Being number five

The new princess of Sweden is fifth in line to her country's throne and unlikely ever to occupy it.  And that she has in common with the other princes and princesses who find themselves at number five on the countdown to a crown.

The new princess of Sweden and her parents leave hospital on February 22nd 2014 in New York where she was born, fifth in line to the throne, on February 20th 2014

The oldest royal at number five is the Duke of York who fell to his lowest position in the British line of succession on the birth of his great nephew, Prince George of Cambridge, in July 2013.  Andrew Albert Christian Edward was born second in line to the throne in February 1960, the third child and second son of Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.  He held that role for 22 years until he was moved down the order by the birth of William of Wales and then again, a few years later, by the arrival of Prince Harry. Andrew's path, like all the number fives, is only downwards as younger royals with a stronger claim to the throne than him increase their families.

Andrew, Duke of York - seen here with his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie - is now fifth in line to the British throne

Princess Astrid of Belgium is another 1960s baby who finds herself sliding down the succession as the years go one but, unlike Andrew, she didn't hold dynastic rights from birth.  When Astrid Josephine-Charlotte Fabrizia Elisabeth Paola Marie of Belgium was born in June 1962, women were not able to ascend her country's throne.  When the law was changed in 1991, Princess Astrid immediately overtook her younger brother in the line of succession and became third after her father, Albert, and her brother, Philippe.  On Albert's accession in 1993, Astrid went up another rung and for a while it seemed the throne might pass to her until Philippe announced his plans to marry in 1999.  Since then the princess has continued to fall down the line of succession although she went back up to fifth from sixth in July 2013 when her father abdicated and her brother became king.

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archducess of Austria-Este is fifth in line to the Belgian throne

A young countess in the neighbouring kingdom of the Netherlands found herself in a similar position in 2013 when her grandmother abdicated and her uncle became king.  Countess Eloise Beatrix Sophie Laurence of Orange-Nassau is the eldest grandchild of the former queen of the Netherlands, Beatrix, and on her birth in 2002 she was fourth in line to the throne.  Since then her position has gone up and down - the birth of three children to her uncle, Willem-Alexander, sent her further down the line of succession but the decision of her other uncle, Johan Friso, to give up his dynastic rights in 2004 to marry Mabel Wisse meant that Eloise moved up a place.  In April 2013, she was sixth in line to the throne behind Willem-Alexander and his three daughters and her own father, Prince Constantijn.  The accession of the new king means she, like Astrid, moved up to fifth in line.

Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau with her grandfather, Claus, soon after her birth in 2002

The fifth in line to the Danish throne is unlikely to ever rise higher than her current position.  Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda, Princess of Denmark and Countess of Monpezat has held that number in the line of succession behind her father and three older siblings since the moment of her birth.  Josephine will only slide further away from the throne as she grows older.

Princess Josephine of Denmark on her third birthday

Her counterpart in Norway is in a similar situation.  Maud Angelica Behn is the eldest grandchild of King Harald and Queen Sonja and, on her birth in April 2003, she was briefly third in line to the throne.  But the birth of her cousins, Ingrid and Sverre, mean that Maud has moved down the line of succession and is unlikely ever to climb up it again.

Maud Angelica Behn was born on April 29th 2003, the eldest daughter of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and her husband, Ari Behn

Another eldest grandchild now fifth in line to the throne is Felipe Juan Froilan de Todos los Santos de Marichalar y Borbon, the first grandson of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain.  On his birth in July 1998 he was third in line to the throne behind his uncle, Prince Felipe, and his mother, the Infanta Elena.  The birth of two cousins, Leonor and Sofia, means that Felipe's slide away from the throne is well and truly under way.

Froilan of Spain with his sister, Victoria.  The eldest grandchild of Juan Carlos and Sofia is now fifth in line to his country's throne

The new princess of Sweden, like the other royals who find themselves fifth in line, occupies a strange position.  Regal enough to count when successors are counted but unlikely ever to succeed.  Being number five is high enough to matter but not really enough to count.