interregnum

An interregnum is a period of discontinuity in governance between successive rulers, offices, or regimes. The term derives from the Latin inter regnum, meaning “between reigns,” and is used to describe times when authority is vacant or is transitioning to a new holder or form of rule. While most commonly associated with monarchies, interregna can occur in republics or other political systems when the office is unoccupied, contested, or temporarily delegated.

Causes of an interregnum include the death or abdication of a ruler, deposition or overthrow, civil war or succession crises, and constitutional impasses. When the throne or executive is vacant, institutions may appoint a regent, a council of regency, or a caretaker government to govern temporarily. Elections, acclamations, or other legal mechanisms are often invoked to establish a new ruler or regime.

During an interregnum, the normal transfer of power may be delayed or disputed, and questions of legitimacy can arise. The period often features provisional administrations, power-sharing arrangements, or military or parliamentary bodies exercising executive authority. Public administration generally continues, but with heightened uncertainty or vulnerability to factional influence or external intervention.

Notable historical interregna include the Holy Roman Empire’s interregnum from about 1250 to 1273, between the death of Frederick II and the election of Rudolf I, and the English Interregnum from 1649 to 1660, between the execution of Charles I and the Restoration of Charles II. In modern political language, the term is also used more loosely to describe temporary gaps in governance or transitional phases between administrations.