Can Prince Harry Be Removed From the Line of Succession?

It has been three years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their senior royal roles. As a lot has been said and done, one thing remains: the Duke of Sussex is still part of the royal succession. So, is there a way for him to be removed from the line?

Prince Harry lost several patronages and honorary military titles after leaving the royal family. But he’s still fifth in the line of succession to the British throne, followed by his son, Archie, on the sixth, and his daughter, Lilibet, on the seventh.

Prince Harry’s Line of Succession

Princess Diana gave birth to Prince Harry in 1984, making him the third person in line to the throne, following his brother, Prince William, on the second, and his father, now-King Charles, the heir apparent.

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But as time passed, Prince William married Kate Middleton and had his own kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, moving Prince Harry further down the line.

Royal Experts Want Prince Harry to be Cut from the Line

Robert Jobson said on BBC Breakfast stressed in February 2021, via Express, that Prince Harry is no longer coming back to the United Kingdom after moving to the United States and living there with his wife, Meghan Markle, and kids.

The Sussexes decided to leave the monarchy to become “financially independent.”

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Hence, Jobson suggested that Prince Harry should be “taken out” of the line of succession.

Late Queen Elizabeth Couldn’t Decide the Order of the Line of Succession

Though the late Queen Elizabeth decided the removal of Prince Harry’s patronages and honorary titles, she couldn’t decide the order of the line of succession.

"The line of succession is laid down in law, most recently the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which abolished the rule of male primogeniture and introduced gender equality,” Professor Robert Hazell, from UCL's Constitution Unit, explained, via Yahoo! News. "The Queen has no power to change the line of succession. Only Parliament can do that, as it did in the 2013 Act. So, if Harry were to be removed from the line of succession, it would require legislation through an Act of Parliament."

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The Queen couldn’t touch the Act of Parliament as the Parliament made the decision in the rule that regulated the monarchy and not the monarch.

The Member of Parliament couldn’t also use the parliamentary time to remove Prince Harry from the line of succession when his chances of becoming a king are slim, though he’s fifth in line to the throne.

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