Features

The Duchess of Gloucester has a jewellery collection to rival some of those held by royal dynasties in Europe. Some of her pieces come from Queen Mary thanks to the current duke’s mother and her mother-in-law, Princess Alice. But one tiara in particular has a different origin, coming from a lesser-known branch of Queen Victoria’s family tree. It’s known as the Cartier India…

It is a scenario that lies more in the realm of royal drama than modern reality: a monarch dies suddenly, leaving behind a pregnant consort and a nation unsure of its next sovereign. Yet this constitutional conundrum is one that has been anticipated for centuries. British royal succession law, as arcane as it may sometimes appear, offers a clear and carefully constructed answer to what happens if…