No female may become ruler, and female line descendants are generally excluded from succession.

Membership of the royal house is limited to the male line descendants of the grandfather of King Nicholas.

The current Prince of Naples is a direct male line descendant.

Carl Lagergren (1899-1931), elevated to the hereditary rank of Count in 1904, did not have male line descendants.

His male line descendants currently live in Austria, having fled France during the French Revolution.

They are the only known remaining male line descendants of Mao Zedong.

The Sursill genealogy contains all cognates instead of only male line descendants.

The present male line descendants live in Austria, the family having fled France due to the French Revolution.

The new law further restricted the succession to legitimate-born sons, grandsons, and male line descendants of an emperor.

Previously, an emperor's sons and grandsons born by concubines and their male line descendants could succeed to the throne.