Amid growing controversy, Prince Harry’s place in the succession is under threat. Prince Harry, currently placed fifth in line to the throne after his older brother Prince William and his three descendants, faces the imminent possibility that his father, King Charles III, will remove him from the line of succession.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step back from their roles as working members of the Royal Family in 2020 has sparked debates over whether the Sussexes should be excluded from the line of succession to safeguard integrity of the monarchy.
Recent events have widened the divide, with Buckingham Palace quietly omitting Harry’s royal titles from its official website.
Royal experts and esteemed historians believe the move could serve as a subtle signal to the outspoken prince and his wife, Meghan Markle. Since leaving the UK and renouncing their royal duties, the couple have constantly criticized senior members of the royal family.
Although Prince Harry’s choice to distance himself from royal duties has resulted in the loss of various patronages and honorary military titles, his position in the line of succession remains unchanged.
Currently positioned in fifth place behind Prince William, as well as his own children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis – Harry’s son Archie sits in sixth place. Meanwhile, their daughter, Princess Lilibet, takes seventh place, displacing Prince Andrew to eighth. Notably, Meghan Markle and Princess Kate are not in contention for the throne.
Richard Eden, a renowned royal expert, criticized the recent change in Harry’s titles as insignificant, pointing out that his place in the line of succession is of greater importance. Eden claims that Harry remains a potential future king if unforeseen circumstances arise within the royal family.
Contemplating the extent of King Charles’ authority over Harry’s status in the line of succession raises a remarkable question. Despite public sentiment and calls for King Charles to intervene, the reality is that the royal family’s influence over the succession is limited. Surprisingly, their opinions carry no weight and only an Act of Parliament can alter the line of succession.
According to Professor Robert Hazell of UCL’s Constitution Unit, the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which enshrines gender equality and abolishes the rule of male primogeniture, firmly defines the line of succession. Hazell explains that not even the Queen has the power to alter this sequence, as parliamentary action is the only mechanism for such a change.
An illustrative precedent came in 2003 when Lord Downpatrick, a descendant of the Duke of Kent, lost his place in the line of succession after embracing Catholicism, a faith banned within the royal family.
Essentially, the complex tapestry of royal succession remains a constitutionally regulated framework, impervious to the direct influence of the monarch or the opinions of the royal family.
