Accession Declaration Act 1910 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to alter the form of the Declaration required to be made by the Sovereign on Accession. |
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| Citation | 10 Edw. 7. & 1 Geo. 5. c. 29 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 3 August 1910 |
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Status: Current legislation
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Accession Declaration Act 1910 is a special law passed in the United Kingdom. It changed an important promise, called a declaration, that a new King or Queen has to make when they take the throne. This promise is about their Protestant faith.
The original promise was first required by the Bill of Rights 1689. It focused a lot on saying what the monarch did not believe about the Catholic faith. The new law, passed in 1910, made the promise simpler. It now focuses on the monarch declaring they are a faithful Protestant.
The new declaration says:
"I [here insert the name of the Sovereign] do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne of my Realm, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law."
This new wording is less critical of other faiths. It simply states the monarch's own Protestant belief. The King or Queen usually makes this promise at the first opening of Parliament during their reign. Sometimes, like with George VI and Charles III, they make it at their coronation.
Contents
Why the Law Changed: A Look at the Background
Before this 1910 Act, the rules for the monarch's declaration were quite old. The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 said that any new King or Queen had to make a specific promise. This promise was originally part of the Test Act of 1678.
The Old Declaration: What It Said
The old declaration was very long and detailed. It specifically rejected certain beliefs of the Catholic Church. For example, it said the monarch did not believe in "Transubstantiation." This is a Catholic belief about how bread and wine change during a religious service. The old promise also called some Catholic practices "superstitious and idolatrous."
Here is a part of the old declaration:
I, A. B., by the grace of God King (or Queen) of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do believe that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any Transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever: and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, as they are now used in the Church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous.
From Officials to Monarchs: How the Oath Changed
This strong declaration was first used for all government and military officials. This included the monarch, starting with King William and Queen Mary. Later, after laws like Catholic Emancipation were passed, many restrictions on Catholics were removed. This meant that only the monarch still had to make this specific anti-Catholic promise. The monarch is also the head of the Church of England.
A Royal Wish for Change
When Edward VII became King, he felt the old oath was outdated. He thought it was unnecessarily offensive to Catholics. He had many Catholic friends and wanted the wording to be changed before the next King took the throne.
King Edward VII died in 1910. His son, George V, became the new King. King George V agreed with his father. He made it clear that he would not open Parliament if he had to make the old, offensive declaration.
The Prime Minister at the time, H. H. Asquith, supported the King's wish. So, Parliament quickly passed the Accession Declaration Act in 1910. This happened before the new King George V had to officially open Parliament. The new law changed the declaration to its current, simpler form.
See also
- Accession Council
- Coronation Oath Act 1688
- Succession to the British throne
- Test Act
