Though she is now eighth in line to the throne, her position could slip further down, should any of Prince William and Kate's children become parents in the future.
Months after the birth of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's daughter, Lilibet Diana, she has been officially added to the royal line of succession, reports PEOPLE. The British Royal Family's official website was updated on July 26 to include Lilibet, who is now eighth in line to the throne.
This means that the young monarch —who was born at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California on June 4, 2021— is one place behind her big brother, Archie, 2, and two behind Prince Harry, who is currently sixth in line to ascend the throne after Queen Elizabeth II.
William and Kate's children —Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis— hold places three to five on the list, behind their father and their grandfather, Prince Charles, who is first in line. Charles is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, as he's been holding onto the position since February 6, 1952, the day then-Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne. The Prince of Wales was only three at the time.
Neither Markle nor Kate Middleton is a part of the list, as both aren't royals by birth. The list also doesn't contain names of other royal spouses such as Mike Tindall and Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, Duchess of York.
The legalities involved in the line of succession dates back to the 17th century, and were last amended in 2013, to eliminate the system of male primogeniture, where male heirs are automatically placed above their sisters in the line of succession. In 2015, another amendment was made to remove the historic rule that a royal could not keep their position on the list if they married a Roman Catholic. However, this is only applicable to children born after October 28, 2011.
Even though the youngest monarch is eighth in line, this doesn't mean it's set in stone. Lilibet's position will slip further down the line, should any of William and Kate's children become parents in the future.
Meanwhile, in their daughter's birth certificate, Prince Harry's first name is listed as "The Duke of Sussex," with "His Royal Highness" as his last name. However, Meghan did not use her royal titles, and chose to list her full name Rachel Meghan Markle in places where the document required their legal names and her maiden name, adds PEOPLE.
When compared to Lilibet, Archie's certificate was made public just 11 days after his birth, in May 2019. On their firstborn's birth certificate, Harry's name was listed as "His Royal Highness Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex" while Meghan was "Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex."
Their royal occupations were listed as "Prince" and "Princess of the United Kingdom," on Archie's birth certificate, but Meghan does not have a princess title. In Lilibet's certificate in California, the parents' occupations are not included.
Under current guidelines, great-grandchildren of the monarch are not princes or princesses, except for children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, which is why Prince William and Kate Middleton's children are Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, per PEOPLE. However, when Prince Charles eventually takes the throne, his grandchildren Archie and Lili will automatically inherit the titles of prince and princess.
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Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Mark Metcalfe
