Royal baby: Long line of kings on the throne

Kate Williams says the British like queens on the throne. Picture: Getty

Kate Williams said the British tend to prefer queens, who are often viewed as more exciting than “dreary old” kings, on the throne.

But with three generations of kings waiting in line after Elizabeth II, it could be many years before Britain sees another female monarch.

The new prince follows two men in the line of succession – his grandfather the Prince of Wales and his father the Duke of Cambridge.

A run of four kings succeeded Queen Victoria – Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI – before the present Queen acceded to the throne.

“We’ll have a long unbroken line of male rule, which is what we’ve usually had. That’s why queens really stick out”, Dr Williams said.

“We tend to like queens on the throne. They’re often seen to have what’s known as soft skills in abundance.”

Dr Williams said, throughout history, kings had not been perceived to be as hard working as their female counterparts.

“Queens are seen as harder working. They have more to prove.”

The last future king to be born was the baby’s father William in 1982 and the last king to wear the crown was the baby’s great-great-grandfather George VI.

Unlike William and Kate’s son, George VI – known as Bertie to his family – never expected to be monarch, but was forced to take on the role after his brother Edward VIII abdicated.

The new royal baby is also the first Prince of Cambridge to be born for more than 190 years.

The last was Prince George of Cambridge, a grandson of George III and the only son of Prince Adolphus Frederick, the 1st Duke of Cambridge.

Prince George of Cambridge was born in 1819 and refused to have an arranged marriage. He married a commoner after falling for the actress Sarah Louisa Fairbrother but the Duke did not seek the sovereign’s approval and the marriage was never recognised, hence his children were not eligible to inherit royal titles.