Alternative successions to the English and British Crown

British history provides several opportunities for alternative claimants to the English and later British Crown to arise, and historical scholars have on occasion traced to present times the heirs of those alternative claims.

Throughout this article, the names of "would-have-been" monarchs are in italics.

Abdication of Richard II

Richard II abdicated in favour of Henry Bolingbroke on 29 September 1399. However, Henry was not next in the line to the throne; the heir presumptive was Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, who descended from Edward III's second surviving son, Lionel of Antwerp, whereas Henry's father, John of Gaunt, was Edward's third surviving son.

Map of succession Edward III Edward the Black Prince Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence Richard II Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March Anne de Mortimer Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York Edward IV

Had Edmund inherited instead, the alternative succession would have been short-lived, for it re-united with the historical crown when Edward IV was declared king in 1461.

1. Edward III of England
2. Edward, the Black Prince, first son of Edward III
3. Richard II of England, second son of Edward, the Black Prince
4. Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, third son (second son to survive infancy) of Edward III
5. Philippa Plantagenet, 5th Countess of Ulster, only child of Lionel
6. Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, first son of Philippa
7. Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, first son of Roger, died without issue
8. Anne de Mortimer, first daughter of Roger, succeeded her childless brother Edmund
9. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, only son of Anne
10. Edward IV of England, first son of Richard

Descendants of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence

See also: Britain's Real Monarch

This line's claim to the Crown is based upon the argument that Edward IV was not the son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and thus had no legitimate claim to the Crown. Therefore, when Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, his claim passed first to his eldest legitimate son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, who was executed shortly after the battle, and then to George, Duke of Clarence. Another point is that Henry VI passed a law in 1470 that should both he and his son Edward of Westminster die without further legitimate male issue, the crown was to pass to Clarence, as Henry had placed an attainder upon Edward IV. When Henry VI and Edward both died in 1471, Clarence became the legal heir of the House of Lancaster.

The current descendant of this line is Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun. The line of succession is as follows:

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, daughter of George, succeeded her childless brother Edward
4. Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, first son of Margaret
5. Henry Pole, second son of Henry, his elder brother Thomas died in childhood
6. Catherine Hastings, first daughter, succeeded her childless brother Henry
7. Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Catherine
8. George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, second son of Catherine, succeeded his childless brother Henry
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, his elder brother died in childhood
14. Theophilus Hastings, 9th Earl of Huntingdon, third son of Theophilus, his elder brother George had no legitimate children
15. Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon, first son of Theophilus, 9th Earl
16. Elizabeth Rawdon, 16th Baroness Botreaux, daughter of Theophilus, her brother Francis had no legitimate children
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, his brother Paulyn died in childhood
21. Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter of George, succeeded her childless brother Henry
22. Charles Rawdon-Hastings, 11th Earl of Loudoun, first son of Edith, died without issue
23. Paulyn Abney-Hastings, second son of Edith, succeeded his childless brother Charles
24. Edith Maud Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter of Paulyn
25. Ian Huddleston Abney-Hastings, Lord Mauchline, only son of Edith, died in World War II without issue
26. Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun, first daughter of Edith, succeeded her childless brother Ian
27. Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, eldest son of Barbara
28. Simon Abney-Hastings, 15th Earl of Loudoun, eldest son of Michael
29. The Hon. Marcus William Abney-Hastings, younger brother of Simon (heir apparent)

Subsequent Earls of Huntingdon descended from Sir Edward Hastings (1541–1603?), the fourth son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole after the male line of their third son, George Hastings, 4th Earl of Huntingdon (1540 – 3 December 1604) died out with Francis Hastings, 10th Earl of Huntingdon.

Huntingdon (7th creation), Northampton, and Wilmington family tree

Robert 1000–1035 Duke of Normandy Adelaide of Normandy c. 1030–before 1090 Countess of Aumale William the Conqueror c. 1028–1087 King of England Earl of Huntingdon (1st creation), 1065 Earl of Northampton (1st creation), 1071 Waltheof d. 1076 Earl of Northumbria, 1st Earl of Huntingdon and Earl of Northampton Judith of Lens 1054/1055–c. 1090, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon Maud c. 1074–1130 3rd Countess of Huntingdon, 2nd Countess of Northampton Queen of Scotland Simon I de Senlis d. 1111–1113 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, 2nd Earl of Northampton jure uxoris Simon II de Senlis c. 1098–1153 4th Earl of Huntingdon, 3rd Earl of Northampton Simon III de Senlis c. 1138–1184 5th Earl of Huntingdon, 4th Earl of Northampton Earldom of Northampton (1st creation) reverted to the Crown, 1184 Earl of Northampton (2nd creation), 1337 William de Bohun c. 1312 – 1373 Earl of Hereford, Earl of Essex, 1st Earl of Northampton Edward III 1312–1377 King of England Humphrey de Bohun 1342–1373 Earl of Hereford, Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton John of Gaunt 1340–1399 Duke of Lancaster Thomas of Woodstock 1355–1397 Duke of Gloucester Earldom of Northampton (2nd creation) abeyant, 1373 Earl of Northampton (2nd creation restored), 1384 Earl of Northampton (3rd creation), 1399 Henry Bolingbroke c. 1367 – 1413 3rd Earl of Northampton, later King Henry IV Anne of Gloucester 1383–1438 Countess of Northampton Earldom of Northampton (2nd creation) merged in the crown, 1399 Earldom of Northampton (3rd creation) extinct, 1438 Earl of Huntingdon (7th creation), 1529 George Hastings 1488–1544 1st Earl of Huntingdon Baron Hastings of Loughborough, 1558 Francis Hastings 1514–1561 2nd Earl of Huntingdon Edward Hastings c. 1521–1572 Baron Hastings of Loughborough Barony Hastings of Loughborough extinct, 1572 Earl of Northampton, (4th creation), 1604 Baron Compton, 1572 Henry Howard 1540–1614 Earl of Northampton Henry Compton 1544–1589 1st Baron Compton Frances Anne Hastings 1533–1574 Henry Hastings 1536–1595 3rd Earl of Huntingdon George Hastings 1540–1604 4th Earl of Huntingdon Edward Hastings 1541–1603 Earldom of Northampton (4th creation) extinct, 1614 Earl of Northampton (5th creation), 1618 William Compton d. 1630 1st Earl of Northampton, 2nd Baron Compton Francis Hastings 1560–1595 Henry c. 1555–1640 Henry Hastings 1586–1643 5th Earl of Huntingdon Spencer Compton 1601–1643 2nd Earl of Northampton, 3rd Baron Compton Ferdinando Hastings 1609–1656 6th Earl of Huntingdon Henry b. 1605 James Compton 1622–1681 3rd Earl of Northampton, 4th Baron Compton Theophilus Hastings 1650–1701 7th Earl of Huntingdon Richard 1645–1714 Baron Wilmington, 1728 Earl of Wilmington and Viscount Pevensey, 1730 George Compton 1664–1727 4th Earl of Northampton, 5th Baron Compton Spencer Compton c. 1674 – 1743 Earl of Wilmington, Viscount Pevensey, Baron Wilmington George Hastings 1677–1705 8th Earl of Huntingdon Henry 1701–1786 Earldom of Wilmington, Vicountcy Pevensey, and Barony Wilmington extinct, 1743 James Compton 1687–1754 5th Earl of Northampton, 6th Baron Compton George Compton 1692–1758 6th Earl of Northampton Charles Compton Theophilus Hastings c. 1696–1746 9th Earl of Huntingdon Charlotte Townshend d. 1770 Viscountess Townshend, Baroness Ferrers of Chartley, 7th Baroness Compton Charles Compton 1737–1763 7th Earl of Northampton Francis Hastings 1729–1789 10th Earl of Huntingdon Theophilus Hastings 1728–1804 11th Earl of Huntingdon de jure George 1735–1802 Earldom of Huntingdon dormant/abeyant, 1804 George Townshend 1753–1811 Marquess Townshend, Earl of Leicester, Viscount Townshend, Baron Townshend, Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 8th Baron Compton Spencer Compton 1760–1828 8th Earl of Northampton Marquess of Northampton (2nd creation), Earl Compton and Baron Wilmington, 1812 Earldom of Huntingdon claim restored, 1819 George Townshend (1778–1885) Marquess Townshend, Earl of Leicester, Viscount Townshend, Baron Townshend, Baron Ferrers of Chartley, 9th Baron Compton Charles Compton 1760–1828 1st Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 9th Earl of Northampton Hans "Francis" Hastings 1779–1828 12th Earl of Huntingdon Barony Compton abeyant, 1855 Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton 1790–1851 2nd Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 10th Earl of Northampton Charles Douglas-Compton 1816–1877 3rd Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 11th Earl of Northampton William Compton 1818–1897 4th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 12th Earl of Northampton Francis Theophilus Henry Hastings 1808–1875 13th Earl of Huntingdon George 1814–1876 Francis Power Plantagenet Hastings 1841–1885 14th Earl of Huntingdon William George Spencer Scott Compton 1851–1913 5th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 13th Earl of Northampton Warner Francis John Plantagenet Hastings 1868–1939 15th Earl of Huntingdon Aubrey 1878–1929 Hans 1865–1933 William Bingham Compton 1885–1978 6th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 14th Earl of Northampton Francis John Clarence Westenra Plantagenet Hastings 1901–1990 16th Earl of Huntingdon Peter Hastings-Bass 1920–1964 George 1905–1981 Spencer Douglas David Compton b. 1946 7th Marquess of Northampton, Earl Compton, and Baron Wilmington, 15th Earl of Northampton William Edward Robin Hood Hastings-Bass b. 1948 17th Earl of Huntingdon John Hastings-Bass b. 1954 George 1938–2005 Heir presumptive to the Earldom of Huntingdon Daniel Bingham Compton b. 1973 styled Earl Compton Adam b. 1977 Heir apparent to the Marquessate of Northampton Second Heir presumptive to the Earldom of Huntingdon

Descendants of Mary Tudor, Queen of France

Parliament's Third Succession Act granted Henry VIII the right to bequeath the crown in his Will. His Will specified that, in default of heirs to his children, the throne was to pass to the children of the daughters of his younger sister Mary Tudor, Queen of France, bypassing the line of his elder sister Margaret Tudor, represented by the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots. Edward VI confirmed this by letters patent. The legitimate and legal heir of Elizabeth I was therefore Anne Stanley, Countess of Castlehaven (the marriage of Lady Katherine Grey having been annulled, and her children declared illegitimate, by Elizabeth I).

Hypothetical succession in the female line from Henry VII, through his daughter Mary and her second marriage Henry VII Henry VIII Mary Tudor, Queen of France Edward VI Mary I Elizabeth I Henry Frances Eleanor Jane Katherine Mary Margaret Edward Thomas Ferdinando Anne Frances George John Margaret John George Elizabeth Scroop George Anne Henry George Henry Elizabeth George George Victor George George Caroline

Her succession, under this theory, follows:

1. Henry VIII of England
2. Edward VI of England, only son of Henry VIII
3. Mary I of England, eldest daughter of Henry VIII
4. Elizabeth I of England, second daughter of Henry VIII
5. Mary Tudor, Queen of France, second daughter of Henry VII
6. Lady Eleanor Brandon, second daughter, third line of Mary
7. Lady Margaret Clifford, only daughter, third line of Eleanor
8. Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, first son of Margaret
9. Anne Stanley, Countess of Castlehaven, first daughter of Ferdinando
10. George Brydges, 6th Baron Chandos, first son of Anne
11. Margaret Brydges, first daughter of George
12. Sir George Brydges Skipwith, 3rd Baronet, first son of Margaret
13. Elizabeth Brownlow, first daughter of Margaret, succeeded their childless brother George
14. George Brownlow Doughty, first son of Elizabeth
15. Henry Doughty, only child of George
16. Henry Doughty, only son of Henry
17. Elizabeth Doughty, only daughter of Henry Doughty Sr

Since Lady Anne Stanley's line is thought to have become extinct with the death of Elizabeth Doughty, the line then passes to the descendants of Lady Anne's sister, Lady Frances Stanley:

9. Lady Frances Stanley, second daughter of Ferdinando
10. John Egerton, 2nd Earl of Bridgewater, first son of Frances
11. John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater, first son of John
12. Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater, third son of John
13. Lady Anne Egerton, first daughter of Scroop
14. George Villiers, 4th Earl of Jersey, only child of Anne
15. George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey, first son of George, 4th Earl of Jersey
16. George Child Villiers, 6th Earl of Jersey, first son of George, 5th Earl of Jersey
17. Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, only son of George, 6th Earl of Jersey
18. George Child Villiers, 8th Earl of Jersey, first son of Victor, 7th Earl of Jersey
19. George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey, first son of George, 8th Earl of Jersey
20. Lady Caroline Child Villiers, only child of George's first marriage

Lady Caroline's heir-apparent is her son Timothy Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 7th Earl of Minto.

Although the 9th Earl of Jersey had sons from a third marriage, he had been divorced from his first wife, who was still alive when he married his third. Under a strict adherence to the succession laws and customs as they existed in 1603 (for it is argued that no laws passed by Parliament since 1603 are legitimate, as the heirs did not summon those Parliaments, nor did those laws receive the royal assent to become law), the 9th Earl of Jersey's divorce was not valid, and therefore both his remarriage during his ex-wife's lifetime was null and void, and the children of his third marriage illegitimate. Consequently, the current holder of the Stanley claim to the throne of England is the only child of the 9th Earl's first marriage, Lady Caroline Ogilvy (née Child Villiers).

Descendants of Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp and Lady Katherine Grey

Although the marriage of Lady Katherine Grey and Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, was annulled as illegal in 1562, and her children consequently rendered illegitimate, James I regarded the Seymour line as eligible heirs. This unofficial rehabilitation of the Seymours placed them ahead of the Stanleys in James's opinion. In 2012, Mary Freeman-Grenville, 12th Lady Kinloss was listed as the heir to the Mary Tudor claim rather than Frances Stanley's descendants.

Her succession follows:

1. Henry VIII of England
2. Edward VI of England, only son of Henry
3. Mary I of England, eldest daughter of Henry
4. Elizabeth I of England, second daughter of Henry
5. Mary Tudor, Queen of France, third daughter of Henry VII of England, younger sister of Henry VIII of England
6. Lady Frances Brandon, first daughter of Mary
7. Lady Katherine Grey, second daughter of Frances
8. Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, first son of Katherine
9. William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, second son of Edward, succeeded their childless brother Edward
10. Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp, third son of William, his elder brothers William and Robert died in childhood
11. Lady Elizabeth Seymour, only daughter of Henry
12. Charles Bruce, 3rd Earl of Ailesbury, second son of Elizabeth, his elder brother Robert died in childhood
13. Lady Mary Bruce, first daughter, succeeded their childless brothers Robert and George
14. James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos, only son of Mary
15. Lady Anne Elizabeth Brydges, only child of James
16. Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, first son of Anne
17. Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, only son of Richard
18. Mary Morgan-Grenville, 11th Lady Kinloss, first daughter of Richard
19. Luis Chandos Francis Temple Morgan-Grenville, second son of Mary, succeeded their childless brother Richard
20. Mary Freeman-Grenville, 12th Lady Kinloss, first daughter of Luis
21. Teresa Freeman-Grenville, 13th Lady Kinloss, first daughter of Mary

Lady Kinloss's heir-presumptive is her sister Hester Josephine Anne Freeman-Grenville, who is married to Peter Haworth and has three sons.

Continuation of the House of Stuart

Main article: Jacobite succession

The Jacobite succession stemmed from the death of Charles II in 1685. When Charles’ younger brother James, Duke of York became king as James II of England and VII of Scotland, concerns arose that James, a recent Catholic convert, would return England to Catholicism, especially after the birth of a son, James Francis Edward Stuart, who would be raised Catholic. As James had two Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, Parliament welcomed Mary and her husband William to depose James in what became the Glorious Revolution of 1688. James was sent into exile, and his heirs were passed over by the Act of Settlement 1701, which barred Catholics from ever again becoming the monarch.

The Jacobite and Hanoverian/Windsor successions James VI and I Charles I Elizabeth Charles II James VII and II Mary Henrietta Sophia James VIII and III Mary II Anne William III Anne George I Charles III Henry I and IX Charles Emmanuel George II Victor Amadeus Frederick Charles IV Victor George III Mary II George IV William IV Edward Francis I Ferdinand Victoria Mary III Edward VII Robert George V Albert Edward VIII George VI Francis II Elizabeth II Charles III

1. Charles I of England
2. James VII and II, second son of Charles I
3. James Francis Edward Stuart, only son of James VII and II; called "James VIII and III" by Jacobites.
4. Charles Edward Stuart, elder son of James Francis. He had no legitimate issue by his wife. He had an illegitimate daughter who has descendants, but they have no succession rights. Also known as "Charles III" by Jacobites or as "Bonnie Prince Charlie" more widely.
5. Henry Benedict Stuart, younger son of James Francis. He was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church and had no issue. Called "Henry I and IX" by Jacobites.

At Henry's death the claim passed to his second cousin twice removed, Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, and then to his brother Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. Charles Emmanuel and Victor Emmanuel were great-great-great-grandsons of King Charles I.

1. Charles I of England
2. Henrietta Anne Stuart, youngest daughter of Charles
3. Anne Marie d'Orléans, second daughter 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. Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, eldest son of Victor Amadeus
7. Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia, second son of Victor Amadeus
8. Maria Beatrice of Savoy, eldest daughter of Victor Emmanuel
9. Francis V, Duke of Modena, elder son of Maria Beatrice
10. Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este, younger son of Maria Beatrice, succeeded their elder brother Francis who had no surviving adult children
11. Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, only child of Ferdinand
12. Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, eldest son of Maria Theresia
13. Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria, second son of Rupprecht, his elder brother Luitpold died in childhood
14. Franz, Duke of Bavaria, elder son of Albrecht

When Franz dies, his claim on the English and Scottish crowns will pass to his younger brother Prince Max. And after Max's death, this theoretical claim most likely will be inherited by Sophie, Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, daughter of Prince Max.