This royal family member has been removed from the British line to the throne

And not for the reason you’d expect.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

And not for the reason you’d expect.

The British line of succession is something that few families are directly affected by - in fact few of us even understand it.

We do however understand family tensions - something that everyone was speaking about this weekend as a royal family member was removed (yes, removed) from the British line to the throne.

Hardworking royal

Rex

Did Princess Eugenie give up her claim to the throne to become Mrs Brooksbank? Has Prince Charles opted out of becoming Monarch? Or has Princess Charlotte opted out of the line of succession with her signature sass?

Well, actually, none of the above.

The royal family member to have been removed from the British line of succession is Princess Alexandra of Hanover.

Princess Alexandra of Hanover. Credit: REX

The 19-year-old princess is the daughter of Prince Ernst August of Hanover and Princess Caroline of Monaco - and, of course, she is Grace Kelly’s granddaughter.

So what was it that got Alexandra axed from the British line of succession?

REX

According to Point de Vue magazine, it was her faith, with the 19-year-old deciding to follow her mother’s footsteps and become a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

This means however, that she will no longer be Lutheran, and as a result, will be forced to renounce her claim to the British throne.

Yes, really.

According to British succession law, Catholics and other non-Protestants are not allowed to become sovereign.

It’s not all bad news though - Alexandra is still 12th in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.