Andrew and Anne Question?

Question

I am American so i don't know - Prince Andrew is 4th in line for the thrown but Princess Anne is older. Why is she skipped over? If it is because of her gender isn't that a little . . . well, outdated. After all, the Brits are a modern people.

Yes I know it is spelled throne (I think!)

Anne is the Queen's daughter and her second born child. Anne is not her sister unless something really strange is happening at Buckingham Palace.

Answer 1

It is because of her gender.This has now been changed and prince William's first born will become monarch regardless of the child's sex

Answer 2

It's because we still have male primogeniture, where males inherit before females. The Queen came to the throne because her father only had two daughters. It is outdated but since the Queen can trace her ancestry back past William The Conqueror it's an ancient tradition, however, some European monarchies are changing the laws of succesion so females have equal status. The question in the UK is largely academic at the moment since the first three people in the line of succession are all males and all the eldest (or second-eldest in Harry's case) children. The question will remain academic until William has children and then only if he has a daughter first.

There have been discussions on changing the law of succession but this would make very little difference at present with only Anne and her children moving up.

Despite the male Primogeniture, Since 1837, Queens have reigned for over 118 years (out of 170) whereas kings have ruled for the other 54 or so.

Answer 3

It's quite simple; the UK follows the laws of primogenitor,which favors males over females.Yes,it's very old fashioned,but have you noticed that the institution of monarchy seems to be very slow to change? In Sweden, it's just the first born child,while others follow the males-first rule. Perhaps Parliament will change the rules one day.(I am American,too, and find the royals of the world quite interesting).
Princess Anne is quite capable of ruling,but because of the males-first rule has gone down the line in favor of her brothers and their off-spring. Her marrying a commoner in no way affects her royal status: she isThe Princess Royal, a special title signifyng her status as the eldest royal daughter as well as her service to the monarchy.
Here is the current line of sucession which can be found at http://www.royal.gov/uk
the official site of Buckingham Palace :
Line of succession

Sovereign
1. The Prince of Wales
2. Prince William of Wales
3. Prince Henry of Wales
4. The Duke of York
5. Princess Beatrice of York
6. Princess Eugenie of York
7. The Earl of Wessex
8. The Lady Louise Windsor
9. The Princess Royal
10. Mr. Peter Phillips
11. Miss Zara Phillips
12. Viscount Linley
13. The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
14. The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones
15. The Lady Sarah Chatto
16. Master Samuel Chatto
17. Master Arthur Chatto
18. The Duke of Gloucester
19. Earl of Ulster
20. Lord Culloden
21. The Lady Davina Lewis
22. The Lady Rose Windsor
23. The Duke of Kent
24. The Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor
25. The Lady Amelia Windsor
26. The Lady Helen Taylor
27. Master Columbus Taylor
28. Master Cassius Taylor
29. Miss Eloise Taylor
30. Miss Estella Taylor
31. The Lord Frederick Windsor
32. The Lady Gabriella Windsor
33. Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
34. Mr. James Ogilvy
35. Master Alexander Ogilvy
36. Miss Flora Ogilvy
37. Miss Marina Ogilvy
38. Master Christian Mowatt
39. Miss Zenouska Mowatt
40. The Earl of Harewood

Anne is now number 9;in December she will drop down another rung(as will those behind her after the birth of her younger brother, Edward's next child. He has a daughter;if he has a son, the son will go in line ahead of the daughter.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, it is because of her gender. In the UK, they use male primogeniture, which means all males (and their lines) are first in line to the throne. This is the current line of succession:
Prince Charles
Prince William
Prince Harry
Prince Andrew
Princess Beatrice
Princess Eugenie
Prince Edward
Lady Louise
(Prince Edward's wife is currently pregnant. If she gives birth to a boy, he will move ahead of Lady Louise in the line. If it's a girl, she'll be behind Lady Louise)
Princess Anne
Peter Phillips
Zara Phillips

P.S. It is possible, if William's first child is a girl, that the current model will be revised.

Answer 5

As some others have said, it is to do with the laws of primogeniture. However, a few years ago the queen proclaimed that henceforth primogeniture would no longer prevail in the ruling House. Thus if William should have first a daughter and then a son, the girl would acceed as queen.

Answer 6

Just to put something right here Anne is the Queens eldest daughter - not her sister! The British monarchy is male orientated so Charles, William, Harry come first followed by Andrew, etc. Anne went down the line with her marriages which also affected her royal standing. Once she married Captain Mark Phillips she had in effect become a commoner which is why the title of Princess Royal was created. As for her looks - who the heck cares? I would rather she became Queen than Charles King. At least with Anne you know a spade is a spade cos she doesn't quibble and will tell it like it is. I personally reckon she is the best of the royals at present !

Answer 7

It's a hang over from 2 or 3 hundred years ago where the Monarch of Great Britain had to be the oldest male child of a Queen of the Elector of Hanover. You know the Georges that lost us our colony in the New world. Any female was passed over for any male child of the Monarch.

Answer 8

The line of succession is based on male preference. Even though Princess Anne is the Queen's 2nd child, she is 9th in the line. Her children are 10th and 11th. I thought I read

Answer 9

The line of succession to the British Throne is an ordered list of the people in line to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom. The succession is regulated by the Act of Settlement 1701, which limits it to the heirs of the Electress Sophia of Hanover, as determined by male-preference primogeniture, religion, and legitimate birth:

- A person is always immediately followed in the succession by his or her own legitimate descendants (his or her 'line'). Birth order and gender matter: older sons (and their lines) come before younger sons (and theirs); a person's sons (and their lines), irrespective of age, all come before his or her daughters (and their lines).

- Anyone who is Roman Catholic, becomes Roman Catholic, or marries a Roman Catholic is permanently excluded from the succession; this provision removing "papists" from the succession has never been tested.

- A person born to parents who are not married to each other at the time of birth is not included in the line of succession. The subsequent marriage of the parents does not alter this.

Answer 10

I do not know why that is. But my assumption would be concerning the European history that most likely only male's can assume and acent to the throne. Not for certain whether Britain has changed their throne law or not.

Answer 11

it's throne, not thrown.

Princess Anne is the Princess Royal, and she is in line for the throne, but has brothers and nephews before her. It's an old custom, and it's their custom.