Abdication

Abdication is the act of resigning from an office (official job), especially from being the leader of a country. The word is normally used for kings and queens who decide to give up their position which brings an end to a reign. "Abdication," Encyclopædia Britannica (1911); retrieved 2013-2-11.  The term is also used for popes. "Abdication," Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2013-2-11. called emeritus.

A similar term for an elected or appointed official is resignation.

King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom is an example of a king who abdicated. "Edward VIII: Abdication timeline," BBC. 29 January 2003; retrieved 2013-2-11. 

Select list of abdications
 Caedwalla of Wessex, 688Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 70
 Ine of Wessex, 726Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 1971), pp. 72-73
 Pope Benedict IX, 1048"Pope Benedict IX", Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-12-18.
 Stephen II of Hungary, 1131
 Pope Celestine V, 1294Lizzy Davies.  "Pope Benedict XVI resigns," Guardian UK). 11 February 2013; retrieved 2013-2-11. 
 Richard II of England, 1399
 Pope Gregory XII, 1415.
 Murad II, Ottoman Sultan, 1444-1445
 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1556
 Christina of Sweden, 1654Masson, Georgina. (1968). Queen Christina, p. 175.
 James II of England, 1688 "English Revolution of 1688", Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-12-18.
 Philip V of Spain, 1724
 Ahmed III, Sultan of Turkey, 1730
 Napoleon I, Emperor of France, 1814Pawly, Ronald. (2004). Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters, p. 4. and 1815Pawly,  p. 52.
 Charles X of France, 1830
 Pedro I of Brazil, 1831Curtis, William Eleroy. (1888).  The Capitals of Spanish America, pp. 688.
 Miguel of Portugal, 1834
 Louis Philippe I of France, 1848
 Fredrik Kaarle I of Finland, 1918
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, 1936
 Pope Benedict XVI, 2013.
 Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, 2013
 King Albert II of Belgium, 2013
 King Juan Carlos I of Spain, 2014
 Emperor Akihito  of Japan, 2019
 Margrethe II of Denmark, 2024

References

Category:Monarchy
Category:Politics