Trump

Shining armor is still before glimmer and shimmer he is still the prince

@Background Pony #845D  
Should they be alicorns, then yeah they would be next in line after current alicorns. Is that what this graph is trying to say? It’s still a bit confusing. But as non-alicorns, they definitely wouldn’t be up that high on the hierarchy.

@Background Pony #E275  
If Twilight will learn “alicornification spell” to Sunset and Starlight.

@Background Pony #ED2F  
If there was not a single alicorn, then yes. I’m not disagreeing with you, but Blueblood is a regular pony compared to alicorns, which I kind of implied. That doesn’t mean he isn’t one on top of the hierarchy below alicorns. As far as I we know, Shining and Blueblood are only princes around, so essentially they will automatically come first before any others. Hence why having Starlight and Sunset so high up doesn’t feel plausible. They aren’t royalty.

@Background Pony #ED2F  
Considering that Equestria appears to be a matriarchal society, it’s possible ponies practice a version of agnatic succession, only instead of excluding females from the line of succession, they exclude males. In that case, Blueblood could not succeed to the throne unless there were no princesses available.

@Background Pony #E275  
Blueblood should be ahead of them still. He has a royal title which makes him more in the line of succession. Being a student of a Princess doesn’t include them in the line. It be like the Prime Minister being next in line after Prince William’s baby instead of any of the other Royal Family members.

@Background Pony #ED2F  
Pretty much. Sunset and Starlight belong in the same tier as Blueblood and Fancypants.
 
Alicorns -> Shining until Flurry is of age -> regular ponies. Shining also would only be a Equestrias ruler as long as Flurry is alive. If no guardianship over her, he would be in same tier as rest of the regular ponies, even if at an elevated position given his current rulership as the prince of Crystal Empire.

Flurry has a much better claim to the throne than anyone else past the Princesses. Shining would most likely be a Regent for his daughter until she came of age, then if anything happened to Flurry he would become the ruler over both Sunset or Starlight.