Will the New Royal Baby Become King?

On April 23, 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their third child, a baby boy. With news of the new royal baby, many people are wondering if he will become king of the United Kingdom in the future.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child will be in line to the throne, he most likely won’t become king, simply because of the line of succession.

Said line of succession goes as follows:

When Queen Elizabeth dies, her son, Prince Charles, will take the throne. Next in line, is Charles’ son, Prince William. After Prince William, his oldest child, Prince George, will become king. Following Prince George’s reign, his younger sister Charlotte, will become queen. Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s youngest sibling will fall next in line.

Interestingly, this puts Prince William’s brother, Prince Harry, sixth in line.

If Prince George has children of his own in the future, his children will interrupt the current line of succession. That is, if Prince George has a son or a daughter, he or she will become king or queen when he passes away.

Princess Charlotte may not become queen, especially if her older brother has a family, but she was moved up the line of succession thanks to The Succession to the Crown Act of 2013. Basically, this amendment of sorts allows female heirs born after October 28, 2011, to be treated equally to male heirs. Previously, a male heir — like Prince Harry — would become king before a female, despite Princess Charlotte being one of Prince William’s children.

In the morning hours of Monday, April 23, Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Cambridge had arrived at St. Mary’s Hospital in the “early stages of labor.”

“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, London earlier this morning in the early stages of labour. The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge,” read the announcement message on the palace’s official Twitter page.

A couple of hours later, the palace confirmed that the Duchess had given birth to a baby boy.

“Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8 lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well,” Kensington Palace announced, just before 8 a.m. Eastern.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge introduced their newest addition to the world, coming outside to greet the public, many of whom will have been standing outside the hospital for hours, hoping to see William and Kate’s newborn. Kate Middleton was discharged from the hospital on Monday evening, and she and Prince William brought their third child home to Kensington Palace.

Although the newest member of the royal family likely won’t be the king of the UK, he will still have royal blood and will still partake in royal duties, just as Prince William (and his brother, Prince Harry) has done since he was a young boy.

Read More From Heavy

WATCH: Royal Baby Makes Debut at St. Mary’s Hospital