History Main / AdoptedIntoRoyalty

* Three of the first five Roman Emperors, and four of the "five good Emperors", were adopted as adults by their predecessors.

* ''Manga/{{Ooku}}'': When the shogun Iemetsu dies of the red pox without descendants, his nurse/surrogate mother/regent Kasuga sends for the ChildByRape he'd produced several years before, raising her in Iemetsu's place until she can produce an heir and continue the Tokugawa bloodline. As the red pox continues to ravage Japan until one man in five is lucky to reach adulthood, the pretense of a male shogun is eventually lifted and women openly occupy government positions, while the shogun's harem is exclusive of men there to guard her and father children.

* In ''Literature/ADarkerShadeOfMagic'', Kell was adopted by the Royal family of Red London due to being an Antari, an extremely powerful magician, so that they might manage him and use his abilities for their own gain.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''GirlGenius'', Jiminez Hoffman was [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20151113#.Wsyxt3JOm2w adopted by the Mole King]] for suggesting a way for them to end their war with the Argurons: AltarDiplomacy. Which they decided ''he'' should do, since he was now a Mole Prince, and also the same species (human) as the Argurons. [[spoiler: It turns out to be a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage in the end, although it takes them most of the Paris arc before Hoffman figures it out--Princess Larana having a bad case of CanNotSpitItOut.]]

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* In Literature/ADarkerShadeOfMagic, Kell was adopted by the Royal family of Red London due to being an Antari, an extremely powerful magician, so that they might manage him and use his abilities for their own gain.

* PlayedWith in the story of Oedipus. Oedipus was abandoned by his father due to a patricidal prophecy that ended with him marrying his mother. However, he was found and adopted into the Corinthian royal family instead. Played with in that Oedipus was actually ''already'' royalty by birth.

** The Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Julius Caesar was JustTheFirstCitizen but his adopted heir Augustus named himself the first Imperator. Augustus was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius and Tiberius adopted Caligula. The Praetorian Guard killed Caligula's entire family save for his uncle Claudius, whom they installed as Emperor. Claudius named his stepson Nero heir until his natural son came of age but Nero's mother assassinated him before that could happen.
** The "Five Good Emperors": Nerva was appointed by the Senate after Domitian's assassination, Nerva adopted Trajan to head off a civil war, Trajan allegedly adopted Hadrian on his deathbed, Hadrian wanted Marcus Aurelius to succeed him but thought him too young so he adopted Antoninus Pius on the condition that he adopt Marcus. Marcus was the second Roman Emperor to pass the throne to a natural son (after Vespasian, Domitian's father).

Maybe you got a father who was lucky enough to marry a queen, maybe you reported and helped stop a coup attempt and the royal family saw adopting you as a way of thanking you, or maybe you just befriended a prince and he liked you enough that he came to his father and [[SiblingsWanted begged]] him (if not outright [[RoyalBrat demanded]]) you get adopted into the royal family so you and he could spend more time together. However it happened, you're suddenly now at the top of the food chain of society, we hope you're comfortable (and you likely will be.)

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' gives us Sofia, who was born a commoner until her shoe-maker mother married King Roland II, which in turn her a princess and her mother a queen.
* The ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' version of Tygra is Lion-O's adopted older brother and HappilyAdopted by King Claudus. Interestingly, King Claudus actually [[ParentalFavoritism favors]] Tygra thanks to him being more of TheDutifulSon in his eyes than Lion-O is.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Three of the first five Roman Emperors, and four of the "five good Emperors", were adopted as adults by their predecessors.
** The Julio-Claudian Dynasty: Julius Caesar was JustTheFirstCitizen but his adopted heir Augustus named himself the first Imperator. Augustus was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius and Tiberius adopted Caligula. The Praetorian Guard killed Caligula's entire family save for his uncle Claudius, whom they installed as Emperor. Claudius named his stepson Nero heir until his natural son came of age but Nero's mother assassinated him before that could happen.
** The "Five Good Emperors": Nerva was appointed by the Senate after Domitian's assassination, Nerva adopted Trajan to head off a civil war, Trajan allegedly adopted Hadrian on his deathbed, Hadrian wanted Marcus Aurelius to succeed him but thought him too young so he adopted Antoninus Pius on the condition that he adopt Marcus. Marcus was the second Roman Emperor to pass the throne to a natural son (after Vespasian, Domitian's father).
[[/folder]]

A subtrope of RagsToRoyalty.

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

!!Examples

* In the [[ComicBook/BlackPanther Black Panther comics]], Hunter is adopted by King T'Chaka after Hunter's parents die in a plane crash in Mohannda, just north of the Wakandan border. T'Chaka treats Hunter like a son and Hunter develops a deep love of Wakanda despite many Wakandans treating him with suspicion because of his white skin which marks him as a clear foreigner. However, upon the birth of T'Challa, it becomes clear that Hunter will never ascend to the throne. Hunter is instead made the leader of Wakanda's secret police, the Hatut Zeraze, and assumes the title of White Wolf. Throughout his life, he struggles to balance his love of Wakanda with his resentment of T'Challa.

* In Film/{{Thor}}, Odin adopts an infant Frost Giant (a species that were long-standing enemies to his kingdom) to be raised as his son and a prince of Asgard, apparently out of compassion for the abandoned infant and in hopes of eventually promoting peace between the two species. Unfortunately, he [[spoiler:never bothered to tell either of his children that Loki was adopted ''or'' to teach them not to view the Frost Giants as monsters, resulting in a very unhappy revelation for the now-adult Loki]].

* In the ''Literature/AgeOfFire'' series, [[AntiVillain the Copper]] is adopted into the Imperial Line of the Lavadome as Tyr [=FeHazathant=]'s grandson, a position solidified by marrying the Tyr's granddaughter Halaflora. Despite this, he's so far down the potential line of succession, and is looked down on for his various personality quirks and crippling injuries, that no one ever expects him to become the Tyr himself, instead seeing the adoption as an honorary reward. However, by the end of his focus book, everyone above him in the line is either dead or in exile, allowing him to take the throne.

* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' gives us Sofia, who was born a commoner until her shoe-maker mother married King Roland II, which in turn her a princess and her mother a queen.

[[/folder]]

* * The first ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' book, ''Off Armageddon Reef'', ends with King Haraahld of Charis dying of a wound incurred TakingTheBullet that a nine year old midshipman had tried to take for ''him''. To honor this act and the king's death, the boy, Hektor Aplyn, is adopted into the royal family by Haraahld's successor, Cayleb and made a Duke in the process. It's noted that Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk stands outside the line of succession, but his title and deeds as he grows as a naval officer make sure he can take care of his biological family while being of use to his new step-family.

* * In Film/{{Thor}}, Odin adopts an infant Frost Giant (a species that were long-standing enemies to his kingdom) to be raised as his son and a prince of Asgard, apparently out of compassion for the abandoned infant and in hopes of eventually promoting peace between the two species. Unfortunately, he [[spoiler:never bothered to tell either of his children that Loki was adopted ''or'' to teach them not to view the Frost Giants as monsters, resulting in a very unhappy revelation for the now-adult Loki]].

Maybe you got a father who was lucky enough to marry a queen, maybe you reported and helped stop a coup attempt and the royal family saw adopting you as a way of thanking you, or maybe you just befriended a prince and he liked you enough that he came to his father and begged him (if not outright [[RoyalBrat demanded]]) you get adopted into the royal family so you and he could spend more time together. However it happened, you're suddenly now at the top of the food chain of society, we hope you're comfortable (and you likely will be.)

..unless a coup attempt or some other freak disaster wipes out their royal adoptive family and the following SuccessionCrisis leaves the entire kingdom desperate enough to put the sole-surviving adoptee on the throne, to their own [[UnexpectedSuccessor surprise]] [[ReluctantRuler and possible dismay.]]