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Accession
Coronation Succession AccessionThe new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies and is at once proclaimed at an Accession Council. All members of the Privy Council are summoned. Members of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor and aldermen and other leading citizens of the City of London, and High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries are invited to attend.If the monarch is under 18 on succeeding to the Throne, there is provision for a regent to be appointed to perform the royal functions. This can also happen if the monarch is totally incapacitated. CoronationThe coronation of the new sovereign follows the accession after a convenient interval. The ceremony has remained essentially the same over a thousand years.The ceremony takes place at Westminster Abbey. The service is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of representatives of the Houses of Parliament, Church and State. Prime Ministers and leading citizens from the Commonwealth and representatives of other countries also attend. During the ceremony the monarch takes an oath to rule according to law. This is followed by the anointing and crowning. After homage is paid by the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior peers, Holy Communion is celebrated. The Queen's Coronation took place on 2 June 1953 following her accession on 6 February 1952. |
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SuccessionThe Act of Settlement 1700 laid down that only Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia - the Electress of Hanover, granddaughter of James I - are eligible to succeed. Subsequent Acts have confirmed this.Sons of the sovereign and their descendants have precedence over daughters in succeeding to the Throne. Daughters take precedence over the sovereign's brothers. When a daughter succeeds, she becomes Queen Regnant and has the same powers as a king. Current order of succession to the Throne: The Prince of Wales
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