The line of succession is getting longer! News broke on Monday, Sept. 8, that Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton is pregnant and expecting her second child with Prince William. Boy or girl, the new baby will be fourth in line to the British throne, which means that the Duke of Cambridge's younger brother, Prince Harry, will be bumped to fifth in line upon his niece or nephew's birth.
In keeping with this shift, the Duke of York Prince Andrew will move to sixth in line, ahead of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie in the seventh and eighth spots. (Prince Charles is currently next in line, followed by Prince William and his firstborn son, Prince George.)
In any case, the new royal baby will bear the title of Prince or Princess, thanks to a decree issued by Queen Elizabeth II before baby George's July 22 birth last year. That decree changed a previous proclamation made by the Queen's grandfather King George V, who declared that daughters born to the royal family would be referred to as "ladies," not "princesses."
"The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 31 December 2012 to declare that all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title, and attribute of royal highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honor," the Palace said in a statement on Jan. 9, 2013, Middleton's 31st birthday.
As previously reported, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced Middleton's second pregnancy early, before the 12-week mark, due to her once again suffering hyperemesis gravidarum, a kind of acute morning sickness. A source close the couple tells Us Weekly they learned of the news "very recently" and are "very happy…[and] very excited."
