Prince

:For other meanings, see Prince (disambiguation).

Genealogical Princes, by birth or equivalent

A Prince of the blood (in some monarchies, however, this is an actual title in its own right, of more restricted use) is a male member of royalty or a royal family. Depending on individual national tradition, this may either be restricted (often to one or two generations after the monarch, and/or the line of succession), or it may be allowed to run into very high numbers (as often applies in oriental dyansties).

Related Topics:
Prince of the blood - Royalty - Royal family

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Generally, when such a prince takes a (royal, imperial, etc.) throne he stops being styled "Prince" when he becomes the ruling (or at least titular) monarch, King, Emperor, Grand Duke or one of many other styles, including "Prince" (see below) of a princedom (idem: "Princess" becoming a Queen).

Related Topics:
King - Emperor - Grand Duke - Queen

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The female form is "princess", but this is also generally used for the spouse of any Prince (of the blood, or of a principality), and also the daughter of any monarch, though in some monarchies (by law and/or tradition) the award is explicit, not automatic. Inversely, the husband of a born princess is (or was) in many monarchies not as readily styled prince (although it certainly occasionally happened). To complicate matters, the style Royal Highness, normally accompanying the title "Prince" in a dynasty (if of royal or imperial rank, that is), can be awarded separately (as a compromise or consolation prize, in some sense).

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In these systems, a prince can be:

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• The son of a monarch (king or queen regnant), and in the direct line of succession.
• Other members of the royal family, styled a Royal Highness, and also in the order of succession (although more distant). (In constitutional monarchies the precise rules for succession are fixed by law.)
• The husband of a reigning queen is usually titled "prince" or prince consort.

Although the definition above is the one that is most commonly understood, there are also different systems: depending on country, epoch and translation other meanings of "Prince" are possible. Over the centuries foreign-language titles such as Italian principe, French prince, German Fürst, Russian kniaz, etc., are often rendered as "prince" in English.

Related Topics:
Country - Epoch - Translation - Italian - French - German - Russian - Kniaz - English

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