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The death of a monarch

Summary

The legal term for the death of a monarch is a “demise of the Crown”. This refers to the transfer of authority from one sovereign to another due to death or abdication. By law, a sovereign’s eldest child automatically succeeds to the throne. Statute also restricts succession to those who are in “communion with the Church of England”. The death of a monarch – and the accession of a new sovereign – involves the Cabinet, the Privy Council, Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the Church of England.

In September 2022, the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II were numbered as follows:

• D-Day: the day of the monarch’s death (or in this case the day after)
• D+1: the Accession Council and Principal Proclamation (in London)
• D+2: Proclamation Day (in other parts of the UK)
• D+3: addresses of condolence and loyalty are presented to the monarch by both Houses of Parliament
• D+4: the transfer of the coffin
• D+5: the lying-in-state at Westminster Hall begins and lasts until the day of the state funeral
• D+10: the day of the state funeral

Accession Council

Shortly after a demise, an Accession Council is summonsed to proclaim a new monarch.

An Accession Proclamation is read aloud and signed by those present at St James’s Palace. The new sovereign then joins the Council to make a non-statutory personal Declaration and take a statutory oath to protect the Church of Scotland. The proclamation is then read in public twice in London and, the following day, at locations around the United Kingdom.

Parliament’s role

Parliament meets following the Accession Council and members of both Houses swear allegiance to the new monarch. They also move motions expressing condolences and loyalty to the new monarch.

The former sovereign customarily lies in state at Westminster Hall for several days, which allows members of the public to pay their respects.

Finally, there is a state funeral paid for by the government.

This briefing

The material in this briefing is all based on publicly available sources, much of it derived from the events which followed the demises of King Edward VII in May 1910, King George V in January 1936, King George VI in February 1952 and particularly Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. It also draws on the abdication of King Edward VIII in December 1936.

This briefing is not intended as a comprehensive guide to what will always occur following a demise.