to leave the throne
According to Robert Jobson, an expert on royal affairs, if she gets sick or dies, it is important for her to know that her heir is ready to take such an important initiative.
Prince Charles will become Her Majesty's Regent in 2021, when Elizabeth II turns 95. The current Queen of England will mentor her son until her death - that is when the coronation of the father of Princes William and Harry will take place.
Royal Family of Centenarians
The decision to pass the throne to the eldest son has nothing to do with the queen's health problems. Today, the monarch feels great. Experts believe Her Majesty will live to be 100, just like her mother. Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon lived to be 102 years old and died in March 2002.
Today, Her Majesty is 92 years old - the dear old lady feels great, although she complains of pain in her knee. At the same time, at such an honorable age, the queen performs a huge number of public appearances. She tries not to miss official events and happily receives foreign guests at her home in Buckingham Palace.
Her husband, Prince Philip, now 97, is also in good health. Earlier this year, the Duke of Edinburgh underwent hip replacement surgery. He retired several years ago, but still occasionally attends special events.
Is Prince Charles ready to become king?
Charles, first in line to the royal throne, is confidently preparing to become monarch. Despite the fact that his wife does not want this, the Prince of Wales is convinced that she will change her mind.
Today, His Highness works 14 hours a day and fulfills more than 600 commitments per year.
Let us remember that in 2015 she was recognized as the longest reigning monarch of Great Britain. In 1952, at the age of 25, Princess Elizabeth sat on the throne. Today, she has ruled the country for 66 years.
