Here’s How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Baby Just Changed the Line Of Succession
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child on Monday, a baby boy. It is the couple’s first child—and has already changed the line of succession for the British Monarchy.
The new baby, which weighs 7 lbs. 3 oz., is now seventh in line to the throne. Baby Sussex bumps Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, into eighth place.
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on May 6, 2019 at 6:37am PDT
The youngster is still behind his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Price Louis because their father, Prince William, is older than Harry and second in line to the throne.
If the baby had been a girl, its gender wouldn’t have come into consideration in the line of succession, unlike in times gone by. In 2013, the U.K. Parliament passed a law allowing succession of siblings to be decided by age, rather than gender. The previous rules meant that an older sister would come further down the pecking order than her younger brother.
The new baby will also bump Princess Eugenie, who was married in October 2018, into 10th in line to the throne.
The new line of succession is as follows:
Prince Charles
Prince William
Prince George
Princess Charlotte
Prince Louis
Prince Harry
Harry and Meghan’s baby boy
Prince Andrew
Princess Beatrice
Princess Eugenie