Editing Monarch (section)

==Succession==
[[File:European monarchies by succession.svg|upright=0.85|left|thumb|Contemporary European monarchies by type of succession {{legend|#018571|[[Absolute primogeniture]]}}
{{legend|#dfc27d|[[Male-preference cognatic primogeniture]]}}{{legend|#000000|[[Agnatic primogeniture]]}}
{{legend|#f5f5f5|[[Elective monarchy|Elective/appointed]]}}]]
[[File:The Nine Sovereigns at Windsor for the funeral of King Edward VII.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|The Nine Sovereigns at [[Windsor Castle|Windsor]] for the funeral of King [[Edward VII]], photographed on 20 May 1910. Standing, from left to right: King [[Haakon VII of Norway]], Tsar (King) [[Ferdinand of Bulgaria|Ferdinand of the Bulgarians]], King [[Manuel II of Portugal|Manuel II of Portugal and the Algarve]], Kaiser (Emperor) [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II of Germany]], King [[George I of Greece|George I of the Hellenes]] and King [[Albert I of Belgium|Albert I of the Belgians]]. Seated, from left to right: King [[Alfonso XIII of Spain]], King [[George V|George V of the United Kingdom]] and King [[Frederik VIII of Denmark]].]]
[[File:Ruling Monarchs in 1908 Postcard Print.png|thumb|right|upright=1.15|Postcard from 1908 showing nineteen of the world's reigning monarchs: (left to right) King [[Chulalongkorn|Rama V/Chulalongkorn of Siam]] (modern [[Thailand]]), King [[George I of Greece]], King [[Peter I of Serbia]], King [[Carol I of Romania]], Emperor and King [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary]], Tsar (King) [[Ferdinand I of Bulgaria]], Padishah (Emperor) [[Abdul Hamid II|Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire]], King [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy]], Emperor [[Nicholas II|Nicholas II of the Russia]], King [[Edward VII|Edward VII of the United Kingdom]], Emperor [[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II of Germany]], King [[Gustav V|Gustav V of Sweden]], King [[Haakon VII of Norway]], King [[Frederik VIII of Denmark]], Queen [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]], Emperor [[Guangxu Emperor|Guangxu of China]], Emperor [[Emperor Meiji|Meiji of Japan]], King [[Manuel II of Portugal]] and King [[Alfonso XIII of Spain]].]]

Hereditary succession within one [[Patrilineality|patrilineal]] family has been most common (but see the [[Rain Queen]]), with a preference for children over siblings, and sons over daughters. In Europe, some peoples practiced equal division of land and regalian rights among sons or brothers, as in the Germanic states of the Holy Roman Empire, until after the [[medieval era]] and sometimes (e.g., [[Ernestine duchies]]) into the 19th century. Other European realms practiced one or another form of [[primogeniture]], in which a [[lord]] was succeeded by his eldest son or, if he had none, by his brother, his daughters or sons of daughters.

The system of [[tanistry]] practiced among Celtic tribes was semi-elective and gave weight also to ability and merit.<ref>{{Cite book|editor-last=BROWNE|editor-first=J.|title=History of the Highlands & of the Highland Clans.|year=1838|location=Glasgow}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Hadfield|first1=Andrew|title=Edmund Spenser. A View of the State of Ireland. From the first printed edition (1633).|last2=Maley|first2=Willy|publisher=Oxford|year=1997}}</ref>

The [[Salic law]], practiced in France and in the Italian territories of the [[House of Savoy]], stipulated that only men could inherit the crown. In most [[fief]]s, in the event of the demise of all legitimate male members of the [[patrilineality|patrilineage]], a female of the family could succeed (semi-Salic law). In most realms, daughters and sisters were eligible to succeed a ruling kinsman before more distant male relatives (male-preference primogeniture), but sometimes the husband of the heiress became the ruler, and most often also received the title, ''[[jure uxoris]]''. Spain today continues this model of succession law, in the form of [[cognatic primogeniture]]. In more complex medieval cases, the sometimes conflicting principles of [[proximity of blood|proximity]] and [[primogeniture]] battled, and outcomes were often idiosyncratic.

As the average life span increased, the eldest son was more likely to reach majority age before the death of his father, and primogeniture became increasingly favored over proximity, tanistry, seniority, and election.

In 1980, [[Sweden]] became the first monarchy to declare ''equal primogeniture'', ''absolute primogeniture'' or ''full cognatic primogeniture'', meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, whether female or male, ascends to the throne.<ref>[[Statens offentliga utredningar|SOU]] 1977:5 ''Kvinnlig tronföljd'', p. 16.</ref> Other nations have since adopted this practice: [[Netherlands]] in 1983, [[Norway]] in 1990, [[Belgium]] in 1991, [[Denmark]] in 2009, and [[Luxembourg]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-15489544|title=Overturning centuries of royal rules|date=28 October 2011|work=BBC News|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308070830/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-15489544|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://luxtimes.lu/archives/29500-new-ducal-succession-rights-for-grand-duchy|title=New Ducal succession rights for Grand Duchy|website=luxtimes.lu|date=11 December 2017|access-date=16 December 2018|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215022256/https://luxtimes.lu/archives/29500-new-ducal-succession-rights-for-grand-duchy|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[United Kingdom]] adopted absolute (equal) primogeniture on April 25, 2013, following [[Perth Agreement|agreement by the prime ministers of the sixteen Commonwealth Realms]] at the 22nd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Emma.Goodey|date=2016-03-17|title=Succession|url=https://www.royal.uk/succession|access-date=2021-04-23|website=The Royal Family|language=en|archive-date=2016-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513014456/https://www.royal.uk/succession|url-status=live}}</ref>

In some monarchies, such as [[Saudi Arabia]], succession to the throne usually first passes to the monarch's next eldest brother and so on through his other brothers, and only after them to the monarch's children (''agnatic seniority''). In some other monarchies (e.g., [[Jordan]]), the monarch chooses who will be his successor within the royal family, who need not necessarily be his eldest son.

Lastly, some monarchies are [[Elective monarchy|elective]] ([[United Arab Emirates|UAE]], [[Malaysia]], [[Holy See]] and [[Cambodia]]), meaning that the monarch is elected instead of assuming office due to direct inheritance. Rules and laws regarding election vary country to country.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Louis |first=chevalier de Jaucourt (biography) |date=2011-01-01 |title=Elective monarchy |url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.691 |journal=Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert - Collaborative Translation Project|hdl=2027/spo.did2222.0001.691 }}</ref>

Whatever the rules of succession, there have been many cases of a monarch being overthrown and replaced by a usurper who would often install his own family on the throne.