succession to the British throne: The top 25 royals in line

The Royal family keeps expanding, what with Duchess Kate and Prince William expecting their third baby, and Prince Harry starting a family with Meghan Markle. This means a continuous shift in the line of succession.

Take a look at the 25 royals of the house of Windsor who are in the line of succession.

Beginning with the eldest of Queen Elizabeth II's children, Prince Charles. The royal, whose official title is Charles, Prince of Wales, is first in line to assume the highest seat in the British monarchy. Upon Charles' ascension to the throne, however, his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will likely not be crowned Britain's queen consort because of bad blood following her and Charles' affair during his marriage to the late Princess Diana. Instead, in keeping with the same tradition followed by Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Camilla will be known as the princess consort.

Upon the death of Prince William's father, Prince Charles (who will become King Charles), William will ascend the throne and be crowned king of England. Unlike Camilla Parker-Bowles, however, Duchess Kate will be crowned queen consort, meaning she'll hold the title of queen but will not have the privilege of ruling. Many surmise that Kate will be known as Queen Catherine upon William's coronation.

Third in line to the throne is young Prince George, who will be crowned king upon the death of his father, Prince William. While that day is many years in the future, it's interesting to note that the youngest monarch ever crowned in British history was King Henry VI, who ascended the throne when he was only 8 months and 26 days old.

Following her brother in the line of succession is Princess Charlotte, who is fourth in line to the British crown. While not completely unlikely, her chance at actually holding the highest seat in the monarchy is low, requiring her brother to die or renounce the throne before he has children. Thanks to an agreement passed in 2011 by Parliament, the long-held practice of male-heir preference officially ended, meaning that even if Duchess Kate and Prince William's third child is a boy, Charlotte will not be skipped (which is what happened to Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, Princess Anne).

Kate Middleton's unborn baby, due in April 2018, is the fifth in line. This child will only be crowned king or queen in the event both of his or her older siblings pass away (or renounce the throne) before they start families of their own.

Sixth in the royal line of succession is Prince Henry of Wales, more informally known as Prince Harry. While Harry's not likely to ever be crowned king (it would take the tragic passing of Prince William and all of his heirs -- a horrible thing to even think about), if he were to hold the title, it is unlikely his bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, would be crowned queen consort.

Although Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, is currently seventh in line to the throne, his place is likely to get bumped further down over the next few years. That's because Prince Harry's future children will fall in line in front of him, pushing Andrew down the list. In the meantime, it's unlikely that Andrew, the Duke of York, will ever actually wear the crown.

Eighth in line for the throne is Princess Beatrice of York, the daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Before Princess Charlotte's birth on May 2, 2015, Princess Beatrice was the highest ranking female in the royal line of succession. Although she grew up alongside cousins Prince William and Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice is unlikely to ever actually be crowned queen.

Coming in ninth place is Princess Beatrice's little sister, Princess Eugenie. As the royal cousin of Prince Harry and Prince William, Eugenie has experienced all the highs and lows of life in the British monarchy, including the very public divorce of her parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Happily, on Jan. 23, 2018, it was announced that Eugenie and her beau of seven years, Jack Brooksbank, a commoner, were engaged.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's youngest son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is the 10th in line for the throne.

Following in his father's footsteps and coming in at No. 11 in line for the throne is James, Viscount Severn, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Although he's technically the youngest child in his family, he snagged a higher place on the list than his big sister, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, due to the archaic (and now defunct) rule that favored male over female heirs. Although the rules have changed, they only impact children born after 2011.

Twelfth in line for the throne is Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, eldest child of Prince Edward, Earl of Essex, and granddaughter to Queen Elizabeth II. As previously mentioned, Louise got robbed of her rightful spot as the 11th heir to the throne because Britain's former line of succession rules favored boys over girls (until the rule changed in 2011), so her spot went to her little brother James, Viscount Severn. She's probably not too mad about it, though, as neither she nor her brother are likely to ever be crowned king or queen.

Princess Anne should have been the seventh in line to the throne, considering she's the second-born child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, but because male heirs were favored over females in the former line of succession rules, her younger brothers were placed before her in the line of succession.

No. 14 in line for the throne is Peter Phillips, who holds no official royal title, though he is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and the son of Princess Anne. Peter wasn't afforded a title because of the tradition that only fathers can pass titles to their children, not mothers. Since 2008, Peter has been married to Canadian commoner Autumn Kelly.

Coming in right behind her father in the No. 15 spot in line for the crown is young Savannah Phillips, the great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, granddaughter of Princess Anne and daughter of Peter Phillips. While she'll never ascend the throne, she will continue to grow up alongside her second cousins, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, the latter of whom will be crowned king in the distant future.

TO BE CONTINUE...