After 70 years on the throne, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday. She was 96 years old. Buckingham Palace announced her death at Balmoral Castle, her Scottish summer residence.
The official order in which members of the royal family would assume the throne is known as the line of succession. The importance of the line of succession was highlighted in 1936 when King Edward VIII abdicated and the throne was passed to the next monarch in line, King George VI, then the Duke of York.
Besides stepping down from official royal duties, Prince Harry is still in line to succeed to the British throne.
As of now, Harry is sixth in the order of succession to the throne, despite the fact that he stepped down as a royal official working in 2020 when he shifted to North America with Meghan Markle. He is still in the succession line.
The list includes the Queen’s blood relatives, beginning with Prince Charles, who is first in succession to the throne, and continuing with William and his children, Harry and his children, and Andrew.
The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William, and his three children must all die before Harry can inherit the throne. Though this is a remote possibility, concerns have been raised about the Cambridge family’s lifestyle of flying together on tours or vacations. In the past, heirs avoided travelling together in the event of a disaster.
Harry and Andrew were not born sixth and ninth in the line of succession. The children of their siblings establish their positions in the succession order.
The 36-year-old is a prince by birth, as he is Queen Elizabeth’s grandson and the son of the throne’s heir, Prince Charles. Harry was born into royalty and is still a member of the British Royal Family. Despite his and Meghan’s decision to retire as senior royals last year.
Despite the fact that they are still royal, Harry and Meghan agreed not to use their formal HRH titles (His/Her Royal Highness) after their departure. Buckingham Palace acknowledged this name change in its statement on Sussex’s departure in Spring 2020.
But is Prince Harry still a Duke, and if so, what is his new title?
Yes, Prince Harry remains a Duke. When Harry relinquished his HRH title in March 2020, he was known as Harry, Duke of Sussex.
When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, the Queen bestowed the title of Duke of Sussex on him. He was also granted the Scottish title of Earl of Dumbarton and is known in Northern Ireland as Baron Kilkeel.
After marrying Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, garnered a title from the Queen. The Duchess of Sussex is her official title.