Succession To The British Throne - Statistical Tables

Statistical Tables

The statistical tables show how the line has grown over the years. In 1701 when the law was passed there were ten living people in the line, including three who later became sovereign—Queen Anne, King George I and King George II. On 26 April 1721 the first member of the line of succession to be born in Britain was Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, the 6th child of George II. In 1748 the first Dutch prince was born in the line of succession, and in 1749 the first Danish prince was born into the line. In 1761 after George III became king there were 20 living descendants of his grandfather George II and 35 living descendants of the sister of George II (which also formed the Prussian line of succession). In 1777, Aleksandr Pavlovich was the first Russian born into the line of succession. In 1821 George IV had been king for less than a year and Victoria was two years old. In 1901 she died leaving 74 living descendants. By then they lived in nearly every country in Europe and included the monarchs of Germany, Hesse and Saxe-Coburg; the consorts of Russia and Saxe-Meiningen; future monarchs of Greece and Schleswig-Holstein; and future consorts of Spain, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Yugoslavia, Brunswick and Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

The table for 1 January 2001 shows the number of descendants from different generations. George III is the grandfather of Victoria, and George II is the grandfather of George III. There is no estimate on the number of illegitimate descendants, but they could be in the thousands, as George I had three illegitimate children, and only two legitimate ones.

Although the law says that all issue from the body of Sophia of Hanover, mother to George I, are eligible to succeed to the throne (if they meet the other criteria), Sophia only had three legitimate grandchildren: George II and Sophia Dorothea, children of George I; and Frederick William I of Prussia, nephew of George I. Sophia Dorothea and Frederick William married each other, so all the living descendants of Sophia are also descendants of George I.