RULES OF SUCCESION

The British monarchy is one of the most unique establishments in the world and one of the most complex, aside from being conservative, the "Firm"(royal family's term of the monarchy) strongly maintained their rules of succession not to include Roman Catholics and illegitimates (even though they are legitimized through their parents' marriage) in the line of succession.

A Roman Catholic is impossible to rule United Kingdom because a British monarch would eventually become a supreme head of the Church of England which is a protestant church. The last Roman Catholic sovereign of England was King James II, younger brother and successor of Charles II and the father of Queen Mary II and Queen Anne.

Prince Michael of Kent (youngest child of Prince George of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece) voluntarily gave up his place in the line of succession in 1978 when he choose to marry Baroness Marie Christine Von Rebneitz, a German aristocrat Roman Catholic. His children, Lord Frederick and Lady Gabriella remained in the line of succession because they are in communion with the Church of England.

Prince Michael's nephews Lord Nicholas and Lord George (children of the Duke of Kent, Prince Edward--older brother of Prince Michael) are also removed from the listing when they took Roman Catholic spouses. In 1999 Prince Ernest of Hanover who was 397th in the line of succession was also excluded when he married the Catholic Hereditary Princess of Monaco, Princess Caroline, but their only child, Princess Alexandra, retained her place in the succession  because she was raised a protestant.

Prince William's cousin Peter Phillips, eldest child of the Princess Royal, faced the same dilemma in 2008 when he announced his engagement to a Canadian Born, Roman Catholic Autumn Kelly. Much to the relief of the royal family, Autumn decided to convert to Anglican religion, days before their wedding day, if she did not, Peter would lose his place in the line of succession, currently, he is listed as the 11th successor of his grandmother.

LINE OF SUCCESSION (first 19 successors - direct descendants of King George VI)

1. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales - eldest son of the Queen
2. Prince William of Wales - eldest son of the Prince of Wales
3. Prince Harry of Wales - youngest son of the Prince of Wales
4. Prince Andrew, the Duke of York - second son of the Queen
5. Princess Beatrice of York - eldest daughter of the Duke of York
6. Princess Eugenie of York - youngest daughter of the Duke of York
7. Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex - youngest son of the Queen
8. The Lord James, Viscount Severn - son of the Earl of Wessex
9. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor - daughter of the Earl of Wessex
10. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal - only daughter of the Queen
11. Mr. Peter Phllips - son of the Princess Royal

12. Savannah Phillips - daughter of Peter Phillips
13. Miss Zara Phillips - daughter of the Princess Royal
14. Viscount Linley - son of Princess Margaret (the only sibling of the Queen)
15. The Honourable Charles Armstrong-Jones - son of Viscount Linley
16. The Honourable Margarita Armstrong-Jones - daughter of Viscount Linley
17. Lady Sarah Chatto - daughter of Princess Margaret
18. Master Samuel Chatto - son of Lady Sarah
19. Master Arthur Chatto - son of Lady Sarah

Roman Catholics, through the Act of  Settlements established during the reign of Queen Anne, are barred from succeeding the throne because a British monarch would automatically become the Supreme Head of the Church of England which is a protestant church. Act of Settlements emphasized that "only the protestant descendants of Princess Sophia of Hanover could possibly succeed the British throne", Princess Sophia was the granddaughter of King James I who married the Prince of Hanover. The Act of Settlement was established to prevent the Catholic descendants of King James II from claiming the throne.

Among the current European crown heads, only King Harald V and his descendants, King Carls XVI Gustav and his descendants, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her descendants, remained in the line of succession to the British throne. King Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sophia, their descendants, King Albert II of Belgium and his descendants and Grand Duke Henri and his descendants are all removed from the line of succession for being Roman Catholics. These European monarchs and Queen Sophia of Spain are all descendants of Queen Victoria of England.