Succession laws

Succession laws in hereditary monarchy are used for determining who will be the next heir to the throne of a kingdom, principality, etc. Non-primogenitural succession is another group of possibilities, however somewhat rarer today (as of 2005), but regarding primogeniture, there are three succession laws that are the most widespread in the world: primogeniture following the Salic Law, the mixed primogeniture and the cognatic primogeniture. This article presents an introduction to these three major systems of primogenitural hereditary succession.

Feudal Primogeniture

Feudal Primogeniture allows females to be heirs, but only if the male possibilities in the same level are extinct. This system is used in the United Kingdom, Spain, Monaco and Denmark. This may be the most complex primogenitural succession law. (However, non-primogenitural successions may seem more complex in comparison.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following is the ficticious dynasty from the previous example:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First, we use the level opened by Magdalena starting by the oldest male heir: Charles II. Then, his son Rudolf will succeed him. If this Rudolf dies without children, we must go up one level (the Magdalena's level again) to the next male heir: Alfons I. He will be the third in the succession line. For determining the fourth in the succession line, we must choose between Joanna and Alfred, always considering a male before a female. This makes Alfred the fourth and Joanna (if Alfred dies without children, the level is not extinct, then, we do not go up) the fifth in the succession line.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If Joanna also dies without children, we must go up two levels (Alfons I is already dead). Then, we see that the level opened by Magdalena has no more male heirs, then, we begin using the female succession lines beginning with Magdalena, the oldest woman, and continuing with her son Charles III. If both die, the throne passes to Augusta and, finally, to Charles IV.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The succession is:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Charles II
• Rudolf I
• Alfons I (Back to the first level)
• Alfred
• Joanna
• Magdalena (Back to the first level)
• Charles III
• Augusta (Back to the first level)
• Charles IV