Abdication is the formal renunciation of an office, often used to refer to monarchs who resign or decline from the throne. It can occur when a monarch feels they have failed the people or when they reach old age. Abdications can also be forced by revolutions or citizens pursuing a different form of government. The abdication of King Edward VIII of England to marry Wallis Simpson is a famous example. Abdications have been credited with changing history.
Abdication is a formal renunciation of an office, together with the rights, privileges and power associated with that office. As a general rule, the term is used specifically to refer to monarchs who resign or decline from the throne, although it can also be used to refer to public officials or popes. Throughout history, there have been numerous abdications and often the result has been quite chaotic. As a result, many abdications have been credited with changing history.
More typically, an abdication occurs when a monarch feels that he has failed the people. The choice to resign is seen as an admission of guilt, with the rest of the government mobilizing to determine who is next in rank. In some nations, there are rules in place to address abdication to minimize chaos, but in other cases, the lack of a clear line of descent to the throne can cause problems when a monarch abdicates unexpectedly. Various political factions may try, for example, to install their favorite picks on the throne. Leopold III of Belgium, for example, abdicated in 1951 in the wake of a political dispute.
Monarchs have also been known to abdicate when they reach old age, so that they can pursue personal interests. In Japan, for example, abdication has been traditional at various points in history so that emperors could spend their last years in meditation and contemplation. Some modern monarchs have also adopted this practice, allowing their successors to gain hands-on experience while still alive and able to offer advice. Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands, abdicated in 1980 for this very reason.
An abdication can also be forced, as is the case with numerous abdications triggered by revolutions or massive social unrest. Tsar Nicholas II, for example, abdicated the Russian throne in 1917 in response to the Russian Revolution; the Revolution eventually dismantled the monarchy altogether. In some cases, monarchs have also abdicated when their citizens have chosen to pursue a form of government other than monarchy.
One of the most famous abdications was that of King Edward VIII of England, who chose to give up the throne of England to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. The Great Abdication, as it is sometimes called, occurred on the eve of World War II. This has led some historians to point out that the war and the history of England might have turned out very differently had her brother George VI not succeeded to the throne.
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