The Telegraph
An overjoyed Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting a baby, but where exactly does the new baby Sussex sit in the line of succession?. Meghan and Harry - who was once third in line to the throne - are preparing to welcome a brother or sister for their young son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Following the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's third child Prince Louis in April 2018, most family members moved down a rung on the succession ladder as Louis slotted in as fifth in line, behind the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the line of succession. Historically, Princess Charlotte would have lost her spot to her younger brother, but new legislation introduced in 2013 overhauled the order of succession. Prince Harry now sits in sixth place, and his first child Archie in seventh. Prince Andrew will be pushed down to ninth in line following the birth of Meghan and Harry's second child. When Prince Louis was born it meant Prince Andrew did not have to ask his mother's permission if he wanted to re-marry. According to the new legislation, the first six people in the line of succession must obtain the Queen's permission to marry. Previously, under a law dating back to 1772, all descendants of George II had to seek the monarch's permission. As the line changes with birth, it also changes with death. Should any senior royal in line to the throne lose their life, those beneath them move up. The line of succession The Queen, who is 94 years old, is Britain's longest reigning monarch and has ruled over us for 69 years. As the child of a royal "spare," the Queen, was thought unlikely to reign until her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in favour of her father in 1936, whereupon he became King George VI and she the heir to the throne. Elizabeth became Queen upon his death on February 6 1952. But what happens when she dies and who will replace her? Here's the line of succession, as it it will look when Harry and Meghan's second child is born: 1. The Prince of Wales Heir to the throne and the next king of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms. The Prince of Wales, 72, already holds the record for the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, having been in the position since 1952. He will also be the oldest person to be crowned in British history when he eventually succeeds the Queen. 2. The Duke of Cambridge As the eldest son of the heir, the Duke of Cambridge will one day succeed his father the Prince of Wales. At the age of 38, he may have 30 or so years to wait, if his father enjoys the longevity of other members of the Royal family. 3. Prince George The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first-born son, seven, will one day be King George VII, meaning that anyone alive today is unlikely to see another Queen on the throne in their lifetime once Elizabeth II's reign is over.