page_title: Monarchy of Papua New Guinea
section_title: Succession
hierarchical_section_title: Monarchy of Papua New Guinea / Constitutional role / Succession
caption_attribution_description: English: Charles, Prince of Wales outside the White House on an official visit to the United States in 2005. Español: Carlos, Príncipe de Gales fuera de la Casa Blanca, en una visita oficial a Estados Unidos
context_page_description: The monarchy of Papua New Guinea is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Papua New Guinea. The current monarch, since 16 September 1975, is Queen Elizabeth II. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 15 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled the Queen of Papua New Guinea and, in this capacity, she, her consort, and other members of the Royal Family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Papua New Guinean state. However, the Queen is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role. The Queen lives predominantly in the United Kingdom and, while several powers are the sovereign's alone, most of the royal governmental and ceremonial duties in Papua New Guinea are carried out by the Queen's representative, the governor-general.
context_section_description: The constitution provides that the Queen's heirs shall succeed her as head of state. Unlike some realms, but as with others, Papua New Guinea defers to United Kingdom law to determine the line of succession to the Papua New Guinean throne. As such, succession is by absolute primogeniture and governed by the Act of Settlement 1701, the Bill of Rights 1689, and the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. This legislation lays out the rules that the monarch cannot be a Roman Catholic and must be in communion with the Church of England upon ascending the throne.
  The heir apparent is Elizabeth II's eldest son, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.
caption: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, the current heir to the throne of Papua New Guinea
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