Grand Prince

The title Grand Prince (Latin, Magnus Princeps; German, Großfürst, Finnish Suuriruhtinas, Swedish Storfurste, Lithuanian Didysis kunigaikštis, Russian Великий князь Velikii kniaz) ranks in honour below Emperor and Tsar but higher than a sovereign Prince (Fürst) or Royal Prince.

Related Topics:
Title - Latin - German - Finnish - Swedish - Lithuanian - Russian - Velikii kniaz - Emperor - Prince - Fürst - Royal Prince

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It has been a title for sovereign of grand principality, but is not in such use any longer. Last titular grand principalities vanished in 1917 and 1918, the territories being united into other monarchies or introducing republican form of government. Already at that stage, all those grand principalities (e.g Lithuania, Transilvania and Finland) had been for centuries under rulers (who used their titles too) of other, bigger monarchies, usually as direct parts of those. Apparently the last sovereign monarch to reign as Grand Prince as his highest title was Grand Duke Ivan IV of Moscow in 16th century, until he assumed the style Tsar of Russia.

Related Topics:
Ivan IV of Moscow - Tsar of Russia

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Velikiy knjaz (Grand Prince, Grossfürst) is also the Russian courtesy title Velikiy Knjaz (grand prince) of Russia, which from 17th century belonged to members of the family of the Russian tsar, although those Grand Princes were not sovereigns.

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The usual and established translation, in languages which do not have separate words meaning prince for (1) children of a monarch, and (2) monarch (sovereign or like) princes, is Grand Duke. English and French use Grand Duke also in this meaning.

Related Topics:
Prince - Monarch - Grand Duke

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(The titles Grand Prince and Grand Duke have however some clearly different meanings.)

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The title of sovereign Grand Duke and it as translation of Grand Prince thus have clearly different meanings.

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