This is a list of heads of state and government who died in office. In general, hereditary office holders (kings, queens, emperors, emirs, and the like) and holders of offices where the normal term limit is life (popes, presidents for life, etc.) are excluded because, until recently, their death in office was the norm. Such deaths have most often been from natural causes, but there are also cases of assassination, execution, suicide, accident and even death in battle.