one who exercises the power without the name of a king. In a hereditary monarchy the appointment of a regent becomes necessary on the crown descending to a minor too young to be entrusted with the regal office, or in case of mental incapacity, or incapacity by illness which will probably be of long duration, or on absence from the realm. There have been several instances in English history of the appointment of a regent, usually styled a protector, during the sovereign's minority; the last occurred during the minority of Edward VI., when the protector, the Duke of Somerset, was uncle to the sovereign. Blackstone, in his Commentaries (book i., c.7), gives a summary of the appointment of regents in England during the nomage of the heir. In cases of ill health there existed no recognised constitutional rule; so that on the illness of George III., it became a matter of hot dispute whether his eldest son, then of full age, should become regent, or whether the choice and nomination of that grand functionary rested with the Parliament. The king's recovery, meanwhile, destroyed the problem; but on a relapse all parties were unanimous in the choice of the Prince of Wales. The regency of the kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in case of minority upon the demise of the present sovereign, is provided for by the "Regency Bill," 3 and 4 Vict., c. 52.