Meet the youngest male heirs born to rule thrones around the world

While drinking, driving and voting come with age restrictions, there is no such requirement to become an heir apparent to a throne. Some royal offspring wait years to move up the line of succession, while others are born into the position or find themselves there before even hitting puberty. For Prince Jacques of Monaco, Prince Charles of Luxembourg and Bhutan’s Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, the path to the throne began in childhood.

Meet the youngest male heirs destined to one day rule.

Prince Jacques of Monaco

It is Prince Albert’s fourth child, his son Prince Jacques, who is the heir to the Monegasque throne. Although his twin, Princess Gabriella, was born two minutes before him, Jacques is ahead of his sister in the line of succession because Monaco follows male-preference cognatic primogeniture, which gives male heirs precedence. Their older half-siblings, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, are not in the line of succession because they were born out of wedlock.

Jacques was born to Prince Albert and Princess Charlene on December 10, 2014. His father was already the Sovereign Prince of Monaco at the time of his birth. Albert was 47 when he succeeded his father in 2005, following Prince Rainier III‘s death.

Albert and Charlene’s twins are no strangers to public engagements. The siblings have accompanied their parents to events since before the age of one.

 Jacques and Gabriella are “growing up in the public eye and both their parents are guiding them towards a lifelong commitment to public duty,” Arlene Prinsloo, author of Charlene: In Search of a Princess, tells HELLO!.

“Both Prince Albert and Princess Charlene subtly guide their children in public. Jacques however will have the added duty of running his own principality but before any further studies he mostly appears in public with the reassuring presence of one or both parents, but also the assuring presence of Gabriella,” she adds. “As the future Grimaldi heir there are public appearances just with Albert. Children learn from seeing their parents and replicating what they see – we can all remember the twins as toddlers waving from the balcony in the Pink Palace.”

“Now Jacques seems to be a tad bit reserved. His confidence will grow with more exposure to public duties and off course the solid foundation given to him by his parents. Princess Charlene also has the added advantage of growing up in a completely different environment and will ensure that her children – especially Jacques – doesn’t grown up to be entitled.”

Prince Charles of Luxembourg

© Patrick van Katwijk/WireImage

Prince Charles is the eldest of Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg’s children. At the age of 5, he became first in line to the throne upon his father’s ascension, making him the youngest heir to a European throne.

The Prince was born on May 10, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte in Luxembourg. Following his son’s arrival, Guillaume told the press outside of the hospital, “Today is a wonderful day, for my wife and for myself. And probably the most incredible day that we will have in our life because to be able to greet a child that comes into one’s life is the most magical thing a couple can have.”

“And this is exactly the experience we are living today that we are able to share also with our country people with Luxembourg as a country, and we are delighted to do so also at a time that is a bit more difficult, also especially for families that have been separated for a few months, which are now in the next few weeks going to be able to see each other again,” Guillaume added. “A birth is a message of hope, it’s a blessing and I think this is what we are so happy to be able to share with Luxembourg, but also over the borders with all the different countries.”

Charles is set to receive the title “Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg,” previously held by his father, when he turns 18. The Hereditary Grand Duke “plays an active role in supporting the Grand Duke in official duties” after completing his studies, per the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg’s website.

Guillaume was 43 when his father, Henri, abdicated and he ascended the throne. The Grand Duke believes 43 is a “good” age to take on the responsibilities of the role. Speaking to the Luxembourg Times in 2025, Guillaume shared: “I definitely want my son, Prince Charles, to be able to enjoy his youth without any worries. If my health allows, I would like to be at his side as Hereditary Grand Duke so that he can grow into this role step by step – just as I have had the opportunity to gain the relevant experience. At 43, you are at a good age to take on the duties of a Grand Duke, because you can already look back on valuable experience and are therefore better able to [fulfill] this responsibility.”

Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan

Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, known as the Dragon Prince and The Gyalsey, is the heir apparent to the Bhutanese throne. He is the first child of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who ascended the throne in December 2006, and Queen Jetsun Pema.

The Prince was born on February 5, 2016 at Lingkana Palace in Thimphu. After his birth, the King and Queen said in a statement: “Our happiness knows no bounds.”

The royal baby’s name was revealed months later at a ceremony, during which the King said: “The Gyalsey is not just the prince of the King and Gyaltsuen, but a son to all the Bhutanese people… Jigme means fearless. It symbolizes great courage to overcome any challenge that he may confront in future as he serves our country.”

At the age of six, the Prince undertook his first solo engagement on his mother’s birthday in 2022, opening the Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck Super FabLab (SFL) at the TechPark in Thimphu and the FabLab network.

Back when he was a baby, the Prince’s father said: “When the time comes for Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck to serve his country, he must always place the concerns of his country above all else and serve his people justly with great love and dedication. It will be his sacred responsibility to build a harmonious and just society, and thereby, fulfill all the aspirations of his people.”