“Accede” developed in Middle English as a word that meant “come forward” or “to approach.” Today, the word has a few usages: “to agree to a demand,” “to assume an office or position,” and “to become a member of an organization.” The most familiar usage might be when a monarch accedes to a throne, but it can be used with other titles of nobility, too. England’s nobility, for example, follows a strict hierarchy — a baron is the lowest royal position, while a duke is second only to a prince. This makes royal succession easier to visualize. Just as a prince might accede to the throne in the case of an absent monarch, a duke has the right to do so in the case of an absent prince.