In the meantime, the conveniently vacant position provided playwrights with a royal personage through whom unofficial political and ideological theories could be vented without fear of offending any actual occupant.

They received 55 applications for the vacant position, and each was rejected.

He appointed his own pet goldfish to the vacant position of deputy chief judge, and made criticising the chief judge a capital offence.

However, as it was the only vacant position at a local clinic, he started working in the field.

In 1883, he was working to fill the vacant position of coroner and did in fact fill the position temporarily.