Is Prince William the heir to the throne? Is that why this royal wedding is such a big deal?
—DesiLuv, via the inbox
Sorry, but don't look for Prince William to take the big chair anytime soon. Yes, there are some indications that the British public would love to see Kate Middleton become a fairy-tale-inspired Barbie queen with an equally merch-friendly king. And in fact a new poll by Panelbase indicates that more than half of the United Kingdom want Prince William to take the crown next.
In contrast, about 40 percent want Will's father, Prince Charles, to succeed Queen Elizabeth II.
Trouble is...
The royal succession isn't subject to a vote. That's why it's called a monarchy. They're royalty, bitches!
These people hold the crown and scepter, and don't you dare turn your back in their presence, and who gets the throne next is a matter of tradition, not popularity.
According to said tradition, the heir to the throne is always a first-born boy.
That first-born boy takes precedence, even if he has an older sister. If that heir has a son, that son jumps to the head of the line just behind his dad—regardless if the dad has any siblings or not. If a second son is born, that kid is considered the spare, the next in line.
So the current succession goes like this:
1. The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II
2. Prince Charles
3. Prince William
4. Will's younger brother, Harry
5. Then comes Chuck's younger brother, Andrew
6. and 7. And his kids—Beatrice and Eugenie
8. Followed by the Charles's next youngest sibling, Edward, his progeny, and so on and so on.
Sound misogynistic and generally out of touch? It is.
In fact British leaders have eyeballed changing the law so that women wouldn't face such discrimination, but it's unclear whether such upgrades might ever come to pass.
In the meantime, Chuck has shown no signs of giving up his right to the crown; for the time being, poor, poor Will must settle for being merely a prince.