Why Princess Anne Is Not Ahead of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the Line of Succession
Summary
Princess Anne, the daughter of Elizabeth II, is behind her younger brothers Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Edward in the line of succession because the rules in place at the time of their births followed male-preference primogeniture. Under those rules, sons took precedence over daughters regardless of age. The law was changed in 2013 to introduce absolute primogeniture, but the change was not applied retroactively, so the positions of older members of the royal family did not change.
The Old Rules: Male-Preference Primogeniture
When the children of Elizabeth II were born, the line of succession was determined by male-preference primogeniture. This meant that:
- Sons came before daughters
- Birth order only mattered between children of the same gender
Princess Anne was born in 1950, before Andrew and Edward. However, when Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was born in 1960, he moved ahead of Anne in the line of succession simply because he was male. The same thing happened when Prince Edward was born in 1964, and he was also placed ahead of Anne.
This is why, even though Anne is the second child of Elizabeth II, she is behind both Andrew and Edward in the line of succession.
The Law Changed in 2013
The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 introduced absolute primogeniture for people born after 28 October 2011. Under the new rules, the eldest child takes precedence regardless of gender.
However, the law was not applied retroactively. This means that the positions of people born before that date did not change.
A Modern Example: Princess Charlotte
A clear example of the new rules can be seen in the family of William, Prince of Wales. His daughter, Princess Charlotte, was born in 2015, after the new rules were introduced. She remains ahead of her younger brother, Prince Louis, in the line of succession.
Under the old system, Louis would have moved ahead of Charlotte when he was born, just as Andrew moved ahead of Anne in 1960.
Why the Rules Were Not Applied Retroactively
When the law was changed in 2013, it was decided that the new rules would apply only to people born after 28 October 2011. Changing the positions of people already in the line of succession would have required a major reordering of the line and could have created complex legal and constitutional questions. Instead, the change was applied only to future births.
Summary
Princess Anne is behind her younger brothers in the line of succession because the rules at the time followed male-preference primogeniture, where sons took precedence over daughters. The law was changed in 2013 to introduce absolute primogeniture, but the change only applies to people born after October 2011, which is why Anne’s position did not change.
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