The line of succession to the throne changes after the death of queen Elizabeth II, as her eldest son and heir, Charles, Prince of Wales, becomes king.

The list, by some counts, runs into the thousands, including ordinary people and nobility from across Europe.

• Queen Elizabeth II dies, Charles III succeeds

But the immediate line of succession is for descendants of the queen:

1. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge – Born June 21, 1982. Charles' eldest son
2. Prince George of Cambridge – Born July 22, 2013. William's eldest son
3. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge – Born May 2, 2015. William's daughter
4. Prince Louis of Cambridge – Born April 23, 2018. William's second son
5. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex – Born September 15, 1984. Charles' second son
6. Archie Mountbatten-Windsor – Born May 6, 2019. Harry's eldest son
7. Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor – Born June 4, 2021. Harry's daughter
8. Prince Andrew, Duke of York – Born February 19, 1960. Queen Elizabeth's second son
9. Princess Beatrice of York – Born August 8, 1988. Andrew's eldest daughter
10. Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi – Born September 18, 2021. Beatrice's daughter
11. Princess Eugenie of York – Born March 23, 1990. Andrew's second daughter
12. August Brooksbank – Born February 9, 2021. Eugenie's son
13. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex – Born March 10, 1964. Queen Elizabeth's third son
14. James, Viscount Severn – Born December 17, 2007. Edward's son
15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor – Born November 8, 2003. Edward's daughter
16. Princess Anne, Prince Royal – Born August 15, 1950. Queen Elizabeth's daughter
17. Peter Phillips – Born November 15, 1977. Anne's son
18. Savannah Phillips – Born December 29, 2010. Phillips' eldest daughter
19. Isla Phillips – Born March 29, 2012. Phillips' second daughter
20. Tindall – Born May 15, 1981. Anne's daughter
21. Mia Tindall – Born January 17, 2014. Tindall's eldest daughter
22. Lena Tindall – Born June 18, 2018. Tindall's second daughter
23. Lucas Tindall – Born March 21, 2021. Tindall's son

Queen Elizabeth's descendants are followed by the six of her late sister princess Margaret, her only sibling.

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The descendants of their father king George VI's siblings then follow. There are more than 70 living people descended from his father, king George V, who died in 1936.

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Only people descended from Sophia of Hanover (1630-1714) and who are in "communion with the Church of England" can inherit the throne, according to the 1701 Act of Settlement.

Roman Catholics are excluded -- the monarch is supreme governor of the Church of England, which was established by king Henry VIII in 1534.

But those married to Roman Catholics are no longer barred.

In changes to the succession laws which came into effect in 2015, males born after October 28, 2011 no longer take precedence over their older sisters.

Besides Britain, the line of succession is also that of the other thrones of the Commonwealth realms.

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© Agence France-Presse