Could Prince Harry's children one day take the crown?
And what makes Princess Anne so important?
Unsurprisingly, the most powerful member of the royal family is King Charles III, since
he became the sovereign the moment that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died.
As the queen lived until she was 96, Charles is the oldest person to become monarch in
British history, per USA Today.
His wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, became the Queen Consort, and the two will be officially
crowned on May 6, 2023, per Buckingham Palace.
It's tough to predict what King Charles' reign will look like.
However, it's safe to assume that the topic of climate change, which he has championed
for decades, will continue to occupy the king's mind.
Nevertheless, as king, Charles has to remain politically impartial.
"I totally understand the frustration.
The difficulty is how do you direct that frustration?"
Prince William became the Prince of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The title is a big jump, and makes him first in line to the throne.
Obviously, William has spent much of his life preparing to be king.
However, William and his wife, Kate Middleton, are reportedly reeling from recent changes,
which have included a move from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Park.
An insider told People,
When his father became king, William also became known as the Duke of Cornwall, and
inherited the highly lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
According to People, the duchy spans 130,000 acres of land, which is estimated to be worth
$1.2 billion dollars, per Fortune.
As a royal insider told People,
As for William's relationship with his father, King Charles, a source told People,
"I think the royal family has to modernize and develop as it goes along and it has to
stay relevant."
When Charles became king, Kate Middleton inherited the new title of the Princess of Wales, which
was previously held by Princess Diana.
And when Prince William becomes king, his wife will officially become the Queen Consort.
She'll be known as the Queen Consort, rather than simply "the queen," because she is ascending
the throne as a spouse of the monarch, rather than by a bloodline succession.
Despite not being born into the royal family, some consider her to be the most powerful
member of the current monarchy.
Royal journalist Camilla Tominey told The Telegraph,
In the 2017 documentary, "Kate: The Making of a Future Queen," royal biographer Kate
Nicholl said of the princess,
He may be young, but Prince George has a major destiny mapped out as second in line to the throne.
According to reports, Prince William and Princess Catherine are committed to creating a normal
life for George and his siblings, which includes rewarding the children for chores by giving
them small cash allowances.
Stephanie Wallis, the founder of Safe & Sound Childcare Events, told the Express,
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, George's surname changed.
He was previously known as George Cambridge, since his parents were Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
However, now he is known as George Wales, after his parents became the Prince and Princess
of Wales.
Prince George's sister, Princess Charlotte, is third in line for the throne.
Much like her older brother, Charlotte's upbringing is carefully monitored by her parents, Prince
William and Kate Middleton.
While Charlotte is carefully parented, she also holds some impressive sway of her own.
The Evening Standard published a study that claimed Charlotte was number one on a 2021
list of the world's richest children.
The study claimed that her net worth was £3.6 billion, which equates to over $4 billion.
Her wealth is reportedly tied to the very same charm her mother has, which has been
dubbed the "Kate Middleton effect."
What Charlotte wears and shows interest in reportedly holds a lot of economic sway and,
like her mother, she apparently has the capacity to influence shoppers and product movement.
Prince Louis is fourth in line for the throne, following his two older siblings and their father.
The stature of his position is made all the more funny considering how often he's in the
press for his youthful antics.
For instance, at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, Louis stole the show
with his sassy outbursts, which were completely understandable for the then-four-year-old.
Sadly, following the death of the queen, Louis has been forced to comprehend that his grandmother
is gone.
When the Princess of Wales greeted mourners outside of Windsor Castle, she reportedly
told one onlooker,
Despite stepping down as a senior member of the royal family, Prince Harry remains in
the line of succession.
Just because he stepped away from royal duties doesn't mean he couldn't hypothetically be
king one day, because succession depends on the bloodline.
As a result, Harry is in line to the British throne behind Prince William, and William
and Kate's three children.
It's also worth noting that Harry has a different relationship with the royal family now that
his father is king.
In fact, King Charles has already made some concessions for his son.
Having stepped away from his role as a senior royal, Harry was forced to give up his military titles.
As a result, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry wore civilian clothes when walking
behind her coffin, despite having served in the military.
However, while standing vigil at the queen's coffin, King Charles allowed Harry to wear
his military uniform.
It was a major olive branch from father to son.
With this gesture, Charles sent the message that Harry may have started a new life in
California with Meghan Markle, but he remains an important member of the royal family.
Following in his father's footsteps, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor is currently sixth in
the line of succession.
Archie and his younger sister, Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, are perhaps the most interesting people on
the list of most powerful royal family members, as they live in the United States with their parents.
In spite of this, both Archie and Lilibet have retained their spots in the line of succession.
And because their grandfather is king, Prince Harry's children have great royal privilege.
Prior to Queen Elizabeth II's death, many wondered if Prince William would become king
ahead of his father, since William is reportedly more popular than Charles.
However, as Dr. Robert Morris of University College London explained to The New York Post,
The likelihood of this happening [was] nil.
William himself would not want it and, if anyone tried, it wouldn’t get voted through."
For the same reason, Harry stepping away from the royal family does nothing to take the
crown away from himself or his children.
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, is also
a contender for the throne.
She was born in June 2021, after her parents stepped away as senior members of the royal family.
As a result, her upbringing has been vastly different from that of her cousins, Prince
George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
However, Lilibet did get to meet her royal relatives when her family returned to England
to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
For King Charles III, the visit was especially poignant, with a source telling the BBC,
An insider also revealed to People that Lilibet met the queen during a family gathering behind
the scenes.
In a tribute to his late grandmother, Prince Harry said in a statement,
Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, is sixteenth
in the long line of royal succession.
However, she transcends others on the list as a powerful member of the royal family because
of her steadfast dedication to the crown.
"Commitment has been constant."
The Princess Royal gets her unique title because she was the daughter of the queen and, interestingly,
will hold it until she dies.
When Prince William becomes king, Princess Charlotte will be the rightful heir to the
title, but she won't receive it until Anne has passed away.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Town & Country,
Anne is seemingly so beloved and respected for her dogged work ethic.
As The New York Times points out, she has long held the record as one of the hardest-working royals.
She's also been praised for how she responded following the death of her mother.
Princess Anne was the first woman to ever walk in the monarch's funeral procession,
and she stood in the Vigil of the Princes, something traditionally only done by men.
Best of all, she carried out all of these duties in military uniform, and simply paid
her respects to her mother, the monarch.