order of succession
Throne waiting list
An order of succession is the sequence in which people are entitled to assume a position when it becomes vacant.
The term most often appears in discussions of royal inheritance or political continuity: The vice president is first in the order of succession.
Rules governing succession may follow bloodlines, appointment, election, or statutory priority.
Ceremonial chair for sovereigns
- heir apparentUnassailable next in line
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
- monarchHereditary supreme ruler
- regentInterim throne holder
coronation · ascension · dynasty · sovereign · prince · princess · queen · king
Ancestry through generations
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- descendantsThose who come after
- ancestryFamily line of descent
family tree · pedigree · progenitors · forebears · direct line · cognatic · house · legitimate heir
Property and grounds
- heirOne who receives legacy
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
- willFaculty of deliberate choice
- testamentWritten proof or legacy
probate · intestate · entailment · primogeniture · birthright · patrimony · bequest · executor
Ceremony conferring rank
- inaugurationFormal beginning ceremony
- oath of officeFormal vow for public duty
- swearing-inOfficial oath-taking ceremony
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
proclamation · precedence · handover · transition · ratification · confirmation · regency · interregnum
Chief executive's office
- vice presidentSecond-ranking executive officer
- speakerOne who talks
- cabinetEnclosed storage furniture
- chancellorSenior administrative official
prime minister · acting president · vacancy · impeachment · incapacity · devolution · caretaker · interim leader
throne
Ceremonial chair for sovereigns
- heir apparentUnassailable next in line
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
- monarchHereditary supreme ruler
regent · coronation · ascension · dynasty · sovereign · prince · princess · queen · king · abdication
bloodline
Ancestry through generations
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- descendantsThose who come after
ancestry · family tree · pedigree · progenitors · forebears · direct line · cognatic · house · legitimate heir · bastard
estate
Property and grounds
- heirOne who receives legacy
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
- willFaculty of deliberate choice
testament · probate · intestate · entailment · primogeniture · birthright · patrimony · bequest · executor · trustee
investiture
Ceremony conferring rank
- inaugurationFormal beginning ceremony
- oath of officeFormal vow for public duty
- swearing-inOfficial oath-taking ceremony
ceremony · proclamation · precedence · handover · transition · ratification · confirmation · regency · interregnum
presidency
Chief executive's office
- vice presidentSecond-ranking executive officer
- speakerOne who talks
- cabinetEnclosed storage furniture
chancellor · prime minister · acting president · vacancy · impeachment · incapacity · devolution · caretaker · interim leader · constitutional crisis
- royal successionthrone, heir apparent, heir presumptive, crown prince, next in line
order of successionelection
Organized public voting
popular vote · meritocracy · electoral process · revolution · coup d'état
order of successionchaos
Complete disorder and confusion
disorder · anarchy · interregnum · bedlam · pandemonium
order, orders, ordered, ordering, orderly, orderliness, disorder, reorder, ordinal