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 (at any future time) 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 (due to usurpation, conquest, revolution, or lack of heirs) are shown as breaks in the table below.

1066 to 1135: The Normans Heir Status Relationship to Monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason MonarchNo recognised heir 1066–1087"William had made no explicit arrangements for the succession beyond the designation of Robert as his heir in Normandy."William I William "Rufus" Heir apparent Son 7 September 1087Proclaimed heir; 26 September 1087Became kingNo recognised heir 1087–1100 No recognised heir 1100–1116Henry I Heir apparent Son 19 March 1116Proclaimed heirciting Eadmer, Historia Novorum, 237, William of Malmesbury, Chronicle of the kings of England, p. 454 and John of Worcester, Chronicon ex chronicis, iii, 138 25 November 1120DiedNo recognised heir 1120–1126 Matilda, Countess of Anjou 25 December 1126 22 December 1135 Stephen, Count of Boulogne

1135 to 1154: The Blois Heir Status Relationship to Monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason MonarchNo recognised heir 1135–1152 Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne Son 6 April 1152Proclaimed heir 17 August 1153DiedNo recognised heir Aug–Nov 1153 Heir apparent Became king

1154 to 1485: The Plantagenets Heir Status Relationshipto Monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason MonarchNo recognised heir 1154–1155Henry II William, Count of Poitiers Heir apparent Son 3 April 1155Proclaimed heir April 1156Died Henry "the Young King" Heir apparent Son April 1156Brother died 11 June 1183DiedNo recognised heir 1183–1189 Richard "the Lionheart", Duke of Aquitaine Heir apparent Son 4 July 1189Proclaimed heir3 September 1189Became kingNo recognised heir 1189–1190Richard I Arthur I, Duke of Brittany Nephew 11 November 1190Proclaimed heir 27 May 1199John "Lackland" proclaimed kingNo recognised heir 1199–1207 John Henry of Winchester Heir apparent Son 1 October 1207Born28 October 1216Became king Richard, Earl of Cornwall Heir presumptive Brother 28 October 1216Brother became king 17 June 1239Son born to kingHenry III Edward "Longshanks", Lord of Chester Heir apparent Son 17 June 1239Born20 November 1272Became king Henry Heir apparent Son 20 November 1272Father became king 14 October 1274Died Edward I Alphonso, Earl of Chester Heir apparent Son 14 October 1274Brother died 19 August 1284Died Edward of Caernarfon, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 19 August 1284Brother died8 July 1307Became king Thomas of Brotherton, Earl of Norfolk Heir presumptive Half-brother 8 July 1307Brother became king 13 November 1312Son born to kingEdward II Edward of Windsor, Earl of Chester Heir apparent Son 13 November 1312Born25 January 1327Father abdicated, became king John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall Heir presumptive Brother 25 January 1327Brother became king 15 June 1330Son born to king Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 15 June 1330Born 8 June 1376Died Richard of Bordeaux, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Grandson 8 June 1376Father died22 June 1377Became kingSince Richard II never designated an heir, the succession was disputed among the heirs established under the will of Edward III and heirs by cognatic primogeniture.The will entailed the throne on the heirs male. The following are the leaders of both lines:Richard II John of Gaunt, Duke of LancasterPotential heirs by the will of Edward III Uncle 22 June 1377Nephew became king 3 February 1399Died Henry "Bolingbroke", Duke of Lancaster First cousin 3 February 1399Father died30 September 1399 Potential heirs by cognatic primogeniture First cousin 22 June 1377 5 January 1382Died Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March First cousin once-removed 5 January 1382Mother died 20 July 1398Died Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March 20 July 1398Father died 30 September 1399Succession of new kingHouse of Lancaster(1399-1461) Henry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 30 September 1399Father became king21 March 1413Became king Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence Brother 20 March 1413Brother became king 22 March 1421DiedHenry V John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford Heir presumptive Brother 22 March 1421Brother died 6 December 1421Son born to king Henry of Windsor, Duke of Cornwall Heir apparent Son 6 December 1421Born1 September 1422Became king John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford Heir presumptive Uncle 31 August 1422 14 September 1435DiedHenry VI Heir presumptive Uncle 14 September 1435Brother died 23 February 1447Died Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York Heir presumptive 23 February 1447Second cousin died 13 October 1453Son born to king Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 13 October 1453Born 25 October 1460Excluded from succeeding Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York Heir apparentAct of Accord Second cousin once-removed 25 October 1460Second cousin twice-removed excluded from succeeding 30 December 1460Killed in battle Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 30 December 1460 Second cousin twice-removed killed in battle,restored as heir 4 March 1461House of York(1461-1470) 4 March 1461 11 February 1466 11 February 1466 3 October 1470House of Lancaster Restored(1470-1471) 3 October 1470 11 April 1471 House of York Restored(1471-1485) Edward of York, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 11 April 14719 April 1483Became king Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York 9 April 1483Brother became king 25 June 1483 Edward V Heir apparent Son 26 June 1483Father became king 9 April 1484DiedRichard IIINo recognised heir 1484–1485

1485 to 1603: The Tudors Heir Status Relationshipto Monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason MonarchNo recognised heir 1485–1486Henry VII Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 20 September 1486Born 2 April 1502Died Henry Tudor, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 2 April 1502Brother died22 April 1509Became king Margaret, Queen of Scotland Heiress presumptive Sister 21 April 1509Brother became king 1 January 1511Son born to kingHenry VIII Henry Tudor, Duke of Cornwall Heir apparent Son 1 January 1511Born 22 February 1511Died Margaret, Queen of Scotland Heiress presumptive Sister 22 February 1511Nephew died 18 February 1516Daughter born to king Mary Tudor Heiress presumptive Daughter 18 February 1516Born 23 March 1534Declared illegitimate Elizabeth Tudor Daughter 23 March 1534 8 June 1536Declared illegitimateNo recognised heir 1536–1537Second Succession Act Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales Heir apparent Son 12 October 1537Born28 January 1547Became king Mary Tudor Heiress presumptiveThird Succession Act Half-sister 28 January 1547Half-brother became king 21 June 1553Edward VI Lady Jane Dudley Heiress presumptiveEdward VI's devise for the succession – "the said imperial crowne ... shall remaine come and be to the Lady Jane, eldest daughter of the said Lady Frances" First cousin once-removedDaughter of Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII of England 21 June 1553Named in letters patent6 July 1553Proclaimed queenUpon the death of Edward VI, the succession was disputed between his sister Mary, the heir by primogeniture and the Third Succession Act,and Lady Jane Grey, whom Edward had named his heir. Since Lady Jane's short reign is a matter of dispute, so are her heirs. Katherine Herbert, Lady Herbert of Cardiff Heiress presumptive Sister 6 July 1553Sister proclaimed queen 19 July 1553Sister deposed Jane (disputed) Elizabeth Tudor Heiress presumptive Half-sister 6 July 1553Half-sister became queen17 November 1558Became queen Mary ISince Elizabeth I never designated an heir, the succession was disputed among heirs of Henry VII by cognatic primogeniture and the heirs established under the will of Henry VIII.The document placed the granddaughters of the king's younger sister Mary after his children, while also disinheriting the descendants of his elder sister Margaret.However, as the will had been signed by a dry stamp rather than by the king's own hand, its legal force was questionable. The following are the leaders of both lines: Mary, Queen of Scots First cousin once-removedDaughter of James V of Scotland, son of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland, daughter of Henry VII of England 17 November 1558 8 February 1587Executed King James VI of Scotland First cousin twice-removedSon of Mary, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V of Scotland, son of Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland, daughter of Henry VII of England 8 February 1587Mother executed24 March 1603Became king Katherine Seymour, Countess of HertfordWill of Henry VIII – "And if it shall fortune our said daughter, Elizabeth, to die without issue of her body lawfully begotten, ... we will that the said imperial crown ... shall wholly remain and come to the heirs of the body of the Lady Frances, our niece, eldest daughter to our late sister, the French Queen, lawfully begotten"Potential heirs by the will of Henry VIII First cousin once-removed 17 November 1558First cousin once-removed became queen 26 January 1568Died Lady Mary Keyes First cousin once-removed 26 January 1568Sister died 20 April 1578Died First cousin once-removedDaughter of Eleanor Clifford, Countess of Cumberland, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII of England 20 April 1578First cousin died 28 September 1596Died Lady Anne Stanley Daughter of Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby, son of Margaret Stanley, Countess of Derby, daughter of Eleanor Clifford, Countess of Cumberland, daughter of Mary Tudor, Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII of England 28 September 1596Grandmother died 24 March 1603Succession of new king

1603 to 1707: The Stuarts