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The succession to the Crown of the United Kingdom is determined by the Act of Settlement 1701, which enacted that, should William III and Anne both die without issue (as, in the event, they did), the crown would be settled on Sophia of Hanover (a granddaughter of King James VI and I) and her Protestant heirs. The Crown has passed according to this law ever since, save an amendment passed in 1936 that any descendants of Edward VIII would have no claim whatsoever to the Crown. History has rendered this amendment academic, as the abdicated King Edward VIII died without issue in 1972; if he had not abdicated and the amendment had not been passed, at that point his niece (the present Queen) would have succeeded anyway as Elizabeth II.

Concomitantly, British history provides several opportunities for alternative claimants to the Crown to arise, and historical scholars have on occasion traced to present times the heirs of those alternative claims (although such historical speculation necessarily assumes that all parties involved would still have married the same people and had the same children).

Throughout this article, the names of the historical monarchs appear in bold and 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 son, Lionel of Antwerp, whereas Henry's father, John of Gaunt, was Edward's third son.

Alternate Succession of Royal Houses Descendants of Lionel of Antwerp Map of Succession
House of Plantagenet
Edward III  •  Richard II
House of Mortimer
Edmund I
House of Plantagenet (Reunion)
Richard III  •  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
8. Anne de Mortimer, first daughter, third line of Roger
9. Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, only son of Anne
10. Edward IV of England, first son of Richard

The Plantagenet Succession

Richard III, the last Plantagenet king, was killed in 1485 and Henry Tudor claimed the English throne by right of conquest. This was unassailable in law but rather weak in practice, and Henry married Edward IV’s eldest daughter to consolidate his position. Even so, rival claims and threats of rebellion or invasion continued up to at least 1523.

Henry was not himself of the House of Lancaster - its last member, Henry VI, died in 1471 - but Henry claimed to be its heir. This was rather a dubious claim since his great grandfather was debarred from the succession by Henry IV and there were other people with what may have been better claims, but only George, Duke of Clarence appears to have put himself forward and he died in 1478 leaving only a three year old son.

After Henry VI's death in 1471, the House of York had a firm grip on the crown, but by 1485 when Richard was killed they had been riven by accusations of bigamy, illegitimacy and treason. Edward IV's sons were presumed to be dead and only one Plantagenet male was left alive, and he was attainted; however there were plenty of other possible claimants and some of these tried to press their claims.

The map of succession shows those with the best claims in 1471 (House of Lancaster) and 1485 (House of York), and helps make sense of different alternative lines of succession discussed later. Unquestioned illegitimate descent is shown by dashed lines; all of these were later legitimized. Each of the individual claimants, the basis of their claim and their descendants is discussed below.

The Plantagenet Claimants - Map of Succession Edmund Beaufort Henry Beaufort Isobel of Cambridge Charles Somerset Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex

Elizabeth of York

In 1485 there had never been an English queen regnant and there is no suggestion that Elizabeth had any claim in her own right. Furthermore, she was debarred from the succession by Titulus Regius. Henry VII revoked Titulus Regius and married Elizabeth, partly so that their sons would have the legitimacy of descent through the House of York.

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 sired by 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. Supporters of the Clarence claim also draw on the debated validity of Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which allows them to argue that, even if Edward was legitimate, his children were not. 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 issue, the crown was to pass to Clarence, as Henry had placed an attainder upon Edward IV. When Henry was killed in 1471 (Prince Edward having died in battle shortly before), Clarence (who could claim descent from John of Gaunt, as could his wife Isabella Neville) became the legal heir to Henry VI and the House of Lancaster.

Alternative Succession of Royal Houses Descendants of George, Duke of Clarence Map of Succession
House of Plantagenet
George I  •  Edward V
House of Pole
Henry VII  •  Henry VIII
House of Hastings
Henry IX  •  George II  •  Henry X  •  Ferdinando  •  Theophilus I  •  George III  •  Theophilus II  •  Francis I
House of Rawdon
Francis II  •  George IV  •  Paulyn  •  Henry XI
House of Clifton
Charles
House of Huddleston
John II
House of Lord
Michael  •  Simon

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, 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, oldest 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

Note: The list of succession (right) excludes females from the crown. The precedent for female inheritance of the Crown would not have been set had George, Duke of Clarence inherited the crown. The principle that a woman could reign was only laid down by Henry VIII when he named Mary I as heir to the throne in 1525, and approved by Parliament by the First Succession Act which appointed Elizabeth I as heir. This line does, however, maintain the precedent of the right of a male to inherit via female line set by the succession of Henry II after he reclaimed the usurped crown from his cousin Stephen.

Descendants of John of Gaunt

Alternate Succession of Royal Houses Descendants of John of Gaunt after 1485 Map of Succession
House of Plantagenet-Beaufort
Charles I  •  Henry VII  •  William III  •  Edward VI  •  Henry VIII  •  Edward VII  •  Henry IX  •  Henry X  •  Charles II  •  Henry XI  •  Henry XII  •  Henry XIII  •  Henry XIV  •  Henry XV  •  Henry XVI  •  David

The noble Beaufort family are descended in the male line from king Edward III of England via his third son John of Gaunt and the earls (later dukes) of Somerset, marquesses of Worcester and dukes of Beaufort to the present day. John of Gaunt had four illegitimate children with his mistress, Katherine Swynford, later his wife. These children thus were "legitimized" and the eldest of them, John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (1373 – 16 March 1410), is the direct patrilineal ancestor of the current Duke of Beaufort. The Beaufort dynasty are a cadet line of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet.

• Edward III of England (1312–1377), reigned from 1327.
• John of Gaunt (1340–1399), third son
• John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (1373–1410), legitimised son

John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife. Beaufort was born in about 1371 and his surname probably reflects his father's lordship of Beaufort in Champagne, France.

In 1396, after his parents' marriage, John and his siblings were legitimated by a papal bull. Early the next year, their legitimation was recognized by an act of Parliament, and then, a few days later, John was created Earl of Somerset (10 February 1397).

• Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1406–1455), son (the title was elevated to "Duke")
• Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (1436–1464), son

In 1485, King Richard III was killed in battle, the House of Plantagenet overthrown and the throne usurped by Henry Tudor, later styled Henry VII of England. This alternative succession line tracks the House of Plantagenet after 1485 as it continued to the present day using exclusive primogeniture in the Beaufort dynasty.

1. Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester (c. 1460–1526), legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, grandson of 1st Earl and Joan Hill. Elevated to Earl of Worcester in 1514.
2. Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester (c. 1495–1548), only legitimate son of the 1st Earl
3. William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester (d. 1589), eldest son of the 2nd Earl
4. Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester (1553–1628), only son of the 3rd Earl
5. Henry Somerset, 5th Earl and 1st Marquess of Worcester (1577–1646), eldest son of the 4th Earl, was a noted Cavalier, created Marquess in 1643
6. Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester (1601–1667), eldest son of the 1st Marquess, was an inventor
7. Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester (1629–1700) was created Duke of Beaufort in 1682, upon the Restoration
8. Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort (1684–1714), grandson
9. Henry Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort (1707–1745), eldest son of the 2nd Duke, died without issue
10. Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (1709–1756), second and youngest son of the 2nd Duke
11. Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744–1803), only son of the 4th Duke
12. Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (1766–1835), eldest son of the 5th Duke
13. Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort (1792–1853), eldest son of the 6th Duke
14. Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824–1899), only son of the 7th Duke
15. Henry Adelbert Wellington FitzRoy Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort (1847–1924), eldest son of the 8th Duke
16. Henry Hugh Arthur FitzRoy Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort (1900–1984), only son of the 9th Duke, died without issue, at which point his two Baronies fell into abeyance.
17. David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort (b. 1928), great-grandson of Rt. Hon. Lord Henry Richard Charles Somerset, second son of the 8th Duke. Present Duke of Beaufort.

Heir apparent: Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester (b. 1952), eldest son of the 11th Duke, who in theoretical circumstances had Henry Beaufort-Plantagenet become king of England in 1485 would, upon the death of his father, start his reign as King Henry XVII.

The Marquess of Worcester's heir apparent: Henry Robert FitzRoy Somerset, Earl of Glamorgan (b. 1989), his eldest son

Research by Leicester University in relation to the Exhumation of King Richard III in 2012

It was reported in early 2013 that the investigations by genealogists and geneticists which followed the Exhumation of Richard III of England uncovered around 20 living descendants of Edward III in the direct male-line. The living descendants who shared Y Chromosome DNA are all descended from Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744-1803) and spread around the English speaking world.

"They basically turned up in all the British colonies. We knew that there would be one or two on the male line, but even I was a little surprised with how many we actually got." - Dr. Turi King, Project Geneticist, University of Leicester