Philosophers
35-407: An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir apparent , whose claim on the position cannot be displaced in this manner. Depending on the rules of the monarchy, the heir presumptive might be the daughter of
70-653: A death occurring). In 2015, pursuant to the 2011 Perth Agreement , the Commonwealth realms changed the rules of succession to the 16 thrones of Elizabeth II to absolute primogeniture, except for male heirs born before the Perth Agreement. The effects are not likely to be felt for many years; the first two heirs at the time of the agreement (Charles, Prince of Wales, later Charles III , and his son William, Prince of Wales ) were already eldest born children, and in 2013 William's first-born son Prince George of Wales became
105-469: A legal sense (according to that form of primogeniture) to the current title-holder. The clearest example occurs in the case of a childless bearer of a hereditary title that can only be inherited by one person. If at any time the title bearer were to produce children, those children would rank ahead of any person who had formerly been heir presumptive. Many legal systems assume childbirth is always possible regardless of age or health. In such circumstances
140-404: A monarch if males take preference over females and the monarch has no sons, or the senior member of a collateral line if the monarch is childless or the monarch's direct descendants cannot inherit either because The subsequent birth of a legitimate child to the monarch may displace the former heir presumptive by creating an heir apparent or a more eligible heir presumptive. It is not assumed that
175-437: A person may be, in a practical sense, the heir apparent but still, legally speaking, heir presumptive. Indeed, when Queen Victoria succeeded her uncle King William IV , the wording of the proclamation even gave as a caveat : ...saving the rights of any issue of his late Majesty King William IV, which may be born of his late Majesty's consort. This provided for the possibility that William's wife, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen ,
210-692: A single person. Most monarchies refer to the heir apparent of their thrones with the descriptive term of crown prince or crown princess , but they may also be accorded with a more specific substantive title : such as Prince of Orange in the Netherlands, Duke of Brabant in Belgium, Prince of Asturias in Spain (also granted to heirs presumptive), or the Prince of Wales in England and Wales; former titles include Dauphin in
245-486: A system of absolute primogeniture that disregards gender, female heirs apparent occur. As succession to titles, positions, or offices in the past most often favoured males, females considered to be an heir apparent were rare. Absolute primogeniture was not practised by any modern monarchy for succession to their thrones until the late twentieth century, with Sweden being the first to adopt absolute primogeniture in 1980 and other Western European monarchies following suit. Since
280-486: A widow who was three months pregnant. His five-year-old daughter and heir presumptive, María de las Mercedes , was not declared queen because she would be displaced if a son was born, and instead there was a six-month interregnum until the birth of her brother Alfonso XIII , who assumed the throne as king immediately upon birth. Had the pregnancy been lost or resulted in another daughter, Mercedes would have become queen regnant and been retroactively recognized as such during
315-402: Is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more eligible heir is known as heir presumptive . Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles (e.g. titles of nobility) or offices, especially when only inheritable by
350-528: Is heir apparent to the Norwegian throne, and Victoria herself has a female heir apparent in her elder child, Princess Estelle . Victoria was not heir apparent from birth (in 1977), but gained the status in 1980 following a change in the Swedish Act of Succession . Her younger brother Carl Philip (born 1979) was thus heir apparent for a few months (and is a rare example of an heir apparent losing this status without
385-452: Is no son to inherit, any number of daughters share equally. Therefore, certain hereditary titles can have multiple simultaneous heirs presumptive. Since the title cannot be held by two people simultaneously, two daughters (without a brother) who inherit in this way would do so as co-parceners and before they inherit, both would be heirs presumptive. In these circumstances, the title would in fact be held in abeyance until one person represents
SECTION 10
#1732847856850420-449: Is not a title or position per se . Rather, it is a general term for a person who holds a certain place in the order of succession . In some monarchies, the heir apparent bears, ipso facto , a specific title and rank (e.g., Denmark, Netherlands, United Kingdom), this also sometimes being the case for noble titleholders (e.g., Spain, United Kingdom), but the heir presumptive does not bear that title. In other monarchies (e.g., Monaco, Spain)
455-441: Is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir apparent , whose claim on the position cannot be displaced in this manner. Depending on the rules of the monarchy, the heir presumptive might be the daughter of a monarch if males take preference over females and
490-546: The Kingdom of France , and Tsesarevich in Imperial Russia . The term is also applied metaphorically to an expected successor to any position of power, e.g. a political or corporate leader. This article primarily describes the term heir apparent in a hereditary system regulated by laws of primogeniture —it may be less applicable to cases where a monarch has a say in naming the heir (performed either while alive, e.g. crowning
525-542: The English or British throne; several times an heir apparent has died, but each example has either been childless or left a son or sons. However, there have been several female heirs apparent to British peerages (e.g. Frances Ward, 6th Baroness Dudley , and Henrietta Wentworth, 6th Baroness Wentworth ). In one special case, however, England and Scotland had a female heir apparent. The Revolution settlement that established William and Mary as joint monarchs in 1689 only gave
560-487: The adoption of absolute primogeniture by most of the Western European monarchies, examples of female heirs apparent include Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium; they are, respectively, the oldest children of Kings Carl XVI Gustaf , Willem-Alexander , and Philippe . Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is heir apparent to her father, who
595-453: The claim of both, or the claim is renounced by one or the other for herself and her heirs, or the abeyance is ended by the Crown. There are special procedures for handling doubtful or disputed cases. The list is limited to heirs presumptive who did not succeed due to death, abolition of monarchies, or change in succession law. Heir apparent Works An heir apparent is a person who
630-418: The day before Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, her father George VI was gravely ill and her mother was 51 years old, but Elizabeth was still the heir presumptive rather than the heir apparent. An heir presumptive's position may not even be secure after they ascend their throne, as a posthumous child of the previous monarch could have a superseding claim. Following the death of William IV in 1837, he
665-524: The first in line to the throne bears a specific title (i.e., "Hereditary Prince/Princess of Monaco", "Prince/Princess of Asturias") by right, regardless of whether she or he is heir apparent or heir presumptive. In the English and Welsh common law of inheritance , there is no seniority between sisters; where there is no son to inherit, any number of daughters share equally. Therefore, certain hereditary titles can have multiple simultaneous heirs presumptive. Since
700-530: The heir apparent for the remainder of William's reign. She eventually succeeded him as Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The position of an heir apparent is normally unshakable: it can be assumed they will inherit. Sometimes, however, extraordinary events—such as the death or the deposition of the parent—intervene. In some jurisdictions, an heir apparent can automatically lose that status by breaching certain constitutional rules. Today, for example: Heir presumptive An heir presumptive
735-429: The heir as a rex iunior , or through the monarch's will ). In a hereditary system governed by some form of primogeniture , an heir apparent is easily identifiable as the person whose position as first in the line of succession to a title or office is secure, regardless of future births. An heir presumptive , by contrast, can always be "bumped down" in the succession by the birth of somebody more closely related in
SECTION 20
#1732847856850770-410: The heir presumptive does not bear that title. In other monarchies (e.g., Monaco, Spain) the first in line to the throne bears a specific title (i.e., "Hereditary Prince/Princess of Monaco", "Prince/Princess of Asturias") by right, regardless of whether she or he is heir apparent or heir presumptive. In the English and Welsh common law of inheritance , there is no seniority between sisters; where there
805-417: The interregnum. Heir presumptive, like heir apparent, is not a title or position per se . Rather, it is a general term for a person who holds a certain place in the order of succession . In some monarchies, the heir apparent bears, ipso facto , a specific title and rank (e.g., Denmark, Netherlands, United Kingdom), this also sometimes being the case for noble titleholders (e.g., Spain, United Kingdom), but
840-400: The monarch and his or her consort are incapable of producing further children; on the day before Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, her father George VI was gravely ill and her mother was 51 years old, but Elizabeth was still the heir presumptive rather than the heir apparent. An heir presumptive's position may not even be secure after they ascend their throne, as a posthumous child of
875-433: The monarch has no sons, or the senior member of a collateral line if the monarch is childless or the monarch's direct descendants cannot inherit either because The subsequent birth of a legitimate child to the monarch may displace the former heir presumptive by creating an heir apparent or a more eligible heir presumptive. It is not assumed that the monarch and his or her consort are incapable of producing further children; on
910-420: The next apparent successor. But even in legal systems that apply male-preference primogeniture, female heirs apparent are by no means impossible: if a male heir apparent dies leaving no sons but at least one daughter, then the eldest daughter would replace her father as heir apparent to whatever throne or title is concerned, but only when it has become clear that the widow of the deceased is not pregnant. Then, as
945-458: The power to continue the succession through issue to Mary II, elder daughter of the previous king, James II . William, by contrast, was to reign for life only, and his (hypothetical) children by a wife other than Mary would be placed in his original place (as Mary's first cousin) in the line of succession—after Mary's younger sister Anne . Thus, after Mary's death William continued to reign, but he had no power to beget direct heirs, and Anne became
980-527: The previous monarch could have a superseding claim. Following the death of William IV in 1837, he was succeeded by his niece Queen Victoria , whose accession proclamation noted her accession was only permanent so long as a child of William was not born in the following months to his widow, Adelaide , even though Adelaide was 44 years old and had last been pregnant 17 years earlier. Such a situation occurred in Spain in 1885, when King Alfonso XII died and left behind
1015-463: The representative of her father's line she would assume a place ahead of any more distant relatives. For example, had George, Prince of Wales (the future George IV) predeceased his father, King George III , between 1796 and 1817, the former's daughter, Princess Charlotte , being his only legitimate child, would have become heir apparent to the British throne. Such a situation has not to date occurred with
1050-401: The right to a place somewhere in the order of succession, but when it comes to what that place is, a female will rank behind her brothers regardless of their ages or her age. Thus, normally, even an only daughter will not be heir apparent, since at any time a brother might be born who, though younger, would assume that position. Hence, she is an heir presumptive. For example, Queen Elizabeth II
1085-406: The title cannot be held by two people simultaneously, two daughters (without a brother) who inherit in this way would do so as co-parceners and before they inherit, both would be heirs presumptive. In these circumstances, the title would in fact be held in abeyance until one person represents the claim of both, or the claim is renounced by one or the other for herself and her heirs, or the abeyance
Heir presumptive - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-482: Was heir presumptive during the reign of her father, King George VI ; had George fathered a legitimate son, then that child would have displaced Elizabeth in the line of succession and become heir apparent. However, a granddaughter could for example be heir apparent if she were the only daughter of the deceased eldest son of the sovereign (e.g. Queen Elizabeth II would have been heir apparent to George V if her oldest uncle and father both had died before their father). In
1155-432: Was not declared queen because she would be displaced if a son was born, and instead there was a six-month interregnum until the birth of her brother Alfonso XIII , who assumed the throne as king immediately upon birth. Had the pregnancy been lost or resulted in another daughter, Mercedes would have become queen regnant and been retroactively recognized as such during the interregnum. Heir presumptive, like heir apparent,
1190-417: Was pregnant at the moment of his death, since such a posthumous child, regardless of its sex, would have displaced Victoria from the throne. Adelaide was 44 at the time, so pregnancy was possible even if unlikely. Daughters (and their lines) may inherit titles that descend according to male-preference primogeniture, but only in default of sons (and their heirs). That is, both female and male offspring have
1225-494: Was succeeded by his niece Queen Victoria , whose accession proclamation noted her accession was only permanent so long as a child of William was not born in the following months to his widow, Adelaide , even though Adelaide was 44 years old and had last been pregnant 17 years earlier. Such a situation occurred in Spain in 1885, when King Alfonso XII died and left behind a widow who was three months pregnant. His five-year-old daughter and heir presumptive, María de las Mercedes ,
#849150