"The king is dead, long live the king!" is a traditional proclamation made following the accession of a new monarch in various countries. The seemingly contradictory phrase simultaneously announces the death of the previous monarch and assures the public of continuity by saluting the new monarch.

More recently, this phrase has become a popular phrasal template. Given the memorable nature of the phrase (owing, in part, to epanalepsis), as well as its historic significance, the phrase crops up regularly as a headline for articles, editorials, or advertisements on themes of succession or replacement. Robert Cecil, one of the architects of the League of Nations, famously concluded his speech at the final session of the League of Nations with the phrase: "The League is dead. Long live the United Nations."