Oaths To Heirs and Successors
In general, this oath is sworn to the crown, monarch, sovereign, or regent, as represented by the incumbent king or queen, currently Elizabeth II. This oath also specifies that this same oath to the Queen, is equally sworn to her (plural) "heirs and successors," rather than the (singular) heir and successor, or even, heir and/or successor. This (plural) anomaly indicates that any oath given to the Queen is equally given to all of her heirs, i.e., her/their children, and her/their grandchildren, and equally to all successors to the British throne, currently listed in the line of succession to the British throne.
This oath to the Queen, her heirs, and successors, has never been required to be sworn by the Queen's subjects who have that status from birth, but is now a requirement to be sworn by immigrants to Britain who seek to become naturalised, in citizen ceremonies on becoming British subjects. Other exceptions to a requirement to swear this oath include; magistrates, who only swear allegiance to the Queen, whereas judges swear their allegiance to the Queen, and to her heirs and successors; police officers in England and Wales pledge their allegiance to the Queen, but not her heirs and successors. Before 2001, Northern Ireland police pledged their allegiance to the Queen, but not her heirs and successors, but since 2001, as also with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, they do not swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen, or her heirs and successors. The Scottish police have never pledged allegiance to the Queen, or her heirs and successors. Members of the Privy Council only swear allegiance to the "Queen's majesty"', not to the Queen's heirs and successors. Those members of the Royal family who have never pledged allegiance to the Queen (as a requirement to sit in the House of Lords) are the Queens husband the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Queen's son the Prince of Wales, who are both Lords of the Privy Council; and the Duke of York.
Read more about this topic: Oath Of Allegiance (United Kingdom)
Famous quotes containing the words oaths and/or heirs:
“For, ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne,
He hailed down oaths that he was only mine,
And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,
So he dissolved, and showers of oaths did melt.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Progress celebrates Pyrrhic victories over nature. Progress makes purses out of human skin. When people were traveling in mail coaches, the world got ahead better than it does now that salesmen fly through the air. What good is speed if the brain has oozed out on the way? How will the heirs of this age be taught the most basic motions that are necessary to activate the most complicated machines? Nature can rely on progress; it will avenge it for the outrage it has perpetrated on it.”
—Karl Kraus (1874–1936)