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.

William rides a miniature pony at Highgrove House.

Prince Harry shows a bit of his personality on the Buckingham Palace balcony in June 1988.

Diana and her two boys walk outside the Wetherby School in London in April 1990.

Diana and her sons go skiing in Lech, Austria, in April 1991.

Diana and Charles sit together during a royal tour of Toronto in October 1991.

Diana visits Egypt in May 1992.

Charles and Diana attend a memorial service during a tour of South Korea in November 1992. A month later, it was announced that they had formally separated.

Diana and her sons visit Thorpe Park, a theme park in Surrey, England, in April 1993.

Diana arrives at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 1994.

A police officer holds back a photographer as Diana walks by in July 1996. It had just been announced that Diana and Charles had divorced.

Diana talks to amputees in Angola, where she traveled in January 1997 to bring attention to the anti-land mine campaign of the International Red Cross. Sitting on her lap is Sandra Thijica, a 13-year-old who lost her left leg to a land mine.

Diana wears protective gear as she visits minefields in Angola in January 1997.

Diana visits Cape Town, South Africa, and meets with South African President Nelson Mandela in March 1997.

Diana holds hands with Mother Teresa after they met in New York in June 1997.

This photo, taken from surveillance video, shows Diana arriving at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on August 30, 1997. It is one of the last photos of her alive.

Diana is seen in a Ritz Hotel elevator with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. After leaving the hotel, the couple was killed in a high-speed car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris.

Wreckage is lifted away after the car Diana was in crashed into a pillar on August 31, 1997. Fayed and driver Henri Paul died at the scene. Diana died at a Paris hospital a few hours later. A French investigation concluded that Paul was legally drunk at the time and responsible for the accident. In 2008, a British coroner's jury found that Diana and Fayed were unlawfully killed because of the actions of Paul and pursuing paparazzi.

On the eve of Diana's funeral, the Queen and Prince Philip look at floral tributes left outside Buckingham Palace. More than 1 million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace in the wake of Diana's death.

Diana's coffin is carried into London's Westminster Cathedral in September 1997. Watching at the bottom, from left, is Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Charles Spencer, Prince William and Prince Philip.

Princess Diana: Her life and legacy

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Diana died in 1997 following a car accident in Paris, along with boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.

In 2005, Charles married Camilla, the Queen Consort.

Prince William, Prince of Wales

As the first-born child to Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William has never been far from the public eye.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave the hospital with newborn William on June 22, 1982.

Prince William is watched by his parents as he takes his first steps in public at Kensington Palace in 1983.

William is accompanied by nanny Barbara Barnes as he leaves St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1984. He was visiting his mother and his newborn brother, Prince Harry.

From the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a young Prince William watches the Trooping of the Colour in 1985. He is joined by Lady Gabriella Windsor, left, and Lady Zara Phillips.

Prince William waves from a carriage en route to the wedding of his uncle Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986.

William attends his first day at Wetherby School in 1987.

Charles and his family visit Spain in 1988.

William and Harry ride bicycles with their parents while on vacation in the Isles of Scilly in 1989.

William shovels sand onto his mother while playing on a beach in 1990.

William and Harry wave from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1991.

Princess Diana and Prince William wait for Prince Harry after attending an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in 1992.

Prince William grimaces after riding Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida in 1993. He was with friends of the royal family on a three-day vacation.

Prince William accompanies his mother to a tennis match at Wimbledon in 1994.

Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Prince Charles attend a service commemorating V-J Day outside Buckingham Palace in 1995.

Prince Charles and Prince Harry, at left, stand for anthems as Prince William, right, looks around during the Five Nations rugby championship in 1996.

Prince William and his brother bow their heads after their mother's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997. Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. William was 15 at the time, and Harry was 12.

Prince William receives flowers from an adoring crowd in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1998. He was on a weeklong vacation with his father and brother, though they also made time for official engagements.

Britain's Queen Mother joins Prince Charles and his sons during an occasion marking her 99th birthday in 1999.

Prince William hammers a log while helping construct walkways in a remote village in Chile in 2000.

William, left, and Harry take part in an exhibition polo match in Gloucestershire, England, in 2001.

Members of the royal family stand vigil besides the Queen Mother's coffin in 2002. Prince William, right, stands alongside Prince Harry, Princess Anne and Sophie of Wessex.

A London office worker licks a first-class stamp that was issued to mark Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003. Commemorative coins were also minted for the occasion.

Prince William makes his water polo debut for the Scottish national universities squad during the annual Celtic Nations tournament in April 2004. William was attending the University of St. Andrews.

Prince William celebrates his 30th birthday in June 2004.

William graduates from St. Andrews University in 2005. He earned a degree in geography.

Queen Elizabeth II glances up at William, right, as she inspects the parade at the Royal Military Academy in 2006. William graduated as an Army officer and later went on to receive his Royal Air Force pilot's wings.

Prince William and Prince Harry speak on stage with Elton John, far left, during a concert they put on to celebrate Princess Diana in 2007. The event fell on what would have been their mother's 46th birthday.

Prince William sports a beard for the first time in public at a Christmas Day church service in 2008. He was clean-shaven by early January.

Prince William walks with a group of homeless people during a 2009 hike with Centrepoint, the United Kingdom's largest youth charity for the homeless. William became the patron of the organization in 2005.

During an official overseas visit in 2010, Prince William is welcomed to Sydney with a traditional smoke ceremony.

Prince William kisses his wife, Catherine, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding on April 29, 2011. The two met while attending the University of St. Andrews.

William and Catherine meet with US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama while the Obamas visited Buckingham Palace in May 2011.

William throws a foam javelin during a visit to Nottingham, England, in 2012. He and his wife were in the city as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee tour, marking the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

William and Catherine depart St. Mary's Hospital in London with their newborn son, George, in July 2013.

William and Catherine sit in front of the Taj Mahal while on a royal tour of India in April 2016.

Prince William and Prince Harry try out "Star Wars" lightsabers during a tour of the movie sets in Iver Heath, England, in April 2016.

William and Catherine join from left, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; and Prince Philip at a Buckingham Palace reception in December 2016.

William and Harry are joined by Peter Phillips, left, during a ceremonial procession at the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021.

William and Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday in July 2021.

Prince William sits by the Imperial State Crown during the opening of Parliament in May 2022.

William and Catherine stand with their children -- from left, Louis, Charlotte and George -- on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour parade in June 2022.

This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace in June 2022.

William is seen driving Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as they arrive at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on the day Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022.

The heir apparent: Britain's Prince William

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Born: June 21, 1982

What to know: William, Prince of Wales is first in line to the throne. He has achieved the highest educational degree – Master of Arts – of any member of the royal family. He served in the military from 2006 to 2013, participating in more than 150 helicopter search and rescue operations.

More key relatives: Catherine, Princess of Wales, whom he married in 2011. The couple have three children together: Prince George, 9; Princess Charlotte, 7; and Prince Louis, 4.

Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, walk with their three children -- from left, George, Charlotte and Louis -- in Norfolk, England. The photo was featured on the family Christmas card in December 2022.

Prince Louis is pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother in Windsor, England, in April 2023. The photo was released by Kensington Palace to mark Louis' fifth birthday.

William and Catherine meet a boy dressed as a royal guard while visiting Boston in December 2022. The royal couple was in Boston to attend the Earthshot Prize Awards that William founded two years prior.

William and Catherine walk with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

William and Catherine arrive with George, Louis and Charlotte at a school in Bracknell, England, in September 2022.

Prince Louis holds his hands over his ears as jets roar over Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in June 2022. From left are Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Louis; Catherine; Charlotte; George; and William.