King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer
King Charles III, who ascended to the throne after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, has been diagnosed with a form of cancer, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday. The King, who is 75, has started a schedule of regular treatments and has been advised to postpone public duties for the time being. The Palace did not reveal the type of cancer or the prognosis, but said it was not prostate cancer, which the King was recently treated for.
The news of the King’s illness has raised questions about the future of the monarchy and the line of succession to the British throne. The line of succession is determined by descent, sex, legitimacy, and religion, and is governed by the Act of Settlement 1701 and the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. The current line of succession consists of the King’s descendants who are Protestant and in communion with the Church of England.
Here is a look at the first eight heirs to the throne, starting with the King’s eldest son and ending with his younger brother.
Image: Reuters
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Prince William, 41, is the eldest son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana, and heir apparent to the throne, which means he is first in line. He is married to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and has three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. Prince William is also the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cornwall, and the Duke of Cambridge. He serves as a patron of several charities and organizations, and is a former helicopter pilot with the Royal Air Force.
Image: Reuters
Prince George of Cambridge
Prince George, 10, is the eldest son of Prince William and Catherine, and the second in line to the throne. He is the eldest of the King’s six great-grandchildren, and the first to be born under the new rules of succession that give equal rights to male and female heirs. Prince George attends Thomas’s Battersea School in London, and enjoys football, tennis, and art.
Image: Reuters
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge
Princess Charlotte, 8, is the only daughter of Prince William and Catherine, and the third in line to the throne. She is the second of the King’s six great-grandchildren, and the first female heir to be ahead of her younger brother in the line of succession. Princess Charlotte attends Thomas’s Battersea School in London, and likes ballet, horse riding, and cooking.
Image: Reuters
Prince Louis of Cambridge
Prince Louis, 5, is the youngest son of Prince William and Catherine, and the fourth in line to the throne. He is the third of the King’s six great-grandchildren, and the first to be born after the King became the monarch. Prince Louis attends Willcocks Nursery School in London, and loves bikes, animals, and music.
Image: Reuters
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Prince Harry, 39, is the younger son of King Charles and the late Princess Diana, and the fifth in line to the throne. He is married to Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and has two children: Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2. Prince Harry is also the Duke of Sussex, the Earl of Dumbarton, and the Baron Kilkeel. He is a former army officer who served in Afghanistan, and the founder of the Invictus Games for wounded veterans. He and his wife stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020, and moved to the United States, where they work on various projects and causes.
Image: Reuters
Prince Archie Mountbatten-Windsor
Prince Archie, 4, is the eldest son of Prince Harry and Meghan, and the sixth in line to the throne. He is the fourth of the King’s six great-grandchildren, and the first to be born in the United States. Prince Archie does not have a royal title, as his parents chose to give him a more private life. He lives in California with his parents and sister.
Image: PA Media
Princess Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor
Princess Lilibet, 2, is the only daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan, and the seventh in line to the throne. She is the fifth of the King’s six great-grandchildren, and the second to be born in the United States. Princess Lilibet is named after her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth and her grandmother Princess Diana. like her brother, Lilibet does not have a royal title either, as her parents chose to give her a more private life. She lives in California with her parents and brother.
Image: PA Media
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, 63, is the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and the eighth in line to the throne. He is the brother of King Charles and the uncle of Prince William and Prince Harry. He is also the Duke of York, the Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh. He is a former naval officer who served in the Falklands War, and a former trade envoy for the UK. He is the father of two daughters: Princess Beatrice, 33, and Princess Eugenie, 31. He withdrew from public duties in 2019, following allegations of his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which he denies.
Image: Reuters