Is Dead Long Live?

"The king is dead, long live the king!", or simply "long live the king!" is a traditional proclamation made following the accession of a new monarch in various countries.

Why do people say long live after death?

The phrase arose from the law of le mort saisit le vif—that the transfer of sovereignty occurs instantaneously upon the moment of death of the previous monarch. ... "Long live The King!" refers to the heir who immediately succeeds to a throne upon the death of the preceding monarch.

What does Long live mean when someone dies?

In times past, the seemingly contradictory phrase "The king is dead, long live the king!" was used to simultaneously announce the death of the deceased ruler and assure the continuity by saluting the successor. The meaning behind the phrase is that something old is being replaced by something new.