The king is dead | long live the king
Thisarticleisaboutthetraditionalproclamation.Forotheruses,seeTheKingisDead."Thekingisdead,longlivetheking!",[1]orsimply"longlivetheking!"isatraditionalproclamationmadefollowingtheaccessionofanewmonarchinvariouscountries.Theseeminglycontradictoryphraseisusedtosimultaneouslyannouncethedeathofthepreviousmonarchandassurethepublicofcontinuitybysalutingthenewmonarch.[2]Inmoderntimes,thisphrasehasbecomeapopularphrasaltemplate.Giventhememorablenatureofthephrase(owingtoepanalepsis),aswellasitshistori...
This article is about the traditional proclamation. For other uses, see The King is Dead."The king is dead, long live the king!",[1] or simply "long live the king!" is a traditional proclamation made following the accession of a new monarch in various countries. The seemingly contradictory phrase is used to simultaneously announce the death of the previous monarch and assure the public of continuity by saluting the new monarch.[2]
In modern times, this phrase has become a popular phrasal template. Given the memorable nature of the phrase (owing to epanalepsis), as well as its historic significance, the phrase crops up regularly as a headline for articles, editorials, or advertisements on themes of succession or replacement. Robert Cecil, one of the architects of the League of Nations, famously concluded his speech at the final session of the League of Nations with the phrase: "The League is dead. Long live the United Nations."[3]
The original phrase was translated f...