Buckingham Palace destruction of the Palace of Westminster by fire in 1834, William considered converting the palace into the new Houses of Parliament. Buckingham Palace finally became the principal royal residence in 1837, on the accession of Queen Victoria, who was the first monarch to reside there; her predecessor William IV had died before its completion. While the state rooms were a riot of gilt and colour, the necessities of the new palace were somewhat less luxurious. For one thing, it was reported the chimneys smoked so much that the fires had to be allowed to die down, and consequently the court
The king is dead, long live the king! 10 May 1774, heir-apparent Louis-Auguste, le Dauphin, immediately became King Louis XVI of France. This quick transition of sovereignty was made within the phrase "The King is dead, long live The King!" In Denmark, the prime minister makes a similar proclamation upon the death of a monarch—"Kongen leve, kongen er død" (hail the king, the king is dead)—from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace (the Danish Parliament building). This declaration is official and marks the ascension of a new monarch immediately after the death of the old. This is due to the fact that Frederick III abolished the coronation ceremony with