The Crown explores the British royal family in great detail, but who is currently in line for the throne? The show talks about succession only briefly - though it should become a bigger part of season 5 - but never quite addresses how the complex system works as anything other than a means to embarrass Diana when she has to work out the hierarchy of seniority. In order to understand the show, it's best to explore the British Line of Succession, the order of the hierarchy, and which real-life counterparts to the characters are poised to assume the highest seat in Britain.
In the first season, the crown is passed to Claire Foy's Elizabeth II of the House of Windsor upon the death of her father, King George VI, who earned the throne when his brother Edward VIII abdicated in December of 1936. Succession in Britain is determined by many factors including religion, legitimacy of birth, sex, and royal descent. Some laws have been amended over the years, such as the law that invalidated a member of the Roman Catholic Church, repealed in 2015, or the Crown Act in 2013 that says the next in line will be according to age, not sex. Though the exact number of those in line for the throne is unknown, The Crown features the major players involved, and it is certain that one of these people will be next in line.
As of today, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch and the fourth-longest reigning monarch of all time. The royal family has been the subject of fascination, idolization, and gossip over the decades and The Crown offers a look—accurate or not quite so accurate—into their lives, woes, and duties. Being an heir to the British throne is a grave responsibility, and many of the characters in the Netflix drama portray the real-life people who face that responsibility.
Charles, Prince of Wales
As Elizabeth's eldest son, Charles is heir apparent (meaning his position cannot be altered by any future birth), or first in line for the throne. In seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, Charles is portrayed by Josh O'Connor. The seasons focus on his torrential marriage with Princess Diana, with whom he had two sons: William and Harry. He is the longest to hold the titles of Prince of Wales and heir apparent, having served under both since the 1950s. Since the 1300s, the title of Prince of Wales was used to designate the heir apparent to the throne. The title does not automatically mean that the person will ascend to the throne, and is given as an honor and not inherited. If Prince Charles were to pass away before his mother, the crown would go to next in line: his son Prince William. During George VI's reign, there was no heir apparent or Prince of Wales, as he had no sons. Elizabeth was heir presumptive and not designated as Princess of Wales. The person to last hold the title was Edward VIII, heir of George V.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
As the first-born child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Prince William is second in line. The title of Cambridge is one of the six royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom. The title came about in the 17th century and has disappeared and reappeared over the centuries, coming back from a 100-year hiatus when Elizabeth II bestowed it on William upon his marriage to Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. The last person to hold the title was Prince George of Hanover, who died in 1904. William has been second in succession since his birth, meaning that if Charles and Elizabeth both die, he will be named King. This also makes his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis numbers 3, 4, and 5 in line. Though Prince William has not yet been cast for seasons 5 and 6, The Crown will most certainly cover the early life of the popular prince.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
At number 6, Harry is low on the line for possible accession. He has also recently stepped back from royal duties but is still in the running due to laws of primogeniture. The title of Duke of Sussex has only been conferred twice in history, first to Prince Augustus Frederick in 1801, and then to Harry upon his 2018 marriage to Meghan Markle, who became Duchess of Sussex. Their son Archie is 7th in line for the throne, and if they have more children, they will be bumped up to 8th and 9th and so on. Whether Harry will be included in The Crown or not remains to be seen. It is possible he will be included to a point, as the Prince has purchased a house in California and now owes his livelihood to Netflix as opposed to the royal family, complicating the matter. He has expressed that he does not wish to be portrayed in the drama, but he has also not been as critical of The Crown's depiction of his parents' marriage as his brother and father have.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
In The Crown, Prince Andrew (Tom Byrne) makes a quip about being shunted down from 3rd in line to 5th after the births of William and Harry. The third child and second son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is now 8th in line. He was 2nd in line at the time of his birth, but his older brother produced two legitimate heirs, putting him further down in the hierarchy. Since the 15th century, the title of Duke of York has been given to the second sons of kings or queens, though it has sometimes been given to the second sons of the heir apparent. The last person to hold the title was Prince Albert of Windsor, who became King George VI when his brother abdicated, reigning until his death in 1952. In November of 2019, the Queen's favorite, Prince Andrew voluntarily stepped back from active royal duties due to controversy surrounding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. His stepping back may only be temporary, but he may not receive public funding in that time. As of now, his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are 9th and 10th in succession.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Coming in at number 11 is the youngest child of Elizabeth and Philip, Prince Edward. Wessex is one of the Heptarchy, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that became Great Britain. The title has been conferred three times in Britain's history, the last time in 1066 with William FitzOsbern. Fans of Shakespeare in Love may recognize the title from Colin Firth's character Lord Wessex, which is indeed how Edward was drawn to "Wessex" in 1998. Though younger sons of the King are traditionally titled as Dukes when they marry, Edward was not granted the titles of Cambridge or Sussex as was predicted. The palace announced that Edward will eventually receive the title of Duke of Edinburgh, which is currently held by Prince Philip. The title will not be inherited but rather newly-instated upon the death of Philip and the ascension of Prince of Wales to the throne. Edward is the first British prince in centuries to be designated Earl rather than Duke, and his wife Sophie is Countess of Wessex. His son James (with the courtesy title Viscount Severn), and his daughter Lady Louise are 12th and 13th in line respectively, though with the Crown Act, Louise may now be 12th, as she is older.
Anne, Princess Royal
As the second child of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the only daughter is 14th in the Line of Succession. She was born in 1950 and has held the title of Princess Royal since 1987. The title is not given automatically and is the highest honor that can be given to a female member of the royal family. It is not removed or replaced upon the death of the Princess's parents, and it is not inherited by the Princess Royal's daughter. It may be bestowed by the new monarch to his eldest daughter, for instance from the hypothetical King William to his daughter Charlotte. Anne is the seventh Princess Royal in Britain's history, following Princess Mary, the only daughter of George V and Queen Mary. Anne is portrayed in the show by Erin Doherty as a young adult (though the show chose to omit Princess Anne's brush with kidnapping in 1974), and it has not yet been announced who will play her in the continuing seasons. Anne's eldest son Peter Philip is 15th in line, with his children Savannah and Isla as 16th and 17th. Anne's daughter Zara comes in at 18, with her children Mia and Lena at 19 and 20.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret passed away in 2002, giving up her number 21 spot to her son, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon. Margaret is such a palpable presence on the show that her family must be given notice. Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter have added their voices as Queen Elizabeth's beloved sister, illustrating the Princess's influence in the court, regardless of hierarchy. Earl of Snowdon was the title bequeathed to Margaret's husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley upon their marriage, and he was the first to hold the title. David's children Charles and Margarita come in at 22 and 23, and Margaret's daughter Sarah and her sons Samuel and Arthur hold the line at 24, 25, and 26, far enough away to not have to bear any weight, but close enough to boast family ties.