Alternative lines of succession to the English crown

A fun way to delve into history is by looking at the alternative lines of succession, in this case to the English crown. As of late the succession to the crown is regulated by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, but before this there was a system of male-preference primogeniture. This meant that a woman could inherit but only if she had no brothers.

Looking back at the time of William the Conquerer and trying to trace back a line of absolute primogenture is nearly impossible. I’ve tried to trace it back, though it may contain errors as information was a bit limited.

1. William the Conquerer
2. Robert Curthose (had son William Clito who predeceased him, childless, succeeded by younger brother)
3. Henry I of England
4. Empress Matilda
5. Henry II of England (three eldest sons predeceased him, succeeded by eldest daughter)
6. Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony
7. Richenza/Matilda of Saxony (had issue, but they probably died childless. Succeeded by younger brother)
8. Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine
9. Henry VI, Count Palatine of the Rhine (childless, succeeded by sister)
10. Irmengard of the Rhine (eldest son predeceased her, succeeded by grandson)
11. Frederick I, Margrave of Baden (died childless, succeeded by sister)
12. Agnes of Baden, Duchess of Carinthia
13. Catherine of Heunberg
14. Frederick I, Count of Cilli
15. Ulrich I, Count of Cilli
16. William, Count of Cilli
17. Anna of Cilli, Queen of Poland
18. Hedwig Jagiellon (died childless, succeeded by distant cousin)
19. Frederick II, Count of Cilli and Ortenburg
20. Ulrich II, Count of Cilli
21. Herman IV of Cilli (died childless, succeeded by sister)
22. Elizabeth II of Cilli (died childless, succeeded by cousin)
23. Margareta of Cilli
24. Hermann II, Count of Montfort-Bregenz
25. Hugo XVII, count of Montfort-Bregenz (no legitimate issue, succeeded by brother)
26, George II, Count of Monfort-Bregenz
27. Franziska, Countess of Montfort
28. Maria von Manderscheid- Gerolstein (died childless, succeeded by brother)
29. Johann Gerhard, Count of Manderscheid-Gerolstein
30. Philippa Sidonia von Manderscheid-Gerolstein (children predeceased her, childless. Succeeded by brother)
31. Johann Philipp, Count of Manderscheid-Gerolstein (childless, succeeded by brother)
32. Karl, Count of Manderscheid-Gerolstein
33. Either daughter of Karl, Antonia Elisabeth, Countess of Manderscheid-Gerolstein or granddaughter Arnoldine Katharina von Manderscheid-Blankenheim (granddaughter died childless, succeeded by sister)
34. Anna Salome von Manderscheid-Blankenheim (died childless, succeeded by brother)
35. Salentin Ernst, Count of Manderscheid-Blankenheim (eldest daughter predeceased him, succeeded by granddaughter)
36. Albertine Johanna, Princess of Nassau-Hadamar
37. Dorothea Franziska Agnes, Princess of Salm
38. Ludwig Karl Otto, Prince of Salm-Salm (childless, succeeded by niece)
39. Augusta Leopolda, Countess of Manderscheid-Blankenheim
40. Johann Wilhelm, Count of Sternberg (died childless, succeeded by niece)
41. Marie Leopoldine, Countess of Sternberg-Manderscheid
42. Friedrich, Count of Silva (died childless, succeeded by nephew)
43. Franz Joseph Maria Augustin, Count of Silva
44. Karl Borromäuss, Count of Silva (died childless, succeeded by brother)
45. Egbert, Count of Silva
46. Theresia, Countess of Silva-Tarouca (born 1920, could still be alive)
47. Marie Elisabeth Kraus, Countess of Silva-Tarouca (born 1948)

Other alternative lines of succession include the infamous line of the Jacobites. After James II was deposed by his daughter and son-in-law, his son by Mary of Modena succeeded him in the line of succession. That claim continues today, though James II’s line has died out with his second son and the line now continues through his sister, Henrietta Anne Stuart, who was married to the Duke of Orléans.

1. Charles I of England
2. Henrietta Anne Stuart, youngest daughter, final line of Charles
3. Anne Marie d’Orléans, second daughter, third line of Henrietta Anne
4. Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia, second son of Anne Marie
5. Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia, second son of Charles Emmanuel
6. Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia, second son of Victor Amadeus
7. Maria Beatrice of Savoy, eldest daughter, second line of Victor Emmanuel
8. Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este, second son of Maria Beatrice
9. Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, only child of Ferdinand
10. Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, eldest son of Maria Theresia
11. Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, second son of Rupprecht
12. Franz, Duke of Bavaria, elder son of Albrecht (alive)
13. Max, Duke of Bavaria (alive)
14. Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein (alive)
15. Prince Joseph-Wenzel of Liechtenstein (alive)

(from Wikipedia)

There is also an alternative line of succession from the descendants of George, Duke of Clarence, which assumes that either Edward IV was illegitimate (an old rumour!) or that his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid.

1. George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, third son (second “legitimate” son) of Richard, 3rd Duke of York
2. Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, first son of George
3. Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury, second daughter, fourth line of George
4. Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, first son of Margaret
5. Henry Pole, second son of Henry
6. Catherine Hastings, first daughter, third line of Henry, 1st Baron Montagu
7. Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Catherine
8. George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, second son of Catherine
9. Francis Hastings, first son of George
10. Henry Hastings, 5th Earl of Huntingdon, only son of Francis
11. Ferdinando Hastings, 6th Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Henry
12. Theophilus Hastings, 7th Earl of Huntingdon, only son of Ferdinando
13. George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, second son of Theophilus
14. Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, third son of Theophilus
15. Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Theophilus, 9th Earl
16. Elizabeth Rawdon, 16th Baroness Botreaux, only daughter, second line of Theophilus, 9th Earl
17. Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, first son of Elizabeth
18. George Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Marquess of Hastings, eldest legitimate son of Francis
19. Paulyn Rawdon-Hastings, 3rd Marquess of Hastings, first son of George
20. Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings, second son of George
21. Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter, third line of George
22. Charles Rawdon-Hastings, 11th Earl of Loudoun, first son of Edith
23. Paulyn Francis Cuthbert Rawdon-Hastings, second son of Edith
24. Edith Maud Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter, third line of Paulyn
25. Ian Huddleston Abney-Hastings, Lord Mauchline, only son of Edith
26. Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter, second line of Edith
27. Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, eldest son of Barbara
28. Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun, eldest son of Michael