Heir apparent
An heir (female: heiress) is a person who has inherited something after the original owner's death. Most often a child after his or her parent's death.[1]
Heir apparent and heir presumptive usually refer to someone who will inherit a royal or noble title:
- An heir presumptive is someone who may inherit, unless someone with a better claim under the rules of succession is found.[4]
For example
- King Charles III's oldest son is Prince William, so he is the heir apparent of the British monarchy.
- Prince Bertil of Sweden was heir presumptive to his nephew King Carl XVI Gustav. The King's son, Prince Carl Philip became heir apparent when he was born, but because the law of succession changed his sister Princess Victoria became the world's first heiress apparent.
Monarchies that have used the title[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Richard Burn; John Burn, A New Law Dictionary (London: printed by A. Strahan and W. Woodfall, for T. Cadell, 1792), p. 423
- ↑ The Manual of Rank and Nobility, or Key to the Peerage (London: Saunders and Otley, 1828), p. 43
- ↑ Jeremy Paxman, On Royalty: A Very Polite Inquiry Into Some Strangely Related Families (New York : PublicAffairs, 2008), p. 103
- ↑ John Almon; John Debrett; et al., The Parliamentary register: or, History of the proceedings and debates of the House of Lords ... during the 14th-[18th] Parliament[s] of Great Britain [1774-1803] (London: Printed for J. Almon, 1775-1804), p. 75