Mohammed bin Salman

MBS is the third surviving son of the current king, King Salman, who is the 25th son of King Abdulaziz who founded the modern nation of Saudi Arabia. I’m British so I’m only truly familiar with our succession laws, though I know that the Saudis exclude women and female lines entirely just like continental Salic law, nonetheless MBS has older brothers from his father (who believe come from higher mothers), he has cousins born from his fathers older brothers, many of whom have their own sons, and although his father’s older brothers are quite old there are a great number of them since King Abdulaziz kept taking wives and having children until he was on his deathbed in the 1950s. How on earth is he, of all men, heir to the throne?

I understand that he had many of his uncle and cousins arrested and formally renounce their claim to throne, but this was after he had already attained his position.