- Heir presumptive
An heir presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honor, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an
heir apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the throne. When lowercased, "heir presumptive" can refer generally to someone who is provisionally scheduled to inherit a title, position or possession, unless displaced by an heir apparent or other heir presumptive. In both cases, the position is however subject to law and/or conventions that may alter who is entitled to be heir presumptive.Depending on the rules of the monarchy the heir presumptive might be the daughter of a monarch (if males take priority over females and the monarch has no sons), or the senior member of a collateral line (if the monarch is childless).
If an heir apparent is born, he becomes first-in-line to the throne, with all of his descendants taking priority over the heir presumptive in the Line of Succession. In the event of there being an heir apparent, the title "heir presumptive" lapses and is not used to describe the most senior person in the Line of Succession who is not a direct male descendant of the monarch. A woman who is in the same position is sometimes called the heiress presumptive but many monarchies increasingly choose to use heir presumptive irrespective of the sex of the holder.Fact|date=February 2007
For more detailed information, and a comparison between the positions of heir presumptive and heir apparent, see
heir apparent .Several simultaneous
It is relatively easy for there to be several simultaneous heirs presumptive. For example, in England, some hereditary titles pass through and vest in female heirs in the absence of a male heir. 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 inabeyance 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 is ended by the Crown. There are special procedures for handling doubtful or disputed cases.Heirs presumptive as of 2008
*
Caroline, Princess of Hanover , is the Heiress Presumptive to the throne of Monaco. If her brotherAlbert II, Prince of Monaco , fathers a legitimate child, that child would be heir apparent if male or heiress presumptive if female.
*Tupoutookinaa Lavaka (okinaAhookinaeitu okinaUnuakiokinaotonga Tukuokinaaho) is the Heir Presumptive to the throne of Tonga; if his brother King George Tupou V fathers a legitimate child, that child would be heir apparent if male or heiress presumptive if female.
*Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck is the Heir Presumptive to the throne of Bhutan. If his brotherJigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck fathers a legitimate child, that child would be heir apparent if male or heiress presumptive if female.Examples of heirs presumptive who inherited thrones
*Queen
Mary I of England , who succeeded her half-brother KingEdward VI of England
*QueenElizabeth I of England , who succeeded her half-sister QueenMary I of England
*KingJames II of England , who succeeded his brother KingCharles II of England
*QueenVictoria of the United Kingdom , who succeeded her uncle KingWilliam IV of the United Kingdom
*KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdom , who succeeded his brother KingEdward VIII of the United Kingdom
*QueenElizabeth II of the United Kingdom , who succeeded her father KingGeorge VI of the United Kingdom
*King Albert I of the Belgians, who succeeded his uncle King Leopold II of the Belgians
*King Albert II of the Belgians, who succeeded his brother King Baudouin of the Belgians
*KingPaul of Greece , who succeeded his brother KingGeorge II of Greece
*KingCharles X of Sweden , who succeeded his cousin QueenChristina of Sweden
*KingOscar II of Sweden , who succeeded his brother KingCharles XV of Sweden
*QueenMargrethe II of Denmark , who succeeded her father KingFrederick IX of Denmark
*Grand DuchessMarie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg , who succeeded her father Grand DukeGuillaume IV of Luxembourg
*Grand DuchessCharlotte of Luxembourg , who succeeded her sister Grand DuchessMarie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg Examples of heirs presumptive who did not inherit thrones
*
Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland was heir-presumptive ofSweden between 1973-79, until the birth ofCarl Philip, Duke of Värmland superseded him.
*Princess Caroline of Orange-Nassau was the only child of Willem IV of Orange until she was five years old; she was heir presumptive until the birth of her brother, Willem V.
*Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the heir presumptive of his uncle EmperorFranz Joseph I of Austria until his assassination inSarajevo .
*Prince Knud of Denmark was the heir presumptive of his brother KingFrederick IX of Denmark , but an amendment to the Danish Constitution in 1953 proclaimed King Frederick's eldest daughter, Princess Margrethe as the future heir presumptive.See also
*
Monarchy
*Constitutional Monarchy
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