Abdication (from the Latin abdicatio, disowning, renouncing, from ab, away from, and dicare, to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one) is the act of renouncing and resigning from a formal office, especially from the supreme office of state. In Roman law the term was also applied to the disowning of a family member, as the disinheriting of a son. The term commonly applies to monarchs, or those who have been formally crowned. A similar term for an elected or appointed official is resignation.
Contents |
Among the most memorable abdications of antiquity were those of Lucius Cornelius Sulla the Dictator in 79 BC, Emperor Diocletian in AD 305, and Emperor Romulus Augustulus in AD 476.
Probably the most famous abdication in recent memory is that of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom in 1936. Edward abdicated the British throne in order to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, over the objections of the British establishment, the governments of the Commonwealth, the royal family and the Church of England. (See Abdication Crisis of Edward VIII.) This was also the first time in history that the British crown was surrendered entirely voluntarily. Richard II of England, for example, was forced to abdicate after power was seized by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, while Richard was out of the country.
During the Glorious Revolution in 1688, James II of England and VII of Scotland fled to France, dropping the Great Seal of the Realm into the Thames, and the question was discussed in Parliament whether he had forfeited the throne or had abdicated. The latter designation was agreed upon, for, in a full assembly of the Lords and Commons, it was resolved in spite of James's protest "that King James II having endeavoured to subvert the constitution of the kingdom, by breaking the original contract between king and people, and, by the advice of Jesuits and other wicked persons, having violated the fundamental laws, and having withdrawn himself out of this kingdom, has abdicated the government, and that the throne is thereby vacant." The Scottish parliament pronounced a decree of forfeiture and deposition.
Because the title to the Crown depends upon statute, particularly the Act of Settlement 1701, a Royal Abdication can only be effected by an Act of Parliament; under the terms of the Statute of Westminster 1931, such an act must be passed by the parliament of all sixteen Commonwealth realms. To give legal effect to the abdication of King Edward VIII, His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936 was passed.
In certain cultures, if a monarch abdicated it was seen as a profound and shocking abandonment of royal duty. As a result, abdications usually only occurred in the most extreme circumstances of political turmoil or violence. The monarchs of the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Cambodia have abdicated as a result of old age. Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein recently made his son regent, an act which amounted to an abdication in fact if not in law.
The following is a list of important abdications:
1Charles abdicated as lord of the Netherlands (October
25, 1555) and king of Spain
(January 16, 1556), in favor of his son Philip II of
Spain. Also in 1556 he separately voluntarily abdicated his
German possessions and the title of Holy Roman Emperor.
²Pedro IV of Portugal and Pedro I of Brazil were the same person.
He was already Emperor of Brazil when he succeeded to the throne of
Portugal in 1826, but abdicated it at once in favour of his
daughter Maria II of Portugal. Later he
abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his son Pedro
II.
³Hans-Adam II made his son Alois
regent, effectively abdicating; however, he still remains the
formal Head of State.
ABDICATION (Lat. abdicatio, disowning, renouncing, from ab, from, and dicare, to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one), the act whereby a person in office renounces and gives up the same before the expiry of the time for which it is held. In Roman law, the term is especially applied to the disowning of a member of a family, as the disinheriting of a son, but the word is seldom used except in the sense of surrendering the supreme power in a state. Despotic sovereigns are at liberty to divest themselves of their powers at any time, but it is otherwise with a limited monarchy. The throne of Great Britain cannot be lawfully abdicated unless with the consent of the two Houses of Parliament. When James II., after throwing the great seal into the Thames, fled to France in 1688, he did not formally resign the crown, and the question was discussed in parliament whether he had forfeited the throne or had abdicated. The latter designation was agreed on, for in a full assembly of the Lords and Commons, met in convention, it was resolved, in spite of James's protest, "that King James II. having endeavoured to subvert the constitution of the kingdom, by breaking the original contract between king and people, and, by the advice of Jesuits and other wicked persons, having violated the fundamental laws, and having withdrawn himself out of this kingdom, has abdicated the government, and that the throne is thereby vacant." The Scottish parliament pronounced a decree of forfeiture and deposition. Among the most memorable abdications of antiquity may be mentioned that of Sulla the dictator, 79 B.C., and that of the Emperor Diocletian, A.D.
305. The following is a list of the more important abdications of later times: - Benedict IX., pope. .
Stephen II. of Hungary. Albert (the Bear) of Brandenburg .
Ladislaus III. of Poland. .
Celestine V., pope .
John Baliol of Scotland.. John Cantacuzene, emperor of the East [[Richard II. of ]]. .
John XXIII., pope.. Eric VII. of Denmark and XIII. of Sweden Murad II., Ottoman Sultan .
Charles V., emperor. .
Christina of Sweden.. John Casimir of Poland .
James II. of England Frederick Augustus of Poland Philip V. of Spain Victor Amadeus II. of Sardinia Ahmed III., Sultan of Turkey Charles of Naples (on accession to throne of Spain) Stanislaus II. of Poland.. Charles Emanuel IV. of Sardinia Charles IV. of Spain.. Joseph Bonaparte of Naples .
Gustavus IV. of Sweden.. Louis Bonaparte of Holland .
Napoleon I., French Emperor. April 4, 1814, Victor Emanuel of Sardinia Charles X. of France Pedro of Brazil 1 .
Miguel of Portgual .
William I. of Holland Louis Philippe, king of the French Louis Charles of Bavaria. Ferdinand of Austria. Charles Albert of Sardinia Leopold II. of Tuscany Isabella II. of Spain .
Amadeus I. of Spain .
Alexander of Bulgaria Milan of Servia. .
|
Abdomen >> |
Categories: A-ABO | Government
Abdication is the act of resigning from an office (official job), especially from being the leader of a country. The word is normally used for kings and queens who decide to give up their position. A similar term for an elected or appointed official is resignation.
King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom is an example of a king who abdicated.
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
