{{Wiktionarypar|abdication}}

'''Abdication''' (from the [[Latin]] ''abdicatio'', disowning, renouncing, from ''ab'', away from, and ''dicare'', to declare, to proclaim as not belonging to one) is the act of renouncing and resigning from a formal office, especially from the supreme office of [[state]]. In [[Roman law]] the term was also applied to the disowning of a family member, as the disinheriting of a son. The term commonly applies to [[monarchs]], or those who have been formally [[coronation|crowned]]. A similar term for an elected or appointed official is [[resignation]].

==Abdications in Classical Antiquity==
Among the most memorable abdications of antiquity were those of [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]] the [[Roman Dictator|Dictator]] in 79 BC, [[Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Diocletian]] in [[305|AD 305]], and Emperor [[Romulus Augustulus]] in [[476|AD 476]].

==The British Crown==
Probably the most famous abdication in recent memory is that of King [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom]] in 1936. Edward abdicated the British throne in order to marry American divorcée [[Wallis Simpson]], over the objections of the British establishment, the governments of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], the royal family and the [[Church of England]]. (''See'' [[Abdication Crisis of Edward VIII]].) This was also the first time in history that the British crown was surrendered entirely voluntarily. [[Richard II of England]], for example, was forced to abdicate after the throne was seized by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, while Richard was out of the country.

When [[James II of England]], after throwing the [[Great Seal of the Realm]] into the [[Thames]], fled to [[France]] in 1688, he did not formally resign the crown, and the question was discussed in Parliament whether he had forfeited the throne or had abdicated. The latter designation was agreed upon, for, in a full assembly of the Lords and Commons, it was resolved in spite of James's protest "''that King James II having endeavoured to subvert the constitution of the kingdom, by breaking the original contract between king and people, and, by the advice of [[Jesuits]] and other wicked persons, having violated the fundamental laws, and having withdrawn himself out of this kingdom, has abdicated the government, and that the throne is thereby vacant.''" The [[Parliament of Scotland|Scottish parliament]] pronounced a decree of [[forfeiture]] and [[deposition]].

Because the title to the Crown depends upon [[statute]], particularly the [[Act of Settlement 1701]], a Royal Abdication can only be effected by an [[Act of Parliament]]; under the terms of the [[Statute of Westminster 1931]], such an act must be passed by the parliament of all sixteen [[Commonwealth realm]]s. To give legal effect to the abdication of King [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom]], [[His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act 1936]] was passed.

==Modern abdications==
Historically, if a monarch abdicated it was seen as a profound and shocking abandonment of royal duty. As a result, abdications usually only occurred in the most extreme circumstances of political turmoil or violence. This has changed in a small number of countries: the monarchs of the [[Netherlands]], [[Luxembourg]] and [[Cambodia]] have abdicated as a result of old age. Prince [[Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein]] recently made his son [[regent]], an act which amounted to an abdication in fact if not in law.

==List==
The following is a list of important abdications:
{| border="0" cellpadding="0"
|-
| align="left" | [[Lucius Tarquinius Superbus]]
| align="right" | 510 BC (Roman Monarchy dissolved)
|-
| align="left" | [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]]
| align="right" | 79 BC
|-
| align="left" | [[Diocletian]] || align="right" | [[305|AD 305]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Romulus Augustulus]]
| align="right" | 476 ([[Western Roman Empire]] dissolved)
|-
| align="left" | [[Pope Benedict IX]]
| align="right" | 1048
|-
| align="left" | [[Isaac I Comnenus]] || align="right" | 1059
|-
| align="left" | [[Emperor Huizong of Song China]]
| align="right" | [[January 18]], [[1126]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Albert I of Brandenburg]]
| align="right" | 1169
|-
| align="left" | [[Władysław III Spindleshanks|Ladislaus III]] of [[Poland]]
| align="right" | 1206
|-
| align="left" | [[Pope Celestine V]]
| align="right" | [[December 13]], [[1294]]
|-
| align="left" | [[John Baliol of Scotland]]
| align="right" | 1296
|-
| align="left" | [[John Cantacuzene]], emperor of the East
| align="right" | 1355
|-
| align="left" | [[Richard II of England]]
| align="right" | [[September 29]], [[1399]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Antipope John XXIII|Baldassare Cossa, Antipope John XXIII]]
| align="right" | 1415
|-
| align="left" | [[Eric VII of Denmark|Eric VII of Denmark or Erik XIII of Sweden]]
| align="right" | 1439
|-
| align="left" | [[Amadeus VIII of Savoy]]
| align="right" | 1440
|-
| align="left" | [[Murad II]], [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Sultan
| align="right" | 1444
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]] ^[[#Notes|1]]
| align="right" | 1555/1556
|-
| align="left" | [[Christina of Sweden]]
| align="right" | [[June 6]], [[1654]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Mary I of Scotland|Mary Queen of Scots]]
| align="right" | [[July 24]], [[1567]]
|-
| align="left" | [[John II of Poland|John Casimir of Poland]]
| align="right" | 1668
|-
| align="left" | [[Frederick Augustus I of Poland|Frederick Augustus of Poland]]
| align="right" | [[September 24]], [[1706]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Philip V of Spain]]
| align="right" | [[14 January]] [[1724]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Victor Amadeus II of Savoy|Victor Amadeus]] of [[Sardinia]]
| align="right" | [[3 September]] [[1730]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Ahmed III]], [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Sultan
| align="right" | [[1 October]] [[1730]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles III of Spain|Charles of Naples]] (on accession to throne of [[Spain]])
| align="right" | [[6 October]] [[1759]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Stanislaus II of Poland]]
| align="right" | [[7 January]] [[1795]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Qianlong Emperor of China]]
| align="right" | [[February 9]], [[1796]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia|Charles Emanuel IV, King of Sardinia]]
| align="right" | [[June 4]], [[1802]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor]]
| align="right" | [[August 6]], [[1806]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles IV of Spain|Charles IV, King of Spain]]
| align="right" | [[March 19]], [[1808]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Joseph Bonaparte|Joseph Napoleon, King of Naples]]
| align="right" | [[June 6]], [[1808]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden|Gustav IV Adolf, King of Sweden]]
| align="right" | [[March 29]], [[1809]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Louis Bonaparte|Louis Napoleon, King of Holland]]
| align="right" | [[July 2]], [[1810]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon I, Emperor of the French]]
| align="right" | [[April 4]], [[1814]], and again [[June 22]], [[1815]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia|Victor Emmanuel I, King of Sardinia]]
| align="right" | [[March 13]], [[1821]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles X of France|Charles X, King of France]]
| align="right" | [[August 2]], [[1830]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Peter I of Brazil|Pedro IV, King of Portugal]] ^[[#Notes|2]]
| align="right" | [[May 28]], [[1826]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Pedro I of Brazil|Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil]] ^[[#Notes|2]]
| align="right" | [[April 7]], [[1831]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Miguel of Portugal|Miguel, King of Portugal]]
| align="right" | [[May 26]], [[1834]]
|-
| align="left" | [[William I of the Netherlands|William I, King of the Netherlands]]
| align="right" | [[October 7]], [[1840]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Louis-Philippe of France|Louis Philippe, King of the French]]
| align="right" | [[February 24]], [[1848]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Ludwig I of Bavaria|Ludwig I, King of Bavaria]]
| align="right" | [[March 21]], [[1848]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Ferdinand I of Austria|Ferdinand, Emperor of Austria]]
| align="right" | [[December 2]], [[1848]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles II, Duke of Parma]]
| align="right" | [[March 14]], [[1849]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Charles Albert of Sardinia|Charles Albert, King of Sardinia]]
| align="right" | [[March 23]], [[1849]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]
| align="right" | [[July 21]], [[1859]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Isabella II of Spain|Isabella II, Queen of Spain]]
| align="right" | [[June 25]], [[1870]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Amadeus I of Spain|Amadeo I, King of Spain]]
| align="right" | [[February 11]], [[1873]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Alexander of Bulgaria|Alexander, Prince of Bulgaria]]
| align="right" | [[September 7]], [[1886]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Milan II of Serbia|Milan, King of Serbia]]
| align="right" | [[March 6]], [[1889]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Liliuokalani|Lili{{okina}}uokalani, Queen of Hawai{{okina}}i]]
| align="right" | [[January 17]], [[1893]] (monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Sunjong|Sunjong, Emperor of Korea]]
| align="right" | [[August 29]], [[1910]] (monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Ai-xin-jue-luo Pu-yi|Xuantong Emperor of China]]
| align="right" | [[February 12]], [[1912]] (monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia]]
| align="right" | [[March 15]], [[1917]] (monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Ferdinand I of Bulgaria|Ferdinand I, Tsar of the Bulgarians]]
| align="right" | [[October 3]], [[1918]]
|-
| align="left" | [[William II, German Emperor]]
| align="right" | [[November 9]], [[1918]] (monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Prajadhipok|Prajadhipok, King of Siam]]
| align="right" | [[March 2]], [[1935]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII, King of Great Britain and Ireland]]
| align="right" | [[December 11]], [[1936]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Carol II of Romania|Carol II, King of Romania]]
| align="right" | [[September 6]], [[1940]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Bảo Đại|Bảo Đại, Emperor of Vietnam]]
| align="right" | [[April 25]], [[1945]] (Feudal Dynasty dissolved)
|-
| align="left" | [[Victor Emmanuel III of Italy|Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy]]
| align="right" | [[May 9]], [[1946]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Michael I of Romania|Michael, King of Romania]]
| align="right" | [[December 30]], [[1947]] (monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands]]
| align="right" | [[September 4]], [[1948]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Léopold III of Belgium|Léopold III, King of the Belgians]]
| align="right" | [[July 16]], [[1951]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Farouk I of Egypt|Farouk, King of Egypt]]
| align="right" | [[July 26]], [[1952]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Talal of Jordan|Talal, King of Jordan]]
| align="right" | [[August 11]], [[1952]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Fuad II of Egypt|Fuad II, King of Egypt]]
| align="right" | [[June 18]], [[1953]] (Monarchy abolished)
|-
| align="left" | [[Saud of Saudi Arabia|Saud, King of Saudi Arabia]]
| align="right" | [[November 2]], [[1964]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Omar Ali Saifuddin III|Omar Ali Saifuddin, Sultan of Brunei]]
| align="right" | [[October 4]], [[1967]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands]]
| align="right" | [[April 30]], [[1980]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg]]
| align="right" | [[October 7]], [[2000]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein]]^[[#Notes|3]]
| align="right" | [[August 15]], [[2004]] (Made his son regent)
|-
| align="left" | [[Norodom Sihanouk|Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia]]
| align="right" | [[October 7]], [[2004]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah|Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait]]
| align="right" | [[January 23]], [[2006]]
|-
| align="left" | [[Jigme Singye Wangchuck|Jigme Singye Wangchuck, King of Bhutan]]
| align="right" | [[December 15]], [[2006]] (Made his son King)
|}

==Notes==
¹Charles abdicated as lord of the [[Netherlands]] ([[October 25]], [[1555]]) and king of [[Spain]] ([[January 16]], [[1556]]), in favor of his son [[Philip II of Spain]]. Also in 1556 he separately voluntarily abdicated his German possessions and the title of [[Holy Roman Emperor]].<br />
²Pedro IV of Portugal and Pedro I of Brazil were the same person. He was already Emperor of Brazil when he succeeded to the throne of Portugal in 1826, but abdicated it at once in favour of his daughter [[Maria II of Portugal]]. Later he abdicated the throne of Brazil in favor of his son [[Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro II]]. <br />
³Hans-Adam II made his son [[Alois of Liechtenstein|Alois]] regent, effectively abdicating; however, he still remains the formal Head of State.

==See also==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Abdication}}
*[[Lists of incumbents]]
*[[List of monarchs who lost their thrones or abdicated in the 20th century]]
*[[Papal abdication]]
*[[The Great Abdication]]

==References==
* Public domain 1911 edition of ''The New Century Book of Facts'' published by the King-Richardson Company, Springfield, Massachusetts.

[[Category:Monarchy]]

[[bs:Abdikacija]]
[[bg:Абдикация]]
[[cs:Abdikace]]
[[da:Abdikation]]
[[de:Abdikation]]
[[es:Abdicación]]
[[eo:Abdiko]]
[[fr:Abdication]]
[[gl:Abdicación]]
[[hr:Abdikacija]]
[[id:Abdikasi]]
[[it:Abdicazione]]
[[nl:Abdicatie]]
[[ja:退位]]
[[no:Abdikasjon]]
[[nn:Abdikasjon]]
[[pl:Abdykacja]]
[[pt:Abdicação]]
[[ru:Абдикация]]
[[simple:Abdication]]
[[sk:Abdikácia]]
[[sv:Abdikation]]
[[uk:Абдикація]]
[[zh:逊位]]