Prince Harry
Prince Harry is pictured attending a Commonwealth Day Youth Event on March 11, 2019 in London, England. Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Harry is not in direct line of succession to the throne, but what happens if Prince William dies before him while Prince George is still very young?

On the online forum site Quora, Sandra Duncan, a Ph.D. graduate from the University of Manchester, said that the Duke of Sussex wouldn’t automatically be named as the Lord Protector. After all, Prince George has a very competent mother, who may be more suited for the role.

And if Middleton can’t be given the important role, Prince George still has a very reliable grandmother in Princess Anne.

But James Jordan, a monarchy enthusiast, said that it is guaranteed that Prince Harry would be given some kind of role in serving as the head of the state until Prince George becomes an adult. But Jordan said that the term Lord Protector is actually incorrect.

“Instead, the Regency Act comes into force. It means that, according to law, a regent should undertake the duties a monarch would usually have until the child monarch is 18… The regent must be over 21, be a British subject and resident, and be in the line of succession,” he said.

Frank Martin, a graduate of Lehigh University, Prince Harry would most likely be called the Lord Protector of the Realm if Prince William, Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth II have passed on before Prince George becomes an adult.

But Greg Waple, a retired lecturer, argued that there is no such title. “There is no such office as Lord Protector. In your hypothetical scenario, the monarch would be Prince George, who is next in the line of succession after his father, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge," he explained.

As of late, the Queen is still the reigning monarch. She is not expected to abdicate anytime soon. When she dies, Prince Charles will become king and Prince William will be his heir. Several years from now, Prince George will take over the throne.