# If There Were A Tragic Accident At Westminster Abbey On Royal Wedding Day **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308 "2011-04-22T01:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/22 "2011-04-25T19:37:09Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Here you go. I don’t think you need to go that far down before you get into second cousins who might not get an invitation and other Monarchs whose entire line probably won’t attend (King of Norway coming in at #68) > > [Succession to the British throne - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_of_succession_to_the_British_throne) > > ETA: Let me know if you find yourself on there…😉 That wikipedia article has many warnings/disclaimers about accuracy at the top, but they do link to this “official” site showing the line of succession: [The Line of Succession](http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/Successionandprecedence/Succession/Overview.aspx) ([royal.gov.uk](http://royal.gov.uk)) 1. The Prince of Wales 2. Prince William of Wales 3. Prince Henry of Wales 4. The Duke of York 5. Princess Beatrice of York 6. Princess Eugenie of York 7. The Earl of Wessex 8. Viscount Severn 9. The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor 10. The Princess Royal 11. Mr. Peter Phillips 12. Miss Zara Phillips 13. Viscount Linley 14. The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones 15. The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones 16. The Lady Sarah Chatto 17. Master Samuel Chatto 18. Master Arthur Chatto 19. The Duke of Gloucester 20. Earl of Ulster 21. Lord Culloden 22. The Lady Cosima Windsor 23. The Lady Davina Lewis 24. Miss Senna Lewis 25. The Lady Rose Gilman 26. Miss Lyla Gilman 27. The Duke of Kent 28. The Lady Amelia Windsor 29. The Lady Helen Taylor 30. Master Columbus Taylor 31. Master Cassius Taylor 32. Miss Eloise Taylor 33. Miss Estella Taylor 34. The Hon. Albert Windsor 35. The Hon. Leopold Windsor 36. The Lord Frederick Windsor 37. The Lady Gabriella Windsor 38. Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/23 "2011-04-25T19:39:00Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Are you thinking of [Christopher Guest](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Guest#Peerage_and_heirs), of Spinal Tap and married-to-Jamie-Lee-Curtis fame? He’s a Baron, which is a ‘peer’ and not in the line of Royal succession, AFAIK. Just to be clear, being a peer and being in the succession aren’t mutually exclusive. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/24 "2011-04-25T19:47:07Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Just to be clear, being a peer and being in the succession aren’t mutually exclusive. Nor mutually inclusive. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/25 "2011-04-25T20:41:06Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > …assuming the entire church goes down in a sink hole, or aliens abduct everyone during the wedding -…Any idea who that person might be? [John Goodman](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102216/) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/26 "2011-04-26T00:57:17Z")
As was discussed in the thread that I linked to, they don’t need a designated survivor because the succession includes a couple of thousand people. Many of them won’t even be in Europe during the wedding, let alone in Westminister Abbey. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/27 "2011-04-26T01:03:37Z")
Furthermore, this is one of the reasons that the movie _King Ralph_ is complete nonsense, as we discussed in another recent thread. ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/28 "2011-04-26T01:12:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **Ronald** :And in fact, the monarch by definition _cannot_ be a British subject (though he or she probably was, before assuming the throne). The term “British subject” is long obsolete; simplifying somewhat, it’s been replaced by the statutory term “British citizen”, which would appear to apply equally to the Sovereign as it does to the man on the Clapham omnibus. > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > As was discussed in the thread that I linked to, they don’t need a designated survivor because the succession includes a couple of thousand people. Many of them won’t even be in Europe during the wedding, let alone in Westminister Abbey. And as mentioned either here or in one or more of the numerous other similarly themed threats that have sprouted in recent days, the importance of the succession is minimised in comparison with the US, because the monarchy has pretty much no real power. Admittedly, there would be a bit of a constitutional hiccough if the next remaining heir proved to be a Mr Joe Shmo of Hicksville, Wyoming, with no interest in being King. But there are ways round such things…! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/29 "2011-04-26T01:21:50Z")
There are no Joe Schmoes in the line of succession. Everybody on it knows that they are in the line (since it’s been worked out and only includes people who know who they are descended from). They also know just how absurdly unlikely it is for them to be the monarch. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_of_Lucan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/30 "2011-04-26T11:12:28Z")
I remember the old comedy film, _Kind Hearts and Coronets_, in which Alec Guinness’s character murders his way up the line of succession to become a duke. He played all the main parts of the murderer and the victims. I mentioned on a parallel thread, I know someone who is in the line of succession to the British throne. Unfortunately, he would have to murder several hundred people to actually achieve this. Having assessed the amount of work and the time required, he has decided that it is not practical and he plans to keep the day job. The number he would need to slay varies all the time with deaths and births, and he does not try to keep count of his current position. ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/31 "2011-04-27T01:47:59Z")
> [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](#): > > I remember the old comedy film, _Kind Hearts and Coronets_, in which Alec Guinness’s character murders his way up the line of succession to become a duke. He played all the main parts of the murderer and the victims. Ahem! Alec Guinness played the victims; it was Dennis Price what dunnit! 🙂 (And for anyone who’s never seen this brilliant film, these are **not** spoilers!) > [@](#): > > I mentioned on a parallel thread, I know someone who is in the line of succession to the British throne. Unfortunately, he would have to murder several hundred people to actually achieve this. Having assessed the amount of work and the time required, he has decided that it is not practical and he plans to keep the day job. > > The number he would need to slay varies all the time with deaths and births, and he does not try to keep count of his current position. I’d tell him to marry a Roman Catholic, just to protect himself from anyone lower down the list with more time on their hands! 😉 As you say, the actual list changes constantly… and that’s before taking into account the religious disqualifications. I doubt anyone in official circles wastes their time trying to keep an authoritative list beyond more than a few dozen names. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_of_Lucan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/32 "2011-04-27T09:14:15Z")
> [@A.Gwilliam](#): > > Ahem! Alec Guinness played the victims; it was Dennis Price what dunnit! 🙂 Of course you’re right. My memory is slipping, and I… sorry, what were we talking about? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/33 "2011-04-27T10:19:11Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Two words: [King Xan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xan_Windsor,_Lord_Culloden)! I predict he will found a great dynasty, and with the reign of his distant descendant, King Xan X, Britain will enter into the most tranquil, serene period of its entire history. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308/34 "2011-04-27T11:19:30Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I predict he will found a great dynasty, and with the reign of his distant descendant, King Xan X, Britain will enter into the most tranquil, serene period of its entire history. Clearly, the most serene will be his predecessor’s, Xan IX. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-were-a-tragic-accident-at-westminster-abbey-on-royal-wedding-day/579308.md?page=1)