[Marsel]

I have recently read that in a Russian book about British Royalty (which was unfortunately inaccurate on a number of issues, hence my desire to verify this doubtful matter) that all people in line for the British Throne are (or can become) British subjects, without exceptions. I find this unlikely and dubious at best.

I know of a court case filed by Ernest August IV of Hannover in 1957, when he successfully claimed a British nationality under the 1705 Sophia Naturalization Act. However, I thought that the Act was repealed by a later Act (British Nationality Act of 1948, if I am not mistaken) and in any case, concerned only the Protestant descendants of the Electress. To my understanding, Ernest August succeeded in obtaining a British Nationality only because he was born before the British Nationality Act was adopted and raised in Protestant faith.


Could one of the many knowledgeable members of this board set the record straight: can any descendant of Electress Sophia or anyone in the Line of the Succession to the British Throne automatically qualify for British citizenship?
Another question: The Sophie Naturalization Act didn’t exclusively refer to the legitimate descendants only; would that mean even illegitimate descendants of the Electress (or rather, illegitimate descendants of her descendants) would qualify for British Citizenship (assuming they were born before 1948, if the British Nationality Act canceled the Sophia Naturalization Act, as I believe it to be the case)?