Inheritance Question

With regard the question it depends on the period as it has never happened in England - though it did in Scotland when Alexander III died in 1286 - it was thought his Queen was pregnant and the nobility held off proclaiming his granddaughter Margaret of Norway as his heir until the child was born (it never materialised and it is not known whether it was stillborn or the Queen miscarried). In the end both Bruce and Balliol also claimed the throne in preference to Margaret and Edward of England started to interfer with the aim of marrying Margaret to Edward of Wales and uniting the thrones - her early death foiled that though.

I suspect if a medieval English King had been in the same position dying leaving no clear heir but a pregnant wife the same would have happened.

Post the Act of Settlement there is no provision for these circumstances. The law requires the sovereign to be the senior protestant heir general of Sophia of Hannover - at the point of the monarch's death that would be his daughter and I suspect during the remaining months of the Dowager's pregnancy the law would be hurriedly changed to absolute primogeniture (eldest child inherits irrespective of sex). Though now it would require recipricol legislation in all the other commonwealth countries that have remained monarchies (Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc).

The Nicholas II scenario reflects the Russian system prior to the end of the monarchy - Paul I had introduced semi salic law - women could only succeed after the extinction of all eligible male descendants - Nicholas was seriously ill and many were sure he would die. The Russian Prime Minister Count Witte thought a lot of Michael and insisted that if Nicholas were to die Michael should immediately be named Tsar (saying that if Alexandra produced a boy then he was sure Michael would simply stand down in favour of his nephew). Nicholas wasn't happy and Alexandra was livid insisting she be named regent for her unborn child. In the end Nicholas recovered and the child was yet another girl.
 
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