How likely it is that Prince George will see the throne

• Britain's Prince George celebrated his 9th birthday on July 22.
• With Queen Elizabeth's death on September 8, Prince Charles inherited the throne.
• George, the Queen's great-grandson, is now second in the royal line of succession, behind his father Prince William.
• It's highly likely that George will one day become king, unless he chooses to abdicate or give up his royal duties before the time comes.

Britain's Prince George is just 9 years old, and yet he is already second in line to become monarch after his father Prince William.

With Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, Charles assumes the throne as the Her Majesty's eldest son. Prince William would then succeed his father.

The line of succession is regulated through descent and Parliamentary statute, according to the royal family's official website.

George —known by his formal title Prince George of Cambridge — is the great-grandson of the Queen and son of the Duke of Cambridge.

Therefore George, being the eldest of the three Cambridge children, will be first in line when his father is king.

But the likelihood of that exact scenario playing out is dependent on a number of factors.

What if Prince William dies before Prince Charles?

If either William or Charles were to pass away, this wouldn't decrease George's likelihood of becoming king.

"There is nothing to prevent William becoming king, other than his own premature death," Robert Hazell, a professor of government and the constitution at the University College London, previously told Insider.

In the unlikely scenario that 73-year-old Charles outlives his son, Prince Harry wouldn't take William's place in the line of succession. The spot would automatically go to Prince George, and then subsequently to his children if he had them.

If he didn't have children, Princess Charlotte would be next in line, followed by Prince Louis. This is due to The Succession to the Crown Act (2013) which means royal males born after 2011 do not automatically overtake their sisters in the line of succession like they used to.

"If William were to die before Charles, then on the death of Charles, Prince George would become king," Hazell said.

However, George would have the freedom to abdicate

Nonetheless, this is all dependent on whether George actually wants to become the next monarch — or whether he wants to be a working royal at all.

The last monarch to abdicate was Edward VIII, who ruled Britain for almost a year from January until December 1936, when he proposed to American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Since Edward didn't have children, the throne was passed to his younger brother, George VI (father of our current Queen, Elizabeth II).

Of course, the monarchy has evolved since then, and George's position wouldn't be affected by his choice of life partner.

Nonetheless, he could still choose to abdicate for other reasons.

Just as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped back from royal duties to pursue financial independence for themselves and their son Archie, George will have the option to do the same if he so desires.

Read more:

Prince George turns 7: The best photo from every year of the future king's life

8 royals who rejected their titles, and the surprising reasons why

How likely it is that Prince William will see the throne