An order , line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility . This sequence may be regulated through descent or by statute.
103-400: Hereditary government form differs from elected government . An established order of succession is the normal way of passing on hereditary positions, and also provides immediate continuity after an unexpected vacancy in cases where office-holders are chosen by election : the office does not have to remain vacant until a successor is elected. In some cases the successor takes up the full role of
206-421: A best qualified candidate for the leadership. The leaders are elected as being the most mature elders of the clan, already in possession of military power and competence. Fraternal succession is preferred to ensure that mature leaders are in charge, removing a need for regents. The lateral system of succession may or may not exclude male descendants in the female line from succession. In practice, when no male heir
309-509: A broader sense, refer to any formal ceremony in relation to the accession of a monarch, whether or not an actual crown is bestowed, such ceremonies may otherwise be referred to as investitures, inaugurations, or enthronements. The monarch's accession usually precedes the coronation ceremony. For example, the Coronation of Charles III took place in May 2023, several months after his accession to
412-460: A brother, sister, nephew, niece, cousin, or other relative, in accordance with a predefined order of succession , often enshrined in legislation. Such a process establishes who will be the next monarch beforehand and avoids disputes among members of the royal family. Usurpers may resort to inventing semi-mythical genealogies to bolster their respectability. Historically, there have been differences in systems of succession , mainly revolving around
515-400: A childless king were allowed to succeed to the throne as well and allowed to rule as queen regnants in their own right, until their death, after which the throne passed to the next closest relative. An early example of this is Queen Didda of Kashmir , who ascended the throne of Kashmir in 980 CE after the death of her grandson and ruled until 1003 CE. Another example is Qudsia Begum who became
618-460: A combination of the Christian rite of anointing with additional elements. Following Europe's conversion to Christianity, crowning ceremonies became more and more ornate, depending on the country in question, and their Christian elements—especially anointing—became the paramount concern. Crowns and sceptres , used in coronations since ancient times, took on a Christian significance together with
721-545: A custom known as Marumakkathayam was practiced by the Nair nobility, the Malabar Muslims and the royal families. Through this system, descent and the inheritance of property were passed from the maternal uncle to nephews or nieces. The right of the child was with the maternal uncle or the mother's family rather than the father or the father's family. Through this bloodline, surnames, titles, properties, and everything of
824-621: A dynasty by rotation. It currently applies, with variations, to Andorra , Cambodia , Eswatini , the Holy See , Kuwait , Malaysia , the UAE , and Samoa . It is also used in Ife , Oyo and the other subnational states of the Yorubaland region. Lateral or fraternal system of succession mandates principles of seniority among members of a dynasty or dynastic clan, with a purpose of election
927-416: A dynasty can succeed to the throne if and only if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants. Children represent their deceased ancestors, and the senior line of descent always takes precedence over the junior line, within each gender. The right of succession belongs to the eldest son of the reigning sovereign (see heir apparent ), and next to the eldest son of
1030-630: A member of the Deisi , another roydammna , Eochaid Gonnat , succeeded as king. The royal succession in Celtic Scotland was limited to the elective succession of the male descendants of Siol Alpein ( House of Alpin ) until the accession of King Malcolm II in 1005, who introduced the concept of hereditary monarchy in Scotland. He did so to try to eliminate the strife caused by the elective law , which encouraged rival claimants to fight for
1133-613: A monarchy or a fief was inherited in a way that all entitled heirs had a right to a share of it. The most prominent examples of this practice are the multiple divisions of the Frankish Empire under the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, and similarly Gavelkind in the British Isles. In seniority successions, a monarch's or fiefholder's next sibling (almost always brother) , succeeds; not his children. And, if
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#17327731885311236-456: A new dynasty. Imperial France established male primogeniture within the descent of Napoleon I , but failing male issue the constitution allowed the emperors to choose who among their brothers or nephews would follow them upon the throne. The Kingdom of Italy was designated a secundogeniture for the second surviving son of Napoleon I Bonaparte but, failing such, provided for the emperor's stepson, Eugène de Beauharnais , to succeed, even though
1339-461: A religious dimension to their accession rituals, while others have adopted simpler inauguration ceremonies, or even no ceremony at all. Some cultures use bathing or cleansing rites, the drinking of a sacred beverage, or other religious practices to achieve a comparable effect. Such acts symbolise the granting of divine favour to the monarch within the relevant spiritual-religious paradigm of the country. "Coronation" in common parlance today may also, in
1442-455: A similar manner, until the momentous decision was taken to permit the patriarch of Constantinople to physically place the crown on the emperor's head. The first imperial coronation was organised by Leo I , who was crowned by Patriarch Anatolius of Constantinople in 457. This Christian coronation ritual was performed by almost all future emperors, and was later imitated by courts all over Europe. This ritual included recitation of prayers by
1545-543: A vital spiritual place in their dominions as well. Coronations were created to reflect and enable these alleged connections; however, the belief systems that gave birth to them have been radically altered in recent centuries by secularism, egalitarianism and the rise of constitutionalism and democracy. During the Protestant Reformation , the idea of divinely ordained monarchs began to be challenged. The Age of Enlightenment and various revolutions of
1648-459: Is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist ( Irish : Tánaiste ; Scottish Gaelic : Tànaiste ; Manx : Tanishtey ) is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of Ireland , Scotland and Mann , to succeed to the chieftainship or to the kingship . Historically the tanist was chosen from among
1751-470: Is a kinsman with whom one has a common ancestor by descent in an unbroken male line. Cognatic primogeniture allows both male and female descendants to succeed, but males are usually given preference . In absolute primogeniture , the eldest child can succeed to the throne regardless of sex; this system was adopted in 2011 by the monarchies in the Commonwealth (though not retrospectively affecting
1854-581: Is a law in which the eldest child of the sovereign succeeds to the throne, regardless of gender, and females (and their descendants) enjoy the same right of succession as males. This is currently the system in Sweden ( since 1980 ), the Netherlands ( since 1983 ), Norway ( since 1990 ), Belgium ( since 1991 ), Denmark ( since 2009 ), Luxembourg ( since 2011 ), and in the United Kingdom and
1957-666: Is a pious institutional act of the Pope, on behalf of a devotion . This tradition still stands as of 2015 ; in 2014 Pope Francis crowned Our Lady of Immaculate Conception of Juquila . Since 1989, the act has been carried out through the authorised decree by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments . In most kingdoms, a monarch succeeding to the throne by right of heredity does so immediately on
2060-403: Is an order of succession where the subject is succeeded by the youngest son (or youngest child). This serves the circumstances where the youngest is "keeping the hearth", taking care of the parents and continuing at home, whereas elder children have had time to succeed "out in the world" and provide for themselves. Proximity of blood is a system wherein the person closest in degree of kinship to
2163-488: Is considered an heir at law of the grantee and the inheritance may not pass to someone who is not a natural, lawful descendant or relative of the grantee. Collateral relatives, who share some or all of the grantee's ancestry, but do not directly descend from the grantee, may inherit if there is no limitation to "heirs of the body". There are other kinds of inheritance rules if the heritage can be divided: heirs portioners and partible inheritance . In hereditary monarchies
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#17327731885312266-589: Is mature enough, a female heir is usually determined "pragmatically", by proximity to the last monarch, like Boariks of the Caucasian Huns or Tamiris of Massagetes in Middle Asia were selected. The lateral monarch is generally elected after the leadership throne becomes vacant. In the early years of the Mongol empire, the death of the ruling monarchs, Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan , immediately stopped
2369-409: Is nominated from among qualified candidates). Research shows that hereditary regimes, in particular primogeniture , are more stable than forms of authoritarian rule with alternative succession arrangements. Theoretically, when the monarch of a hereditary monarchy dies or abdicates, the crown typically passes to the next generation of the family. If no qualified child exists, the crown may pass to
2472-459: Is often the case that the inheritance of a hereditary title, office or the like, is indivisible: when the previous holder ceases to hold the title, it is inherited by a single individual. Many titles and offices are not hereditary (such as democratic state offices) and they are subject to different rules of succession. A hereditary line of succession may be limited to heirs of the body , or may also pass to collateral lines, if there are no heirs of
2575-427: Is sought in the general population by certain criteria considered to indicate that the reincarnated Dalai Lama has been found , a process which typically takes two to four years to find the infant boy. Hereditary government Philosophers Works A hereditary monarchy is a form of government and succession of power in which the throne passes from one member of a ruling family to another member of
2678-533: Is undue abuse. [...] The King of Jerusalem is crowned and anointed, the Most Christian King of France is crowned and anointed, the King of England is crowned and anointed; the King of Sicily is crowned and anointed. Crowning ceremonies arose from a worldview in which monarchs were seen as ordained by God to serve not merely as political or military leaders, nor as figureheads, but rather to occupy
2781-573: Is usually the rule everywhere in Scotland and baronies by writ in the United Kingdom, but usually these English baronies by writ go into abeyance when the last male titleholder dies leaving more than one surviving sister or more than one descendant in the legitimate female line of the original titleholder. In England, Fiefs or titles granted "in tail general" or to "heirs general" follow this system for sons, but daughters are considered equal co-heirs to each other, which can result in abeyance. In
2884-522: The Commonwealth realms ( since 2013 ). The Salic law , or agnatic succession, restricted the pool of potential heirs to males of the patrilineage, and altogether excluded females of the dynasty and their descendants from the succession, unless there were no living males to inherit. The Salic law applied to the former royal or imperial houses of Albania , France , Italy , Romania , Yugoslavia , and Prussia / German Empire . It currently applies to
2987-625: The Egyptian pharaoh was believed to be the son of Ra , the sun god, while in Japan, the emperor was believed to be a descendant of Amaterasu , the sun goddess. Rome promulgated the practice of emperor worship ; in medieval Europe , monarchs claimed to have a divine right to rule (analogous to the Mandate of Heaven in dynastic China ). Coronations were once a direct visual expression of these alleged connections, but recent centuries have seen
3090-523: The King of France . When the crown of Scotland became vacant in September 1290 on the death of the seven-year-old Queen Margaret , 13 claimants to the throne came forward. Where the line of succession is clear, it has sometimes happened that a pretender with a weak or spurious claim but military or political power usurps the throne. In recent years researchers have found significant connections between
3193-540: The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies . If a female descendant should take the throne, she will not necessarily be the senior heiress by primogeniture, but usually the nearest relative to the last male monarch of the dynasty by proximity of blood . Examples are Christian I of Denmark 's succession to Schleswig-Holstein, Maria Theresa of Austria (although her right ultimately was confirmed in consequence of her victory in
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3296-534: The Nawab of Bhopal in 1819 CE after the death of her husband and ruled until 1837 CE. Other famous queens include Rudrama Devi , Keladi Chennamma , Ahilyabai Holkar , Velu Nachiyar and Gowri Lakshmi Bayi . Razia Sultana was a rare example of a queen who succeeded her father even when her brothers were alive. She was the reigning queen of the Delhi Sultanate from 1236 to 1240 CE. Absolute primogeniture
3399-575: The War of the Austrian Succession launched over her accession), Marie-Adelaide and Charlotte of Luxembourg , Anne of Brittany , as well as Christian IX of Denmark 's succession in the right of his wife, Louise of Hesse . Some cultures pass honours down through the female line. A man's wealth and title are inherited by his sister's children, and his children receive their inheritance from their maternal uncles. In Kerala , southern India,
3502-488: The orb as symbols of the purported divine order of things, with the monarch as the divinely ordained overlord and protector of his dominion. During the Middle Ages , this rite was considered so vital in some European kingdoms that it was sometimes referred to as an "eighth sacrament ". The anointed ruler was viewed as a mixta persona , part priest and part layman, but never wholly either. This notion persisted into
3605-591: The patrilineage remained alive. In this form of succession, the succession is reserved first to all the male dynastic descendants of all the eligible branches by order of primogeniture , then upon total extinction of these male descendants to a female member of the dynasty. The only current monarchy that operated under semi-Salic law until recently is Luxembourg , which changed to absolute primogeniture in 2011. Former monarchies that operated under semi-Salic law included Austria (later Austria-Hungary ), Bavaria , Hanover , Württemberg , Russia , Saxony , Tuscany , and
3708-611: The Bible. The monarch's consort may also be crowned, either simultaneously with the monarch or as a separate event. Once a vital ritual among the world's monarchies, coronations have changed over time for a variety of socio-political and religious reasons; most modern monarchies have dispensed with them altogether, preferring simpler ceremonies to mark a monarch's accession to the throne. In the past, concepts of royalty, coronation and deity were often closely linked. In some ancient cultures, rulers were considered to be divine or partially divine:
3811-559: The Byzantine prelate over the crown, a further—and extremely vital—development in the liturgical ordo of crowning. After this event, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia , "the ecclesiastical element in the coronation ceremonial rapidly develop[ed]". In some European Celtic or Germanic countries prior to the adoption of Christianity, the ruler upon his election was raised on a shield and, while standing upon it,
3914-597: The Mongols' western campaigns because of the upcoming elections. In East Asia, the lateral succession system is first recorded in the pre-historical period starting with the late Shang dynasty 's Wai Bing succeeding his brother Da Ding , and then in connection with a conquest by the Zhou of the Shang, when Wu Ding was succeeded by his brother Zu Geng in 1189 BC and then by another brother Zu Jia in 1178 BC. A drawback of
4017-600: The Pictish succession rules. An example of this is King Eochaid who claimed the Scottish throne as the son of the daughter of Kenneth I . The composition and the governance of the clan were built upon descent from a similar ancestor. The office was noted from the beginning of recorded history in Ireland, and probably pre-dates it. A story about Cormac mac Airt refers to his eldest son as his tanist. Following his murder by
4120-473: The Pope, resulting in many individuals being "Kings of the Romans" or "Kings of Germany", but not "Emperor". Maximilian received Papal permission to call himself "Elected Emperor of the Romans" when he was unable to travel for his coronation. His successors likewise adopted the title; the last Emperor crowned by the Pope was Maxmilian's grandson Charles V. The custom of crowning heirs apparent also originates from
4223-506: The Roman Empire. Many emperors chose to elevate their children directly to augustus (emperor) instead of leaving them as caesar (heir apparent). These co-emperors did not exercise real power and are often excluded from the numbering of emperors, as their proclamations only served to settle the succession. The first known coronation of a co-emperor occurred in 367, when Valentinian I crowned his eight-year-old son Gratian . After
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4326-512: The Salic law also use primogeniture among male descendants in the male line to determine the rightful successor, although in earlier history agnatic seniority was more usual than primogeniture. Fiefs and titles granted "in tail male" or to "heirs male" follow this primogenitural form of succession. (Those granted to "heirs male of the body" are limited to the male-line descendants of the grantee; those to "heirs male general" may be inherited, after
4429-513: The United Kingdom still retains its coronation rite . Other nations still crowning their rulers include Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Thailand, and Tonga, as well as several subnational entities such as the Toro Kingdom . The Papacy retains the option of a coronation, but no pope has used it since 1963 after Pope John Paul I opted for a papal inauguration in 1978. A canonical coronation (Latin: coronatio canonica )
4532-520: The assumption of the diadem by Constantine, Roman and Byzantine emperors continued to wear it as the supreme symbol of their authority. Although no specific coronation ceremony was observed at first, one gradually evolved over the following century. Emperor Julian the Apostate was hoisted upon a shield and crowned with a gold necklace provided by one of his standard-bearers; he later wore a jewel-studded diadem. Later emperors were crowned and acclaimed in
4635-458: The body, depending on the succession rules. These concepts are in use in English inheritance law. The rules may stipulate that eligible heirs are heirs male or heirs general – see further primogeniture (agnatic, cognatic, and also equal). Certain types of property pass to a descendant or relative of the original holder, recipient or grantee according to a fixed order of kinship . Upon
4738-781: The ceremony was finally transferred in 816. His son Charlemagne , who was crowned emperor in Rome in 800, passed as well the ceremony to the Holy Roman Empire , and this tradition acquired a newly constitutive function in England too, with the kings Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror immediately crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1066. The European coronation ceremonies of the Middle Ages were essentially
4841-491: The child are inherited from his uncle or mother. Almost all the kingdoms in Kerala practised this system, including the Kingdom of Calicut , Kingdom of Cochin , the kingdom of Kolathunadu and the Kingdom of Valluvanad , to name a few. The Arakkal kingdom followed a similar matrilineal system of descent: the eldest member of the family, whether male or female, became its head and ruler; the male rulers were called Ali Rajah and
4944-583: The conferring of kingship, the most detailed accounts of which are found in 2 Kings 11:12 and 2 Chronicles 23:11. The corona radiata , the " radiant crown " known best on the Statue of Liberty , and perhaps worn by the Helios that was the Colossus of Rhodes , was worn by Roman emperors as part of the cult of Sol Invictus , part of the imperial cult as it developed during the 3rd century. The origin of
5047-572: The constitution stipulated that the male line of his brother, Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern , would inherit the throne and, failing other male line issue of that family, a prince of a "Western European" dynasty was to be chosen by the Romanian king and parliament. By contrast, older European monarchies tended to rely upon succession criteria that only called to the throne descendants of past monarchs according to fixed rules rooted in one or another pattern of laws or traditions. In hereditary succession,
5150-589: The coronation rituals of Thailand, Cambodia and Bhutan, while Hindu elements played a significant role in Nepalese rites. The ceremonies used in modern Egypt, Malaysia, Brunei and Iran were shaped by Islam , while Tonga's ritual combines ancient Polynesian influences with more modern Anglican ones. Coronations, in one form or another, have existed since ancient times, like in Ancient Egypt . The Hebrew Bible testifies to particular rites associated with
5253-480: The crown is thus religious, comparable to the significance of a halo , marking the sacral nature of kingship , expressing that either the king is himself divine , or ruling by divine right . The precursor to the crown was the browband called the diadem , which had been worn by the Achaemenid rulers, was adopted by Constantine I , and was worn by all subsequent rulers of the later Roman Empire. Following
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#17327731885315356-462: The death (or abdication) of their predecessor; the coronation ceremony is not until some time later. King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom , for example, did not reign long enough to be crowned before he abdicated , yet he was unquestionably the King of the United Kingdom and Emperor of India during his brief reign. This is because in Britain, the law stipulates that in the moment one monarch dies,
5459-464: The death of the grantee, a designated inheritance such as a peerage , or a monarchy , passes automatically to that living, legitimate , non- adoptive relative of the grantee who is most senior in descent (i.e. highest in the line of succession, regardless of age); and thereafter continues to pass to subsequent successors of the grantee, according to the same rules, upon the death of each subsequent heir. Each person who inherits according to these rules
5562-532: The early modern age. Exceptions include the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers to the ceremony which marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia , and other rituals such as
5665-643: The eldest sister automatically receives the titles, and rules in her own right, not in the right of her son. A famous example of this is Marjorie, Countess of Carrick , mother of Robert the Bruce , who was the Countess of Carrick in her own right. A similar system was practised in many of the kingdoms of the Indian subcontinent from the Middle Ages to the Indian independence movement . In many of these kingdoms, adoption
5768-540: The eldest son. This is the system in Spain and Monaco , and was the system used in the ancient kingdoms of England and Scotland and later, the Kingdom of Great Britain and finally, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms (although, during the Middle Ages, Scotland also supported tanistry and proximity of blood , both through the male and female lines, due to the intermingling of Pictish and Gaelic succession rules). With respect to hereditary titles , it
5871-441: The extinction of the grantee's male-line descendants, by the male-line descendants of his father, paternal grandfather, etc.) Agnatic-cognatic (or semi-Salic) succession, prevalent in much of Europe since ancient times, is the restriction of succession to those descended from or related to a past or current monarch exclusively through the male line of descent: descendants through females were ineligible to inherit unless no males of
5974-404: The female rulers were called as Arakkal Beevis. Usually after one king, his nephew through his sister succeeded to the throne, and his own son receives a courtesy title but has no place in the line of succession. In the absence of nephews, nieces could also succeed to the kingdom, as in the case of Queen Gowri Lakshmi Bayi who was the queen regnant from 1810 to 1813. Since Indian Independence and
6077-619: The form they have taken in Great Britain (the most recent of which occurred in 2023), descend from rites initially created in Byzantium , Visigothic Spain, Carolingian France and the Holy Roman Empire and brought to their apogee during the Medieval era. In non-Christian states, coronation rites evolved from a variety of sources, often related to the religious beliefs of that particular nation. Buddhism , for instance, influenced
6180-538: The functions of the presidency until a successor is elected ; in contrast, when the position of President of the Philippines is vacant, the Vice-President of the Philippines outright assumes the presidency itself for the rest of the term. Organizations without hereditary or statutory order of succession require succession planning if power struggles prompted by power vacuums are to be avoided. It
6283-411: The future dignity and responsibilities associated with the crown of a particular nation or people. Such systems may also enhance political stability by establishing clear, public expectations about the sequence of rulers, potentially reducing competition and channeling cadets into other roles or endeavors. Some hereditary monarchies have had unique selection processes, particularly upon the accession of
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#17327731885316386-439: The heads of the roydammna or "righdamhna" (literally, those of kingly material ) or, alternatively, among all males of the sept , and elected by them in full assembly. The eligibility was based on descent from a king to a few degrees of proximity. Usually descent from the male lines of a king was the norm, however in Scotland, descent through the female lines of a king was also accepted, possibly because of an intermingling with
6489-529: The heir is automatically determined by pre-defined rules and principles. It can be further subdivided into horizontal and vertical methods, the former favoring siblings, whereas vertical favors children and grandchildren of the holder. In male-preference primogeniture (in the past called cognatic primogeniture) the monarch's eldest son and his descendants take precedence over his siblings and their descendants. Elder sons take precedence over younger sons, but all sons take precedence over daughters. A female member of
6592-534: The house of Liechtenstein , and the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan . In 1830 in Spain the question whether or not the Salic law applied – and therefore, whether Ferdinand VII should be followed by his daughter Isabella or by his brother Charles – led to a series of civil wars and the formation of a pretender rival dynasty which still exists. Generally, hereditary monarchies that operate under
6695-554: The incumbent monarch or some electoral body appoints an heir or a list of heirs before vacancy occurs. A monarchy may be generally elective, although in a way that the next holder will be elected only after it becomes vacant. In history, quite often, but not always, appointments and elections favored, or were limited to, members of a certain dynasty or extended family. There may be genealogical rules to determine all who are entitled to succeed, and who will be favored. This has led sometimes to an order of succession that balances branches of
6798-642: The kings of Poland were permitted to perform a variety of political acts prior to their coronation, but were not allowed to exercise any of their judicial powers prior to being crowned. In the Holy Roman Empire an individual became King of the Romans , and thus gained governance of the Empire, upon his acceptance of the election capitulation, not his coronation (unless he was elected during his predecessor's lifetime). However, prior to Maximilian I he could not style himself "Emperor" until his coronation by
6901-583: The last three centuries all helped to further this trend. Hence, many monarchies – especially in Europe – have dispensed with coronations altogether, or transformed them into simpler inauguration or benediction rites. A majority of contemporary European monarchies today have either long abandoned coronation ceremonies (e.g. the last coronation in Spain was in 1379, and it was seldom practised before that) or have never practised coronations (e.g. Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg). Of all European monarchies today, only
7004-566: The lateral succession is that, while ensuring a most competent leadership for the moment, the system inherently created derelict princely lines not eligible for succession. Any scion of an eligible heir who did not live long enough to ascend to the throne was cast aside as not eligible, creating a pool of discontented pretenders called Tegin in Turkic and Izgoi in Rus dynastic lines. The unsettled pool of derelict princes would eventually bring havoc to
7107-458: The latter had no blood relationship to the House of Bonaparte . Serbia's monarchy was hereditary by primogeniture for male descendants in the male line of Prince Alexander I , but upon extinction of that line, the reigning king could choose any among his male relatives of the House of Karađorđević . In Romania, on the other hand, upon extinction of the male line descended from Carol I of Romania ,
7210-498: The lessening of such beliefs. The most recent coronation in the world was that of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London in 2023. Coronations are still observed in the United Kingdom, Tonga, and several Asian and African countries. In Europe, most monarchs are required to take a simple oath in the presence of the country's legislature. Besides a coronation, a monarch's accession may be marked in many ways: some nations may retain
7313-406: The line of succession is restricted to persons of the blood royal (but see morganatic marriage ), that is, to those legally recognized as born into or descended from the reigning dynasty or a previous sovereign. The persons in line to succeed to the throne are called " dynasts ". Constitutions, statutes, house laws , and norms may regulate the sequence and eligibility of potential successors to
7416-400: The medieval period, actual practice varied with local custom. While women could inherit manors, power was usually exercised by their husbands ( jure uxoris ) or their sons ( jure matris ). However, in Scotland, Salic law or any of its variations have never been practised, and all the hereditary titles are inherited through male-preference primogeniture, where in the extinction of a male line,
7519-474: The moment of their coronation, the heirs were regarded as junior kings ( rex iunior ), but they exercised little power and historically were not included in the numbering of monarchs if they predeceased their fathers. The nobility disliked this custom, as it reduced their chances to benefit from a possible succession dispute. The last heir apparent to the French throne to be crowned during his father's lifetime
7622-588: The monastery at Iona in 574 to be crowned by St Columba . In Spain, the Visigothic king Sisenand was crowned in 631, and in 672, Wamba was the first occidental king to be anointed as well, by the archbishop of Toledo . In England , the Anglo-Saxon king Eardwulf of Northumbria was "consecrated and enthroned" in 796, and Æthelstan was crowned and anointed in 925. These practices were nevertheless irregularly used or occurred some considerable time after
7725-478: The new one assumes automatically and immediately the throne; thus, there is no interregnum . France likewise followed automatic succession, though by tradition the new king acceded to the throne when the coffin of the previous monarch descended into the vault at Saint Denis Basilica , and the Duke of Uzès proclaimed " Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi !" ("The King is dead, long live the King!"). In Hungary, on
7828-414: The order of succession determines who becomes the new monarch when the incumbent sovereign dies or otherwise vacates the throne. Such orders of succession, derived from rules established by law or tradition, usually specify an order of seniority, which is applied to indicate which relative of the previous monarch, or other person, has the strongest claim to assume the throne when the vacancy occurs. Often,
7931-619: The order of succession). Another factor which may be taken into account is the religious affiliation of the candidate or the candidate's spouse , specifically where the monarch also has a religious title or role; for example, the British monarch has the title of supreme governor of the Church of England and may not profess Roman Catholicism . Elective monarchy can function as de facto hereditary monarchy. A specific type of elective monarchy known as tanistry limits eligibility to members of
8034-425: The ossified distribution of wealth and power across a broad spectrum of society, and the continuation of outmoded religious and social-economic structures mainly for the benefit of monarchs, their families, and supporters. In most extant hereditary monarchies , the typical order of succession uses some form of primogeniture , but there exist other methods such as seniority and tanistry (in which an heir-apparent
8137-811: The other hand, no ruler was regarded as being truly legitimate until he was physically crowned with St. Stephen's Crown by the archbishop of Esztergom in Székesfehérvár Cathedral (or during the Ottoman Empire 's invasion of Hungary in Pozsony , then in Budapest), while monarchs of Albania were not allowed to succeed or exercise any of their prerogatives until swearing a formal constitutional oath before their nation's parliament. The same still applies in Belgium. Following their election,
8240-813: The passing of several acts such as the Hindu Succession Act (1956), this form of inheritance is no longer recognised by law. Regardless, the pretender to the Travancore throne is still determined by matrilinear succession. The Akans of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, West Africa have similar matrilineal succession and as such Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II , Asantehene inherited the Golden Stool (the throne) through his mother (the Asantehemaa ) Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II . Ultimogeniture
8343-403: The previous office-holder, as in the case of the presidency of many countries; in other non-hereditary cases there is not a full succession, but a caretaker chosen by succession criteria assumes some or all of the responsibilities, but not the formal office, of the position. For example, when the position of President of India becomes vacant, the Vice-President of India temporarily carries out
8446-478: The question of whether succession is limited to males, or whether females are also eligible (historically, the crown often devolved on the eldest surviving male child, as ability to lead an army in battle was a requisite of kingship ). Agnatic succession refers to systems where females are neither allowed to succeed nor to transmit succession rights to their male descendants (as according to the Salic law ). An agnate
8549-666: The reign of Leo I , heirs apparent —nominal co-rulers titled augustus and later basileus — were also crowned by the Patriarch of Constantinople , as in the case of his six-year-old grandson Leo II in 473. During the Middle Ages , the Capetian Kings of France chose to have their heirs apparent crowned during their own lifetime to avoid succession disputes. This practice was later adopted by Angevin Kings of England , Kings of Hungary and other European monarchs. From
8652-531: The royal house is more extensive, (male) cousins and so forth succeed, in order of seniority, which may depend upon actual age or upon the seniority between their fathers. The rota system , from the Old Church Slavic word for "ladder" or "staircase", was a system of collateral succession practised (though imperfectly) in Kievan Rus' and later Appanage and early Muscovite Russia. In this system,
8755-675: The rulers had become kings, until their regular adoption by the Carolingian dynasty in France. To legitimate his deposition of the last of the Merovingian kings , Pepin the Short was twice crowned and anointed, at the beginning of his reign in 752, and for the first time by a pope in 754 in Saint-Denis . The anointing served as a reminder of the baptism of Clovis I in Reims in 496, where
8858-773: The rules of primogeniture became stronger. The last coronation of an heir apparent was the coronation of the future Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria as junior King of Hungary in 1830. Coronations: Medieval and Early Modern Monarchic Ritual . ed. Janos M. Bak. University of California Press 1990. ISBN 978-0520066779 . (in German) Bernhard A. Macek : Die Kroenung Josephs II. in Frankfurt am Main. Logistisches Meisterwerk, zeremonielle Glanzleistung und Kulturgueter fuer die Ewigkeit . Peter Lang 2010. ISBN 978-3-631-60849-4 . Zupka, Dušan: Power of rituals and rituals of power: Religious and secular rituals in
8961-441: The ruling house. But hereditary succession can also occur in practice despite any such legal limitations. For example, if the majority of electors belong to the same house, then they may elect only family members. Or a reigning monarch might have sole power to elect a relative. Many late-medieval countries of Europe were officially elective monarchies, but in fact pseudo-elective; most transitioned into officially hereditary systems in
9064-476: The same family. A series of rulers from the same family would constitute a dynasty . It is historically the most common type of monarchy and remains the dominant form in extant monarchies. It has the advantages of continuity of the concentration of power and wealth and predictability of who one can expect to control the means of governance and patronage. Provided that a monarch is competent, not oppressive, and maintains an appropriate dignity, it might also offer
9167-413: The sovereign succeeds, preferring males over females and elder over younger siblings. This is sometimes used as a gloss for "pragmatic" successions in Europe; it had somewhat more standing during the Middle Ages everywhere in Europe. In Outremer it was often used to choose regents, and it figured in some of the succession disputes over the Kingdom of Jerusalem . It was also recognized in that kingdom for
9270-416: The stabilizing factors of popular affection for and loyalty to a ruling family. The adjudication of what constitutes oppressive, dignified and popular tends to remain in the purview of the monarch. A major disadvantage of hereditary monarchy arises when the heir apparent may be physically or temperamentally unfit to rule. Other disadvantages include the inability of a people to choose their head of state ,
9373-471: The succession of fiefs, under special circumstances: if a fief was lost to the Saracens and subsequently re-conquered, it was to be assigned to the heir in proximity of blood of the last fief-holder. In Scotland, Robert de Brus tried to claim the Scottish crown by order of proximity. He was not successful, but his grandson later successfully claimed the crown as Robert I of Scotland . In some societies,
9476-469: The succession order and dismemberment to the state. When a monarch dies without a clear successor, a succession crisis often ensues, frequently resulting in a war of succession . For example, when King Charles IV of France died, the Hundred Years War erupted between Charles' cousin, Philip VI of France , and Charles' nephew, Edward III of England , to determine who would succeed Charles as
9579-463: The taking of special vows by the new monarch, the investing and presentation of regalia to them, and acts of homage by the new monarch's subjects. In certain Christian denominations, such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism , coronation is a religious rite . As such, Western-style coronations have often included anointing the monarch with holy oil , or chrism as it is often called; the anointing ritual's religious significance follows examples found in
9682-600: The throne on the death of his mother Elizabeth II . In politics, the expression "coronation" is nowadays often used to refer to the election of a new party leader "by acclaim", without any vote being organised to elect him or her. The coronation ceremonies in medieval Christendom , both Western and Eastern , are influenced by the practice of the Roman Emperors as it developed during Late Antiquity and by Biblical accounts of kings being crowned and anointed. The European coronation ceremonies, perhaps best known in
9785-531: The throne passed not linearly from father to son, but laterally from brother to brother and then to the eldest son of the eldest brother who had held the throne. The system was begun by Yaroslav the Wise , who assigned each of his sons a principality based on seniority. When the Grand Prince died, the next most senior prince moved to Kiev and all others moved to the principality next up the ladder. The Tanistry
9888-521: The throne. Historically, the order of succession was sometimes superseded or reinforced by the coronation of a selected heir as co-monarch during the life of the reigning monarch. Examples are Henry the Young King and the heirs of elective monarchies , such as the use of the title King of the Romans for the Habsburg emperors. In the partially elective system of tanistry , the heir or tanist
9991-454: The throne. The earlier Pictish kingdoms had allowed female-line succession to the throne and in middle age Scotland, Pictish and Gaelic succession rules were intermingled. Since Malcolm had only daughters, the throne passed to his grandson through his eldest daughter and later, their descendants. The Irish monarchies, for their part, never at any stage allowed for female line succession. Order of succession can be arranged by appointment: either
10094-1301: The twentieth century in Imperial Russia , where the Tsar was considered to be "wedded" to his subjects through the Orthodox coronation service. Coronation stones marked the site of some medieval ceremonies, though some alleged stones are later inventions. As reported by the jurisconsult Tancredus , initially only four monarchs were crowned and anointed, they were the Kings of Jerusalem , France , England and Sicily : Et sunt quidam coronando, et quidam non, tamen illi, qui coronatur, debent inungi: et tales habent privilegium ab antiquo, et de consuetudine. Alii modo non debent coronari, nec inungi sine istis: et si faciunt; ipsi abutuntur indebite. [...] Rex Hierosolymorum coronatur et inungitur; Rex Francorum Christianissimus coronatur et inungitur; Rex Anglorum coronatur et inungitur; Rex Siciliae coronatur et inungitur. And some [kings] are crowned and some are not; however those who are crowned must be anointed: they have this privilege by ancient custom. The others, instead, must not be crowned nor anointed: and if they do so, it
10197-465: The types of rules governing succession in monarchies and autocracies and the frequency with which coups or succession crises occur. In Tibetan Buddhism , it is believed that the holders of some high offices such as the Dalai Lama are reincarnations of the incumbent: the order of succession is simply that an incumbent is followed by a reincarnation of himself. When an incumbent dies, his successor
10300-414: Was allowed from a relative if a monarch did not have children, and the adopted child could succeed to the throne at the death of the monarch. ( Shahu I adopted Rajaram II who ruled as king and he in turn adopted Shahu II who ruled as the next king. Princess Bharani Thirunal Parvathy Bayi, the mother of the reigning Queen Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore , had been adopted). Often, the wife or mother of
10403-433: Was borne on the shoulders of several chief men of the nation (or tribe) in a procession around his assembled subjects. This was usually performed three times. Following this, the king was given a spear , and a diadem wrought of silk or linen (not to be confused with a crown ) was bound around his forehead as a token of regal authority. According to Adomnan of Iona , the king of Dal Riata , Áedán mac Gabráin , came to
10506-449: Was elected from the qualified males of the royal family. Different monarchies use different rules to determine the line of succession. Hereditary monarchies have used a variety of methods and algorithms to derive the order of succession among possible candidates related by blood or marriage. An advantage of employing such rules is that dynasts may, from early youth, receive grooming, education, protection, resources and retainers suitable for
10609-512: Was the future Philip II . The only crowned heir apparent to the English throne was Henry the Young King , who was first crowned alone and then with his wife, Margaret of France . King Stephen attempted to have his son Eustace IV of Boulogne crowned in his lifetime but faced serious papal opposition as the Church did not want to be seen as intervening in the Anarchy . The practice was eventually abandoned by all kingdoms that had adopted it, as
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