# Both a king and a queen **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348 "2013-02-05T01:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/61 "2013-02-09T21:09:19Z")
Aren’t Sultans kings? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/62 "2013-02-09T21:52:47Z")
Abdication ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/63 "2013-02-09T21:58:26Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Also, what’s the verb for what Edward the whoever did so he could stay with “the woman he loves,” the American divorcee? He abdicated. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/64 "2013-02-09T22:19:18Z")
Thanks. I forgot he was King already. I meant when somebody passes on the job upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/65 "2013-02-10T00:19:11Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Aren’t Sultans kings? De facto, but it’s not quite an equivalent title. In Arabic _malik_ means “king” - modern Morocco, Bahrain and Jordan are ruled by maliks. _Sultan_ was originally more of a “strong man” title, referring to ruler that considered himself technically subordinate to the Caliphate, but was functionally independent. Modern Oman and Brunei are ruled by sultans. In practice the titles are these days essentially synonymous. In fact Morocco was a sultanate until 1957, then switched to being a kingdom ( used to be sultans, now they are maliks ). No functional difference. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/66 "2013-02-10T01:04:45Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Thanks. I forgot he was King already. I meant when somebody passes on the job upgrade. I don’t think that can happen in the British system. If you are eligible, you automatically succeed upon the death of the person ahead of you. You aren’t asked whether you want it. Now, if you become a Catholic, you are automatically dropped from the order. I don’t know what would happen if a sitting monarch became a Catholic, whether you would automatically be deposed or whether the parliament would have to take action. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/67 "2013-02-10T01:17:12Z")
I think Parliament would have to depose him or her. The Act of Settlement refers to eligibility to become the British monarch, not to being automatically forced from the throne if you become Catholic after acceding. > **[Act of Settlement 1701](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Settlement_1701)** > > The Act of Settlement is an Act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants, which passed in 1701.\[b\] More specifically, anyone who became a Roman Catholic, or who married one, became disqualified to inherit the throne. This had the effect of deposing the remaining descendants of Charles I, other than his Protestant granddaughter Anne, as the next Protestant in line to the throne was Sophia of Hanover. Born into the House of Witte... ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/68 "2013-02-10T03:25:27Z")
If you are not eligible you are no longer in line. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348/69 "2013-02-10T07:12:34Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > 1. Never knew that about Buchanan. In fact, it’s now the _only_ thing I know about him. Cite? Because I plan to set my tongue a-flapping with that one. Buchanan was housemate with William R King (VP under Franklin Pierce) for some 15 years. Unfortunately, most of their correspondence was destroyed by their nieces, so we don’t have proof. I’m sure you can google more on your own. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/both-a-king-and-a-queen/649348.md?page=3)