The title of Princess Royal is usually given to the monarch’s eldest daughter. For Queen Elizabeth II, that was Princess Anne, the only girl among the four siblings, which include King Charles III, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Unlike other royal titles that can change over time, the Princess Royal title is for life. Prince William, for example, was the Duke of Cambridge before becoming Prince of Wales. Princess Anne, on the other hand, has held her title since 1987 and will keep it until she passes.
Who will be the next Princess Royal?
Princess Charlotte, as the only daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, is a natural choice to be the next Princess Royal. However, she won’t automatically inherit the title when William takes the throne. That’s a decision for the then-king.
When William becomes king, Catherine will become queen, and their eldest son George will move up as heir- and will probably be named Prince of Wales. But what happens to Louis and Charlotte, including whether Charlotte will get the Princess Royal title, is still undecided.
Before Anne, the previous Princess Royal was King George V’s daughter, who held it until 1965. Anne waited more than 30 years before Queen Elizabeth II finally gave her the honour in 1987 when Anne was 36. Between then and 1965 the position was vacant.
Princess Royal is also a title that remains for life, so Princess Charlotte will have to wait at least until the death of the current Princess Royal.
Has a Princess Royal ever acceded to the British throne?
There have been seven Princess Royals throughout British history and none of them has ever acceded to the throne. However, a Princess Royal can become a queen if she inherits the throne, through the line of succession.
For Princess Anne there's little chance as she's 17th place in the line of succession. Under the rules in place when she was born, male heirs, and their children, automatically took precedence in the line of succession. However, the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 ended male-preference primogeniture, so today Princess Charlotte ranks much higher than younger brother Prince Louis – she is third in line.
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Who were the previous Princess Royals?
Princess Anne (1987–present)
Daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Princess Mary (1932–1965)
Daughter of King George V and Queen Mary
Princess Louise (1905–1931)
Daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Princess Victoria (1841–1901)
Daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Princess Charlotte (1789–1828)
Daughter of King George III and Queen Charlotte
Princess Anne (1727–1759)
Daughter of King George II and Queen Caroline
Princess Mary
1642–1660
daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria
Main image: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Credit: Getty Images