List of heirs to the English throne
This is a list of the individuals who were, at any given time, considered the next in line to inherit the throne of England, should the incumbent monarch die. Those who actually succeeded are shown in bold. Stillborn children and infants surviving less than a month are not included.
It may be noted that the succession was highly uncertain, and was not governed by a fixed convention, for much of the century after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Significant breaks in the succession, where the designated heir did not in fact succeed are shown as breaks in the table below.
1399 to 1461: The Lancasters
1485 to 1603: The Tudors
Jacobite succession, 1689–1807
The following are the heirs of the Jacobite pretenders to the throne to the death of the last Stuart pretender. For other persons in this lineage, see Jacobite succession.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Pretender | Became heir Reason | Ceased to be heir Reason | Next in succession Relation to heir | Pretender |
| James Stuart, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Son | 13 February 1689 Father deposed | 16 September 1701 Became pretender | Mary, Princess of Orange 1689–1694, Sister | James II |
| James Stuart, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Son | 13 February 1689 Father deposed | 16 September 1701 Became pretender | Princess Anne of Denmark 1694–1701, Sister | James II |
| Princess Anne of Denmark | Sister | 16 September 1701 Brother became pretender | 1 August 1714 Died | Louisa Maria Stuart, Princess Royal 1701–1712, Sister | James III "The Old Pretender" | |
| Princess Anne of Denmark | Sister | 16 September 1701 Brother became pretender | 1 August 1714 Died | Anne Marie, Queen of Scilly 1712–1714, First cousin | James III "The Old Pretender" | |
| Anne Marie, Queen of Sardinia | Heiress presumptive | First cousin | 1 August 1714 First cousin died | 31 December 1720 Son born to pretender | Victor Amadeus, Prince of Piedmont 1714–1715, Son | James III "The Old Pretender" |
| Anne Marie, Queen of Sardinia | Heiress presumptive | First cousin | 1 August 1714 First cousin died | 31 December 1720 Son born to pretender | 1715–1720, Son | James III "The Old Pretender" |
| Charles Stuart, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Son | 31 December 1720 Born | 1 January 1766 Became pretender | Anne Marie, Queen of Sardinia 1720–1725, First cousin once-removed | James III "The Old Pretender" |
| Charles Stuart, Prince of Wales | Heir apparent | Son | 31 December 1720 Born | 1 January 1766 Became pretender | Henry Stuart, Duke of York 1725–1766, Brother | James III "The Old Pretender" |
| Henry Stuart, Duke of York | Heir presumptive | Brother | 1 January 1766 Brother became pretender | 31 January 1788 Became pretender | King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia 1766–1773, Second cousin | Charles III Pretender" |
| Henry Stuart, Duke of York | Heir presumptive | Brother | 1 January 1766 Brother became pretender | 31 January 1788 Became pretender | King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia | Charles III Pretender" |
| King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia | Heir presumptive | Second cousin once-removed | 31 January 1788 | 14 October 1796 Died | Charles Emmanuel, Prince of Piedmont Son | Henry IX "Cardinal York" |
| Heir presumptive | 14 October 1796 Father died | 13 July 1807 | King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia Brother | Henry IX "Cardinal York" |