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 An heir apparent is a person who is first in the 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 e ...

, whose claim on the position cannot be displaced in this manner.

Overview

Depending on the rules of the monarchy, the heir presumptive might be the daughter of 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 #they are daughters and females are completely barred from inheriting #the monarch's children are illegitimate, or #some other legal disqualification, such as ##being descended from the monarch through a morganatic line or ##the descendant's refusal or inability to adopt a religion the monarch is required to profess. 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 the day before Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

ascended the throne, her father

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

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 was succeeded by his niece

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

, 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 Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, even though Adelaide was 44 years old and had last been pregnant 17 years earlier. Such a situation occurred in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

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, was not declared queen because she would be displaced if a son was born, and instead there was a six-month

interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of revolutionary breach of legal continuity, discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one m ...

until the birth of her brother

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...

, 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, 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 An order, line or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated, such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.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) 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.

Simultaneous heirs presumptive

In the English and Welsh common law of

inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

, 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 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 Abeyance (from the Old French ' meaning "gaping") describes a state of temporary dormancy or suspension. In law, it can refer to a situation where the ownership of property, titles, or office is not currently Vesting, vested in any specific perso ...

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.

Past heirs presumptive who did not inherit thrones

The list is limited to heirs presumptive who did not succeed due to death, abolition of monarchies, or change in succession law. * Marcus Claudius Marcellus was heir presumptive to his uncle and father-in-law

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

until his death in 23 BC. * Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was heir presumptive to his father-in-law

until his death in 12 BC. * Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was heir presumptive to his brother-in-law

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

until his death in 38. * Britannicus was heir presumptive to his stepbrother

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

until his death in 55. * Marwan ibn Abd al-Malik was heir presumptive to his brother Al-Walid I until his death circa 715. * Prince Sawara was heir presumptive to his brother Emperor Kanmu until his death in 785. * Robert Curthose was heir presumptive to his brother

William II of England William II (; – 2 August 1100) was List of English monarchs, King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Duchy of Normandy, Normandy and influence in Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland. He was less successfu ...

until he was disinherited for rebellion in 1088. * Edmund of Scotland was heir presumptive to his uncle Donald III of Scotland until his uncle's overthrow in 1097. *

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda (10 September 1167), also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Normandy, she went to ...

was heir presumptive to her father Henry I of England but upon Henry's death in 1135, Matilda's cousin

Stephen, King of England Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne ''jure uxoris'' from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 ...

took the throne instead. * Arthur I, Duke of Brittany, was heir presumptive to his uncle

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

but upon Richard's death in 1199, Arthur's uncle

John, King of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

took the throne instead. * Peter I, Count of Urgell, was heir presumptive to his nephew Afonso III of Portugal until his death in 1258. * Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Norway, was heir presumptive to her father Alexander III of Scotland until her death in 1283. * Uzana of Bassein was heir presumptive to his father Narathihapate until he was assassinated in 1287. * Edward Bruce was heir presumptive to his brother Robert I of Scotland until he claimed the throne of Ireland. * Marjorie Bruce was heir presumptive to her father Robert I of Scotland until her death in 1316. * Charles, Count of Valois, was heir presumptive to his nephew Charles IV of France twice until his death in 1325. * Binnya E Laung was heir presumptive to his father Binnya E Law until his death. * Maria of Calabria was heir presumptive to her sister Joanna I of Naples until her death in 1366. * Beatrice of Portugal was heir presumptive to her father

Ferdinand I of Portugal Ferdinand I (; 31 October 1345 – 22 October 1383), sometimes called the Handsome () or occasionally the Inconstant (), was the King of Portugal from 1367 until his death in 1383. He was also briefly made King of Galicia, in 1369 (a claim whi ...

but upon Ferdinand's death in 1383, Beatrice's half-uncle John I of Portugal took the throne instead. * Bawlawkyantaw was heir presumptive to his father Razadarit until his execution in 1390. * Theiddat was heir presumptive to his brother Minkhaung I until his nephew Minye Kyawswa was made heir instead. * Joan of Navarre was heir presumptive to her father Charles III of Navarre until her death in 1413. * Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, was heir presumptive to his nephew

James I of Scotland James I (late July 1394 – 21 February 1437) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III of Scotland, Robert III and ...

until his death in 1420. * Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence, was heir presumptive to his brother

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...

from his brother's succession in 1413 to his death in 1421. * Catherine, Princess of Asturias, was heir presumptive to her father John II of Castile until her death in 1424. * Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, was heir presumptive to his cousin

until he was attained and executed in 1425. * John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, was heir presumptive to his nephew

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...

until his death in 1435. * Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, was heir presumptive to his grandnephew

James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his fathe ...

until he was executed in 1437 for his part in killing the previous king James I. * Margaret Stewart, Dauphine of France, was heir presumptive to her brother

until her death in 1445. * Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, was heir presumptive to his nephew

until his death in 1447. * Joanna la Beltraneja was heir presumptive to her father Henry IV of Castile until he named his brother Alfonso as heir instead. * Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, was heir presumptive to his half-brother Henry IV of Castile until his death in 1468. * George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, was heir presumptive to his brother Edward IV of England until he fled after rebelling against him in 1470. * Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugal, was heir presumptive to her parents Isabella I of Castile and

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...

until her death in 1498. * Miguel da Paz, Prince of Portugal, in addition to being heir apparent to his father Manuel I of Portugal, was heir presumptive to his maternal grandparents Isabella I of Castile and

until his death in 1500. * James Stewart, Duke of Ross, was heir presumptive to his brother James IV of Scotland until his death in 1504. * Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross, was heir presumptive to his brother James V of Scotland until his death in 1515. * John Stewart, Duke of Albany, was heir presumptive to his cousin James V of Scotland until his death in 1536. * Carlos, Prince of Asturias, in addition to being heir apparent to his father

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

, was also heir presumptive to his cousin Sebastian of Portugal until his death in 1568. * James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, was heir presumptive to James VI of Scotland until his death in 1575. * Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma, was heir presumptive to his granduncle Henry, King of Portugal until the succession crisis that emerged after Henry's death in 1580. * Francis, Duke of Anjou, was heir presumptive to his brother

Henry III of France Henry III (; ; ; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575. As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he ...

until his death in 1584. * Charles de Bourbon was heir presumptive to his nephew Henry IV of France until his death in 1590. * Dmitry of Uglich was heir presumptive to his half-brother Feodor I of Russia until his death in 1591. * Dmitry Shuisky was heir presumptive to his brother Vasili IV of Russia until his brother was overthrown in 1610. *

Sigismund III Vasa Sigismund III Vasa (, ; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632 N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden from 1592 to 1599. He was the first Polish sovereign from the House of Vasa. Re ...

was heir presumptive of Russia to his son

Vladislav Vladislav ( (', '); , ; Russian language, Russian, Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, sh-Cyrl, Владислав, ) is a male given names, given name of Slavs, Slavic origin. Variatio ...

until his son's overthrow in 1613. * Monsieur d'Orléans, was heir presumptive to his brother

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

until his death in 1611. * Charles Philip, Duke of Södermanland, was heir presumptive to his brother

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (9 December ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 19 December15946 November ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 16 November1632), also known in English as Gustav II Adolf or Gustav II Adolph, was King of Sweden from 1611 t ...

until his death in 1622. * Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg, was heir presumptive to her niece Christina, Queen of Sweden, until her death in 1638. * Margaret Theresa of Spain was heir presumptive to her brother Charles II of Spain until her death in 1673. * Maria Antonia of Austria was heir presumptive to her uncle Charles II until her death in 1692. * Joseph Ferdinand, Electoral Prince of Bavaria, in addition to being heir apparent to his father Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, was heir presumptive to his granduncle Charles II until his death in 1699. * Sophia, Electress of Hanover, was declared heir presumptive to the British thrones by the Act of Settlement 1701, but died before acceding to the throne of her distant cousin, Queen Anne. *

Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Philippe Charles; 2 August 1674 – 2 December 1723), who was known as the Regent, was a French prince, soldier, and statesman who served as Regent of the Kingdom of France from 1715 to 1723. He is referred to i ...

, was heir presumptive to Louis XV of France until his death in 1723. * Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg was heir presumptive to his half-brother Adolphus Frederick III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, until his death a few months before his brother in 1752. * Prince Augustus William of Prussia was heir presumptive to his brother Frederick II of Prussia until his death in 1758. * Frederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken was heir presumptive to his brother Christian IV, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken until his death in 1767. * Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was heir presumptive to his brother Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, until his death in 1778. * Prince Joseph of Saxe-Hildburghausen was heir presumptive to his great-grandnephew Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen until his death in 1787. * Ferdinand Karl, Archduke of Austria-Este was heir presumptive to his father-in-law Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena until Ercole was deposed by Napoleonic forces in 1796. * Inthraphithak was heir presumptive to his father Taksin until Taksin was overthrown and both were executed in 1802. * Prince Louis of Anhalt-Köthen was heir presumptive to his brother Augustus Christian Frederick, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen until his death in 1802. * Maha Sura Singhanat was heir presumptive to his brother Phutthayotfa Chulalok until his death in 1803. * Anurak Devesh was heir presumptive to his uncle Phutthayotfa Chulalok until his death in 1806. * Franz Joseph, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst was heir presumptive to his brother Charles Albert III, Prince of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst until their territory was mediatised in 1806. * Maha Senanurak was heir presumptive to his brother Phutthaloetla Naphalai until his death in 1817. * Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia was heir presumptive to his brother Alexander I of Russia until he renounced his rights in 1823. * Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, brother of King George IV of the United Kingdom and Hanover, was heir presumptive from his brother's ascension in 1820 to his death in 1827. * Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Saxony, was heir presumptive to his brother Anthony of Saxony until he renounced his rights in favour of his son Frederick Augustus in 1830. * Infante Carlos of Spain, Count of Molina, brother of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Ferdinand VII changed the succession law in favour to his daughter, who became Queen Isabella II after the King's death in September 1833. This led to the Carlist Wars in Spain. * Sakdiphonlasep was heir presumptive to his nephew Nangklao until his death in 1832. * Louis, Prince of Anhalt-Pless was heir presumptive to his brother Henry, Duke of Anhalt-Köthen until his death in 1841. * Archduke Franz Karl of Austria, brother of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria, was heir presumptive throughout his brother's reign until the

revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

that saw his brother forced to abdicate also saw Franz renounce his rights in favour of his son Franz Joseph in 1848. * Ahmad Rifaat Pasha was heir presumptive to his half-uncle

Sa'id of Egypt Mohamed Sa'id Pasha (, , March 17, 1822 – January 17, 1863) was the Wāli of Egypt Eyalet, Egypt and Turco-Egyptian Sudan, Sudan from 1854 until 1863, officially owing fealty to the Ottoman Sultan but in practice exercising virtual independence ...

until his death in 1858. * Prince Henry, Count of Bardi, was heir presumptive to his brother Robert I, Duke of Parma, until the monarchy was abolished in 1859. * Archduke Karl Salvator of Austria was heir presumptive to his brother Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany, until the monarchy was abolished in 1860. * Prince Louis, Count of Trani, was heir presumptive to his half-brother Francis II of the Two Sicilies until the monarchy was abolished in 1861. *

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, th ...

, was heir presumptive to his brother

Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest II (; 21 June 181822 August 1893) was Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from 29 January 1844 to his death in 1893. He was born in Coburg to Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. His father be ...

, until his death in 1861. * Infante João, Duke of Beja, was heir presumptive to his brother

Luís I of Portugal Dom (title), ''Dom'' Luís I (; 31 October 1838 – 19 October 1889), known as "the Popular" (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''o Popular'') was King of Portugal from 1861 to 1889. Luís was a member of the ruling House of Braganza. The second ...

until his death in 1861. * Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, was heir presumptive to his nephew King Frederick VII of Denmark until his death five months before his nephew in 1863. * Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, in addition to being heir apparent to his mother

, was also heir presumptive to his uncle

, until renouncing his rights in favour of his younger brothers in 1863. * Pinklao was heir presumptive to his brother Mongkut until his death in 1866. * Prince William of Hesse-Kassel was heir presumptive to his cousin Frederick William, Elector of Hesse, until the monarchy was abolished in 1866. * Prince William of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld was heir presumptive to his brother

Alexis, Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld ''Alexis'' William Ernest Philip of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld (; 13 September 1829 in Burgsteinfurt – 16 August 1905 in Herleshausen) was the last ruling Landgrave of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld. Life Alexis was a son of the Landgr ...

, until the monarchy was abolished in 1866. * Prince Frederick of Württemberg was heir presumptive to his cousin and brother-in-law Charles I of Württemberg until his death in 1870. * Prince Charles of Hesse and by Rhine was heir presumptive to his brother Louis III, Grand Duke of Hesse, until his death a few months before his brother in 1877. * Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern, was heir presumptive to his brother Carol I of Romania until he renounced his rights in favour of his sons. * William, Prince of Hohenzollern, was heir presumptive to his uncle Carol I of Romania until he renounced his rights in favour of his younger brother

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

. * Wichaichan was heir presumptive to his cousin

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

until his death in 1885. * Mercedes, Princess of Asturias, daughter of Alfonso XII of Spain, was the heir presumptive at her birth. After her father died, her posthumously born brother Alfonso became king as Alfonso XIII of Spain and she remained the heir presumptive until her death in 1904. * Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil, was the heir presumptive to her father

Pedro II of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' PedroII (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (), was the List o ...

on the throne of the

Empire of Brazil The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil and Uruguay until the latter achieved independence in 1828. The empire's government was a Representative democracy, representative Par ...

. However, a '' coup d'etat'' in 1889 proclaimed a Republic in the country, deposing the monarchy. * Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria was the heir presumptive of his brother Franz Joseph I of Austria from the suicide of his nephew

Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (Rudolf Franz Karl Josef; 21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889) was the only son and third child of Franz Joseph I of Austria, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria. He was heir apparent to the imp ...

, until his death in 1896. * Duke William of Württemberg was heir presumptive to his cousin William II of Württemberg until his death in 1896. * Princess Sophie of the Netherlands was heir presumptive to her niece Queen

Wilhelmina of the Netherlands Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was List of monarchs of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest- ...

until her death in 1897. * Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia was heir presumptive to his brother

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

until his death in 1899. * Duke Nicholas of Württemberg was heir presumptive to his cousin William II of Württemberg until his death in 1903. * Ernest, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld was heir presumptive to his cousin Alexander, Prince of Lippe until his death in 1904. * Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, was the heir presumptive of his older brother King

Leopold II of Belgium Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Born in Brussels as the second but eldest-surviving son of King Leo ...

after the death of his nephew Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant, until his own death in 1905. * Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, was heir presumptive to his brother Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, until he renounced his rights and that of his son Prince Arthur of Connaught in favour of his nephew Charles Edward. * Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg was heir presumptive to his brother Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, until his death in 1907. * Afonso, Prince Royal of Portugal, was the heir presumptive of his nephew Manuel II of Portugal until the monarchy was abolished in 1910. * Pujie was heir presumptive to his brother Puyi until the

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...

in 1911, and

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

founded in 1912. He became heir presumptive again after the puppet regime

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...

after the Mukden Incident, while Puyi became the emperor of Manchukuo as well until the

surrender of Japan The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was Hirohito surrender broadcast, announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on 2 September 1945, End of World War II in Asia, ending ...

in 1945. * Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, was heir presumptive to his nephew Otto, King of Bavaria until his death in 1912. * Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the heir presumptive of his uncle Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria until his

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

June 28, 1914, in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

. * Duke Philipp of Württemberg was heir presumptive to his cousin William II of Württemberg until his death in 1917. * Prince Maximilian of Baden was heir presumptive to his cousin Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden, until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. * Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg, was heir presumptive to his cousin Adolphus Frederick VI, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, until the throne became vacant and was later abolished in 1918. * Ernst, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, was heir presumptive to his half-brother Bernhard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. * Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg, was heir presumptive to his cousin William II of Württemberg until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. * Wolrad, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, was heir presumptive to his brother Adolf II, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. * Sizzo, Prince of Schwarzburg, was heir presumptive to his cousin Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg, until the monarchy was abolished in 1918. * Heinrich XXVII, Prince Reuss Younger Line, in addition to ruling his own principality, was heir presumptive to his cousin Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz, until both monarchies were abolished in 1918. * Chakrabongse Bhuvanath was heir presumptive to his brother

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh (1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and pro ...

until his death in 1920. * Asdang Dejavudh was heir presumptive to his brother

until his death in 1924. * Varananda Dhavaj was heir presumptive to his uncle

until being replaced as heir by his other uncle Prajadhipok in 1924. * Mahidol Adulyadej was heir presumptive to his half-brother Prajadhipok until his death in 1929. * Kiril, Prince of Preslav was heir presumptive to his nephew Simeon II of Bulgaria, until his execution by Communists in 1945. * Prince Nicholas of Romania was heir presumptive to his nephew

Michael I of Romania Michael I ( ; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) was the last King of Romania, reigning from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his forced abdication on 30 December 1947. Shortly after Michael's birth, his f ...

until the monarchy was abolished in 1947. * Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, was heir presumptive to her father Louis II, Prince of Monaco, until renouncing her rights in favour of her son Rainier. * Prince Knud of Denmark was the heir presumptive of his brother King

Frederik IX of Denmark Frederik IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Frederik was born into the House of Glücksburg during the reign of his great-grandfather King Chr ...

, but an amendment to the Danish Constitution in 1953 replaced the previously semi-Salic succession with male-preference primogeniture and proclaimed King Frederick's eldest daughter Princess Margrethe, later Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, heir presumptive. * Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh was heir presumptive to her father

in India until it became a republic in 1950, as well as

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

until it joined Canada in 1949 (she reigned as Queen of Canada from 6 February 1952 until her death on 8 September 2022). * Mohammed Ali Tewfik was heir presumptive to Fuad II of Egypt until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. * 'Abd al-Ilah was heir presumptive to his nephew Faisal II of Iraq until they were both executed in 1958. * Tunku Abdul Malik was heir presumptive to his brother Abdul Halim of Kedah until his death in 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heir Presumptive Monarchy Inheritance Heirs to the throne