Long before Queen Elizabeth II passed away, it seemed that there was little chance Prince Harry would really be part of the British monarchy. Although Harry did remain involved with some aspects of royal life, he and Meghan did officially 'quit' the royal family. While family remains family, and Harry did rush to see his grandmother before her unexpected passing, there are still many aspects in which the second son of the king is very far removed from the crown.
Now, with the line of succession being updated as King Charles III takes the throne, fans are wondering whether there's still a chance that Harry will ever ascend. After all, Queen Elizabeth II's ascension was something of a departure from tradition. Could it happen to Harry?
Queen Elizabeth II Ascended To The Throne In A Surprising Way
Though Queen Elizabeth II has always been beloved by her people (and the world), it wasn't always promised that she would ascend to the throne. After all, her uncle was meant to (and did) become king, not her father.
King George VI (whose name was Albert before he adopted his new moniker as king) became king after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, a two-time divorcee. In an ironic twist, some are now comparing Harry's exile to that of Edward's; Harry also married a divorcee, but his path has been quite different.
Had Edward VIII married someone else, and had children, he could have kept the throne, and the line of succession would have missed Elizabeth completely. That did not happen, putting Elizabeth II's father next in line instead.
But Elizabeth's case was unique; her uncle was unmarried, had no heirs, and ultimately chose love over the throne. The current line of succession is vastly different, and leaves very little room for Harry to ever become king.
Could Prince Harry Become King Of England?
While the people of Britain know very well how their monarchy works, the rest of the world is often left scratching their heads. Some rules have changed since the earlier times in the British monarchy, while other rules remain steadfast.
Succession happens by blood, but of course, a potential monarch always has the option to abdicate the throne. Or, something could happen to them that makes it impossible for them to take the throne.
In Prince Harry's case, there are really only two ways — both extreme twists of fate — that he could become king someday. For Harry to become king, all the people in line ahead of him would have to either abdicate the throne, or pass away.
Many of the other ways someone would be disqualified from taking the throne have been done away with; Reuters explains that before 2013, marrying a Roman Catholic would remove a royal from the line of succession.
The current rules, however, suggest that the line of succession starts with Prince William, then proceeds to his son George, daughter Charlotte, and son Louis.
Therefore, the only way Harry could ever jump the line is if his brother, nephews, or niece either abdicated or were incapacitated prior to taking the throne.
Did Prince Harry Give Up His Place In The Line Of Succession?
Edward's abdication was almost a blight on British history; his brother essentially had him exiled; King George V had seemed to share his son's sentiments regarding Edward.
In fact, before his passing, King George V reportedly said "I pray God that my eldest son will never marry and that nothing will come between Bertie [a nickname for Albert, later King George VI] and Lilibet [the late Queen Elizabeth II] and the throne."
But after King George VI became king, things seemed to go according to plan — and the line of succession. Elizabeth became queen immediately upon her father's passing, and her first son Charles became king upon her death.
Unless William or any of his children abdicate the throne, or make a misstep that removes them from the line of succession (unlikely, it seems!), then William will one day follow his father as King of England.
Of course, it's possible that William's children might have their own set of modern royal drama, being that history has involved similarly complicated circumstances. But the fact that Prince Harry stepped back from royal duties does nothing to his place in line for the throne.
If William or his heirs opt not to take on the crown, Harry would still be in the running.