Princess Charlotte’s line of succession to the British royal throne will not change because of her brother’s birth on Monday.
Charlotte, age 2, the second child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, is the first princess to retain her place in the line of succession since the Succession to the Crown Act made gender irrelevant to succession when it took effect in 2015.
Charlotte will turn 3 on May 2.
Queen Elizabeth II has occupied the throne since 1952. William and Kate’s new son is her sixth great-grandchild.
The current line of succession after Queen Elizabeth II is her son, Prince Charles; his son, Prince William; his son, Prince George; William’s daughter, Princess Charlotte; and the yet-unnamed third son of William and Kate. Prince Harry has now dropped to sixth in line to the throne.
William and Kate’s new son was born at 11:01 a.m. local time on Monday at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, and both mother and child are doing well.
Prince Harry is preparing to marry American TV star Meghan Markle on May 19 at Windsor Castle. The couple has said they want to have children, which would follow Harry in the line of succession.
Many on Twitter thought the entire monarchy should be abolished, making succession a moot point.