the king is dead, long live the king!

the king is dead, long live the king!

A rapid succession of power has taken place. Allegedly this expression was used in France on the death of Charles VII in 1461, Louis XIV in 1715, and Louis XVIII in 1824. This allusion to the concept of royal succession, far less important in the present day, is now more often applied to other bastions of power—chief executives of large corporations, leaders of political parties, and the like.
See also: king, live, long
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • king is dead, long live the king, the
  • come on
  • come upon
  • Suck my penis!
  • be sold a pup
  • pup
  • poker face
  • poker face, a
  • hire and fire
  • turn and turn about
References in periodicals archive
WHILE ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS AT THE Harvard Design School are hardly shouting "The king is dead, long live the king!" a recent readjustment of architectural priorities within the tightly knit world of museum trustees and directors has had one obvious consequence: Rem Koolhaas is out; Renzo Piano is in.
Player Piano: Kevin Pratt on museum design
"The King is Dead, Long Live the King!" shouted the dancers of the Bejart Ballet Lausanne as Maurice Bejart's latest creation, L'enfant roi (The Child King) began in Versailles's majestic Opera Royal.
BEJART PREMIERE FIT FOR KINGS