Since Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne in 1952, the English royal family tree has grown to include her four children, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. For most people, a family tree is simply a fun curio, but for the British royal family birth order and parentage is all important because it dictates the line of succession. Following the queen’s historically long 70-year reign, her son Charles became king. England’s royal family now includes two direct main line heirs: Prince William, and Prince George. Join us as we explore the ever-expanding family tree of the Mountbatten-Windsors, the royal family of England.
King George VI (1895–1952)
George VI, the retiring, stuttering second son of King George V and Queen Mary, never expected to be king. But when his popular brother King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, his small family was thrust into the international spotlight. His fearless leadership during World War II made him beloved by the British people. He died on February 6, 1952, likely of coronary thrombosis, and thus his eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, ascended the throne.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900–2002)
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon married the future George VI in 1923. Outgoing, cheerful and tough, she was often voted one of the most popular members of the royal family throughout her long life. During her long widowhood, she supported her eldest daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, undertaking numerous public duties up until the end of her life.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021)
A member of the Greek royal family, deposed shortly after his birth, Prince Philip was said to have been born on a dining table on the Greek island of Corfu. He served England in the Royal Navy during World War II. In 1947, he married his distant cousin Princess Elizabeth in Westminster Abbey. Blunt and opinionated, he was known for his grumpy insults, but he also helped modernize the British monarchy and championed environmental causes. He was a constant support to his wife, who called him her “strength and stay.”
Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022)
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born to the future King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1926. With her uncle King Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936, the kind, stoic, horse-mad girl became heir apparent in the British royal family’s line of succession. In 1952 she ascended the throne as Elizabeth, Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms. Throughout her long reign, her tireless commitment to service and duty have helped her withstand family tragedy, scandal, and drama. In 2022, she became the second longest-reigning monarch in world history.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930–2002)
Princess Margaret Rose was born in 1930, the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Glamorous, dramatic, artistic, and difficult, her doomed love affair with the divorced Group Captain Peter Townsend caused an international scandal in the 1950s. In 1960, she married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. They divorced in 1978. Princess Margaret was very close to her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II, who was devastated when she died of a stroke in 2002.
King Charles III (b. 1948)
Charles Philip Arthur George was born in 1948, the oldest child of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. He was invested as the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle on July 1, 1969. Before his accession as King Charles III, he championed environmental and humanitarian causes. However, his doomed marriage to Princess Diana and long-term affair with second wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has often overshadowed his public service.
Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)
A cultural phenomenon, Lady Diana Frances Spencer was only 20 when she married the 32-year-old Prince of Wales on July 29, 1981. The glamorous, empathic “Queen of People’s Hearts” renewed interest in the British royal family. Her tortured relationship with Prince Charles enthralled the public, and they finally divorced in 1996. She died in a tragic car accident in Paris in 1997. Her funeral was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people.
Camilla, Queen Consort (b. 1947)
Camilla Shand reportedly first met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor Great Park in 1970 or 1971. The couple dated for a time, but eventually broke up. In 1973, Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles. Her affair with Prince Charles resumed in the mid-1980s, causing an international scandal. Prince Charles and Camilla finally married in 2005. In 2022, Camilla, known for her warm, friendly demeanor, was named presumptive queen consort by Queen Elizabeth II.
Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950)
The second child of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne was the first British royal to compete in the Olympics as an equestrian in 1976. No-nonsense and athletic, she married Mark Phillips, the father of her children, Zara and Peter, in 1973. They divorced in 1992, and she married her current husband, Timothy Laurence, that same year.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960)
The second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Andrew served in the Falklands War in the 1980s. He married Sarah, Duchess of York, in 1986, and the couple had two children, Beatrice and Eugenie. The Yorks divorced in 1996, but reportedly still share a home. After being accused of sexual assault and rape by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre (whose claims he denied, and with whom he reached an out-of-court settlement earlier this year, after she brought a civil case against him), he stepped back from public life in 2019.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (b. 1964)
Prince Edward is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. He married the popular Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. The couple has two children, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.
Catherine, Princess of Wales (b. 1982)
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton met Prince William at the University of St. Andrews. They married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey. The future queen consort is mother to three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis.
Prince William, Prince of Wales (b. 1982)
The oldest child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Prince William is first in the line of succession to the British throne. He served as an air ambulance helicopter pilot before undertaking full-time duties for the royal firm. He allegedly plans to modernize and humanize the monarchy when he becomes king.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984)
Currently fifth in line to the throne, Prince Harry served in the British Army in Afghanistan. After a series of youthful scandals, the popular prince married Meghan Markle in 2018. In 2020, the couple shocked the world when they announced they would step back as working members of the British royal family. They relocated to Montecito, California, where the prince has been working on an upcoming memoir.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (b. 1981)
Meghan Markle is an American actor who starred on the TV show Suits. In 2021, she and Prince Harry revealed why they left the British royal family (a scandal dubbed “Megxit”) in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. An outspoken feminist and progressive, Markle is now an entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Prince George of Wales (b. 2013)
George Alexander Louis was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London on July 22, 2013. The eldest son of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, his birth was heralded worldwide. He is second in line to the throne.
Princess Charlotte of Wales (b. 2015)
Currently third in the line of succession to the British throne, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana is the second child of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Her impish, confident personality has already made her a fan favorite with royal watchers around the globe.
Prince Louis of Wales (b. 2018)
Louis Arthur Charles was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London on April 23, 2018. The third child of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis is fourth in the line of succession.
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2019)
The first child born to Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born in London in 2019. He currently resides in Montecito, California, and is sixth in line of succession to the English throne.
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2021)
Named in honor of her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in Santa Barbara, California, on June 4, 2021. The daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, she is seventh in the line of succession to the British throne.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (b. 1959)
The bubbly, effervescent Sarah Ferguson, nicknamed “Fergie” was heralded as a breath of fresh air when she married Prince Andrew in 1986. However, she was soon embroiled in a series of scandals and the couple divorced in 1996. She has had several careers as a Weight Watchers spokesperson, children’s book author and reality TV star. Seemingly perpetually in financial trouble, she was further disgraced in 2010 when she was exposed attempting to sell access to the palace. She still lives with her ex-husband, and has been one of his biggest supporters during his disgrace.
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (b. 1983)
Descended from a noble Italian family, the London-born property developer married Princess Beatrice in 2020. Mozzi has a son, Christopher, from a previous relationship. He and Beatrice welcomed daughter Sienna in 2021.
Jack Brooksbank (b. 1986)
Born in London, Brooksbank is the half third cousin twice removed of his wife, Princess Eugenie, whom he married in 2018. He currently works in Portugal for the Discovery Land Company. The couple share a son, August, born in 2021.
Mark Phillips (b. 1948)
A gold-medal Olympic equestrian, Captain Phillips married Princess Anne in 1973. The couple had two children, Zara and Peter Phillips. After years of separation, they divorced in 1992. They remained friendly, and Princess Anne attended the wedding of Phillips’s daughter Stephanie in 2022.
Timothy Laurence (b. 1955)
A retired Royal Navy officer and former equerry to the queen, Laurence was first linked to Anne in the late 1980s, when her marriage to Mark Phillips was breaking down. The two married in 1992. He has become increasingly involved in royal service in recent years, making appearances on behalf of the queen.
Mike Tindall (b. 1978)
A celebrated pro-rugby player, Mike Tindall was part of the 2003 English national team which won the World Cup. He married Zara Phillips in 2011. Gregarious and down-to-earth, the cheeky Tindall has become a royal family fan favorite. He and Zara share three children: Lucas, Mia, and Lena.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex (b. 1965)
When she first burst on the scene, much of the press surrounding concerned her uncanny resemblance to Princess Diana. A PR professional, she began dating Prince Edward in 1993, and married him in 1999. Friendly and hard-working, she has become a valuable and popular member of the Firm, and was said to be very close to the queen. She and Edward share two children, Louise and James.
Autumn Phillips (b. 1978)
Canadian-born Autumn Kelly met Peter Phillips in her hometown of Montreal while working as a management consultant. The two married in 2008 and had two daughters, Savannah and Isla. They were divorced in 2021.
August Philip Hawke Brooksbank (b. 2021)
August Brooksbank is the son of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. He is 14th in the line of succession.
Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi (b. 2021)
Sienna Elizabeth is the daughter of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She is 10th in the line of succession.
Savannah Phillips (b. 2010)
The queen’s oldest great-grandchild is the daughter of Peter Phillips and ex-wife Autumn. She was a flower girl at Princess Eugenie’s wedding and is often seen playing with her younger cousins at royal events.
Isla Phillips (b. 2012)
The youngest daughter of Peter Phillips and his ex-wife Autumn, Isla made her balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour in 2017.
Lucas Tindall (b. 2021)
Lucas Tindall is the youngest child of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall. He is 23rd in the line of succession.
Mia Tindall (b. 2014)
Mia Grace Tindall is the oldest child of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall. She is often seen frolicking with her royal cousins and is known for her rambunctious personality.
Lena Tindall (b. 2018)
The second daughter of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, Lena delighted the world when she fought with second cousin Prince Louis over candy at the queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.