Highness, Grace and Majesty
Further information: Grace (style) and HighnessFrom about the 12th century onwards, English Sovereigns used the style "Highness". They shared this style with only five other monarchs in Europe: the Holy Roman Emperor and the Kings of France, Castile, Aragon and Portugal. Around 1519, however, the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France assumed the style "Majesty"; Henry VIII copied them. The style "Majesty" had previously appeared in England, but did not become common until Henry VIII's reign.
"Majesty", however, was not used exclusively; it arbitrarily alternated with both "Highness" and "Grace", even in official documents. For example, one legal judgment 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".
Scottish Sovereigns were addressed as "Your Grace", rather than "Majesty", in pre-Union Scotland. During the reign of James VI of Scots and I of England and Ireland, however, "Majesty" became the official title, to the exclusion of others.
In full the Sovereign is referred to as "His Most Gracious Majesty". In Acts of Parliament the phrase "The King's Most Excellent Majesty" is used in the enacting clause. In treaties and on British passports, the Sovereign is referred to as "His Britannic Majesty" as to differentiate from foreign sovereigns.
Read more about this topic: Style Of The British Sovereign
Famous quotes containing the words grace and/or majesty:
“Little of this great world can I speak
More than pertains to feats of broils and battle,
And therefore little shall I grace my cause
In speaking for myself.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“There was about all the Romans a heroic tone peculiar to ancient life. Their virtues were great and noble, and these virtues made them great and noble. They possessed a natural majesty that was not put on and taken off at pleasure, as was that of certain eastern monarchs when they put on or took off their garments of Tyrian dye. It is hoped that this is not wholly lost from the world, although the sense of earthly vanity inculcated by Christianity may have swallowed it up in humility.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)