Son of a ruler or a title of nobility
A
prince
is a
male ruler
(ranked below a
king
,
grand prince
, and
grand duke
) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family.
Prince
is also a title of
nobility
(often highest), often
hereditary
, in some
European
states
. The female equivalent is a
princess
. The
English word
derives, via the
French word
prince
, from the
Latin
noun
pr?nceps
, from
primus
(first) and
caput
(head), meaning "the first, foremost, the chief, most distinguished, noble
ruler
, prince".
[1]
Historical background
[
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]
The
Latin
word
pr?nceps
(older Latin *pr?smo-kaps,
lit.
'
the one who takes the first [place/position]
'
), became the usual title of the informal leader of the
Roman senate
some centuries before the transition to
empire
, the
princeps senatus
.
Emperor Augustus
established the formal position of monarch on the basis of
principate
, not
dominion
. He also tasked his grandsons as summer rulers of the city when most of the government were on holiday in the country or attending religious rituals, and, for that task, granted them the title of princeps.
The title has generic and substantive meanings:
- Generically,
prince
refers to a member of a family that
ruled by hereditary right
(such as the
House of Sverre
in
Norway
) or to non-reigning descendants, the title referring to sovereigns, former sovereigns'
descendants
(Such as descendants of King
Haakon V
) or to
cadets
of a sovereign's family. The term may be broadly used of persons in various cultures, continents or eras. In Europe, it is the title legally borne by
dynastic
cadets
in monarchies, and borne by courtesy by members of formerly reigning dynasties.
- As a
substantive title
, a
prince
was a monarch of the lowest
rank
in post-
Napoleonic
Europe, e.g. Princes of
Andorra
,
Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
,
Mingrelia
,
Monaco
,
Waldeck and Pyrmont
,
Wallachia
, etc.
- Also substantively, the title was granted by
popes
and secular monarchs to specific individuals and to the
heads
of some high-ranking European families who, however, never exercised dynastic sovereignty and whose cadets are not entitled to share the princely title,
viz
the Princes de Beauvau-Craon, von
Bismarck
,
Colonna
, von
Dohna-Schlobitten
, von Eulenburg, de Faucigny-Lucinge, von
Lichnowsky
, von
Pless
, Ruffo di Calabria, (de
Talleyrand
) von
Sagan
, van
Ursel
, etc.
- Generically, cadets of some non-sovereign families whose head bears the non-dynastic title of prince (or, less commonly,
duke
) were sometimes also authorized to use the princely title, e.g. von Carolath-Beuthen, de
Broglie
, Demidoff di San Donato,
Lieven
, de
Merode
,
Pignatelli
,
Radziwill
, von
Wrede
,
Yussopov
, etc.
- Substantively, the
heirs apparent
in some monarchies use a specific princely title associated with a territory within the monarch's
realm
, e.g. the Princes of Asturias (Spain), Grao Para (Brazil, formerly), Orange (Netherlands), Viana (Navarre, formerly), Wales (U.K.), etc.
- Substantively, it became the fashion from the 17th century for the
heirs apparent
of the leading
ducal
families to assume a princely title, associated with a
seigneurie
in the family's possession. These titles were borne by courtesy and preserved by tradition, not law, e.g. the
princes de
, respectively, Bidache (Gramont), Marcillac (La Rochefoucauld), Tonnay-Charente (Mortemart), Poix (Noailles), Leon (Rohan-Chabot), etc.
Prince as generic for ruler
[
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]
The original but now less common use of the word was the application of the Latin word
pr?nceps
, from
late Roman
law
and the classical system of government that eventually gave way to the European
feudal
society. In this sense, a prince is a ruler of a territory that is
sovereign
or quasi-sovereign, i.e., exercising substantial (though not all) prerogatives associated with monarchs of independent nations, such as the
immediate states
within the historical boundaries of the
Holy Roman Empire
. In
medieval
and
early modern Europe
, there were as many as two hundred such territories, especially in Italy, Germany, and
Gaelic Ireland
. In this sense, "prince" is used of any and all rulers, regardless of actual title or precise rank. This is the
Renaissance
use of the term found in
Niccolo Machiavelli
's famous work,
Il Principe
.
[2]
It is also used in this sense in the
United States Declaration of Independence
.
As a title, by the end of the medieval era,
prince
was borne by rulers of territories that were either substantially smaller than those of or exercised fewer of the rights of sovereignty than did emperors and kings. A
lord
of even a quite small territory might come to be referred to as a
prince
before the 13th century, either from translations of a native title into the Latin
pr?nceps
(as for the hereditary ruler of
Wales
) or when the lord's territory was
allodial
. The lord of an
allodium
owned his lands and exercised prerogatives over the subjects in his territory absolutely, owing no feudal homage or duty as a vassal to a
liege lord
, nor being subject to any higher jurisdiction. Most small territories designated as principalities during feudal eras were allodial, e.g. the
Princedom of Dombes
.
Lords who exercised lawful authority over territories and people within a feudal hierarchy were also sometimes regarded as
princes
in the general sense, especially if they held the rank of
count
or higher. This is attested in some surviving
styles
for e.g., British earls,
marquesses
, and
dukes
are still addressed by the
Crown
on
ceremonial
occasions as
high and noble princes
(cf.
Royal and noble styles
).
In parts of the Holy Roman Empire in which
primogeniture
did not prevail (e.g., Germany), all legitimate
agnates
had an equal right to the family's hereditary titles. While titles such as
emperor
,
king
, and
elector
could only be legally occupied by one dynast at a time, holders of such other titles as
duke
,
margrave
,
landgrave
,
count palatine
, and prince could only differentiate themselves by adding the name of their
appanage
to the family's original title. This tended to proliferate unwieldy titles (e.g.
Princess Katherine of Anhalt-Zerbst
;
Karl, Count Palatine of Zweibrucken-Neukastell-Kleeburg
; or
Prince Christian Charles of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plon-Norburg
) and, as
agnatic primogeniture
gradually became the norm in the Holy Roman Empire by the end of the 18th century, another means of distinguishing the monarch from other members of his dynasty became necessary. Gradual substitution of the title of
Prinz
for the monarch's title of
Furst
occurred, and became customary for cadets in all German dynasties except in the grand duchies of
Mecklenburg
and
Oldenburg
.
[3]
Both
Prinz
and
Furst
are translated into English as "prince", but they reflect not only different but mutually exclusive concepts.
This distinction had evolved before the 18th century (although Liechtenstein long remained an exception, with cadets and females using
Furst/Furstin
into the 19th century) for dynasties headed by a
Furst
in Germany. The custom spread through the
Continent
to such an extent that a renowned imperial general who belonged to a
cadet branch
of a reigning ducal family, remains best known to history by the generic dynastic title, "
Prince Eugene of Savoy
". Note that the princely title was used as a prefix to his Christian name, which also became customary.
Cadets of France's other
princes etrangers
affected similar usage under the
Bourbon
kings. Always facing the scepticism of Saint-Simon and like-minded courtiers, these quasi-royal aristocrats' assumption of the princely title as a personal, rather than territorial, designation encountered some resistance. In writing
Histoire Genealogique et Chonologique
,
Pere Anselme
accepts that, by the end of the 17th century, the heir apparent to the
House of La Tour d'Auvergne
's sovereign duchy bears the title
Prince de Bouillon
, but he would record in 1728 that the heir's
La Tour
cousin, the Count of Oliergues, is "
known as
the Prince Frederick" ("
dit
le prince Frederic").
[4]
The post-medieval rank of
gefursteter Graf
(princely count) embraced but elevated the German equivalent of the intermediate French, English and Spanish nobles. In the Holy Roman Empire, these nobles rose to dynastic status by preserving from the Imperial crown (
de jure
after the
Peace of Westphalia
in 1648) the exercise of such sovereign prerogatives as the
minting
of money; the
muster
of military troops and the right to wage war and contract
treaties
; local judicial authority and
constabulary
enforcement; and the habit of inter-marrying with sovereign dynasties. By the 19th century, cadets of a
Furst
would become known as
Prinzen
.
Princes consort and princes of the blood
[
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]
The husband of a
queen regnant
is usually titled "
prince consort
" or simply "prince", whereas the wives of male monarchs take the female equivalent (e.g., empress, queen) of their husband's title. In Brazil, Portugal and Spain, however, the husband of a female monarch is accorded the masculine equivalent of her title (e.g., emperor, king), at least after he fathered her heir. In previous epochs, husbands of queens regnant were often deemed entitled to the
crown matrimonial
, sharing their consorts' regnal title and rank
jure uxoris
.
However, in cultures which allow the ruler to have several wives (e.g., four in
Islam
) or official
concubines
(e.g.,
Imperial China
,
Ottoman Empire
,
Thailand
,
KwaZulu-Natal
), these women, sometimes collectively referred to as a
harem
, often have specific rules determining their relative hierarchy and a variety of titles, which may distinguish between those whose offspring can be in line for the succession or not, or specifically who is mother to the heir to the throne.
To complicate matters, the style
His/Her (Imperial/Royal) Highness
, a
prefix
often accompanying the title of a dynastic prince, may be awarded/withheld separately (as a compromise or consolation prize, in some sense, e.g.,
Duke of Cadiz
,
Duchess of Windsor
,
Princesse de Rethy
,
Prince d'Orleans-Braganza
).
Although the arrangement set out above is the one that is most commonly understood, there are also different systems. Depending on country, epoch, and translation, other usages of "prince" are possible.
Foreign-language titles such as
Italian
:
principe
,
French
:
prince
,
German
:
Furst
, German:
Prinz
(non-reigning descendant of a reigning monarch),
[5]
[6]
Russian
:
князь
,
romanized
:
knyaz
, etc., are usually translated as "prince" in English.
Some princely titles are derived from those of national rulers, such as
tsarevich
from
tsar
. Other examples are
(e)
mirza
(da),
khanzada
,
nawabzada
,
sahibzada
,
shahzada
,
sultanzada
(all using the
Persian
patronymic suffix
-zada
, meaning "son, descendant"). However, some princely titles develop in unusual ways, such as adoption of a style for dynasts which is not pegged to the ruler's title, but rather continues an old tradition (e.g., "
grand duke
" in
Romanov
Russia or "
archduke
" in Habsburg Austria), claims dynastic succession to a lost monarchy (e.g.
Prince de Tarente
for the
La Tremoille heirs
to the
Neapolitan throne
), or descends from a ruler whose princely title or sovereign status was not de jure hereditary, but attributed to descendants as an international courtesy, (e.g.,
Bibesco-Bassaraba de Brancovan
,
Poniatowski
,
Ypsilanti
).
Specific titles
[
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]
In some dynasties, a specific style other than prince has become customary for dynasts, such as
fils de France
in the
House of Capet
, and
Infante
.
Infante
was borne by children of the monarch other than the
heir apparent
in all of the
Iberian
monarchies. Some monarchies used a specific princely title for their heirs, such as
Prince of Asturias
in Spain and
Prince of Brazil
in Portugal.
Sometimes a specific title is commonly used by various dynasties in a region, e.g.
Mian
in various of the Punjabi princely
Hill States
(lower Himalayan region in British India).
European dynasties usually awarded
appanages
to princes of the blood, typically attached to a feudal noble title, such as
Prince of Orange
in the Netherlands, Britain's
royal dukes
, the
Dauphin
in France, the Count of Flanders in Belgium, and the Count of Syracuse in
Sicily
. Sometimes appanage titles were princely, e.g.
Prince of Achaia
(Courtenay),
Prince de Conde
(Bourbon),
Prince of Carignan
(Savoy), but it was the fact that their owners were of princely
rank
rather than that they held a princely
title
which was the source of their pre-eminence.
For the often specific terminology concerning an heir apparent, see
Crown prince
.
Prince as a substantive title
[
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]
Other princes derive their title not from dynastic membership as such, but from inheritance of a title named for a specific and historical territory. The family's possession of prerogatives or properties in that territory might be long past. Such were most of the "princedoms" of France's
ancien regime
, so resented for their pretentiousness in the memoirs of
Saint-Simon
. These included the princedoms of Arches-Charleville, Boisbelle-Henrichemont, Chalais, Chateau-Regnault, Guemenee, Martigues, Mercœur, Sedan, Talmond, Tingrey, and the "kingship" of Yvetot,
[7]
among others.
Prince as a reigning monarch
[
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]
A prince or princess who is the
head of state
of a territory that has a
monarchy
as a
form of government
is a reigning prince.
Extant principalities
[
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]
The current princely monarchies include:
Micronations
[
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]
In the same tradition, some self-proclaimed monarchs of so-called
micronations
style themselves as princes:
Prince exercising head of state's authority
[
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]
Various monarchies provide for different modes in which princes of the dynasty can temporarily or permanently share in the style and/or office of the monarch, e.g. as
regent
or
viceroy
.
Though these offices may not be reserved legally for members of the ruling dynasty, in some traditions they are filled by dynasts, a fact which may be reflected in the style of the office, e.g. "
prince-president
" for
Napoleon III
as French
head of state
but not yet emperor, or "prince-lieutenant" in
Luxembourg
, repeatedly filled by the
crown prince
before the grand duke's abdication, or in form of
consortium imperii
.
Some monarchies even have a practice in which the monarch can formally abdicate in favour of his heir and yet retain a kingly title with executive power, e.g.
Maha Upayuvaraja
(
Sanskrit
for
Great Joint King
in
Cambodia
), though sometimes also conferred on powerful regents who exercised executive powers.
Non-dynastic princes
[
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]
In several countries of the European continent, such as France, prince can be an aristocratic title of someone having a high rank of
nobility
or as lord of a significant fief, but not ruling any actual territory and without any necessary link to the
royal family
, which makes it difficult to compare with the British system of royal princes.
France and the Holy Roman Empire
The kings of France started to bestow the style of prince, as a title among the nobility, from the 16th century onwards. These titles were created by elevating a
seigneurie
to the nominal status of a principality?although prerogatives of sovereignty were never conceded in the letters patent. Princely titles self-assumed by the
princes du sang
and by the
princes etrangers
were generally tolerated by the king and used at the royal court, outside the
Parlement of Paris
. These titles held no official place in the hierarchy of the nobility, but were often treated as ranking just below
ducal peerages
, since they were often inherited (or assumed) by ducal heirs:
- French titles of prince recognized by the king
- Holy Roman Empire states annexed by France
- Ancient principalities seated in the Kingdom of France
- Boisbelle, later Henrichemont: in the
Berry
region, a sovereign principality recognized in 1598
- Luxe: in the
Bearn
region, also styled
Sovereign Count
(
cf.
Princely Count
)
- Yvetot: in the
Normandy
region, recognized, nominally, as
King of Yvetot
- Principalities created by the King
- The princes of
Conde
and
Conti
, heads of
cadet branches
of the French royal
House of Bourbon
: used recognized princely titles, but the lordships of Conde and Conti were never formally created principalities by the King
- Unrecognized titles of Prince
- Aigremont
- Anet
: used by the Dukes of Vendome, then the Dukes of Penthievre
- Antibes
: claimed by the de Grasse family
- Bedeille
: in
Bearn
- Bidache
: in Bearn used by the
Dukes of Gramont
, but the heir was usually styled Count of Guiche rather than Prince of Bidache
- Carency
: in
Artois
(originally a lordship of the House of Bourbon, it was inherited by the Counts of La Vauguyon, who used the style of Prince of Carency for the heir)
- Chabanais
: in
Angoumois
; reduced to a marquisate in 1702
- Chalais
: in
Perigord
(inherited by the elder branch of the
Talleyrand
family; Spanish
Grandeeship
attached to the title in 1714)
- Commercy
: lordship of
Lorraine
(cadets of the
House of Lorraine
used the style of Prince of Commercy)
- Courtenay: the
House of Courtenay
legitimately descended from
Louis VI of France
but was not recognized as
princes du sang
by France's kings. The last branch of the house used the style of Prince of Courtenay from the 17th century. The style passed to the Dukes of Bauffremont.
- Elbeuf
: lordship of
Normandy
(younger sons of the
House of Guise
used the style of
prince d'Elbeuf
; later a duchy)
- Lamballe
: in
Brittany
, used by the heir of the
Bourbon
Duke of Penthievre
- Lambesc
: in
Provence
, used by various cadets of the House of Guise, notably by the heirs of the Dukes of Elbeuf
- Leon
: viscountcy of
Brittany
(the heirs of the Dukes of Rohan used the style of Prince of Leon)
- Listenois: in
Franche-Comte
, used by the Dukes of Bauffremont after the Courtenay inheritance
- Marcillac
: in
Angoumois
, used by the heir of the
Duke de La Rochefoucauld
- Maubuisson: in
Ile-de-France
, used by the Dukes of Rohan-Rohan
- Montauban
: in Brittany, used by various cadets of the
House of Rohan
- Montbazon
: a duchy of the House of Rohan, style of Prince of Montbazon used by various cadets of the House
- Mortagne
: in
Aquitaine
, used by the
Dukes of Richelieu
- Poix
: in
Picardy
, used by various families, twice raised to a duchy
- Pons
: in
Saintonge
, used by cadets of the House of Guise
- Rochefort
: used by cadets of the House of Rohan
- Soubise
: used by head of the second branch of the House of Rohan, also Dukes of Rohan-Rohan
- Soyons
: in
Dauphine
, used by cadets of the Dukes of Uzes
- Talmond: in
Vendee
, used by the Dukes of
La Tremoille
- Tonnay-Charente
: used by the heirs of the Dukes of Mortemart
- Turenne
: viscounty of the
House of La Tour d'Auvergne
, style of Prince de Turenne used by cadets of the house
This can even occur in a monarchy within which an identical but real and substantive feudal title exists, such as
Furst
in German. An example of this is:
Spain, France and Netherlands
In other cases, such titular princedoms are created in chief of an event, such as a treaty or a victory. Examples include:
Eastern Europe
In the former
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
, the titles of prince dated either to the times before the
Union of Lublin
or were granted to Polish nobles by foreign monarchs, as the law in Poland forbade the king from dividing nobility by granting them
hereditary titles
: see
The Princely Houses of Poland
.
In the Russian system,
князь
(
knjaz
?
), translated as "prince", is the highest degree of official nobility. Members of older dynasties, whose realms were eventually annexed to the
Russian Empire
, were also accorded the title of
knyaz?
?sometimes after first being allowed to use the higher title of
tsarevich
(e.g. the Princes
Gruzinsky
and
Sibirsky
). The many surviving branches of the
Rurik dynasty
used the
knyaz?
title before and after they yielded sovereignty to their kinsmen, the
Grand Princes of Muscovy
, who became
Tsars
and, under the
House of Romanov
, Emperors of Russia.
Title in various European traditions and languages
[
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]
In each case, the title is followed (when available) by the female form and then (not always available, and obviously rarely applicable to a prince of the blood without a principality) the name of the territory associated with it, each separated by a slash. If a second title (or set) is also given, then that one is for a Prince of the blood, the first for a principality. Be aware that the absence of a separate title for a prince of the blood may not always mean no such title exists; alternatively, the existence of a word does not imply there is also a reality in the linguistic territory concerned; it may very well be used exclusively to render titles in other languages, regardless whether there is a historical link with any (which often means that linguistic tradition is adopted)
Etymologically, we can discern the following traditions (some languages followed a historical link, e.g. within the Holy Roman Empire, not their language family; some even fail to follow the same logic for certain other aristocratic titles):
Romance languages
[
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]
- Languages (mostly
Romance
) only using the
Latin
root
pr?nceps
:
- Catalan: Princep/Princesa, Princep/Princesa
- French: Prince/Princesse, Prince/Princesse
- Friulian: Princip/Principesse, Princip/Principesse
- Italian: Principe/Principessa, Principe/Principessa
- Latin (post-Roman): Princeps/*Princeps/*
- Monegasque: Principu/Principessa, Principu/Principessa
- Occitan: Prince/Princessa, Prince/Princessa
- Portuguese: Principe/Princesa, Principe/Princesa
- Rhaeto-Romansh: Prinzi/Prinzessa, Prinzi/Prinzessa
- Romanian: Prin?/Prin?es?, Principe/Principes?
- Spanish: Principe/Princesa, Principe/Princesa
- Venetian: Principe/Principessa, Principe/Principessa
Celtic languages
[
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]
- Celtic languages
:
- Breton: Prins/Prinsez
- Irish: Prionsa/Banphrionsa,
Flaith
/Banfhlaith
- Scottish Gaelic: Prionnsa/Bana-phrionnsa, Flath/Ban-fhlath
- Welsh: Tywysog/Tywysoges, Prins/Prinses
Germanic languages
[
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]
- Languages (mainly
Germanic
) that use (generally alongside a
pr?nceps
-derivate for princes of the blood) an equivalent of the German
Furst
:
- English: Prince/Princess, Prince/Princess
- Afrikaans: Prins
- Danish: Fyrste/Fyrstinde, Prins/Prinsesse
- Dutch: Vorst/Vorstin, Prins/Prinses
- Faroese: Fursti/Furstafrua/Furstinna, Prinsur/Prinsessa
- West Frisian: Foarst/Foarstinne, Prins/Prinsesse
- German: Furst/Furstin, Prinz/Prinzessin
- Icelandic: Fursti/Furstynja, Prins/Prinsessa
- Luxembourgish: Furst/Furstin, Prenz/Prinzessin
- Norwegian: Fyrste/Fyrstinne, Prins/Prinsesse
- Old English: ?ðeling/Hlæfdi?e
- Swedish: Furste/Furstinna, Prins/Prinsessa
Slavic languages
[
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]
- Slavic
:
- Belarusian: Karalevich/Karalewna, Prynts/Pryntsesa, Knyazhych/Knyazhnya
- Bosnian: Кнез/Кнеги?а (Knez/Kneginja), Кра?еви?/Кра?евна (Kraljevi?/Kraljevna), Принц/Принцеза (Princ/Princeza)
- Bulgarian (phonetically spelt): Knyaz/Knyaginya, Prints/Printsesa
- Croatian: Knez/Kneginja, Kraljevi?/Kraljevna, Princ/Princeza
- Czech: Kni?e/Kn??na, Kralevic, Princ/Princezna
- Macedonian: Knez/Knegina, Princ/Princeza
- Polish: Ksi???/Ksi??na, Krolewicz/Krolewna
- Russian: Князь/Княгиня (Knyaz/Knyagina/Knyazhna), Tsarevich/Tsarevna, Korolyevich/Korolyevna, Prints/Printsessa
- Serbian: Кнез/Кнеги?а (Knez/Kneginja), Кра?еви?/Кра?евна (Kraljevi?/Kraljevna), Принц/Принцеза (Princ/Princeza)
- Slovak: Knie?a/K?a?na, Kra?ovi?, Princ/Princezna
- Slovene: Knez/Kneginja, Princ/Princesa, Kraljevi?/Kralji?na
- Ukrainian: Княжич/Кяжна (Kniazhych/Kniazhna), Королевич/Корол?вна (Korolevych/Korolivna), Принц/Принцеса (Prynts/Pryntsesa), Гетьманич/Гетьман?вна (Hetmanych/Hetmanivna)
Other Western languages
[
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]
- Albanian: Princ/Princeshe, Princ/Princeshe
- Estonian: Vurst/Vurstinna, Prints/Printsess
- Finnish: Ruhtinas/Ruhtinatar, Prinssi/Prinsessa
- Georgian: ??????/
Tavadi
, ?????????/"Uplists'uli" ("Child of the Lord")
- Greek (Medieval, formal): Πρ?γκηψ/Πριγκ?πισσα (Prinkips/Prinkipissa)
- Greek (Modern, colloquial): Πρ?γκηπα?/Πριγκ?πισσα (Prinkipas/Prinkipissa)
- Hungarian (Magyar):
Herceg
/
Hercegn?
or
Fejedelem
/
Fejedelemn?
if head of state
- Latvian: Firsts/Firstiene, Princis/Princese
- Lithuanian: Kunigaik?tis/Kunigaik?tien?, Princas/Princese
- Maltese: Prin?ep/Prin?ipessa, Prin?ep/Prin?ipessa
Title in various Islamic traditions and languages
[
edit
]
In Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Hungary the title of
prince
has also been used as the highest title of
nobility
(without membership in a ruling dynasty), above the title of
duke
, while the same usage (then as
Furst
) has occurred in Germany and Austria but then one rank below the title of
duke
and above
count
.
[9]
The above is essentially the story of European, Christian dynasties and other nobility, also 'exported' to their colonial and other overseas territories and otherwise adopted by rather westernized societies elsewhere (e.g. Haiti).
Applying these essentially western concepts, and terminology, to other cultures even when they don't do so, is common but in many respects rather dubious. Different (historical, religious...) backgrounds have also begot significantly different dynastic and nobiliary systems, which are poorly represented by the 'closest' western analogy.
It therefore makes sense to treat these per civilization.
- Arabian tradition since the
caliphate
?in several monarchies it remains customary to use the title
Sheikh
(in itself below princely rank) for all members of the royal family. In families (often reigning dynasties) which claim descent from
Muhammad
, this is expressed in either of a number of titles (supposing different exact relations): sayid, sharif; these are retained even when too remote from any line of succession to be a member of any dynasty.
- In Saudi Arabia the title of
Emir
is used in role of prince for all members of the
House of Saud
.
- In Iraq, the direct descendants of previous Emirs from the largest tribes, who ruled the kingdoms before modern statehood, use the title of Sheikh or Prince as the progeny of royalty.
[10]
- In the Ottoman Empire, the sovereign of imperial rank (incorrectly known in the west as
(Great) sultan
) was styled
padishah
with a host of additional titles, reflecting his claim as political successor to the various conquered states. Princes of the blood, male, were given the style
?ehzade
.
- Persia (Iran)?Princes as members of a royal family, are referred to by the title
Shahzadeh
, meaning "descendant of the king". Since the word
zadeh
could refer to either a male or female descendant,
Shahzadeh
had the parallel meaning of "princess" as well. Princes can also be sons of provincial kings (
Khan
) and the title referring to them would be the title of Khanzadeh. Princes as people who got a title from the King are called "
Mirza
", diminutive of "Amir Zadeh" (King's Son).
- In Indian Muslim dynasties, the most common titles were
Mirza
(from
Amirzada
) and
Shahzada
; while
Nawabzada
and
Sahibzada
were also given to younger blood princes.
- In
Kazakh Khanate
the title Sultan was used for lords from a ruling dynasty (direct descendants of
Genghis Khan
), that gives them a right to be elected as
khan
, as an experienced ruler; and an honorific
tore
, another name for the clan, (
ru:Торе (род)
) for ordinary members of a ruling dynasty.
[11]
Title in other traditions and languages
[
edit
]
Brunei
[
edit
]
It's crucial to use the proper title while speaking to members of the
royal family
because
Brunei
is an
absolute monarchy
, and inappropriate use might be uncomfortable.
[12]
The
heir apparent
and
crown prince
, styled as
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri
(His Royal Highness), is officially known as
Pengiran Muda Mahkota
(Crown Prince); A blood prince is officially known as
Pengiran Muda
(Prince); their names are styled differently: If they do not have additional titles, the Sultan's sons are addressed as
Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri
(His Royal Highness); The Pengiran Muda Mahkota's sons are addressed as
Yang Teramat Mulia
(His Royal Highness).
China
[
edit
]
Before
Qin dynasty
, prince (in the sense of royal family member) had no special title. Since
Han dynasty
, royal family members were entitled
Wang
(
王
, lit. King), the former highest title which was then replaced by
Huang Di
(
皇帝
, lit. Emperor). Since
Western Jin
, the
Wang
rank was divided into two ranks,
Qin Wang
(
親王
, lit. King of the Blood) and
Jun Wang
(
郡王
, lit. King of the Commandery). Only family of the Emperor can be entitled
Qin Wang
, so prince is usually translated as
Qin Wang
, e.g. 菲利普親王 (Prince Philip). For the son of the ruler, prince is usually translated as
Huang Zi
(
皇子
, lit. Son of the Emperor) or
Wang Zi
(
王子
lit., Son of the King), e.g. ?爾斯王子 (Prince Charles).
As a title of nobility, prince can be translated as
Qin Wang
according to tradition,
Da Gong
(大公, lit., Grand Duke) if one want to emphasize that it is a very high rank but below the King (
Wang
), or just
Zhu Hou
(
?侯
, lit. princes) which refers to princes of all ranks in general. For example, 摩納哥親王 (Prince of Monaco).
Japan
[
edit
]
In Japan, the title
K?shaku
(
公爵
) was used as the highest title of
Kazoku
(
華族
Japanese modern nobility) before the present constitution.
K?shaku
, however, is more commonly translated as "Duke" to avoid confusion with the following royal ranks in the Imperial Household:
Shinn?
(
親王
literally, Prince of the Blood);
Naishinn?
(
?親王
lit., Princess of the Blood in her own right); and
Shinn?hi
親王妃
lit., Princess Consort); or
?
(
王
lit., Prince);
Jyo-?
(
女王
lit., Princess (in her own right)); and
?hi
(
王妃
lit., Princess Consort). The former is the higher title of a male member of the Imperial family while the latter is the lower.
Korea
[
edit
]
In the
Joseon Dynasty
, the title "Prince" was used for the king's male-line descendants. There were generally the divisions of princedom: the king's legitimate son used the title
daegun
(大君, 大君, literally "grand prince"). A son born of a concubine as well as the great-great-grandsons of the king used the title
gun
(軍, 君, lit. "prince"). But the title of
gun
wasn't limited to the royal family. Instead, it was often granted as an honorary and non-hereditory title.
As noble titles no longer exist in modern Korea, the English word "Prince" is now usually translated as
wangja
(王子, 王子, lit. "king's son"), referring to princes from non-Korean royal families. Princes and principalities in continental Europe are almost always confused with dukes and duchies in Korean speech, both being translated as
gong
(공, 公, lit. "duke") and
gongguk
(公國, 公國, lit. "duchy").
Sri Lanka
[
edit
]
The title 'Prince' was used for the
King's
son in
Sinhalese
generation in
Sri Lanka
.
India
[
edit
]
In the former
Empire of India
, during the
British Colonial Era
, the title of a
Prince
was conferred upon by the Emperor to the hereditary Indian rulers of the numerous
principalities
of varying sizes in the empire called "
princely states
", who ruled their territories in the name of the
Emperor of India
, who was also simultaneously the
Monarch of the United Kingdom
and the
Dominions
. They acknowledged the Emperor as their imperial sovereign till the empire's dissolution in 1947 and subsequently acceded to the newly formed
Union of India
and the
Dominion of Pakistan
between 1947 and 1949.
Indochina
[
edit
]
See
Cambodia
,
Vietnam
, and
Laos
Philippines
[
edit
]
See
Principalia
, the
Sultanate of Maguindanao
and the
Sultanate of Sulu
.
Thailand
[
edit
]
In
Thailand
(formerly Siam), the title of Prince was divided into three classes depending on the rank of their mothers. Those who were born of a king and had a royal mother (a queen or princess consort) are titled
Chaofa Chai
(
Thai
:
??????????
: literally, "Male Celestial Lord"). Those born of a king and a commoner, or children of Chaofas, are tilted
Phra Ong Chao
(???????????). The children of Phra Ong Chaos are titled
Mom Chao
(?????????), abbreviated as M.C. (or ?.?.).
African traditions
[
edit
]
A Western model was sometimes copied by emancipated colonial regimes (e.g. Bokassa I's short-lived
Central-African Empire
in Napoleonic fashion). Otherwise, most of the styles for members of ruling families do not lend themselves well to English translation. Nonetheless, in general the princely style has gradually replaced the
colonialist
title of "
chief
", which does not particularly connote dynastic rank to Westerners, e.g.
Swazi Royal Family
and
Zulu Royal Family
. Nominally
ministerial
chiefly titles, such as the
Yoruba
Oloye
and the
Zulu
InDuna
, still exist as distinct titles in kingdoms all over Africa.
Title in religion
[
edit
]
In states with an element of
theocracy
, this can affect princehood in several ways, such as the style of the ruler (e.g. with a secondary title meaning son or servant of a named divinity), but also the mode of succession (even reincarnation and recognition).
Christianity
[
edit
]
Certain religious offices may be considered of princely rank, or imply comparable temporal rights. The Prince-Popes,
Pope
, Hereditary Prince-Cardinals,
Cardinals
, Prince-Lord Bishops,
Prince Bishops
,
Lord Bishops
,
Prince-Provost
, and
Prince-abbots
are referred to as
Princes of the Church
.
Also, in
Christianity
,
Jesus Christ
is sometimes referred to as the
Prince of Peace
.
[13]
Other titles for Jesus Christ are
Prince of Princes
,
[14]
Prince of the Covenant
,
[15]
Prince of Life
,
[16]
and
Prince of the Kings of the Earth
.
[17]
Further,
Satan
is popularly titled the
Prince of Darkness
;
[18]
and in the Christian faith he is also referred to as the
Prince of this World
[19]
[20]
[21]
and the
Prince of the Power of the Air
.
[22]
Another title for Satan, not as common today but apparently so in approximately 30 A.D. by the
Pharisees
of the day, was the title
Prince of the Devils
.
[23]
[24]
[25]
Prince of Israel
,
Prince of the Angels
, and
Prince of Light
are titles given to the Archangel
Michael
.
[
citation needed
]
Some Christian churches also believe that since all Christians, like Jesus Christ, are children of God,
[26]
then they too are princes and princesses of Heaven.
Saint Peter
, a disciple of Jesus, is also known as the
Prince of the Apostles
.
Islam
[
edit
]
Sunni Islam
[
edit
]
The title Prince is used in
Sunni Islam
for
Afghan Royal Sayyids
, descending from the
Hazrat Ishaan
, who are the heirs and representative (
Vali-Ahd
) of the
12th Imam
of
Muhammad's family
. They are the supreme leaders (
?sh?n
) of
the Naqshbandi School of Tasawuf
as blood descendants of their grandpatriarch
Bahauddin Naqshband
, who descends from the 12th Imam´s little brother and heir
Sultan Ali Akbar ibn Hasan al Askari
. As such they blessed certain heads of states based on a
theocratic basis
and were admitted to royalty with titles including "
Shahzada
", "
Amir
", "
Mir
" and "
Sardar
" which are all translated as Prince. The titles are used to this day to address the Hazrat Ishaans in regards to their relations to the
Uzbek
Timurid-Mughal
and
Afghan
Muhammadzai
royal family, their influence in the foundation of the state of
Pakistan
and their responsibility of leading the
Naqshbandi Sufi Community
hereditarily since 700 years. The legal ground within international law is customary law (
opinio juris sive necessitatis
) due to standardized practice in state protocols that has risen to a
ius cogens
, surviving the abolishment of
Muhammadzai rule
in Afghanistan on the occasion of the
Saur Revolution
.
[27]
[28]
Shia Islam
[
edit
]
In
Shia Islam
the title Prince is also used as an address for
the Agha Khan
, an
Iranian Royal Sayyid
acting as the 49th Imam of the
Nizari ismaili Shiite community
. The title Prince is prevailing also as a custom (opinio juris) on the occasion of its long use as members of the
Qajar Iranian royal family
and in regards to their responsibility of leading
Ismaili Shiite Islam
. The international legal ground is furthermore an accreditation made by
Elizabeth II
in the 1950s
[29]
[30]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Cassell's Latin Dictionary, ed. Marchant & Charles, 260th thousand
- ^
"Furst - Origins and cognates of the title", 2006, webpage:
EFest-Frst
Archived
2011-08-28 at the
Wayback Machine
.
- ^
Almanach de Gotha
(Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1944), pages 14?131.
- ^
Pere Anselme
(1728). "Ducs de Bouillon".
Histoire Genealogique et Chronologique de la Maison Royale de France
(in French). Paris: Compagnie des Libraires. pp. 543, 545.
- ^
Duden
; Definition of the German title
Furst
(in German).
[1]
Archived
2014-04-13 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Duden
; Definition of the German title
Prinz
(in German).
[2]
Archived
2014-04-13 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Velde, Francois.
"The Rank/Title of Prince in France"
.
Archived
from the original on 24 March 2010
. Retrieved
30 December
2016
.
- ^
"Name focus"
. Archived from
the original
on 2011-05-07
. Retrieved
2008-04-08
.
- ^
Bonniers
konversationslexikon I
1937 pp. 82-86
- ^
Howell, Georgina (15 January 2015).
Queen of The Desert: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell
. Pan Books.
ISBN
9781447286264
.
- ^
Noda, Jin (2016).
The Kazakh khanates between the Russian and Qing empires : central Eurasian international relations during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
. Leiden.
ISBN
978-90-04-31447-4
.
OCLC
944246657
.
Archived
from the original on 2023-01-17
. Retrieved
2022-10-23
.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
)
- ^
US Department of State.
"Brunei Department of State Background"
.
Infoplease.com
. Retrieved
22 July
2021
.
- ^
This is a title for
Jesus Christ
(among others) given in Isaiah 9:6.
- ^
A title for
Jesus Christ
given in Daniel 8:25.
- ^
A title for
Jesus Christ
given in Daniel 11:22.
- ^
A title for
Jesus Christ
given in Acts 3:15.
- ^
A title for
Jesus Christ
given in Revelation 1:5.
- ^
Milton, John (1667).
Paradise Lost
(1st ed.). London: Samuel Simmons.
Archived
from the original on 2018-01-08
. Retrieved
2018-01-08
.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in John 12:31.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in John 14:30.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in John 16:11.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in Ephesians 2:2.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in Matthew 9:34.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in Matthew 12:24.
- ^
A title for
Satan
given in Mark 3:22.
- ^
One of several passages explaining that regenerate men are both children of God and co-heirs with His son
Jesus Christ
is given in Roman 8:17.
- ^
Subh E Noor, Programm 19th Jan 2019, 92NewsHD; recorded and published on YouTube
- ^
Tazkare Khwanadane Hazrat Eshan(genealogy of the family of Hazrat Eshan)(by author and investigator:Muhammad Yasin Qasvari Naqshbandi company:Edara Talimat Naqshbandiyya Lahore)
- ^
"Table of Personal Salutes, 11 Gun Salutes". The India Office and Burma Office List for 1945: 43. 1945. Table of Personal Salutes, Salutes of 11 Guns
- ^
"Who is Prince Karim al Husseini Aga Khan?"
.
ABC News
.
Archived
from the original on 2022-03-02
. Retrieved
2022-03-02
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikiquote has quotations related to
Prince
.