British Line Of Succession Changed Due To This Unexpected Twist In History

The British monarchy may have no direct political influence in the United Kingdom, but it remains one of the most esteemed institutions in the world. Despite that, not so many people know the hierarchy of the British royal family.

The current ruler of the British monarchy is Queen Elizabeth II, the firstborn daughter of King George VI. She has been presiding over the monarchy for the last 67 years and is, so far, the longest-reigning British monarch in history.

Queen Elizabeth II would not have been the Queen if not for an unexpected twist in history. Her grandfather, George V, the grandson of Queen Victoria, was not the first in line to the throne when he ruled the U.K. However, he became king following the death of his brother, Prince Albert, in 1892.

King George V married Queen Mary of Teck, whose great-grandfather was King George III. Following King George V’s death in 1936, their son, King Edward VIII, was crowned King. Unfortunately, his reign did not even last a year due to a scandal he was involved in: he proposed to an American divorcee named Wallis Simpson. To marry Simpson, King Edward VIII abdicated and left his brother, Prince Albert, to take the throne.

Prince Albert was later known as King George VI and married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the late mother of Queen Elizabeth II. When King George VI died in 1952, their firstborn daughter, Elizabeth, started her reign as Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip and they had four children. Their firstborn, Prince Charles, married Lady Diana Spencer, with whom he had two children: Prince William and Prince Harry.

Despite the bitter divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1996, their sons William and Harry managed to live good lives. Today, their firstborn, Prince William, is the second in line to the throne. When he married Kate Middleton in 2011, their three children, Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, all became in line to the throne after their father.

After the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children, Prince Harry was pushed down the line of succession. He is now the sixth in line to the throne and his son with Meghan Markle, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor, is the seventh.