Home > Primogeniture
Primogeniture is inheritance by the first-born of the entirety of a parent's wealth, estate or office. Primogeniture often occurs in regulating royal succession to the throne in a monarchy.Agnatic primogeniture is inheritance by the oldest surviving male child, and if there are none then the oldest surviving female child.
Cognatic primogeniture is inheritance by the oldest surviving child without regards to gender. The first country to adopt full cognatic primogeniture was Sweden in 1980. The beneficiary of this was Victoria of Sweden. Several other monarchies have since followed, such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway (with Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway as second in line to the throne after her father, Crown Prince Haakon).
A special case of primogeniture exemplified in the French royal milieu, the Salic Law (attributed to the Salian Franks) forbade any inheritance of a crown through the female line. This accounts for the dispute over the legitimate successor of Charles IV of FranceCharles IV the Fair ( 1294 February 1, 1328), a member of the Capetian Dynasty, reigned as King of France from 1322 to 1328. He was the third son of Philippe IV. By virtue of his mother, Jeanne I of Navarre's, birthright, Charles claimed the title Charles ( Edward III of EnglandEdward III ( 13 November 1312 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English Kings of mediaeval times. His fifty-year reign began when his father Edward II was deposed on 25 January 1327, and lasted until 1377. Among his immediate predecessors, only or Philip VI of FrancePhilippe VI the Fortunate, ( 1293 August 22, 1350) was King of France from 1328 to 1350. He was the son of Charles of Valois and would become the first king of the Valois Dynasty. In 1328, King Charles IV of France died without a direct male descendant, h), the loss of HanoverAlternate meanings: Hanover (district), Hanover (region), Hanover (state), other uses Hanover (in German: Hannover [haˈnoːfɐ]), on the Leine river, is the capital of the state of Lower Saxony Niedersachsen in Germany. It is also the c to Ernest IErnest Augustus I, King of Hanover ( 5 June 1771 18 November 1851), also known (1799-1837) as the Duke of Cumberland was the fifth son and eighth child of King George III of the United Kingdom and Queen Charlotte. His Royal Highness Field Marshal The Prin from the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly upon the accession of Queen VictoriaVictoria (Alexandrina Victoria) ( 24 May 1819 22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. Her reign lasted more than sixty-three years—longer than any other British monarch. As well as being Queen of the in 1837Events January 10 DePauw University founded in Greencastle, Indiana January 26 Michigan is admitted as the 26th U. State February 8 Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate February 11 Americ, the separation of the royal house of Luxemburg from that of the Netherlands, and partially explains the role of Carlism in Spain.
In England, primogeniture was mandatory for inheritance of land. Until the Statute of Wills was passed in 1540, a will could only control the inheritance of personal property. Real estate (land) passed to the eldest male descendant by operation of law. The statute added a provision that a landowner could "devise" land by the use of a new device called a "testament".
