Is Prince Harry's Place in Line of Succession Under Threat?

Prince Harry at the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023. — (Image credit: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images for Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023)

In January 2020, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced they'd be stepping down as senior members of the royal family. According to reports, Prince Harry was the driving force behind the Sussexes' royal exit. Since then, a rift has formed within the royal family, and Harry's relationship with his brother Prince William appears to be particularly fractured. Now, a new report speculates that Prince Harry could be removed from the royal family's line of succession altogether.

As of August 2024, Prince Harry is fifth in line to the British throne, followed by his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, respectively. Prince William is first in the line of succession, followed by his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

According to the Express, a source has suggested that Prince Harry's place in the line of succession is under threat. "The order of succession can be altered by statute if a member of the Royal Family permanently resides outside the U.K. and no longer undertakes royal duties," the source told the outlet. "If that were to happen, Harry's children could also be removed from the line of succession."

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Princess Kate, Prince William, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry on Commonwealth Day in 2020. — "Harry's children could also be removed from the line of succession."

Professor of constitutional law at King’s College London, Robert Blackburn, also spoke to the Express, saying, "Like Edward VIII, Prince Harry does not wish to perform the role of royalty expected of him and has withdrawn to live abroad." He continued, "Presumably therefore Prince Harry would be agreeable to abdicate his place in succession if for any reason this became an issue in royal affairs being legislated upon."

Meanwhile, Meghan has reportedly been urging Harry to move forward and leave any past drama behind them. "If Meghan is encouraging Harry to leave the past behind and move on, then I think it is a healthy move," a royal expert told OK! magazine.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards: Celebrating Generations of Progress amp;amp; Power on May 16, 2023. — Meghan has reportedly been urging Harry to move forward.

"They have made their decision, left the working Royal Family and left the U.K.," the source explained. "Brooding on the perceived injustices of the past and re-living old quarrels is a waste of a life, and I think Meghan sees that."

For now, at least, Prince Harry retains his place in the line of succession, and any indication to the contrary is pure speculation.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.