Editing Monarchy of the United Kingdom (section)

==Succession==
{{main|Succession to the British throne|Coronation of the British monarch}}
[[File:Prince of Wales in Normandy 2024.jpg|thumb|upright|[[William, Prince of Wales]], heir apparent to the British throne]]
The relationship between the Commonwealth realms is such that any change to the laws governing succession to the shared throne requires the unanimous consent of all the realms. Succession is governed by statutes such as the [[Bill of Rights 1689]], the [[Act of Settlement 1701]] and the [[Acts of Union 1707]]. The rules of succession may only be changed by an [[Act of Parliament]]; it is not possible for an individual to renounce his or her right of succession. The Act of Settlement restricts the succession to the legitimate Protestant descendants of [[Sophia of Hanover]] (1630–1714), a granddaughter of [[James I and VI]].

Upon [[demise of the Crown]] (the death of a sovereign), their heir immediately and automatically succeeds (hence the phrase "[[The king is dead, long live the king!]]"), and the accession of the new sovereign is publicly proclaimed by an [[Accession Council]] that meets at [[St James's Palace]].<ref name="accessioncouncil">{{Citation |title=Accession |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Accession/Accession.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150531055207/http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Accession/Accession.aspx |publisher=Official website of the British Monarchy |access-date=14 May 2009 |archive-date=31 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Upon their accession, a new sovereign is required by law to make and subscribe several oaths: the [[Accession Declaration]] as first required by the Bill of Rights, and an oath that they will "maintain and preserve" the Church of Scotland settlement as required by the Act of Union. The monarch is usually [[coronation of the British monarch|crowned]] in [[Westminster Abbey]], normally by the Archbishop of Canterbury. A coronation is not necessary for a sovereign to reign; indeed, the ceremony usually takes place many months after accession to allow sufficient time for its preparation and for a period of mourning.<ref>{{Citation |title=Coronation |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Coronation/Coronation.aspx |publisher=Official website of the British Monarchy |access-date=14 May 2009 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116214406/http://www.royal.gov.uk/RoyalEventsandCeremonies/Coronation/Coronation.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

When an individual ascends the throne, it is expected they will reign until death. The only voluntary abdication, that of [[Edward VIII]], had to be authorised by a special Act of Parliament, [[His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936]]. The last monarch involuntarily removed from power was [[James II and VII]], who fled into exile in 1688 during the [[Glorious Revolution]].

===Restrictions by sex and religion===
{{see also|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}
Succession was by [[Primogeniture|male-preference cognatic primogeniture]], under which sons inherit before daughters, and elder children inherit before younger ones of the same sex. The British prime minister, [[David Cameron]], announced at the [[2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting]] that all 16 [[Commonwealth realm]]s, including the United Kingdom, had agreed to abolish the male-preference rule for anyone born after the date of the meeting, 28 October 2011.<ref>{{Citation |title=Girls Equal in British throne succession |date=28 October 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15492607 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=28 October 2011 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116214426/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15492607 |url-status=live }}</ref> They also agreed that future monarchs would no longer be prohibited from marrying a Roman Catholic – a law which dated from the Act of Settlement 1701. However, since the monarch is also the [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]], the laws which restrict the throne to Protestants remain.<ref>{{Citation |title=Act of Settlement 1700(c.2), Article II |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=1565212 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021648/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/12-13/2/section/II/1991-05-21?timeline=true |url-status=live }}; {{Citation |title=Union with Scotland Act 1706 (c.11), Article II |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=2078408 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021624/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Ann/6/11/section/wrapper2 |url-status=live }}; {{Citation |title=Union with England Act 1707 (c.7), Article II |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=1519715 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021556/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aosp/1707/7/section/II |url-status=live }}</ref> The necessary UK legislation making the changes received the royal assent on 25 April 2013 and was brought into force in March 2015 after the equivalent legislation was approved in all the other Commonwealth realms.<ref>{{Citation |title=Baby destined to become a monarch |date=22 July 2013 |url=http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-07-22/baby-destined-to-become-a-monarch/ |publisher=ITV News |access-date=7 November 2013 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116214418/https://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-07-22/baby-destined-to-become-a-monarch/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Though Catholics are prohibited from succeeding and are deemed "naturally dead" for succession purposes, the disqualification does not extend to the individual's legitimate Protestant descendants.

===Regency===
{{main|Regency Acts|Counsellor of State}}
The [[Regency Acts]] allow for regencies in the event of a monarch who is a minor or who is physically or mentally incapacitated. When a regency is necessary, the next qualified individual in the line of succession automatically becomes regent, unless they themselves are a minor or incapacitated. Special provisions were made for Queen Elizabeth II by the [[Regency Act 1953]], which stated that [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] (her husband) could act as regent in these circumstances.<ref name="regact53">{{Citation |title=Regency Act 1953 |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?activeTextDocId=1121879 |publisher=Ministry of Justice |access-date=9 October 2008 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021721/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/2-3/1/contents |url-status=live }}</ref>

During a temporary physical infirmity or an absence from the kingdom, the sovereign may temporarily delegate some of his or her functions to [[counsellors of state]], chosen from the monarch's spouse and the first four adults in the line of succession.<ref>{{Citation |title=Queen and Government: Counsellors of State |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/QueenandGovernment/CounsellorsofState.aspx |publisher=Official website of the British Monarchy |access-date=18 June 2010 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116214443/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/QueenandGovernment/CounsellorsofState.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> The present counsellors of state are: [[Queen Camilla]]; [[William, Prince of Wales]]; [[Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex]]; [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]]; [[Princess Beatrice]]; [[Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh]]; and [[Anne, Princess Royal]].<ref>{{Citation|first=Victoria|last=Ward|title=Princess Beatrice 'to become counsellor of state' for King Charles III|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=9 September 2022|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/09/09/princess-beatrice-become-counsellor-state-king-charles-iii/|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=11 September 2022|archive-date=31 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031213811/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/09/09/princess-beatrice-become-counsellor-state-king-charles-iii/|url-status=live}}</ref> While still able to serve, the Duke of Sussex and Duke of York no longer carry out royal duties. With the accession of Charles III and planned overseas trips in 2023, it was decided to expand the list of those eligible to serve as counsellors of state. On 14 November 2022, the King sent a message to both Houses of Parliament, formally asking for a change in the law that would allow Princess Anne and Prince Edward to be added to the list of counsellors of state.<ref>{{cite news |title=Princess Anne and Prince Edward to become stand-ins for King |work=BBC News |date=14 November 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63626113 |access-date=15 November 2022 |archive-date=21 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230921115457/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63626113 |url-status=live }}</ref> The next day, a bill to that end was introduced in Parliament and it received royal assent on 6 December, coming into force on 7 December.<ref>{{cite web |title=Counsellors of State Act 2022 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/47/enacted |website=National Archive |access-date=7 December 2022 |archive-date=29 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230729005020/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/47/enacted |url-status=live }}</ref>