Why Princess Charlotte has a greater chance of becoming Queen than Princess Anne ever did

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the country does not look set to have another Queen Regnant for many years as the next two heirs to the throne are male. The first female in the queue is eight-year-old Princess Charlotte who sits in third place behind her father and elder brother.

While it is incredibly unlikely that Princess Charlotte will ever come to the throne, it is fair to say that she stands a far better chance of wearing the crown that her great aunt Princess Anne ever did, despite being in an incredibly similar set of circumstances at birth.

The reason behind this is down to a significant change the late Queen introduced which alters the rules of primogeniture and who can overtake who in the Line of Succession. The adaptation to the rule meant that Princess Charlotte was not leapfrogged by younger brother Prince Louis when he was born in 2018.

Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was born on May 2, 2015, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and lives with her family at Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Estate.

Her current title is Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Wales, and she sits third in line to the throne. Unlike her great-aunt Princess Anne, Princess Charlotte will not be pushed any further back in the line of succession until Prince George has children of his own.

When Princess Anne was born in 1950 she was third in line to the throne, however by 1964 she had been pushed back two places by her younger brothers, Princes Andrew and Edward.

The reason for this is a historic rule known as primogeniture that unseats any female heir if a younger brother is born. The rules of primogeniture were altered in the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, meaning that any younger brother born after this date can no longer leapfrog an older sister.

The Royal Family website explains: "The Succession to the Crown Act (2013) amended the provisions of the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement to end the system of male primogeniture, under which a younger son can displace an elder daughter in the line of succession. The Act applies to those born after 28 October 2011."

While Princess Charlotte will likely never be Queen, there is a very important title that she is in line to inherit. The Princess Royal is typically the eldest daughter of the monarch and it works in much the same way as the Prince of Wales title for both senior and high-ranking members of the Royal Family.

Unlike other styles, when the holder passes away, the title is not automatically inherited by her eldest daughter and instead goes back to the monarch to bestow it upon their own daughter, if they have one.

As King Charles has no daughters, it is likely the Princess Royal title will be held in suspension once Princess Anne passes away, but will be regranted to Princess Charlotte once her father becomes king.

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