Show how the throne descends descend 13 when a sovereign passes within the reigning english family the throne descends according to the same principle of primogeniture that formerly governed in the inheritance of land when a sovereign dies the eldest son who is by birth duke of cornwall and is created prince of wales and earl of chester inherits if he is not living his eldest surviving son succeeds or in lieu of a son the eldest surviving daughter if no heir is available in this branch of the family the deceased sovereigns second son or a son or daughter thereof inherits and so on elder sons being always preferred to younger and male heirs to female notes a writer in the cleveland plain dealer As queen victoria was an only child the daughter of edward duke of kent the fourth son of george III the throne would have descended to ernest duke of cumberland and earl of armagh the eighth child and fifth son of george III in the event of victorias death before she became queen victoria ascended the throne upon the death of william IV the third son of george III william had three daughters who predeceased pre deceased him |