User:Opera hat/Alternative successions to the English crown

William I became King of England by right of conquest on 25 December 1066. Thereafter the succession to the crown was usually by cognatic primogeniture, with some exceptions as given below.

Primogeniture succession 1087-1134
At William I's death on 9 September 1087 his representation passed to his eldest son Henry had in fact been King of England from 1100, so from 10 February 1134 this line merges with the de facto succession.
 * Robert Curthose. Robert died on 10 February 1134, and was succeeded by his younger brother
 * Henry.

De facto succession 1087-1100
On his deathbed, William I divided his lands between his sons, with the eldest son Robert receiving Normandy and his second suriviving son William receiving England. His successor on 9 September 1087 was therefore
 * William II, who died on 2 August 1100.

Succession by agreement of Robert and William II 1100-1134
Robert Curthose and William II had agreed that in the event of either of their deaths, their realms would both pass to the surviving brother. Under this agreement William II's successor on 2 August 1100 would have been his elder brother Robert was also the heir by primogeniture to William I, so this line merges with the primogeniture succession, above.
 * Robert Curthose.

De facto succession 1100-1135
On William II's death on 2 August 1100 his elder brother and designated heir Robert was away on Crusade, so was unable to prevent the usurpation of both England and Normandy by his younger brother Henry I died on 1 December 1135.
 * Henry, who became Henry I.

Primogeniture succession 1135-1167
At Henry I's death on 1 December 1135, his designated heir was his daughter She died on 10 September 1167 and was succeeded by her eldest son Henry. He had already been King since 1154, so this line now merges with the de facto succession.
 * Matilda.

De facto succession 1135-1154
In fact on Henry I's death, 1 December 1135, the throne was usurped by his nephew Stephen died on 25 October 1154.
 * Stephen of Blois, son of Adela of Normandy, daughter of William I.

Primogeniture succession to Stephen 1154-present
At Stephen's death on 25 October 1154 his eldest surviving son was He died some time after 1284 in England, and not much is known about him. Assuming he and his sister left no issue, the succession then passed to
 * William of Blois. He died on 11 October 1159 and his successors were
 * Marie of Boulogne, sister of William, died 1189
 * Ida, Countess of Boulogne, daughter of Marie, died 1216
 * Matilda II, Countess of Boulogne, daughter of Ida, died 1259
 * Alberic III Hurepel, son of Matilda.
 * John I, Duke of Brabant, son of Henry III of Brabant, son of Henry II of Brabant, son of Matilda of Boulogne, daughter of Marie of Boulogne, died 1294
 * John II, Duke of Brabant, son of John I, died 1312
 * John III, Duke of Brabant, son of John II, died 1355
 * Joanna, Duchess of Brabant, daughter of John III, died 1406
 * John II, Duke of Burgundy (son of Margaret III of Flanders, daughter of Margaret of Brabant, daughter of John III of Brabant), died 1419
 * Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, son of John II of Burgundy, died 1467
 * Charles I, Duke of Burgundy, son of Philip III, died 1477
 * Mary of Burgundy, daughter of Charles I, died 1482
 * Philip I of Castile, son of Mary, died 1506
 * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, son of Philip I, died 1558
 * Philip II of Spain, son of Charles V, died 1598
 * Philip III of Spain, son of Philip II, died 1621
 * Philip IV of Spain, son of Philip III, died 1665
 * Charles II of Spain, son of Philip IV, died 1700
 * Louis, "le Grand Dauphin" of France, son of Maria Theresa of Spain, daughter of Philip IV, died 1711
 * Louis, "le Petit Dauphin" of France, son of the Grand Dauphin, died 1712
 * Louis XV of France, son of the Petit Dauphin, died 1774
 * Louis XVI of France, son of Louis, son of Louis XV, died 1793
 * Louis XVII of France, son of Louis XVI, died 1795
 * Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, daughter of Louis XVI, died 1851
 * Henry V of France, son of Charles Ferdinand, son of Charles X of France, son of Louis, son of Louis XV, died 1883
 * Robert I, Duke of Parma, son of Louise Marie Thérèse of France, sister of Henry V, died 1907
 * Henry, Duke of Parma, son of Robert I, died 1939
 * Joseph, Duke of Parma, brother of Henry, died 1950
 * Elias, Duke of Parma, brother of Joseph, died 1959
 * Robert II, Duke of Parma, son of Elias, died 1974
 * Elisabetta of Bourbon-Parma, sister of Robert II, died 1983
 * Maria Francesca of Bourbon-Parma, sister of Robert II, died 1994
 * Alicia of Bourbon-Parma, sister of Robert II, born 1917.

De facto succession 1154-1199
By the Treaty of Wallingford Stephen agreed to recognise the son of his rival Matilda as his heir. On his death on 25 October 1154 he was accordingly succeeded by Henry died on 6 July 1189 and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Richard died on 6 April 1199.
 * Henry II.
 * Richard.

Primogeniture succession 1199-1241
At Richard I's death on 6 April 1199 the next heir was Arthur disappeared and is presumed to have died in April 1203, and was succeeded by his sister She died on 10 August 1241 and was succeeded by her cousin Henry had already been King since 1216, so this line now merges with the de facto succession.
 * Arthur I, Duke of Brittany, son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, brother of Richard.
 * Eleanor of Brittany.
 * Henry, son of John, younger brother of Geoffrey and Richard.

De facto succession 1199-1307
At Richard I's death on 6 April 1199 the throne was usurped by his youngest brother He died on 18 or 19 October 1216 and was succeeded by his son He died on 16 November 1272 and was succeeded by his son Edward I died on 7 July 1307.
 * John.
 * Henry III.
 * Edward I.

Primogeniture succession to Louis 1216-present
In May 1216 Louis, son of the King of France, invaded in England and was proclaimed King at London by right of conquest, as part of the First Barons' War against King John. Louis, who later succeeded as Louis VIII of France, died on 8 November 1226. His successors by cognatic primogeniture were Thereafter the line is the same as the succession from Stephen, above. In actuality Louis renounced his claim to England by the Treaty of Lambeth in 1217, so the succession returned to John and his issue.
 * Louis IX of France, son of Louis VIII, died 1270
 * Philip III of France, son of Louis IX, died 1285
 * Philip IV of France, son of Philip III, died 1314
 * Louis X of France, son of Philip IV, died 1316
 * John I of France, son of Louis X, died 1316
 * Joan II of Navarre, daughter of Louis X, died 1349
 * Charles II of Navarre, son of Joan II, died 1387
 * Charles III of Navarre, son of Charles II, died 1425
 * Blanche I of Navarre, daughter of Charles III, died 1441
 * Charles, Prince of Viana, son of Blanche I, died 1461
 * Blanche II of Navarre, daughter of Blanche I, died 1464
 * Eleanor of Navarre, daughter of Blanche I, died 1479
 * Francis I of Navarre, son of Gaston of Foix, Prince of Viana, son of Eleanor, died 1483
 * Catherine of Navarre, sister of Francis I, died 1518
 * Henry II of Navarre, son of Catherine, died 1555
 * Jeanne III of Navarre, daughter of Henry II, died 1572
 * Henry IV of France, son of Jeanne III, died 1610
 * Louis XIII of France, son of Henry IV, died 1643
 * Louis XIV of France, son of Louis XIII, died 1715
 * Louis XV of France, son of Louis, son of Louis, son of Louis XIV

Primogeniture succession 1307-1377
Edward I died on 7 July 1307 and was succeeded by his eldest son Edward II is thought to have died on 21 September 1327, when he was succeeded by his son In fact, Edward III was already King, so the line now follows the de facto succession.
 * Edward II.
 * Edward III.

De facto succession 1307-1377
Edward I died on 7 July 1307 and was succeeded by his eldest son Edward II was deposed on 20 January 1327 in favour of his eldest son Edward III died on 21 June 1377.
 * Edward II.
 * Edward, who became Edward III.

Primogeniture succession 1377-1461
Edward III died in 21 June 1377 and was succeeded by his grandson On Richard II's death, 14 February 1400, the succession passed to The Duke of York became King on 3 March 1461. For his heirs see the Yorkist succession.
 * Richard II, son of Edward, the Black Prince, son of Edward III.
 * Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, son of Philippa, Countess of Ulster, daughter of Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence, son of Edward III, died 20 July 1398
 * Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, son of Roger, died 18 January 1425
 * Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, son of Anne de Mortimer, daughter of Roger, died 30 December 1460
 * Edward Plantagenet, 4th Duke of York.

It was sometimes claimed that Edward IV was illegitimate, and was not the son of the 3rd Duke of York. If this was the case, then the succession would have passed on 30 December 1460 to the Duke's next son George, later created Duke of Clarence. For him and his heirs see the Clarence succession.

Lancastrian succession 1399-1471
Richard II was deposed on 30 September 1399 by Henry of Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, son of Edward III, who thus became King by right of conquest as He died on 20 March 1413 and was succeeded by his son He died on 31 August 1422 and was succeeded by his son Henry VI was deposed on 3 March 1461 by the Duke of York, who became Edward IV; see the Yorkist succession. He was restored on 30 October 1470, but lost power again on 11 April 1471. He died on 21 May 1471, the last surviving descendant of Henry IV.
 * Henry IV
 * Henry V.
 * Henry VI.

Lancastrian succession (Act of Accord) 1471
By the Act of Accord of 1460, Henry VI was assured the crown for life but the Duke of York and his issue were named as his heirs. By this Act on Henry VI's death on 21 May 1471 the crown either passed to the Duke of York's eldest son Edward (for whom see the Yorkist succession), or if Edward was illegitimate, to the second son George (for whom see the Clarence succession).

Lancastrian succession (Readeption) 1471
Henry VI was restored to the throne on 30 October 1470, known as the Readeption of Henry VI. He had been assisted by the Earl of Warwick and his son-in-law the Duke of Clarence, and in return for their support Clarence was made second-in-line to the throne after Henry's son Edward of Westminster. Edward died on the 4 May 1471, so on Henry's own death on the 21 May the crown passed to Clarence; for him and his heirs see the Clarence succession.

Lancastrian succession (Beaufort) 1471-1509
Henry VI's death on 21 May 1471 meant that the issue of the first Lancastrian King, Henry IV, was now extinct. Further claimants to the Lancastrian heritage would be descendants of Henry IV's father, John of Gaunt, son of Edward III. Henry IV was John's only surviving son by his first wife, but John left three sons by his third wife, Katherine Swynford. In 1471 the representative of these was She died on 29 June 1509 and was succeeded by her grandson Henry VII had become King on 22 August 1485, and his son had succeeded him as Henry VIII on 21 April 1509. The Beaufort succession therefore merged with the Tudor succession.
 * Lady Margaret Beaufort, daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, son of John of Gaunt.
 * Henry, son of Henry VII of England, son of Margaret.

The Beaufort claim was a weak one, because John of Gaunt's children by Katherine Swynford had been born before their marriage. They had been legitimated by an Act of Richard II in 1397, but a confirmation of this by Henry IV in 1407 barred them from succession to the throne.

Lancastrian succession (Portugal) 1471-present
The last descendant of the first Lancastrian King Henry IV, Henry VI, died on 21 May 1471, so the Lancastrian succession passed to the other descendants of Henry IV's father John of Gaunt. John's sons by his third wife, the Beauforts, had been barred from succeeding to the throne by Henry IV in 1407, so the next heir in 1471 was
 * Affonso V of Portugal, son of Duarte I of Portugal, son of Philippa of Lancaster, eldest daughter of John of Gaunt. He died on 28 August 1481 and his successors were
 * Joao II of Portugal, son of Affonso V, died 25 October 1495
 * Manoel I of Portugal, son of Infante Fernando, Duke of Viseu, son of Duarte I, died 13 December 1521
 * Joao III of Portugal, son of Manoel I, died 11 June 1557
 * Sebastiao I of Portugal, son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal, son of Joao III, died 4 August 1578
 * Henrique I of Portugal, son of Manoel I, died 31 January 1580
 * Ranuccio I, Duke of Parma, son of Infanta Maria of Guimarães, daughter of Infante Duarte, Duke of Guimarães, son of Manoel I, died 5 March 1622
 * Alessandro Farnese, son of Ranuccio I, died 24 July 1630
 * Odoardo I, Duke of Parma, son of Ranuccio I, died 11 September 1646
 * Ranuccio II, Duke of Parma, son of Odoardo I, died 11 December 1694
 * Elisabeth of Parma, daughter of Odoardo II Farnese, son of Ranuccio II, died 11 July 1766
 * Charles III of Spain, son of Elisabeth, died 14 December 1788
 * Charles IV of Spain, son of Charles III, died 20 January 1819
 * Ferdinand VII of Spain, son of Charles IV, died 29 Seotember 1833
 * Isabella II of Spain, daughter of Ferdinand VII, died 10 April 1904
 * Alfonso XIII of Spain, son of Alfonso XII of Spain, son of Isabella II, died 28 February 1941
 * Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia, son of Alfonso XIII, died 20 March 1975
 * Alfonso, Duke of Anjou and Cádiz, son of Jaime, died 30 January 1989
 * Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, son of Alfonso, born 25 April 1974.

Lancastrian succession (Exeter) 1471
The last descendant of the first Lancastrian King Henry IV, Henry VI, died on 21 May 1471, so the Lancastrian succession passed to the other descendants of Henry IV's father John of Gaunt. The senior legitimate line was that descended from John's eldest daughter Philippa of Lancaster, but this consisted of the royal family of Portugal. At the time it is uncertain whether foreigners would have been permitted to succeed, so the next most senior heir would have been He left issue.
 * Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter, son of John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, son of Elizabeth of Lancaster, second daughter of John of Gaunt. He died in September 1475. His only daughter Anne had died without issue, so his successors were
 * Anne, Countess of Douglas, daughter of John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, died 26 December 1486
 * Ralph Neville, 3rd Earl of Westmorland, son of Anne, died 6 February 1499
 * Ralph Neville, 4th Earl of Westmorland, son of Ralph, Lord Neville, son of the 3rd Earl, died 1549
 * Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland, son of the 4th Earl, died 1563
 * Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland, son of the 5th Earl, died 16 November 1601

Yorkist succession 1461-1509
Edward IV became King on 3 March 1461. He lost power on 30 October 1470 but was restored on 11 April 1471. He died on 9 April 1483, and was succeeded by his son Edward V and his brother Richard are thought to have died in about 1483, when the next in line was their eldest sister She died on 11 February 1503 and was succeeded by her son Henry succeeded his father as de facto King of England as Henry VIII on 21 April 1509, and the line merges with the Tudor succession.
 * Edward V.
 * Elizabeth of York.
 * Henry.

Clarence succession 1460-present
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, died on 18 February 1478. His heirs were:
 * Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, son of the Duke of Clarence, died 1499
 * Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, daughter of the Duke of Clarence, died 1541
 * Henry Pole, son of Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, son of the Countess of Salisbury, died 1542 or later
 * Catherine Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, daughter of Henry Lord Montagu, died 1576
 * Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, son of Catherine Hastings, died 1595
 * George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, son of Catherine Hastings, died 1604
 * Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, son of Francis Hastings, Lord Hastings, son of the 4th Earl, died 1643
 * Ferdinando Hastings, 6th Earl of Huntingdon, son of the 5th Earl, died 1655
 * Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon, son of the 6th Earl, died 1701
 * George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, son of the 7th Earl, died 1705
 * Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, son of the 7th Earl, died 1746
 * Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, son of the 9th Earl, died 1789
 * Elizabeth Rawdon, Countess of Moira, daughter of the 9th Earl, died 1808
 * Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, son of Lady Moira, died 1826
 * George Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Marquess of Hastings, son of the 1st Marquess, died 1844
 * Paulyn Rawdon-Hastings, 3rd Marquess of Hastings, son of the 2nd Marquess, died 1851
 * Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings, son of the 2nd Marquess, died 1868
 * Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun, daughter of the 2nd Marquess, died 1874
 * Charles Clifton, 11th Earl of Loudoun, son of the 10th Countess, died 1920
 * Edith Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun, daughter of Paulyn Abney-Hastings, son of the 10th Countess, died 1960
 * Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun, daughter of the 12th Countess, died 2002
 * Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, son of the 13th Countess, died 2012
 * Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun

Titulus Regius succession 1483
In 1483 Parliament issued the Titulus Regius. This denied the validity of Edward IV's marriage and therefore disqualified his children from the succession. The next son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, had died in 1460 without issue, and the third son, George, Duke of Clarence, had been executed for treason against his brother in 1478 and his children were therefore attainted in blood and also disqualified. This meant that on Edward IV's death on 9 April 1483 the Crown would have passed to the next son Richard III died on 22 August 1485, his son Edward of Middleham having predeceased him. His heirs under the Titulus Regius were:
 * Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who became King as Richard III on 26 June 1483.
 * Anne St Leger, daughter of Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter, eldest sister of Richard III, died 21 April 1526
 * Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, son of Anne St Leger, died 20 September 1543
 * Henry Manners, 2nd Earl of Rutland, son of the 1st Earl, died 17 September 1563
 * Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland, son of the 2nd Earl, died 14 April 1587
 * Elizabeth Cecil, 16th Baroness de Ros, daughter of the 3rd Earl, died 1 May 1591
 * William Cecil, 17th Baron de Ros, son of the 16th Baroness, died 27 June 1618
 * Francis Manners, 6th Earl of Rutland, son of John Manners, 4th Earl of Rutland, son of the 2nd Earl, died 17 December 1632
 * Katherine Villiers, Duchess of Buckingham, daughter of the 6th Earl, died October 1649
 * George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, son of Katherine Villiers, died 16 April 1687
 * Catherine Tyrwhitt, daughter of Francis Tyrwhitt, son of William Tyrwhitt, son of Lady Bridget Manners, daughter of John Manners, 4th Earl of Rutland, son of the 2nd Earl of Rutland
 * Sir Thomas Windsor Hunloke, 3rd Baronet, son of Catherine Tyrwhitt, died 1752
 * Sir Henry Hunloke, 4th Baronet, son of the 3rd Baronet, died 1804
 * Sir Thomas Windsor Hunloke, 5th Baronet, son of the 4th Baronet, died 1816
 * Sir Henry Hunloke, 6th Baronet, son of the 5th Baronet, died 1856
 * Charlotte Hunloke, daughter of the 5th Baronet, died 1857
 * Eliza Margaret Hunloke (Marquise de Casteja), daughter of the 5th Baronet, died 1878
 * Philip Sidney, 2nd Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, son of Philip Sidney, 1st Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, son of Henrietta Hunloke, daughter of Sir Henry Hunloke, 4th Baronet, died 1898
 * Philip Sidney, 3rd Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, son of the 2nd Baron, died 1922
 * Algernon Sidney, 4th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, son of the 2nd Baron, died 1945
 * William Sidney, 5th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, son of the 2nd Baron, died 1945
 * William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle, son of the 5th Baron, died 1991
 * Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L'Isle, son of the 1st Viscount, born 1945.

Yorkist succession 1485-1525
Initially, following the death of Richard III's son Edward of Middleham, the Earl of Warwick, son of the attainted Duke of Clarence, was named as heir. For him and his heirs see the Clarence succession. However, after the death of the Queen, Anne Neville (Warwick's maternal aunt), Richard nominated as heir his nephew John, Earl of Lincoln, son of his second sister Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk (died by 1504). On Richard's death in 1485, then, the succession was as follows:


 * John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, son of Elizabeth of York, died 1487
 * Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, son of Elizabeth of York, died 1513
 * Richard de la Pole, son of Elizabeth of York, died 1525
 * William de la Pole, son of Elizabeth of York, died before 1539

Warbeck succession 1483-present
From 1490 the impostor Perkin Warbeck claimed the throne as Richard of Shrewsbury, younger son of Edward IV, assumed to have died around 1483. Had he survived he would have succeeded his elder brother Edward V as King. Warbeck was recognised as Richard by his supposed aunt Margaret of York, and as King Richard IV by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor; in return Warbeck named Maximilian his heir.


 * Perkin Warbeck, claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, died 23 November 1499
 * Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, designated heir, died 12 January 1519
 * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, son of Philip I of Castile, son of Maximilian, died 21 September 1558

Thereafter the line is the same as the succession from Stephen.

Tudor succession 1485-1553
Henry VII became King on 22 August 1485. He died on 21 April 1509 and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547 and was succeeded by his son Edward VI died on 6 July 1553.
 * Henry VIII.
 * Edward VI.

Succession under will of Henry VIII 1553-1603
In his will, which was given legal force by the the Act of Succession 1543, Henry VIII left the throne, after his son Edward, to his daughters by his first two wives, though the validity of their mothers' marriages was still denied. Following Edward's death, he was succeded by his elder sister She died without issue on 17 November 1558 and was succeeded by her sister She died without issue on 24 March 1603.
 * Mary I.
 * Elizabeth I.

Legitimist succession 1553-1603
This succession assumes that Henry VIII's marriage Catherine of Aragon was legal, and the divorce and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn was illegal and her daughter Elizabeth illegitimate. As Catherine had died by the time of Henry's marriage to Jane Seymour, his son by that marriage was the legitimate successor. Following Edward's death in 1553, the heirs would be He succeeded as de facto King in 1603.
 * Mary I, by right of descent as legitimate daughter of Henry VIII, died 17 November 1558
 * Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V of Scotland, son of Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, died 8 February 1587
 * James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots

Succession under Letters Patent of Edward VI 1553
Letters Patent issued on his deathbed by Edward VI of 21 June 1553 left the throne to his kinswoman Lady Jane Grey, elder daughter of Lady Frances Brandon (died 20 November 1559), daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII. This was in contravention of the Third Succession Act of 1543. Following Edward's death on 6 July She was deposed on 19 July by the rightful heir Mary and executed on 12 February 1554. Her heirs would presumably have been The Countess of Castlehaven became the legal heir under the will of Henry VIII after Elizabeth I's death in 1603; see below.
 * Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen on 10 July.
 * Lady Catherine Grey, daughter of Lady Frances Brandon, died 26 January 1568 without legitimate issue (but see here)
 * Lady Mary Grey, daughter of Lady Frances Brandon, died 20 April 1578
 * Lady Margaret Clifford, daughter of Lady Eleanor Brandon, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, died 28 September 1596
 * Anne Stanley, Countess of Castlehaven, daughter of Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, son of Lady Margaret Clifford.

Succession under the will of Henry VIII 1603-present
After his own children and their issue, the will of Henry VIII, given legal force by the Third Succession Act, stated that the throne should pass not to the descendants of his elder sister Margaret Tudor, who reigned in Scotland, but to those of his younger sister Mary Tudor, Queen of France. Therefore on the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 the throne should have passed as follows: She is the last known descendant of the Countess of Castlehaven. Thereafter the line goes to
 * Anne Stanley, Countess of Castlehaven, daughter of Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, son of Lady Margaret Clifford, daughter of Lady Eleanor Brandon, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France; died c. 1647
 * George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos, son of Anne Stanley, died 1655
 * Margaret Brydges, daughter of George Brydges, died 1732
 * Sir George Brydges Skipwith, 3rd Baronet, son of Margaret Brydges, died 1756
 * Henry Doughty, son of George Brownlow Doughty, son of Elizabeth Brownlow, daughter of Margaret Brydges
 * Henry Doughty, son of Henry Doughty, died 1796
 * Elizabeth Doughty, daughter of Henry Doughty (the elder), died 1826
 * George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, son of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, son of Lady Anne Egerton, daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, son of John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater, son of John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater, son of Lady Frances Stanley, daughter of Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby; died 1859
 * George Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey, son of the 5th Earl, died 1859
 * Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, son of the 6th Earl, died 1915
 * George Child Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey, son of the 7th Earl, died 1923
 * George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey, son of the 8th Earl, died 1998
 * William Villiers, 10th Earl of Jersey, son of George Child Villiers, Viscount Villiers, son of the 9th Earl.

English succession 1603
The will of Henry VIII had left the Crown to the descendants of his younger sister Mary because those of his elder sister Margaret were foreign royalty. However, by the time Henry's own descendants had died out, there were descendants of Margaret who were English by birth, though Scottish by descent. If allowed to succeed, the next English heir on the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 would have been


 * Arbella Stuart, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox, son of Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Tudor.

On her death without issue, 27 September 1615, the senior English descendant of Henry VII was Lady Castlehaven, the heir under Henry VIII's will. See above.

Seymour succession to the Tudors
The descendants of Mary Tudor, Queen of France were the senior English descendants of Henry VII and had been left the Crown in the will of Henry VIII. Following the death of Lady Frances Brandon in 1559, the senior descendant of Margaret Tudor was Frances' daughter Lady Catherine Grey, younger sister of Lady Jane Grey. In 1560 she was secretly married to Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, but the marriage was declared illegal and the children thereof illegitimate for the purposes of succession (though their descendants were later allowed to succeed to the Dukedom of Somerset). If this marriage had been recognised, then after Catherine's death on 26 January 1568 the senior descendants of Margaret Tudor would have been


 * Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache, son of Lady Catherine Grey, died 21 July 1612
 * Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache, son of Lord Beauchamp, died 1618
 * William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, son of Edward Lord Beauchamp (the elder), died 24 October 1660
 * William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset, son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp, son of the 2nd Duke, died 12 December 1671
 * Lady Elizabeth Seymour, daughter of Henry Lord Beauchamp, died 1697
 * Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury, son of Lady Elizabeth, died 10 February 1747
 * James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos, son of Lady Mary Bruce, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Ailesbury, died 29 September 1789
 * Lady Anne Eliza Brydges, daughter of 3rd Duke of Chandos, died 15 May 1836
 * Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, son of Anne Eliza Brydges, died 29 July 1861
 * Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, son of the 2nd Duke, died 26 March 1889
 * Mary Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 11th Lady Kinloss, daughter of the 3rd Duke, died 17th October 1944
 * Mary Freeman-Grenville, 12th Lady Kinloss, daughter of Luis Grenville, Master of Kinloss, son of the 11th Lady Kinloss.

Stuart succession 1603-1685
Despite the efforts of Henry VIII and Edward VI to divert the succession, on the death of Elizabeth I on 24 March 1603 the Crown passed to the heir general of Henry VII, He died 27 March 1625 and was succeeded by his son He was executed 30 January 1649 and was succeeded by his son He died 6 February 1685.
 * James I of England, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V of Scotland, son of Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII.
 * Charles I of England.
 * Charles II of England, who was not restored as de facto monarch until 29 May 1660.

Absolute primogeniture succession to Henry VII 1509-present
Succession by absolute primogeniture goes to the eldest child whether male or female. Following the death of Henry VII of 5 April 1509 his heirs under this system would be:


 * Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, died 18 October 1541
 * James V of Scotland, son of Margaret, died 14 December 1542
 * Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V, died 8 February 1587
 * James I of England, son of Mary, died 27 March 1625
 * Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of James I, died 13 February 1662
 * Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine, son of Elizabeth, died 28 August 1680
 * Charles II, Elector Palatine, son of Charles I Louis, died 26 May 1685
 * Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, daughter of Charles I Louis, died 8 December 1722
 * Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, son of Elizabeth Charlotte, died 2 December 1723
 * Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans, daughter of Philippe II, died 10 February 1743
 * Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, daughter of Philippe II, died 19 January 1761
 * Louis Alexandre, Prince of Lamballe, son of Maria Teresa Felicitas d'Este, daughter of Charlotte Aglaé, died 6 May 1768
 * Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, daughter of Maria Teresa Felicitas, died 23 June 1821
 * Louis Philippe I of France, son of Louise Marie Adélaïde, died 26 August 1850
 * Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, son of Prince Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans, son of Louis Philippe I, died 8 September 1894
 * Amélie of Orléans, daughter of the Count of Paris, died 25 October 1951
 * Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este, daughter of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, son of Princess Hélène of Orléans, daughter of the Count of Paris.

Absolute primogeniture succession to Charles II 1685-present
If the succession passed to the eldest child whether male or female, on the death of Charles II (eldest child of Charles I), 6 February 1685, the Crown would have passed to


 * William III of England, son of Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, daughter of Charles I, died 19 March 1702
 * Anne of Great Britain, daughter of James II of England, son of Charles I, died 1 August 1714
 * James Francis Edward Stuart, son of James II, died 1 January 1766
 * Charles Edward Stuart, son of James Francis Edward, died 31 January 1788
 * Henry Benedict Stuart, son of James Francis Edward, died 13 July 1807
 * Princess Amalie of Saxony, daughter of Princess Caroline of Parma, daughter of Ferdinand, Duke of Parma, son of Louise Élisabeth of France, daughter of Louis XV of France, son of Princess Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, daughter of Anne Marie d'Orléans, daughter of Henrietta of England, daughter of Charles I, died 18 September 1870
 * Ludwig III of Bavaria, son of Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria, daughter of Princess Maria Anna of Saxony, daughter of Princess Caroline of Parma, died 18 October 1921
 * Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, son of Ludwig III, died 2 August 1955
 * Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, son of Rupprecht, died 8 July 1996
 * Princess Marie Gabrielle of Bavaria, daughter of Albrecht.

Monmouth succession to Charles II 1685-present
After the death of Charles II his eldest illegitimate son claimed the throne in the Monmouth Rebellion. His succcessors would have been as follows:
 * James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, died 15 July 1685
 * James Scott, Earl of Dalkeith, son of Monmouth, died 14 March 1705
 * Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch, son of Lord Dalkeith, died 22 April 1751
 * Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch, son of Francis Scott, Earl of Dalkeith, son of the 2nd Duke, died 11 January 1812
 * Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 3rd Duke, died 20 April 1819
 * Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 4th Duke, died 16 April 1884
 * William Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 5th Duke, died 5 November 1914
 * John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 6th Duke, died 19 October 1935
 * Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 7th Duke, died 4 October 1973
 * John Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 8th Duke, died 4 September 2007
 * Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch, son of the 9th Duke.

Jacobite succession 1685-present
On Charles II's death on 6 February 1685 his brother James succeeded as King. He tried to flee the country on 11 December 1688, and was thereby deemed to have abdicated. His supporters and those of his heirs were known as Jacobites.
 * James II of England, son of Charles I, died 16 September 1701
 * James Francis Edward Stuart, son of James II, died 1 January 1766
 * Charles Edward Stuart, son of James Francis Edward, died 31 January 1788
 * Henry Benedict Stuart, son of James Francis Edward, died 13 July 1807
 * Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, son of Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia, son of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, son of Anne Marie d'Orléans, daughter of Princess Henrietta of England, daughter of Charles I, died 6 October 1819
 * Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia, son of Charles Emmanuel, died 10 January 1824
 * Maria Beatrice of Savoy, daughter of Victor Emmanuel, died 15 September 1840
 * Francis V, Duke of Modena, son of Maria Beatrice, died 20 November 1875
 * Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, daughter of Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este, son of Maria Beatrice, died 3 February 1919
 * Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, son of Maria Theresa, died 2 August 1955
 * Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, son of Rupprecht, died 8 July 1996
 * Franz, Duke of Bavaria, son of Albrecht.

Absolute primogeniture succession to George II 1760-present
If the succession passed to the eldest child whether male or female, on the death of George II, 25 October 1760, the Crown would have passed to
 * Princess Augusta of Great Britain, daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of George II, died 23 March 1813
 * William I of Württemberg, son of Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, daughter of Princess Augusta, died 25 June 1864
 * Princess Catherine of Württemberg, daughter of William I, died 6 December 1898
 * William II of Württemberg, son of Princess Catherine, died 2 October 1921
 * Princess Pauline of Württemberg, daughter of William II, died 7 May 1965
 * Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Wied, son of Hermann Hereditary Prince of Wied, son of Princess Pauline, died 28 August 2000
 * Prince Alexander of Wied, born 29 September 1960.

Absolute primogeniture succession to Victoria 1901-present
If the succession passed to the eldest child whether male or female, on the death of Queen Victoria, 22 January 1901, the Crown would have passed to
 * Victoria, Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Victoria, died 5 August 1901
 * Wilhelm II, German Emperor, son of Victoria, died 4 June 1941
 * Wilhelm, German Crown Prince, son of Wilhelm II, died 20 July 1951
 * Princess Felicitas of Prussia, daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, died 1 August 2009
 * Friederike von der Osten, daughter of Princess Felicitas, born 14 July 1959