An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin ''inter-'', "between" and ''rēgnum'', "reign"
rom ''rex, rēgis'', "king", and the concepts of interregnum and
regency therefore overlap. Historically, longer and heavier interregna have been typically accompanied by widespread unrest,
civil
Civil may refer to:
*Civic virtue, or civility
*Civil action, or lawsuit
* Civil affairs
*Civil and political rights
*Civil disobedience
*Civil engineering
*Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism
*Civilian, someone not a membe ...
and
succession wars between
warlord
A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...
s, and
power vacuums filled by foreign invasions or the emergence of a new power. A
failed state is usually in interregnum.
The term also refers to the periods between the election of a new parliament and the establishment of a new government from that parliament in parliamentary democracies, usually ones that employ some form of proportional representation that allows small parties to elect significant numbers, requiring time for negotiations to form a government. In the UK, Canada and other "
first past the post
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast thei ...
" electoral systems, this period is usually very brief, except in the rare occurrence of a
hung parliament as occurred both
in the UK in 2017 and
in Australia in 2010. In parliamentary interregnums, the previous government usually stands as a
caretaker government until the new government is established. Additionally, the term has been applied to the
United States presidential transition, the period of time between the election of a new
U.S. president and his or her inauguration, during which the outgoing president remains in power, but as a
lame duck.
Similarly, in some
Christian denominations, "interregnum" (interim) describes the time between vacancy and appointment of
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
or
pastors to various roles.
Historical periods of interregnum
Particular historical periods known as interregna include:
* The
Chu–Han Contention of 206–202 BC in China, after the death of Emperor
Qin Er Shi, when there was a contest to the throne. It ended with the accession of
Liu Bang, ushering in the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...
and ending the
Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...
.
* The
Crisis of the Third Century (235–284) in the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Medite ...
, when it was split into multiple realms and chaos (invasion, civil war,
Cyprian Plague, and
economic depression) was a constant threat until
Aurelian and
Diocletian restored the empire. The crisis forced Diocletian to partition the Empire and marked the beginning of the
fall of the Western Roman Empire.
* From 423 to 425 in the Roman Empire, between the death of
Honorius and the accession of
Valentinian III. A usurper called
Joannes seized power.
* The ten-year period after the death of
King Cleph from 574/575 to 584/585 in the
Kingdom of the Lombards
The Kingdom of the Lombards ( la, Regnum Langobardorum; it, Regno dei Longobardi; lmo, Regn di Lombard) also known as the Lombard Kingdom; later the Kingdom of (all) Italy ( la, Regnum totius Italiae), was an early medieval state established ...
, known as the
Rule of the Dukes. Marked by increasing domination of the
Italian Peninsula by the
Franks
The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...
and the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...
. Ended with the election of Authari as king.
* The
Sasanian Interregnum (628–632), a conflict that broke out after the death of
Khosrau II between the
Sasanian nobles of different factions. Ended with the victory of
Yazdegerd III and contributed to the
fall of the Sasanian Empire.
* The 1022–1072 period in Ireland, between the death of
Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill and the accession of
Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain, is sometimes regarded as an interregnum, as the
High Kingship of Ireland was disputed throughout these decades. The interregnum may even have extended to 1121, when
Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair acceded to the title.
* From 1097 to 1102 in the
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, between death of king
Petar Svačić and when
Coloman,
king of Hungary is crowned
king of Croatia in 1102.
* From 13 April 1204 to 25 July 1261 in the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...
. Following the
Sack of Constantinople during the
Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire was dissolved, to be replaced by
several Crusader states and
several Byzantine states. It was re-established by Nicean general
Alexios Strategopoulos who placed
Michael VIII Palaiologos back on the throne of a united Byzantine Empire.
* From 21 May 1254 to 29 September 1273, The
Great Interregnum in the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
after the deposition of the last
Hohenstaufen emperor
Frederick II by
Pope Innocent IV and the death of his son King
Conrad IV of Germany until the
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
of the
Habsburg scion
Rudolph as ''
Rex Romanorum
King of the Romans ( la, Rex Romanorum; german: König der Römer) was the title used by the king of Germany following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward.
The title originally referred to any German k ...
''.
*
First Interregnum in Scotland, which lasted from either 19 March 1286 or 26 September 1290 until 17 November 1292. The exact dating of the interregnum depends on whether the uncrowned
Margaret, Maid of Norway was officially queen before her death in 1290. It lasted until
John Balliol was crowned King of Scots.
*
Second Interregnum in Scotland, from 10 July 1296, when
John Balliol was deposed, until 25 March 1306, when
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventuall ...
was crowned.
* From 14 January 1301 until 1308 in the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...
between the extinction of the
Árpád dynasty and when
Charles I of Hungary secured the throne for himself against several pretenders.
* From 5 June 1316 to 15 November 1316 in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
and
Navarre, between the death of
Louis X and the birth of his posthumous son
John I.
* From 2 August 1332 until 21 June 1340 in
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establishe ...
when the country was mortgaged to a few German counts.
* The
Portuguese Interregnum, from 22 October 1383 until 6 April 1385, a result of the succession crisis caused by the death of
Ferdinand I Ferdinand I or Fernando I may refer to:
People
* Ferdinand I of León, ''the Great'' (ca. 1000–1065, king from 1037)
* Ferdinand I of Portugal and the Algarve, ''the Handsome'' (1345–1383, king from 1367)
* Ferdinand I of Aragon and Sicily, '' ...
without a legitimate heir. Ended when
John I's forces won the
Battle of Aljubarrota, beginning the
Aviz dynasty.
* The
Ottoman Interregnum, from 8 March 1403 until 1413, a result of the death of Sultan
Bayezid I at the hands of Central Asian warlord
Timur (Tamerlane) in the
Battle of Çamurlu. A period of civil war ensued as none of Bayezid's sons could establish primacy. The crisis was resolved when one of his sons,
Mehmed, defeated and killed his brothers and reestablished the Empire.
* From 20 January 1410 to 1412 in the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of ...
. The death of King
Martin without heir led to a succession crisis and a period of civil war, resolved ultimately by the
Compromise of Caspe.
* The 1453–1456 period of civil war in
Kingdom of Majapahit (now in
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
, Indonesia)
* From 1481 until 1483 in the
Kingdom of Norway, during a conflict over the succession of
John, during the period of the
Kalmar Union. The
Norwegian Council of the Realm initially refused to accept the hereditary succession of John; as they asserted that Norway was an elective monarchy. When no serious opposition candidate emerged, the Council relented and elected John. There was also an interregnum from 1533 to 1537, after the dead of
Frederick I and the interregnum ended with a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...
by his son
Christian III.
* From 6 April 1490 to 15 July 1490 in the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...
between the death of
Matthias Corvinus and election of
Vladislaus II.
* The
Time of Troubles in Russia (1598–1613) between the
Rurikid
The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
and
Romanov dynasties, which caused a
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accom ...
and an
invasion by
Poland-Lithuania as numerous
usurpers and
false Dmitrys claimed to be the legitimate successor to the dead
Fyodor I. Ended when the Zemsky Sobor elected
Michael Romanov
Michael I (Russian: Михаил Фёдорович Романов, ''Mikhaíl Fyódorovich Románov'') () became the first Russian tsar of the House of Romanov after the Zemskiy Sobor of 1613 elected him to rule the Tsardom of Russia.
He w ...
as the new
tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
, beginning the
Romanov dynasty.
* The
Interregnum of 1649–1660, a republican period in the three kingdoms of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
. Government was carried out by the
Commonwealth and the
Protectorate of
Oliver Cromwell after the execution of
Charles I and before the
restoration of
Charles II.
* A second English interregnum occurred between 23 December 1688, when
James II James II may refer to:
* James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade
* James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier
* James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily
* James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...
was deposed in the
Glorious Revolution, and the installation of
William III William III or William the Third may refer to:
Kings
* William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198)
* William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702)
* William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
and
Mary II as joint sovereigns on 13 February 1689 pursuant to the
Declaration of Right.
*
French and British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies
The French and British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies were a relatively short period of French and then British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies that took place between 1806 and 1816. The French ruled between 1806 and 1811, while the ...
between 1806 and 1815 was a period of
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and then
British rule on the
Dutch East Indies after the collapse of the
Dutch East Indies Company. The
First French Empire
The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental ...
ruled between 1806 and 1811. The
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
took over for 1811 to 1815, and transferred control back to the Dutch in 1815.
* The brief
Russian interregnum of 1825, caused by uncertainty over who succeeded the deceased Emperor
Alexander I, only lasted between 1 December and 26 December 1825, but was used to stage the highly resonant
Decembrist revolt. It ended when
Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich renounced his claim to throne, allowing
Nicholas I to declare himself Tsar.
*After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the
Habsburg ruler of the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...
was disposed. On 1 March 1920, the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...
was re-established. However, restoration of a Habsburg king was deemed unacceptable by to the
Entente
Entente, meaning a diplomatic "understanding", may refer to a number of agreements:
History
* Entente (alliance), a type of treaty or military alliance where the signatories promise to consult each other or to cooperate with each other in case o ...
powers. Instead, the National Assembly of Hungary appointed
Miklós Horthy as
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
.
Charles IV of Hungary made
two unsuccessful attempts to retake the throne. Horthy remained as the
Regent of Hungary until
German invasion German invasion may refer to:
Pre-1900s
* German invasion of Hungary (1063)
World War I
* German invasion of Belgium (1914)
* German invasion of Luxembourg (1914)
World War II
* Invasion of Poland
* German invasion of Belgium (1940)
...
on 15 October 1944.
* A brief interregnum occurred in Thailand between 13 October and 1 December 2016 upon the death of King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; ( Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Grea ...
. The crown prince
Vajiralongkorn
Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...
, in an unprecedented move, did not assume the throne immediately after the death of the previous monarch. He asked for time to mourn while he continued functioning in his role as the crown prince. During this period,
Prem Tinsulanonda served as the
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
pro tempore.
In some monarchies, such as the United Kingdom, an ''interregnum'' is usually avoided due to a rule described as "
The King is dead. Long live the King
"The king is dead, long live the king!" is a traditional proclamation made following the accession of a new monarch in various countries. The seemingly contradictory phrase simultaneously announces the death of the previous monarch and assures ...
", i.e. the
heir to the throne becomes a new monarch immediately on his predecessor's death or
abdication. This famous phrase signifies the continuity of
sovereignty
Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...
, attached to a personal form of power named ''
Auctoritas''. This is not so in other monarchies where the new monarch's reign begins only with
coronation or some other formal or traditional event. In the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth for instance, kings were elected, which often led to relatively long interregna. During that time it was the Polish
primate who served as an
interrex
The interrex (plural interreges) was literally a ruler "between kings" (Latin ''inter reges'') during the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic. He was in effect a short-term regent.
History
The office of ''interrex'' was supposedly created follo ...
(ruler between kings). In
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
the heir only becomes king upon swearing an
oath of office before the
parliament.
Christianity
Catholicism
A ''Papal interregnum'' occurs upon the death or resignation of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
's
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, though this is generally known as a ''
sede vacante'' (literally "when the seat is vacant"). The interregnum ends immediately upon
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
of a new Pope by the
College of Cardinals.
Anglicanism
"Interregnum" is the term used in the
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and oth ...
to describe the period before a new
parish priest is appointed to fill a vacancy. During an interregnum, the administration of the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
is the responsibility of the
churchwardens.
Mormonism
In
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...
, when the
President of The Church dies, the
First Presidency is dissolved and the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the Twelve) becomes the Church's presiding body. Any members of the First Presidency who were formerly members of the Twelve rejoin that quorum. The period between the death of the President and the reorganization of the First Presidency is known as an "Apostolic Interregnum".
Chess
FIDE, the world
governing body of international
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...
competition, has had two
Interregnum periods of having no chess champions, both during the 1940s.
Men
* 1946–1948 —
Men's World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine died of natural causes in 1946. Interregnum lasted until 1948, when
Mikhail Botvinnik won a FIDE-held chess tournament to decide on a successor.
Women
* 1944–1950 —
Women's World Chess Champion Vera Menchik was killed in an
air-raid during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
in Britain in 1944. Interregnum lasted until 1950, when
Lyudmila Rudenko won a FIDE-held chess tournament to decide on a successor.
In fiction
* The events of
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; 1920 – April 6, 1992) was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and ...
's ''
Foundation Trilogy'' take place during the galactic interregnum in his Foundation Universe, taking place in the 25th millennium.
Foundation begins at the end of the Galactic Empire and notes in the novels from the
Encyclopedia Galactica
The ''Encyclopedia Galactica'' is the name of a number of fictional or hypothetical encyclopedias containing all the knowledge accumulated by a galaxy-spanning (Type III in Kardashev scale) civilization. The name evokes the exhaustive aspects of ...
imply that a Second Galactic Empire follows the 1000 year interregnum.
* In
J. R. R. Tolkien's
''legendarium'' set in
Middle-earth, the disappearance of the King Eärnur of
Gondor is followed by a 968-year interregnum (the
Steward
Steward may refer to:
Positions or roles
* Steward (office), a representative of a monarch
* Steward (Methodism), a leader in a congregation and/or district
* Steward, a person responsible for supplies of food to a college, club, or other ins ...
years), which ends with the return of
Aragorn in ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 c ...
''.
* ''
The Old Kingdom Trilogy
The Old Kingdom, or Abhorsen in North America, is a fantasy series written by Australian author Garth Nix. It originated in 1995 with the novel ''Sabriel'' and has continued in the novels ''Lirael'' (2001), ''Abhorsen'' (2003) and ''Goldenhand'' ...
'' takes place after 200 years of interregnum, where the reigning Queen and her two daughters were murdered by
Kerrigor
This is a list of characters from '' The Old Kingdom Series'', a set of novels by Australian author Garth Nix. The series comprises six novels: ''Sabriel'' (1995), ''Lirael'' (2001), ''Abhorsen'' (2003), ''Clariel'' (2014), ''Goldenhand'' (2016) a ...
, 180 years of regency first and 20 years of anarchy following the death of the last Regent.
* The
''Vlad Taltos'' series is set in a fantastical world of magic, at a time directly following a 250-year interregnum wherein traditional sorcery was impossible due to the orb being destroyed.
* In the ''
Elder Scrolls'' video games, there was an Interregnum in the Second Era when the Second Cyrodillic Empire collapsed. It led to just over four centuries of bickering between small kingdoms and petty states. The Interregnum ended when Tiber Septim, or Talos, formed the Third Empire after a decade of war. Similarly, with the sacrifice of Martin Septim during the Oblivion Crisis in the Third Era, the Septim dynasty came to an end, and a seven-year interregnum occurred before Titus Mede I restored the throne and ushered in the Fourth Era.
* In ''
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
'' by
James A. Michener
James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and ...
, 1983, an historical novel that spent 38 weeks on
''The New York Times'' Best Seller List, interregnum is mentioned numerous times in the ever-shifting power struggles that plagued that country, even up to the 1980s.
* In the film ''
A Christmas Prince'', the Kingdom of Aldovia limits interregna to a maximum of one year. This becomes a central plot point when it appears Crown Prince Richard may not accept the throne prior to the Christmas deadline.
In Media
* The television game show ''
Jeopardy!'' has been regarded as being in two interregnums, during Season 37 after the death of
Alex Trebek following the taping of Episode 75 (aired January 8, 2021), and lasting until Episode 230 (aired August 13, 2021). The second interregnum, in Season 38, came following the firing of Mike Richards following the taping of Episode 5 (aired September 17, 2021).
Mayim Bialik and
Ken Jennings hosted in both interregnums.
See also
{{Portal, Philosophy
*
Giorgio Agamben
*
Geoffrey of Monmouth
*
Imperial Vicar
*
Interrex (Poland)
*
Argentina presidential transition Argentina has faced several presidential transitions since the return of democracy in 1983.
Reynaldo Bignone, the last military dictator of the National Reorganization Process, gave the presidential sash and staff to the elected president Raúl Alf ...
*
United States presidential transition
*
Reign
A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Andorra), of a people (e.g., the Franks, the Zulus) or of a spiritual community (e.g., Catholicism, Tibetan Budd ...
Notes
References
*
Giorgio Agamben's ''State of Exception'' (2005)
*
Ernst Kantorowicz's ''The King's Two Bodies'' (1957).
* Koptev, Aleksandr
“The Five-Day Interregnum in The Roman Republic.”The Classical Quarterly 66.1 (2016): 205–21.
* Theophanidis, Philipp
“Interregnum as a Legal and Political Concept: A Brief Contextual Survey” Synthesis, Issue 9 (Fall 2016): 109–124.
Emergency laws
Monarchy
Roman law
Political philosophy
Philosophy of law