Continuing with the subject of Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples (styled as the Duke of Savoy) and his controversial move to change the house succession law, I've noted that he has advocated fully cognatic primogeniture. In fact, this is also what Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro is advocating for the defunct throne of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (of which he is one of two disputed claimants).

Of course, neither move can be legitimately effected, since there is no legal means for so doing. The situation is worlds different from that of enthroned dynasties, which can all legally change their house rules (we've seen this happen in seven reigning monarchies alone).

Nevertheless, I think it interesting to examine the genealogies of the various European houses, and observe those cases where cognatic succession DID, in fact, occur -- regardless of the particular law in operation.

It has been correctly noted, for instance, that absolute primogeniture has been the DE FACTO operation of succession in the United Kingdom, since the days of the House of Windsor.

Denmark, as everybody knows, was governed by the Salic law from 1863 to 1953: but for four straight generations, kings were succeeded by heirs who were firstborn children. The present sovereign, Queen Margrethe II, will also be succeeded by a firstborn child, and his own future heir is a firstborn as well. As it was, the law officially changed to fully cognatic primogeniture only recently (relatively speaking): I believe this happened in 2009.

The Netherlands became a kingdom in 1815, under the semi-Salic law. The succession changed in 1923 to male-preference primogeniture through a constitutional amendment. Then in 1983, Parliament once again changed the law -- this time to absolute primogeniture. But even before these changes, I've noted that King Willem I was succeeded by a firstborn; ditto for King Willem II. Queen Wilhelmina was the only surviving child of King Willem III (able to succeed because there were no other agnates in the house of Orange, by 1890); and Queen Juliana, in turn, was her only surviving child. She, in turn, was succeeded by her eldest child, the present King Willem IV Alexander, who will eventually be succeeded by his own firstborn.

Succession in the kingdom of Bavaria, governed by the semi-Salic law, also occurred in accordance with the order of fully cognatic primogeniture until the house of Wittelsbach was deposed. King Maximilian I was succeeded by his first child, King Ludwig I, who in turn was succeeded by his first child, King Maximilian II, who in turn was succeeded by his first child, King Ludwig II.

But neither this "Mad Ludwig of Bavaria" nor his equally deranged younger brother and nominal successor, King Otto (his only sibling) ever married or had children. As it was, the succession passed to the line of their uncle Luitpold. Although the prince had been born only the fifth of nine children of King Ludwig I, his older siblings were all deceased by the time he assumed the regency of the kingdom (1886), none (excepting the eldest) having left any children.

The throne was later assumed by his first child (the self-proclaimed Ludwig III, who would become the last king), in 1913, the day after Parliament passed a law enabling him so to do. King Ludwig III, in turn, was succeeded as head of the house by his first child, Crown Prince Rupprecht. But by then (1921), the monarchy was abolished. Even so, Rupprecht's own successor as head of the house of Wittelsbach was his only surviving child from his first marriage, Albrecht, who assumed the title Duke of Bavaria.

The order of fully cognatic primogeniture got broken only in 1996, with the succession as head of the house by the present claimant, Duke Franz. Interestingly enough, however, even in the Jacobite succession, which is in both the male and female lines in the order of primogeniture, he is still the pretender. After all, males and females do not enjoy equal inheritance laws in the said claim.

As it is, the semi-Salic law (according to which succession is in the male line only, where females cannot inherit as long as there are eligible males around) will be in effect in the house of Wittelsbach only after the deaths of Duke Franz and his only brother, Max, neither of whom has a son.

Anyhow, I was wondering about other examples (if any) where succession happened to occur in the ORDER (whatever might be said about law) of fully cognatic primogeniture. Can anybody name any?