Alternative Successions of The English Crown - Descendants of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence

Descendants of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence

This line’s claim to the Crown is based upon the argument that Edward IV was not sired by Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and thus had no legitimate claim to the Crown. Therefore, when Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, his claim passed to his eldest legitimate son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland. Unfortunately, Edmund was captured at the same battle and executed either the same or next day. Edmund’s claim then passed to his eldest "legitimate" brother and heir presumptive, George, Duke of Clarence. Supporters of the Clarence claim also draw on the debated validity of Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which allows them to argue that, even if Edward was legitimate, his children were not. Another point is that Henry VI passed a law in 1470, that should both he and his son Edward of Westminster die without further legitimate issue, the crown was to pass to Clarence, as Henry had placed an attainder upon Edward IV. When Henry was killed in 1471 (Prince Edward having died in battle shortly before), Clarence (who could claim descent from John of Gaunt, as could his wife Isabella Neville) became the legal heir to Henry VI and the House of Lancaster.

The current descendant of this line is Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun. The line of succession is as follows:

1. George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, third son (second "legitimate" son) of Richard, 3rd Duke of York
2. Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, first son of George
3. Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, second daughter, fourth line of George
4. Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, first son of Margaret
5. Henry Pole, second son of Henry
6. Catherine Hastings, first daughter, third line of Henry, 1st Baron Montagu
7. Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Catherine
8. George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, second son of Catherine
9. Francis Hastings, first son of George
10. Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, only son of Francis
11. Ferdinando Hastings, 6th Earl of Huntingdon, oldest son of Henry
12. Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon, only son of Ferdinando
13. George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, second son of Theophilus
14. Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, third son of Theophilus
15. Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Theophilus, 9th Earl
16. Elizabeth Rawdon, 16th Baroness Botreaux, only daughter, second line of Theophilus, 9th Earl
17. Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, first son of Elizabeth
18. George Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Marquess of Hastings, eldest legitimate son of Francis
19. Paulyn Rawdon-Hastings, 3rd Marquess of Hastings, first son of George
20. Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings, second son of George
21. Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter, third line of George
22. Charles Rawdon-Hastings, 11th Earl of Loudoun, first son of Edith
23. Paulyn Francis Cuthbert Rawdon-Hastings, second son of Edith
24. Edith Maud Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter, third line of Paulyn
25. Ian Huddleston Abney-Hastings, Lord Mauchline, only son of Edith
26. Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter, second line of Edith
27. Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, eldest son of Barbara
28. Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun, eldest son of Michael

Note: The list of succession (right) excludes females from the crown. The precedent for female inheritance of the Crown would not have been set had George, Duke of Clarence inherited the crown. The principle that a woman could reign was only laid down by Henry VIII when he named Mary I as heir to the throne in 1525, and approved by Parliament by the First Succession Act which appointed Elizabeth I as heir. This line does, however, maintain the precedent of the right of a male to inherit via female line set by the succession of Henry II after he reclaimed the usurped crown from his cousin Stephen.