British royal family line of succession: Who’s who

Charles has become Britain’s new King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96.

The Queen became the sixth female to ascend to the British throne in February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, serving for more than 70 years.

Charles, the Queen’s eldest son, immediately ascended to the throne as King, putting his elder son, William, first in line for the throne.

Here’s what we know about the British royal family’s line of succession.

King Charles III

Charles, the Prince of Wales, poses for an official portrait in November 2008. He became King after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles was born at Buckingham Palace in London on November 14, 1948. His mother was Princess Elizabeth at the time.

Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, sit on a lawn with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne in August 1951.

Charles attends his mother's coronation in 1953 with his grandmother, left, and his aunt Margaret.

Charles, right, shakes hands with Sir Gerald Creasy, the governor of Malta, as he and the rest of the royal family visit Malta in May 1954.

Charles rides with his mother and grandmother as they travel to Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Princess Margaret in May 1960.

Charles prepares for takeoff during a flying lesson in 1968. In 1971, he earned his wings as a jet pilot and joined the Royal Navy.

Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles to the people of Wales after his investiture as the Prince of Wales in July 1969.

Charles walks at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1970. He was the first royal heir to earn a university degree.

Charles, left, rides go-carts with his brother Prince Edward and his sister, Princess Anne, circa 1969.

Charles meets US President Richard Nixon during a private visit to Washington in July 1970.

Charles attends a conference with his father in November 1970.

Charles goes on a safari in Kenya in February 1971.

Charles prepares to fire a bazooka while visiting military barracks in West Berlin in October 1972.

Charles fishes with a wooden spear circa 1975.

Charles poses for sculptor David McFall in December 1975.

Charles smokes a peace pipe during a visit to Canada in July 1977.

Charles rides a horse during an equestrian event in Cirencester, England, in April 1978.

Charles, as colonel-in-chief, visits the Cheshire Regiment in Canterbury, England, in November 1978. He served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976, and in 2012 his mother appointed him honorary five-star ranks in the navy, army and air force.

Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are seen together circa 1979. They dated in the 70s and would eventually marry in 2005. It was the second marriage for both. Their first marriages ended in divorce.

Charles poses outside the Taj Mahal in India in 1980.

Charles kisses his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 1981. Their wedding ceremony was televised.

Charles and Princess Diana leave a London hospital with their first child, William, in July 1982.

Charles and Diana dance together at a formal event.

Charles shares a playful pie in the face while visiting a community center in Manchester, England, in December 1983.

Charles walks with natives on a visit to Papua New Guinea in 1984.

Charles and Diana sit together in Toronto during a royal tour in October 1991. A year later, they were separated. Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles became public in 1993.

Charles, Diana and their two sons, William and Harry, gather for V-J Day commemorations in London in August 1995. The couple divorced one year later.

Charles visits a mosque in London in March 1996.

South African President Nelson Mandela talks with Prince Charles in London in July 1996.

Charles poses with the Spice Girls in 1997.

Charles and his sons spend time together at the Balmoral Castle estate in Balmoral, Scotland, in August 1997.

Charles, second from right, and Princess Diana's two sisters meet in Paris after Diana was killed in a car crash there in August 1997. She was 36 years old.

Charles and his sons follow Diana's hearse in London in September 1997.

Charles stands beside his grandmother's coffin while it lies in state at Westminster Hall in London in April 2002.

Charles carries a specially painted football through the streets of Ashbourne, England, in March 2003.

Charles watches a parachute regiment during a D-Day re-enactment in Ranville, France, in June 2004.

Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005.

Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honor during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2009.

Charles and Camilla were on their way to a performance at the London Palladium when their car was attacked by angry student protesters in December 2010. The students were protesting a hike in tuition fees.

Charles and Queen Elizabeth II were among those on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Prince William wed Kate Middleton in April 2011.

Charles reads the weather while touring BBC Scotland's headquarters in May 2012.

Charles meets with US President Barack Obama in the White House Oval Office in March 2015.

Charles and Camilla react as Zephyr, the bald-eagle mascot of the Army Air Corps, flaps his wings at the Sandringham Flower Show in July 2015.

Members of the royal family pose for a photo at Buckingham Palace in December 2016. From left are Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Philip; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Charles visits the Italian town of Amatrice in April 2017, after an earthquake had hit.

Charles and Camilla ride on a raft while visiting the island of Borneo in November 2017.

Charles leads three cheers for his mother as the Queen celebrated her 92nd birthday at a London concert in April 2018.

From left, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Duchess Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II watch a Royal Air Force flyover in July 2018.

Charles accompanies his future daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, as she is married to Prince Harry in May 2018.

Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate Remembrance Day in November 2018. It was also the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

Charles poses with family members for an official portrait to mark his 70th birthday. He's holding his grandson Prince George as Camilla sits next to his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte. In the back row, from left, are his grandson Prince Louis; his daughter-in-law Catherine; his son Prince William; his son Prince Harry; and his daughter-in-law Meghan.

Charles speaks at an event in London in March 2020. Later that month, it was announced that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

In pictures: Britain's King Charles III

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Born: November 14, 1948

What to know: Charles was the longest serving British monarch-in-waiting; he was the heir apparent since the age of three.

President of The Prince’s Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and president or patron of more than 400 charitable organizations, Charles was the first royal heir to earn a university degree.

More key relatives: Diana, Princess of Wales, to whom he was married from 1981 to 1996. They had two children together: Princes William and Harry.

Princess Diana remains a beloved figure more than 20 years after her untimely death. See more photos of the British icon and the legacy she left behind.

Diana, seen here on her first birthday, was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. She was born into a noble family in Sandringham, England. Her father, John, was Viscount Althorp before becoming the 8th Earl Spencer in 1975.

Diana circa 1965. Growing up, she attended private schools in England and Switzerland.

Diana poses with her brother, Charles, in 1968. She also had two sisters, Sarah and Jane.

Diana, far right, is photographed with her father, John, and her three siblings circa 1970. Sarah is on the far left and Jane is next to Diana. When Diana was 7 years old, her parents divorced and her father was given custody of the children.

A teenage Diana receives a "kiss" from her pony, Scuffle, in 1974. A year later, she became Lady Diana after her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer.

After finishing school, Diana worked various jobs, including cook, nanny and kindergarten teacher. Here she is in 1980 with two children she looked after as a nanny.

Diana and Camilla Parker-Bowles visit the Ludlow racecourse in October 1980, where Prince Charles was competing as a jockey. Diana and Charles would be engaged just a few months later. Prince Charles admitted in 1994 to a relationship with Parker-Bowles while still married to Diana; Charles and Camilla wed in 2005.

Diana looks startled after stalling her new car outside her London apartment in November 1980.

Diana is surrounded by photographers shortly before it was announced that she was engaged to Prince Charles.

Diana and Charles pose at Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement on February 24, 1981.

Diana and Charles arrive at Goldsmith Hall in London for a charity recital in March 1981.

The couple poses with Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in March 1981.

The royal wedding was held July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was estimated that more than 700 million people watched the ceremony on television.

Charles and Diana kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony after being married.

During their honeymoon, Charles and Diana leave Gibraltar on the royal yacht Britannia.

The couple spends part of their honeymoon in Scotland.

Charles and Diana attend the Grand National horse race in April 1982.

In June 1982, Diana gave birth to her first child, William.

Diana greets a child while visiting Wrexham, Wales, in November 1982.

Charles, William and Diana pose for a photo at Kensington Palace in February 1983.

Diana gave birth to a second son, Harry, in September 1984.

Charles kisses his wife after a polo match in Cirencester, England, in June 1985.

Diana watches her boys play at the piano in Kensington Palace in October 1985.

Diana helps William with a puzzle in October 1985.

Diana attends a polo match that her husband played in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 1985.

Diana dances with actor John Travolta at the White House in November 1985. Dancing behind Travolta are US President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. A few years ago, Diana's blue velvet dress -- nicknamed the "Travolta dress" -- was auctioned for 240,000 British pounds ($362,424 US).

Diana holds up Harry in the garden of Highgrove House, a royal residence in Gloucestershire, England, in July 1986.

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