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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. An heir apparent is an Heir who (short of a fundamental change in the situation cannot be displaced from inheriting the term is used in contrast to Heir presumptive 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. An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death resignation or removal of its current occupant 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, .

For more detailed information, and a comparison between the positions of heir presumptive and heir apparent, see heir apparent. An heir apparent is an Heir who (short of a fundamental change in the situation cannot be displaced from inheriting the term is used in contrast to Heir presumptive

Contents

Several simultaneous

Main article: Abeyance

It is relatively easy for there to be several simultaneous heirs presumptive. Abeyance (from the Old French abeance meaning "gaping" a state of expectancy in respect of property titles or office when the right to them is not 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. Coparcenary is the concept whereby two or more people inherit a title equally between them as a result of which none can inherit until all but one have renounced their right to the inheritance 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 is ended by the Crown. Abeyance (from the Old French abeance meaning "gaping" a state of expectancy in respect of property titles or office when the right to them is not There are special procedures for handling doubtful or disputed cases. The British Peerage is governed by a body of law that has developed over several centuries

Heirs presumptive as of 2008

Examples of heirs presumptive who inherited thrones

Examples of heirs presumptive who did not inherit thrones

See also

A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is

Dictionary

heir presumptive

-noun

  1. (usually monarchy) Someone who will inherit only if no better choice for an heir is born.
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