Majesty (abbreviated HM for His Majesty or Her Majesty, oral address Your Majesty; from the Latinmaiestas, meaning "greatness") is used as a manner of address by many monarchs, usually kings or queens. Where used, the style outranks the style of (Imperial/Royal) Highness, but is inferior to the style of Imperial Majesty. It has cognates in many other languages, especially of Europe.
Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else. This was crucially defined by the existence of a specific case, called laesa maiestas (in later French and English law, lèse-majesté), consisting of the violation of this supreme status. Various acts such as celebrating a party on a day of public mourning, contempt of the various rites of the state and disloyalty in word or act were punished as crimes against the majesty of the republic. However, later, under the Empire, it came to mean an offence against the dignity of the Emperor.
After the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, Majesty was used to describe a monarch of the very highest rank— it was generally applied to God. Variations, such as Catholic Majesty (Spain) or Britannic Majesty (United Kingdom) are often used in diplomatic settings where there otherwise may be ambiguity (see a list).
A person with the title is usually addressed as Your Majesty, and referred to as His/Her Majesty, abbreviated HM; the plural Their Majesties is TM. Emperors (and empresses) use [His/Her/Their/Your] Imperial Majesty, HIM or TIM.
Princely and ducal heads usually use His Highness or some variation thereof (e.g., His Serene Highness). In British practice, heads of princely states in the British Empire were referred to as Highness.
In monarchies that do not follow the European tradition, monarchs may be called Majesty whether or not they formally bear the title of King or Queen, as is the case in certain countries and amongst certain peoples in Africa and Asia.
In Europe, the monarchs of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium use the style. By contrast, the heads of state of Liechtenstein and Monaco, being principalities, use the inferior style of Serene Highness. Luxembourg, a Grand Duchy, accords its monarch the style of Royal Highness, as accorded to all other members of the Grand-Ducal Family, due to their descendance from Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. In the Holy See, the Pope – while ruling as Sovereign of the Vatican City State – uses the spiritual style of Holiness. Moreover, while Andorra is formally a monarchy, its Co-Princes – the bishop of Urgell (appointed by the Pope) and President of France – use the republican and non-royal style of Excellency. Andorra is the only non-hereditary, elective and appointive monarchy in Europe.
In the United Kingdom, several derivatives of Majesty have been or are used, either to distinguish the British sovereign from continental kings and queens or as further exalted forms of address for the monarch in official documents or the most formal situations. Richard II, according to Robert Lacey in his book Great Tales from English history, was the first English King to demand the title of Highness or Majesty. He also noted that, '...previous English Kings had been content to be addressed as My Lord '.[2]
Most Gracious Majesty is used only in the most formal of occasions. Around 1519 King Henry VIII decided Majesty should become the style of the sovereign of England. Majesty, however, was not used exclusively; it arbitrarily alternated with both Highness and Grace, even in official documents. For example, one legal judgement issued by Henry VIII uses all three indiscriminately; Article 15 begins with, "The Kinges Highness hath ordered," Article 16 with, "The Kinges Majestie" and Article 17 with, "The Kinges Grace."
Pre-Union Scotland Sovereigns were only addressed as Your Grace. During the reign of James VI and I, Majesty became the official style, to the exclusion of others. In full, the Sovereign is still referred to as His (Her) Most Gracious Majesty, actually a merger of both the Scottish Grace and the English Majesty.
His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.
BE IT ENACTED by the King's [Queen's] most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
In Thailand, the title for the King is known as Phra Bat Somdet Phra Chao Yu Hua (Thai: พระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว) or informally called Phra Chao Yu Hua (Thai: พระเจ้าอยู่หัว) which means "God above us" This designation stems from the concept of Devaraja or God-King (Thai: เทวราชา), where the Thai King is considered a part of Vishnu, one of the highest gods in Hinduism.
Traditionally, many Thai people referred to their kings as Pho Khun (Thai: พ่อขุน), a term connected to the word "father" as seen in the Sukhothai Kingdom or the Phayao Kingdom, where the king is addressed as Pho Yuhua (Thai: พ่ออยู่หัว) or Pho Yuhua Chao (Thai: พ่ออยู่หัวเจ้า). This reflects the concept of patriarchy, considering the king as the "father" and the people as the "sons".[3]
During the reign of King Ramathibodi I of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, society expanded, and the king's status evolved from "father" to "god".[4] King Ramathibodi I adopted the concept of Devaraja from the Khmer Empire, incorporating the word Phra Bat (Thai: พระบาท) from Khmer King's title, along with Somdet (Thai: สมเด็จ) rooted in the Khmer language. The names of Thai kings also signify divinity, such as Ramathibodi meaning Rama the sovereign, Naresuan signifying God in human form, and Ramesuan a combination of "Rama" and "Ishvara"[5]
There is further evidence of similar uses, such as Somdet Phra Puttha Chao Yu Hua (Thai: สมเด็จพระพุทธเจ้าอยู่หัว), implying that the king holds the status of a Bodhisattva destined to attain enlightenment and become a Buddha in the future. Somdet Borombophit (Thai: สมเด็จบรมบพิตร), meaning "Your Majesty" is the honorific title monks use to address the king.
In Japan, the uses of honorific title Heika (Japanese: 陛下) for the Emperor of Japan, the Empress, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager are defined in The Imperial House Law since 1947.[6]
In Former Imperial House Law (1889), the use case of this term was expanded to include the Empress, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.[7]
Brunei
In Brunei, a Malay title for the Sultan of Brunei is officially Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda (KDYMMPSB) or unofficial simply Kebawah Duli. It literally means "Under the dust of the Most Exalted [God], The Victorious Sovereign".
It reflects the title of Zilullah-fil-Alam ("Shadow of God on Earth"), referring to the Sultan as having a small bit of God's immense power. The title paduka means "victorious" from Old Malay while seri is an honorific from Sanskrit. The title baginda is a third-person noun for royals and prophets.
In Saudi Arabia, King Fahd abolished the style of Majesty in 1975 in favour of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, a style adopted by historical Islamic rulers. However, the King by custom continues to be referred to as Your Majesty in conversation.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, the Malay style for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Raja Permaisuri Agong is Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda or simply Seri Paduka Baginda. The Sultan of Johor and the Permaisuri of Johor use the Malay style Duli Yang Maha Mulia (DYMM) which is equivalent to His/Her Majesty since 2017. Prior to that, they were addressed as His/Her Royal Highness in English, similar with the other eight royal state Malay rulers in Malaysia.[8]
Burma
In Burma, the full Burmese title for the King of Burma Proper was officially Bhone Taw Kyi Hla Thaw Myanmar Min Myat Phya (Burmese: ဘုန်းတော်ကြီးလှသောမြန်မာမင်းမြတ်ဘုရား), shortened to Bhone Taw Kyi Phaya (Burmese: ဘုန်းတော်ကြီးဘုရား) or Ashin Paya (Burmese: အရှင်ဘုရား).[9]
Related Research Articles
Styles represent the fashion by which monarchs and noblemen are properly addressed. Throughout history, many different styles were used, with little standardization. This page will detail the various styles used by royalty and nobility in Europe, in the final form arrived at in the nineteenth century.
A prince is a male ruler or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. Prince is also a title of nobility, 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 prīnceps, from primus (first) and caput (head), meaning "the first, foremost, the chief, most distinguished, noble ruler, prince".
A style of office or form of address, also called manner of address, is an official or legally recognized form of address for a person or other entity, and may often be used in conjunction with a personal title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal capacity. Such styles are particularly associated with monarchies, where they may be used by a wife of an office holder or of a prince of the blood, for the duration of their marriage. They are also almost universally used for presidents in republics and in many countries for members of legislative bodies, higher-ranking judges, and senior constitutional office holders. Leading religious figures also have styles.
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharat, personal name Thongduang (ทองด้วง), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam. His full title in Thai is Phra Bat Somdet Phra Paramoruracha Mahachakkriborommanat Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok. He ascended the throne in 1782, following the deposition of King Taksin of Thonburi. He was also celebrated as the founder of Rattanakosin as the new capital of the reunited kingdom.
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore.
Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled Majesty.
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Thailand. Over the past 400 years, it has also used as a style for senior members of the family of Hazrat Ishaan, who are believed to succeed Prophet Muhammad based on the 1400 year old Sunni Sayyid ul Sadatiyya line of Imamate of Ahlul Bayt. Until 1918, it was also associated with the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties and with a few princely but non-ruling families. It was also the form of address used for cadet members of the dynasties of France, Italy, Russia and Ernestine Saxony, under their monarchies. Additionally, the treatment was granted for some, but not all, princely yet non-reigning families of Bohemia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Russia by emperors or popes. In a handful of rare cases, it was employed by non-royal rulers in viceregal or even republican contexts.
The precedence of Thai royalty follows a system of ranks known as thanandon, which are accompanied by royal titles.
Sri Savarindira, also known as Savang Vadhana, was the royal wives and agnatic half-sister of Chulalongkorn, but she was not the Rajini or supreme queen consort. After her first grandson's accession to power in 1935, she became known as Somdetch Phra Phan Vassa Ayika Chao. All her children died before her and she lived to see her grandsons Ananda Mahidol and Bhumibol Adulyadej take the throne.
Highness is a formal style used to address or refer to certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjective: "His Highness", "Her Highness" (HH), "Their Highnesses", etc. Although often combined with other adjectives of honour indicating rank, such as "Imperial", "Royal" or "Serene", it may be used alone.
Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint, the hereditary royal nobility, formed the upper echelon of the ruling class. The Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the aristocracy. Until the 20th century, the most powerful people at court were generally members of the Mekwanint appointed by the monarch, while regionally, the Mesafint enjoyed greater influence and power. Emperor Haile Selassie greatly curtailed the power of the Mesafint to the benefit of the Mekwanint, who by then were essentially coterminous with the Ethiopian government.
Amarindra was the Queen Consort of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, the founder of the Chakri dynasty. Her birth name was Nak (นาค). She was a daughter of a wealthy Mon from Bang Chang, in Samut Songkhram Province.
Somdet Phra Bawornrajchao Maha Sura Singhanat was the younger brother of Rama I, the first monarch of the Chakri dynasty of Siam. As an Ayutthayan general, he fought alongside his brother in various campaigns against Burmese invaders and the local warlords. When his brother crowned himself as the king of Siam at Bangkok in 1781, he was appointed the Front Palace or Maha Uparaj, the title of the heir. During the reign of his brother, he was known for his important role in the campaigns against Bodawpaya of Burma.
Princess Indrasakdi Sachi, formerly Queen Indrasakdi Sachi, née Praphai Sucharitakul, was a royal consort of King Vajiravudh of Siam. She was one of the daughters of Chao Praya Sudharm Montri, the younger sister of Pra Sucharit Suda. The name means "Sachi, wife of Indra."
Somdet Phra Chao Lan Ther Chaofa Thong-In Krom Phra Rajawang Boworn Sathan Phimuk was a Siamese prince and military leader. A nephew of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok the founder of the Chakri Dynasty, he was appointed Deputy Viceroy or Rear Palace, the 3rd highest position in the kingdom. Becoming the only person to hold that title during the Rattanakosin Kingdom.
Raja Zarith Sofiah binti Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah is the Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia and the Permaisuri (Queen) of Johor as a wife of Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. She was born as a member of the Perak royal family. While still attending Somerville College, Oxford, she married the heir to the throne of Johor. Now a mother of six, she participates in the work of non-governmental organisations and universities, and writes a periodical column for a newspaper.
Ecclesiastical peerages have traditionally been given to ordained members of the Thai sangha, the community of the Buddhist monks of Thailand.
Somdet Phra Ariyavangsagatayana, born Amborn Prasatthapong, is the current Supreme Patriarch of Thailand and Superior General of the Dhammayut Order. Ordained as a bhikkhu in 1948 with the Dhamma name of Ambaro. In 2008 he was appointed abbot of Wat Ratchabophit in Bangkok. In 2017 he was appointed Supreme Patriarch by King Vajiralongkorn, succeeding Vajirañāṇasaṃvara who died in 2013.
↑ กรมศิลปากร. (2547) [Fine Arts Department (2004)]. Sukhothai Inscription No. 1. Ram Khamhaeng Inscription. Bangkok: National Library of Thailand. Retrieved 9 January 2024
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