majesty
The term majesty comes from the Latin maiestas and originally means greatness, majesty or majesty . It is a title of nobility and form of address for emperors and kings with the preceding pronoun yours, yours or, incorrectly, yours . The male sovereign is titled His Majesty , his wife (if she holds the rank of Queen or Empress) Her Majesty . In addition, the right to be addressed as majesty usually belongs to a Queen Mother . The usual abbreviations are IM (Her Majesty) or SM (His Majesty) and Ew.M. (Abbreviation of early ewer, mhd. Iuwer), (your / your majesty) .
In addition, it was customary - especially in official correspondence - to avoid the pronouns he and she in relation to a king / emperor or queen / empress. Instead, the pronouns all the same and all the same were used.
history
The term majesty was originally intended as a quality of a god. In ancient Rome it was assigned to the whole of the state. Since Emperor Tiberius it has also applied to the respective ruler (maiestas principis).
Based on this, the title was used for the emperor in the German Empire in the Middle Ages and, since the 16th century, especially at the beginning in England and France for powerful kings. Since the Peace of Westphalia , the salutation and title have generally been used for kings and emperors, and the respective wives are dubbed accordingly. A widowed empress or queen retains the right to this address even after her husband's death.
Special majesty titles
- Most Christian Majesty (lat. Rex christianissĭmus , French Sa Majesté très-chrétienne ) was the title of the French kings, which was given to them by Pope Paul II in 1469 and for the first time to Louis XI. was awarded.
- Catholic majesty was the title of kings of Spain. Ferdinand V received it from Pope Alexander VI. expressly awarded because he drove the Moors and Jews out of Spain and introduced the Inquisition. According to Meyer's Large Conversation Lexicon from 1907, however, the title is said to have been used earlier.
- Apostolic Majesty (lat. Rex apostolicus ) was the honorary title of the kings of Hungary, which was givento King Stephenby Pope Sylvester II in the year 1000and wasrenewedfor the Austrian royal family in1758.
- Most Faithful Majesty (actually Most Faithful Majesty , lat. Rex fidelissĭmus ) was the title of the Portuguese kings, which was given to them by Pope Benedict XIV in 1748.
