This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to inherit the throne of England, should the incumbent monarch die. Those who actually succeeded (at any future time) are shown in bold. Stillborn children and infants surviving less than a month are not included.
It may be noted that the succession was highly uncertain, and was not governed by a fixed convention, for much of the century after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Significant breaks in the succession, where the designated heir did not in fact succeed (due to usurpation, conquest, revolution, or lack of heirs) are shown as breaks in the table below.
The symbols +1, +2, etc. are to be read "once (twice, etc.) removed in descendancy", i.e., the child or grandchild (etc.) of a cousin of the degree specified. The symbols −1, −2, etc. indicate the converse relationship, i.e., the cousin of a parent or grandparent (etc.).
1066 to 1135: The Normans
1135 to 1154: The Blois
1154 to 1399: Plantagenets
1399 to 1461: The Lancasters
1461 to 1470: Briefly the Yorks
1470 to 1471: Briefly the Lancasters, again
1471 to 1485: Briefly the Yorks, again
1485 to 1603: The Tudors
1603 to 1707: The Stuarts
Jacobite succession, 1689–1807
The following are the heirs of the Jacobite pretenders to the throne to the death of the last Stuart pretender. For other persons in this lineage, see
Jacobite succession.
See also
*
List of heirs to the Scottish throne
*
List of heirs to the British throne
*
Line of succession to the British throne
*
History of the English line of succession
Sources
* Ian Mortimer, ''The Fears of Henry IV: the Life of England's Self-Made King'' (Vintage, 2008)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heirs to the English Throne
Succession to the British crown
English
British monarchy-related lists