Princess Eugenie has given birth to her third child, a baby girl, who is now 15th in line to the British throne. The newborn, whose name has not yet been revealed, arrived on Monday, pushing both Prince Edward and Princess Anne further down the line of succession.
Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank are also parents to sons August, five, and Ernest, three, who are 13th and 14th in line respectively. With the new arrival, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, is now 16th in line, while Princess Anne, often dubbed 'the hardest working royal', has dropped to 19th.
Jennie Bond calls for succession reform
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has argued that the line of succession should be revised and shortened. Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "I do think the line of succession should be revised and shortened. There’s something rather ridiculous about the hard-working and popular Duke of Edinburgh being knocked down the succession line to make way for Eugenie’s third baby."
Bond also highlighted the continued presence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who remains eighth in line despite his arrest in February. "It’s preposterous to think that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is still eighth in the line of succession. I think the heir and their children should be enough – or perhaps, for safety, just make it the first five," she added.
The first five in line are Prince William, his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, followed by Prince Harry, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and now lives in California.
Calls to remove non-working royals
In March, Bond had already suggested limiting the line to William and his children, followed by Princess Anne and Prince Edward. She said: "I think this long line of succession has become rather ridiculous. Very few people have any idea that someone called Athena Mapelli Mozzi or Ernest Brooksbank are 11th and 14th in line to the throne. Personally, I think they should also remove Harry and his children, plus Beatrice, Eugenie and their children from the line of succession."
Bond added: "I once made a television programme which showed that, in essence, we are all related to royalty and therefore all in the line of succession. It becomes silly. So I think we should simply have William and his children, followed by the much respected Princess Royal and then Prince Edward."
Andrew's arrest and potential removal
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was held in a Norfolk police station for 12 hours before being released under investigation. Discussions about removing him from the line of succession began following his arrest.
Earlier this year, sources suggested the government would begin consultation after the conclusion of multiple police investigations into allegations surrounding Andrew's conduct. All 14 realms would need to agree to the change, which can only be enacted by an Act of Parliament. The UK government, along with the prime ministers of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, have voiced support for the change, given the allegations arising from Andrew's connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has vehemently denied all allegations.
Bond believes removing Andrew is straightforward: "Of course Andrew should be removed from the line of succession. If you are not fit to be a prince, you’re certainly not fit to be monarch. Andrew is obviously not a suitable substitute for the King."
