abdication

10 Stories

Queen's New Year's Surprise: I'm Abdicating

Margrethe refers to limitations of aging in telling the nation that her son will ascend to Denmark's throne

(Newser) - Queen Margrethe II told Denmark on Sunday that she plans to step down in two weeks, turning the largely ceremonial monarchy over to her son, Crown Prince Frederik, after 52 years on the throne. "Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody—also on me! The time takes...

'Today, I Am Concluding My Duties as the Emperor'

Akihito announces abdication in palace ceremony

(Newser) - Japanese Emperor Akihito announced his abdication at a palace ceremony Tuesday in his final address, as the nation embraced the end of his reign with reminiscence and hope for a new era. "Today, I am concluding my duties as the emperor," Akihito said as he stood in front...

Married 26 Years, She Can't Watch Him Become Emperor

Unless it's on TV: Japanese succession rules bar Masako from attending Naruhito's ascension

(Newser) - On Wednesday, Crown Prince Naruhito will become an emperor and usher in the "Reiwa" era, and the world will be watching—but one important person won't be seeing it up close. Per the New York Times , Naruhito's wife of 26 years, Masako, isn't allowed to be...

Japan Is Getting a Rare 10-Day Vacation. Not Everyone's Happy

Extended break starts Saturday to celebrate ascension of Naruhito to emperor

(Newser) - The "Reiwa" era is nearly upon Japan, and big plans are afoot to commemorate it. As Crown Prince Naruhito prepares to ascend to emperor status on May 1, taking the throne from his father, Akihito, who's abdicating, what Reuters calls an "unprecedented" 10-day holiday is on the...

In Rare Move, a King Abruptly Abdicates

Malaysia's Sultan Muhammad V steps down without giving a reason after 2 years on throne

(Newser) - Malaysian King Sultan Muhammad V abdicated on Sunday in an unexpected move, reports the AP , after just two years on the throne. The palace said in a statement that the 49-year-old ruler had resigned as Malaysia's 15th king with immediate effect, cutting short his five-year term. No reason was...

Japan Passes Law to Let Emperor Quit

Akihito will be first to abdicate in 200 years

(Newser) - Japan's Emperor Akihito is 83 years old and in declining health—and he is finally being allowed to step down. Japan's parliament passed a law Friday that will allow Akihito, who became emperor when father Hirohito died in 1989, to abdicate, reports Reuters . Akihito has had heart surgery...

Spain's King Juan Carlos Steps Down

76-year-old passes throne to Prince Felipe

(Newser) - At 76, Spain's King Juan Carlos is abdicating after four decades, handing the throne to his son, Prince Felipe. "A new generation must be at the forefront," he said in a nationally televised address. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced the move today, calling on the courts to...

Qatari Emir Abdicates, Hands Power to Son, 33

Peaceful handovers unusual among Gulf Arab dynasties

(Newser) - The emir of Qatar has abdicated and will hand the reins to his 33-year-old son, who in turn becomes the youngest monarch in the region. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, 61, announced the news on national TV yesterday, though he didn't say when Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani would...

Dutch Get First King for 120 Years
 Dutch Get 1st King in 120 Years 
UPDATED
Apr 30, 2013 10:00 AM CDT

Dutch Get 1st King in 120 Years

Huge street party greets Willem-Alexander

(Newser) - It's party time in Amsterdam: Queen Beatrix has signed her abdication papers, making her son Willem-Alexander the country's first king since William III died in 1890. Huge orange-clad crowds gathered in the Dutch capital to say farewell to the popular queen and celebrate the annual Queen's Day...

Windsors Schemed to Deny Elizabeth Throne
 Windsors Schemed 
 to Deny Elizabeth Throne 
family feud
Nov 22, 2009 3:55 PM CST

Windsors Schemed to Deny Elizabeth Throne

Duke plotted to step in as his brother's health failed

(Newser) - Within a decade of abdicating the throne, the former Edward VIII was plotting a return to power that involved an end run around his niece Elizabeth—better known today as Queen Elizabeth II. A letter the Duke of Windsor wrote in 1946, when his brother and successor King George VI...

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