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{{Short description|Title given to a male monarch}} |
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{{other uses}} |
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{{Other uses}} |
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{{pp-semi-indef}} |
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{{Multiple issues| |
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{{More footnotes needed|date=December 2024}} |
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{{Globalize|1=article|2=Europe|date=December 2024}} |
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[[File:Aachen Domschatz Bueste1.jpg|alt=|thumb|341x341px|[[Charlemagne]] or Charles the Great (748–814) was [[King of the Franks]], [[King of the Lombards]], and the first [[Holy Roman Emperor]]. Due to his military accomplishments and conquests, he has been called the "Father of Europe".]] |
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{{Ranks of Nobility}} |
{{Ranks of Nobility}} |
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'''King''' is the title given to a male [[monarch]] in a variety of contexts. A king is an [[absolute monarch]] if he holds the powers of [[government]] without control, or the entire sovereignty over a [[nation]]; he is a limited monarch if his power is restrained by fixed laws; and he is an absolute, when he holds the whole [[legislative]], [[judicial]], and [[executive power]], or when the legislative or judicial powers, or both, are vested in other people by the king. Kings are [[hereditary monarchy|hereditary sovereigns]] when they hold the powers of government by right of birth or inheritance, and elective when raised to the throne by choice. |
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[[File:Heraldic Royal Crown of the King of the Romans (1486-c.1700).svg|thumb|[[Heraldic crown]] of the [[King of the Romans]] (variant used in the early modern period)]] |
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[[File:Corona ferrea, Monza, Tesoro del Duomo.jpg|thumb|The [[Iron Crown of the Lombards]], a surviving example of an early medieval royal crown]] |
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[[File:Gesta Theodorici - Theodoric the Great (455-526).jpg|thumb|12th-century depiction of [[Theodoric the Great]], [[Ostrogothic Kingdom|King of the Ostrogoths]].]] |
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[[File:Louis XIV of France.jpg|thumb|[[Louis XIV of France]], the "Sun King" (''Roi-Soleil''), who ruled at the height of [[Absolute monarchy in France|French absolutism]] (painting by [[Hyacinthe Rigaud]] 1701).]] |
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'''King''', or '''King Regnant''' the title given to a male [[monarch]] in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is [[queen regnant]],<ref>There have been rare exceptions, most notably [[Jadwiga of Poland]] and [[Mary, Queen of Hungary]], who were crowned as King of Poland and King of Hungary respectively during the 1380s.</ref> while the title of queen on its own usually refers to the [[queen consort|consort]] of a king. |
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*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to [[tribal kingship]]. Germanic kingship is cognate with [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] traditions of tribal rulership (c.f. Indic ''[[rājan]]'', Gothic ''[[reiks]]'', and Old Irish ''[[rí]]'', etc.). |
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to [[tribal kingship]]. Germanic kingship is cognate with [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] traditions of tribal rulership (c.f. Indic ''[[rājan]]'', Gothic ''[[reiks]]'', and Old Irish ''[[rí]]'', etc.). |
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*In the context of classical antiquity, king may translate in Latin as ''[[rex (king)|rex]]'' and in Greek as ''[[archon]]'' or ''[[basileus]]''. |
*In the context of classical antiquity, king may translate in Latin as ''[[rex (king)|rex]]'' and in Greek as ''[[archon]]'' or ''[[basileus]]''. |
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*In classical European [[feudalism]], the title of ''king'' as the ruler of a ''kingdom'' is understood to be the highest rank in the feudal order, potentially subject, at least nominally, only to an [[emperor]] (harking back to the [[List of Roman client kings|client kings]] of the [[Roman Empire]]).<ref>The notion of a king being below an emperor in the feudal order, just as a [[duke]] is the rank below a king, is more theoretical than historical. The only kingdom title held within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] was the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]], with the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]], [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]] and [[Kingdom of Arles|Burgundy/Arles]] being nominal realms. The titles of [[King of the Germans]] and [[King of the Romans]] were non-landed titles held by the Emperor-elect (sometimes during the lifetime of the previous Emperor, sometimes not), although there were anti-Kings at various points; Arles and Italy were either held directly by the Emperor or not at all. |
*In classical European [[feudalism]], the title of ''king'' as the ruler of a ''kingdom'' is understood to be the highest rank in the feudal order, potentially subject, at least nominally, only to an [[emperor]] (harking back to the [[List of Roman client kings|client kings]] of the [[Roman Republic]] and [[Roman Empire]]).<ref>The notion of a king being below an emperor in the feudal order, just as a [[duke]] is the rank below a king, is more theoretical than historical. The only kingdom title held within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] was the [[Kingdom of Bohemia]], with the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]], [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]] and [[Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles|Burgundy/Arles]] being nominal realms. The titles of [[King of the Germans]] and [[King of the Romans]] were non-landed titles held by the Emperor-elect (sometimes during the lifetime of the previous Emperor, sometimes not), although there were anti-Kings at various points; Arles and Italy were either held directly by the Emperor or not at all. |
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The [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] and [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian |
The [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] and [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian Empires]] technically contained various kingdoms ([[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]], [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]], [[Kingdom of Dalmatia|Dalmatia]], [[Kingdom of Illyria (1816–49)|Illyria]], [[Lombardy–Venetia]] and [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria|Galicia and Lodomeria]], as well as the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)|Croatia]] and [[Kingdom of Slavonia|Slavonia]] which were themselves subordinate titles to the Hungarian Kingdom and which were merged as [[Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia|Croatia-Slavonia]] in 1868), but the emperor and the respective kings were the same person. The [[Russian Empire]] did not include any kingdoms. The short-lived [[First French Empire]] (1804–1814/5) included a number of [[client state|client]] kingdoms under [[Napoleon I]], such as the [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Kingdom of Italy]], the [[Kingdom of Westphalia]], the [[Kingdom of Etruria]], the [[Kingdom of Württemberg]], the [[Kingdom of Bavaria]], the [[Kingdom of Saxony]] and the [[Kingdom of Holland]]. The [[German Empire]] (1871–1918) included the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], Bavaria, Württemberg and Saxony, with the Prussian king also holding the Imperial title.</ref> |
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*In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies (either absolute or constitutional). The title of ''king'' is used alongside other titles for monarchs: in the West, [[prince]], [[ |
*In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies (either absolute or constitutional). The title of ''king'' is used alongside other titles for monarchs: in the West, [[emperor]], [[grand prince]], [[prince]], [[archduke]], [[duke]] or [[grand duke]], and in the Islamic world, [[malik]], [[sultan]], [[emir]] or [[Hakim (title)|hakim]], etc.<ref name="pine">{{cite book | title=Titles: How the King became His Majesty | publisher=Barnes & Noble | author-link=L.G. Pine | last=Pine | first=L.G. | year=1992 | location=New York | page=[https://archive.org/details/titleshowkingbec0000pine/page/86 86] | isbn=978-1-56619-085-5 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/titleshowkingbec0000pine/page/86 }}</ref> |
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*The [[city-states]] of the [[Aztec Empire]] each had a ''[[tlatoani]]''. These were the kings of pre-Hispanic [[Mesoamerica]]. The ''[[Huey Tlatoani]]'' was the [[emperor]] of the Aztecs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=History Crunch Writers |title=Aztec Emperors (Huey Tlatoani) |url=https://www.historycrunch.com/aztec-emperors-huey-tlatoani.html#/ |website=History Crunch - History Articles, Summaries, Biographies, Resources and More |access-date=18 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref> |
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The term ''king'' may also refer to a [[king consort]], a title that is sometimes given to the husband of a [[Queen regnant|ruling queen]], but the title of [[prince consort]] is sometimes granted instead. |
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The term ''king'' may also refer to a [[king consort]], a title that is sometimes given to the husband of a [[queen regnant]], but the title of [[prince consort]] is more common. |
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==Etymology== |
==Etymology== |
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{{Further|Rex (title)|Knyaz}} |
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The English term {{wikt-lang|en|king}} is derived from the [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''cyning'', which in turn is derived from the [[Common Germanic]] *''kuningaz''. The Common Germanic term was borrowed into Estonian and Finnish at an early time, surviving in these languages as {{wikt-lang|fi|kuningas}}. It is a derivation from the term ''*kunjom'' "kin" ([[Old English]] {{wikt-lang|ang|cynn}}) by the ''-inga-'' suffix. The literal meaning is that of a "scion of the [noble] kin", or perhaps "son or descendant of one of noble birth" ([[OED]]). |
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{{Wiktionary|cyning}} |
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The English term {{wikt-lang|en|king}} is derived from the [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''cyning'', which in turn is derived from the [[Common Germanic]] *''kuningaz''. The Common Germanic term was borrowed into Estonian and Finnish at an early time, surviving in these languages as {{wikt-lang|fi|kuningas}}. |
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The English term "King" translates, and is considered equivalent to, Latin ''[[Rex (title)|rēx]]'' and its equivalents in the various [[European languages]]. The Germanic term is notably different from the word for "King" in other Indo-European languages (''*rēks'' "ruler"; [[Latin]] ''[[King of Rome|rēx]]'', [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] ''[[Raja|rājan]]'' and [[Irish language|Irish]] ''[[rí]]g'', but see Gothic ''[[reiks]]'' and, e.g., modern German ''Reich'' and modern Dutch ''rijk''). It is a derivation from the term ''*kunjom'' "kin" ([[Old English]] {{wikt-lang|ang|cynn}}) by the ''-inga-'' suffix. The literal meaning is that of a "scion of the [noble] kin", or perhaps "son or descendant of one of noble birth" ([[OED]]). |
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The English term translates, and is considered equivalent to, Latin ''[[Rex (title)|rēx]]'' and its equivalents in the various [[European languages]]. The Germanic term is notably different from the word for "King" in other Indo-European languages (''*rēks'' "ruler"; [[Latin]] ''[[King of Rome|rēx]]'', [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] ''[[Raja|rājan]]'' and [[Irish language|Irish]] ''[[rí]]''; however, see Gothic ''[[reiks]]'' and, e.g., modern German ''Reich'' and modern Dutch ''rijk''). |
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English ''Queen'' translates Latin ''regina''; it is from Old English ''cwen'' "Queen, noble woman, wife" from the PIE word for "woman" (''*gwen-''). |
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The Germanic term for "wife" appears to have been specialized to "wife of a King"; in [[Old Norse]], the cognate ''kvan'' still mostly refers to a wife generally. Scandinavian ''drottning, dronning'' is a feminine derivation from {{wikt-lang|gem-pro|*druhtinaz}} "Lord". The Norse [[Rígsþula]] ends with the emergence of Kón as a Grand son of Rig, resulting from a threesome between the mythological characters Father and Mother, and [[Heimdallr|Rig]], through [[Earl|Jarl]] and his wife [[Erna (mythology)|Erna]]. Kon is the twelfth son of Jarl and Erna, and the his progeny are the Konungs, litteraly, the younglings of Kon; from which the name King comes, according to this tradition. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The English word is of Germanic origin, and historically refers to [[Germanic kingship]], in the pre-Christian period a type of [[tribal kingship]]. The [[monarchies of Europe]] in the Christian [[Middle Ages]] derived their claim from [[Christianisation]] and the [[divine right of kings]], partly influenced by the notion of [[Germanic king|sacral kingship]] inherited from |
The English word is of Germanic origin, and historically refers to [[Germanic kingship]], in the pre-Christian period a type of [[tribal kingship]]. The [[monarchies of Europe]] in the Christian [[Middle Ages]] derived their claim from [[Christianisation]] and the [[divine right of kings]], partly influenced by the notion of [[Germanic king|sacral kingship]] inherited from [[Germanic antiquity]]. |
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The [[Early Middle Ages]] begin with a fragmentation of the former [[Western Roman Empire]] into [[barbarian kingdoms]]. In Western Europe, the kingdom of the [[Franks]] developed into the [[Carolingian Empire]] by the 8th century, and the [[Heptarchy|kingdoms]] of [[Anglo-Saxon England]] were unified into the [[kingdom of England]] by the 10th century. |
The [[Early Middle Ages]] begin with a fragmentation of the former [[Western Roman Empire]] into [[barbarian kingdoms]]. In Western Europe, the kingdom of the [[Franks]] developed into the [[Carolingian Empire]] by the 8th century, and the [[Heptarchy|kingdoms]] of [[Anglo-Saxon England]] were unified into the [[kingdom of England]] by the 10th century. |
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With the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century, the system of [[feudalism]] places kings at the head of a pyramid of relationships between liege lords and vassals, dependent on the regional rule of [[baron]]s, and the intermediate positions of [[counts]] (or [[earl]]s) and [[duke]]s. The core of European feudal [[manorialism]] in the [[High Middle Ages]] were the territories of the [[kingdom of France]] |
With the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century, the system of [[feudalism]] places kings at the head of a pyramid of relationships between liege lords and vassals, dependent on the regional rule of [[baron]]s, and the intermediate positions of [[counts]] (or [[earl]]s) and [[duke]]s. The core of European feudal [[manorialism]] in the [[High Middle Ages]] were the territories of the former [[Carolingian Empire]], i.e. the [[kingdom of France]] and the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (centered on the nominal kingdoms of [[kingdom of Germany|Germany]] and [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]]).<ref> |
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see e.g. M. Mitterauer, ''Why Europe?: The Medieval Origins of Its Special Path'', University of Chicago Press (2010), |
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[https://books.google.com/books?id=0IU9fduDRIMC&pg=PA28 p. 28].</ref> |
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In the course of the European Middle Ages, the [[Monarchies in Europe|European kingdoms]] underwent a general trend of centralisation of power, so that by the [[Late Middle Ages]] there were a number of large and powerful kingdoms in Europe, which would develop into the [[great power]]s of Europe in the [[Early Modern period]]. |
In the course of the European Middle Ages, the [[Monarchies in Europe|European kingdoms]] underwent a general trend of centralisation of power, so that by the [[Late Middle Ages]] there were a number of large and powerful kingdoms in Europe, which would develop into the [[great power]]s of Europe in the [[Early Modern period]]. |
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*Most famously, in [[Western Europe]], the western part of the [[Carolingian Empire]] became [[Francia Occidentalis]] ([[West Francia]]) and developed into the [[Kingdom of France]] covering at its height all the lands between the Atlantic and the Rhine. Its fragmented several times into almost independent states, but was several times the preeminent military and cultural power in Europe. Its monarch evolved from "Francorum Rex Occidentalis" (king of the Western Franks) to "Franciae Rex" ("King of France") and in French "Roi de France" (see [[Style of the French sovereign]]). Under the [[French Empire (disambiguation)|French Empire]] this was [[Emperor of the French]] and under the constitutional monarchy [[King of the French]]. |
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*On the [[British Isles]], coalescing around the [[Kingdom of England]], the [[King of England]], which came to preeminence and incorporated in one way or the other [[Scotland]], [[Wales]] and [[Ireland]] |
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*In the [[Iberian Peninsula]], the remnants of the [[Visigothic Kingdom]], the petty kingdoms of [[kingdom of Asturias|Asturias]] and [[Kingdom of Pamplona|Pamplona]], expanded into the [[kingdom of Portugal]], the [[Crown of Castile]] and the [[Crown of Aragon]] with the ongoing [[Reconquista]]. |
*In the [[Iberian Peninsula]], the remnants of the [[Visigothic Kingdom]], the petty kingdoms of [[kingdom of Asturias|Asturias]] and [[Kingdom of Pamplona|Pamplona]], expanded into the [[kingdom of Portugal]], the [[Crown of Castile]] and the [[Crown of Aragon]] with the ongoing [[Reconquista]]. |
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*In [[southern Europe]], the [[kingdom of Sicily]] was established following the [[Norman conquest of southern Italy]]. The [[Kingdom of Sardinia]] was claimed as a separate title held by the [[Crown of Aragon]] in 1324. In the Balkans, the [[Kingdom of Serbia (medieval)|Kingdom of Serbia]] was established in 1217. |
*In [[southern Europe]], the [[kingdom of Sicily]] was established following the [[Norman conquest of southern Italy]]. The [[Kingdom of Sardinia]] was claimed as a separate title held by the [[Crown of Aragon]] in 1324. In the Balkans, the [[Kingdom of Serbia (medieval)|Kingdom of Serbia]] was established in 1217. |
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*In |
*In [[central Europe]], the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] was established [[Europe in AD 1000|in AD 1000]] following the Christianisation of the [[Magyars]]. The kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Poland (1025–1385)|Poland]] and [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]] were established in 1025 and 1198, respectively. |
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*In [[eastern Europe]], the [[Grand Duchy of Moscow]] did not technically claim the status of kingdom until the early modern [[Tsardom of Russia]]. |
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*In [[northern Europe]], the tribal kingdoms of the [[Viking Age]] by the 11th century expanded into the [[North Sea Empire]] under [[Cnut the Great]], king of Denmark, England and Norway. The [[Christianization of Scandinavia]] resulted in "consolidated" kingdoms of [[Consolidation of Sweden|Sweden]] and [[Norwegian expansion during the Middle Ages|Norway]], and by the end of the medieval period the pan-Scandinavian [[Kalmar Union]]. |
*In [[northern Europe]], the tribal kingdoms of the [[Viking Age]] by the 11th century expanded into the [[North Sea Empire]] under [[Cnut the Great]], king of Denmark, England and Norway. The [[Christianization of Scandinavia]] resulted in "consolidated" kingdoms of [[Consolidation of Sweden|Sweden]] and [[Norwegian expansion during the Middle Ages|Norway]], and by the end of the medieval period the pan-Scandinavian [[Kalmar Union]]. |
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By the end of the Middle Ages, the kings of these kingdoms would start to place arches with an orb and cross on top as an [[Imperial crown]], which only the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] had had before. This symbolized them holding the [[imperium]] and being [[emperors]] in their own realm not subject even theoretically anymore to the Holy Roman Emperor. |
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==Contemporary kings== |
==Contemporary kings== |
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{{Further|List of current sovereign monarchs|List of current reigning monarchies|List of current constituent monarchs}} |
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{{Monarchism}} |
{{Monarchism}} |
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Currently ({{as of| |
Currently ({{as of|2023|lc=y}}),<!--but note death of [[Bhumibol Adulyadej]] in October 2016--> seventeen kings are recognized as the heads of state of [[sovereign state]]s (i.e. English ''king'' is used as official translation of the respective native titles held by the monarchs). |
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Most of these are heads of state of [[constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchies]]; kings ruling over [[absolute monarchy|absolute monarchies]] |
Most of these are heads of state of [[constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchies]]; kings ruling over [[absolute monarchy|absolute monarchies]] are the [[King of Saudi Arabia]], the [[King of Bahrain]] and the [[King of Eswatini]].<ref>The distinction of the title of "king" from "sultan" or "emir" in oriental monarchies is largely stylistics; the [[Sultanate of Oman]], the [[State of Qatar]], the [[State of Kuwait]] and the [[United Arab Emirates]] are also categorised as absolute monarchies.</ref> |
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are the [[King of Saudi Arabia]], the [[King of Bahrain]] and the [[King of Swaziland]].<ref> The distinction of the title of "king" from "sultan" or "emir" in oriental monarchies is largely stylistics; the [[Sultanate of Oman]], the [[State of Qatar]], the [[State of Kuwait]] and the [[United Arab Emirates]] are also categorised as absolute monarchies.</ref> |
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{|class="wikitable sortable" |
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!Monarch !! House !! Title !! Kingdom |
!Monarch !! House !! Title !! Kingdom |
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!Reign begin |
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!Age!!Monarchy est. |
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|[[ |
|[[Harald V of Norway|Harald V]], [[Monarchy of Norway|King of Norway]] || [[House of Glücksburg|Glücksburg]] ||''konge'' || [[Kingdom of Norway]] |
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|January 17, 1991 |
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|{{Age|1937|2|21}}|| 11th c. |
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|[[ |
|[[Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden|Carl XVI Gustaf]], [[Monarchy of Sweden|King of Sweden]] || [[House of Bernadotte|Bernadotte]] || ''konung'' || [[Kingdom of Sweden]] |
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|September 15, 1973 |
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|{{Age|1946|4|30}}|| 12th c. |
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|[[ |
|[[Felipe VI of Spain|Felipe VI]], [[Monarchy of Spain|King of Spain]] || [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] || ''rey'' || [[Kingdom of Spain]] |
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|June 19, 2014 |
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|{{Age|1968|1|30}}|| 1978 / 1479 |
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|[[ |
|[[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]], [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|King of the Netherlands]] || [[House of Orange-Nassau|Orange-Nassau]] || ''koning'' || [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] |
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|April 30, 2013 |
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|{{Age|1967|4|27}}|| 1815 |
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|[[ |
|[[Philippe of Belgium|Philippe]], [[Monarchy of Belgium|King of the Belgians]] || [[Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] || ''koning / roi / König'' || [[Kingdom of Belgium]] |
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|July 21, 2013 |
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|{{Age|1960|4|15}}|| 1830 |
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|[[ |
|[[Salman of Saudi Arabia|Salman]], [[King of Saudi Arabia]] || [[House of Saud|Saud]] || ملك ''malik'' || [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]] |
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|January 23, 2015 |
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|{{Age|1935|12|31}}|| 1932 |
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|[[ |
|[[Abdullah II of Jordan|Abdullah II]], [[King of Jordan]] || [[Hashemites|Hashim]] || ملك ''malik'' || [[Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan]] |
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|February 7, 1999 |
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|{{Age|1962|1|30}}|| 1946 |
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|[[ |
|[[Mohammed VI of Morocco|Mohammed VI]], [[King of Morocco]] || [[Alaouite dynasty|Alaoui]] || ملك ''malik'' || [[Kingdom of Morocco]] |
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|July 23, 1999 |
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|{{Age|1963|8|21}}|| 1956 |
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|[[ |
|[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]], [[King of Bahrain]] || [[House of Khalifa|Khalifa]] || ملك ''malik'' || [[Kingdom of Bahrain]] |
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|February 14, 2002 |
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|{{Age|1950|1|28}}|| 1971 |
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|[[ |
|[[Vajiralongkorn]], [[King of Thailand]] || [[Chakri Dynasty|Chakri]] || กษัตริย์ ''kasat'' || [[Kingdom of Thailand]] |
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|October 13, 2016 |
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|{{Age|1952|7|28}}|| 1782 |
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|[[ |
|[[Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck]], [[King of Bhutan]] || [[House of Wangchuck|Wangchuck]] || འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ་ ''druk gyalpo'' || [[Kingdom of Bhutan]] |
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|December 9, 2006 |
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|{{Age|1980|2|21}}|| 1907 |
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|[[ |
|[[Norodom Sihamoni]], [[King of Cambodia]] || [[House of Norodom|Norodom]]|| ស្ដេច ''sdac'' || [[Kingdom of Cambodia]] |
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|October 14, 2004 |
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|{{Age|1953|5|14}}|| 1993 / 1953 |
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|[[ |
|[[Tupou VI]], [[King of Tonga]] || [[House of Tupou|Tupou]] || ''king / tu'i'' || [[Kingdom of Tonga]] |
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|March 18, 2012 |
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|{{Age|1959|7|12}}|| 1970 |
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|[[ |
|[[Letsie III of Lesotho|Letsie III]], [[King of Lesotho]] || [[House of Moshesh|Moshesh]]|| ''king / morena'' || [[Kingdom of Lesotho]] |
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|February 7, 1996 |
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|{{Age|1963|7|17}}|| 1966 |
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|[[ |
|[[Mswati III]], [[King of Eswatini]] || [[House of Dlamini|Dlamini]] || ''[[ngwenyama]]'' || [[Kingdom of Eswatini]] |
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|April 25, 1986 |
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|{{Age|1968|4|19}}|| 1968 |
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|[[ |
|[[Charles III]], [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King of the United Kingdom]]||[[House of Windsor|Windsor]]|| ''King'' || [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] and [[Commonwealth realm]]s |
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|September 8, 2022 |
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|{{Age|1948|11|14}}|| 927 / 843 |
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|[[Frederik X]], [[Monarchy of Denmark|King of Denmark]] |
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|[[Mswati III]] [[King of Swaziland]] || [[House of Dlamini|Dlamini]] || ''[[ngwenyama]]'' || [[Kingdom of Swaziland]] || 1968 |
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|[[House of Glücksburg|Glücksburg]] |
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|''Konge'' |
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|[[Danish Realm|Kingdom of Denmark and its autonomous territories]] |
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|January 14, 2024 |
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|{{Age|1968|May|26}} |
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|710 |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{Royal and noble ranks}} |
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{{colbegin}} |
{{colbegin}} |
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*[[Royal and noble ranks]] |
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*[[Royal family]] |
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*[[Realm]] |
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*[[Designation (monarchy)|Designation]] |
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*[[Divine right of kings]] |
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*[[Sacred king]] |
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*[[Anointing]] |
*[[Anointing]] |
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*[[Big man (anthropology)]] |
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*[[Buddhist kingship]] |
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*[[Client king]] |
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*[[Coronation]] |
*[[Coronation]] |
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*[[Designation (monarchy)|Designation]] |
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*[[Divine right of kings]] |
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*[[Germanic kingship]] |
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*[[Great King]] |
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*[[High King]] |
*[[High King]] |
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*[[King of Kings]] |
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*[[King consort]] |
*[[King consort]] |
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*[[ |
*[[King of Kings]] |
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*[[Petty king]] |
*[[Petty king]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Queen regnant|Queen]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Realm]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Royal and noble ranks]] |
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*[[Royal family]] |
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*[[Sacred king]] |
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*[[Tribal kingship]] |
*[[Tribal kingship]] |
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*[[Big man (anthropology)]] |
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;Titles translated as "king": |
;Titles translated as "king": |
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*[[ |
*[[Khan (title)|Khan]] |
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*[[Archon]] |
*[[Archon]] |
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*[[Basileus]] |
*[[Basileus]] |
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*{{Lang|sux|[[Lugal]]|italic=no}} |
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*[[Raja]] |
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*[[Kabaka of Buganda|Kabaka]] |
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*[[Rí]] |
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*[[Shah]] |
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*[[Mepe (title)]] |
*[[Mepe (title)]] |
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*[[Malik|Malik/Melekh]] |
*[[Malik|Malik/Melekh]] |
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*[[King of Rwanda|Mwami]] |
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*[[Lugal]] |
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*[[Negus]] |
*[[Negus]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Oba (ruler)|Oba]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Raja]] |
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*[[ |
*[[Rex (king)]] |
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*[[Rí]] |
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*[[Tlatoani]] |
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*[[Shah]] |
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*[[Armenian nobility|Tagavor]] |
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{{colend}} |
{{colend}} |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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*{{cite book|editor-last1=Cannadine|editor-first1=David|editor-link1=David Cannadine|editor-last2=Price|editor-first2=Simon|editor-link2=Simon Price (classicist)|year=1987|title=Rituals of Royalty: Power and Ceremonial in Traditional Societies|url=https://archive.org/details/ritualsofroyalty0000unse|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|isbn=0-521-33513-2|lccn=86-29881}} |
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*Thomas J. Craughwell, ''5,000 Years of Royalty: Kings, Queens, Princes, Emperors & Tsars'' (2009). |
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*{{Cite book|last=Craughwell|first=Thomas J.|year=2009|title=5,000 Years of Royalty: Kings, Queens, Princes, Emperors & Tsars|url=https://archive.org/details/5000yearsofroyal0000crau|publisher=[[Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers]]|isbn=978-1-60376-189-5}} |
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*David Cannadine, Simon Price (eds.), ''Rituals of Royalty: Power and Ceremonial in Traditional Societies'' (1992). |
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* |
*{{cite book|last=Hani|first=Jean|author-link=Jean Hani|year=2011|title=Sacred Royalty: From the Pharaoh to the Most Christian King|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Joqu8GJsVbcC|publisher=[[The Matheson Trust]]|isbn=978-1-908092-05-2}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Wiktionary|cyning}} |
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*{{commons category inline|Kings}} |
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*{{commons category-inline|Kings}} |
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*{{cite EB1911 |last=Phillip |first=Walter Alison |wstitle=King |volume=15 |pages=805–806 |short=x}} |
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{{wikiquote}} |
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*{{cite EB1911 |last=Phillip |first=Walter Alison |wstitle=King|author-link=Walter Alison Phillips|volume=15 |pages=805–806 |short=x}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Royal titles]] |
[[Category:Royal titles]] |
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[[Category:Kings| ]] |
[[Category:Kings| ]] |
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[[Category:Gendered occupations]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:15, 30 December 2024
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King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds the powers of government without control, or the entire sovereignty over a nation; he is a limited monarch if his power is restrained by fixed laws; and he is an absolute, when he holds the whole legislative, judicial, and executive power, or when the legislative or judicial powers, or both, are vested in other people by the king. Kings are hereditary sovereigns when they hold the powers of government by right of birth or inheritance, and elective when raised to the throne by choice.
- In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to tribal kingship. Germanic kingship is cognate with Indo-European traditions of tribal rulership (c.f. Indic rājan, Gothic reiks, and Old Irish rí, etc.).
- In the context of classical antiquity, king may translate in Latin as rex and in Greek as archon or basileus.
- In classical European feudalism, the title of king as the ruler of a kingdom is understood to be the highest rank in the feudal order, potentially subject, at least nominally, only to an emperor (harking back to the client kings of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire).[1]
- In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies (either absolute or constitutional). The title of king is used alongside other titles for monarchs: in the West, emperor, grand prince, prince, archduke, duke or grand duke, and in the Islamic world, malik, sultan, emir or hakim, etc.[2]
- The city-states of the Aztec Empire each had a tlatoani. These were the kings of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. The Huey Tlatoani was the emperor of the Aztecs.[3]
The term king may also refer to a king consort, a title that is sometimes given to the husband of a queen regnant, but the title of prince consort is more common.
Etymology
The English term king is derived from the Anglo-Saxon cyning, which in turn is derived from the Common Germanic *kuningaz. The Common Germanic term was borrowed into Estonian and Finnish at an early time, surviving in these languages as kuningas. It is a derivation from the term *kunjom "kin" (Old English cynn) by the -inga- suffix. The literal meaning is that of a "scion of the [noble] kin", or perhaps "son or descendant of one of noble birth" (OED).
The English term translates, and is considered equivalent to, Latin rēx and its equivalents in the various European languages. The Germanic term is notably different from the word for "King" in other Indo-European languages (*rēks "ruler"; Latin rēx, Sanskrit rājan and Irish rí; however, see Gothic reiks and, e.g., modern German Reich and modern Dutch rijk).
History
The English word is of Germanic origin, and historically refers to Germanic kingship, in the pre-Christian period a type of tribal kingship. The monarchies of Europe in the Christian Middle Ages derived their claim from Christianisation and the divine right of kings, partly influenced by the notion of sacral kingship inherited from Germanic antiquity.
The Early Middle Ages begin with a fragmentation of the former Western Roman Empire into barbarian kingdoms. In Western Europe, the kingdom of the Franks developed into the Carolingian Empire by the 8th century, and the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England were unified into the kingdom of England by the 10th century.
With the breakup of the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century, the system of feudalism places kings at the head of a pyramid of relationships between liege lords and vassals, dependent on the regional rule of barons, and the intermediate positions of counts (or earls) and dukes. The core of European feudal manorialism in the High Middle Ages were the territories of the former Carolingian Empire, i.e. the kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire (centered on the nominal kingdoms of Germany and Italy).[4]
In the course of the European Middle Ages, the European kingdoms underwent a general trend of centralisation of power, so that by the Late Middle Ages there were a number of large and powerful kingdoms in Europe, which would develop into the great powers of Europe in the Early Modern period.
- Most famously, in Western Europe, the western part of the Carolingian Empire became Francia Occidentalis (West Francia) and developed into the Kingdom of France covering at its height all the lands between the Atlantic and the Rhine. Its fragmented several times into almost independent states, but was several times the preeminent military and cultural power in Europe. Its monarch evolved from "Francorum Rex Occidentalis" (king of the Western Franks) to "Franciae Rex" ("King of France") and in French "Roi de France" (see Style of the French sovereign). Under the French Empire this was Emperor of the French and under the constitutional monarchy King of the French.
- On the British Isles, coalescing around the Kingdom of England, the King of England, which came to preeminence and incorporated in one way or the other Scotland, Wales and Ireland
- In the Iberian Peninsula, the remnants of the Visigothic Kingdom, the petty kingdoms of Asturias and Pamplona, expanded into the kingdom of Portugal, the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon with the ongoing Reconquista.
- In southern Europe, the kingdom of Sicily was established following the Norman conquest of southern Italy. The Kingdom of Sardinia was claimed as a separate title held by the Crown of Aragon in 1324. In the Balkans, the Kingdom of Serbia was established in 1217.
- In central Europe, the Kingdom of Hungary was established in AD 1000 following the Christianisation of the Magyars. The kingdoms of Poland and Bohemia were established in 1025 and 1198, respectively.
- In eastern Europe, the Grand Duchy of Moscow did not technically claim the status of kingdom until the early modern Tsardom of Russia.
- In northern Europe, the tribal kingdoms of the Viking Age by the 11th century expanded into the North Sea Empire under Cnut the Great, king of Denmark, England and Norway. The Christianization of Scandinavia resulted in "consolidated" kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and by the end of the medieval period the pan-Scandinavian Kalmar Union.
By the end of the Middle Ages, the kings of these kingdoms would start to place arches with an orb and cross on top as an Imperial crown, which only the Holy Roman Emperor had had before. This symbolized them holding the imperium and being emperors in their own realm not subject even theoretically anymore to the Holy Roman Emperor.
Contemporary kings
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Currently (as of 2023[update]), seventeen kings are recognized as the heads of state of sovereign states (i.e. English king is used as official translation of the respective native titles held by the monarchs).
Most of these are heads of state of constitutional monarchies; kings ruling over absolute monarchies are the King of Saudi Arabia, the King of Bahrain and the King of Eswatini.[5]
See also
- Anointing
- Big man (anthropology)
- Buddhist kingship
- Client king
- Coronation
- Designation
- Divine right of kings
- Germanic kingship
- Great King
- High King
- King consort
- King of Kings
- Petty king
- Queen
- Realm
- Royal and noble ranks
- Royal family
- Sacred king
- Tribal kingship
- Titles translated as "king"
Notes
- ^ The notion of a king being below an emperor in the feudal order, just as a duke is the rank below a king, is more theoretical than historical. The only kingdom title held within the Holy Roman Empire was the Kingdom of Bohemia, with the Kingdoms of Germany, Italy and Burgundy/Arles being nominal realms. The titles of King of the Germans and King of the Romans were non-landed titles held by the Emperor-elect (sometimes during the lifetime of the previous Emperor, sometimes not), although there were anti-Kings at various points; Arles and Italy were either held directly by the Emperor or not at all. The Austrian and Austro-Hungarian Empires technically contained various kingdoms (Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Illyria, Lombardy–Venetia and Galicia and Lodomeria, as well as the Kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia which were themselves subordinate titles to the Hungarian Kingdom and which were merged as Croatia-Slavonia in 1868), but the emperor and the respective kings were the same person. The Russian Empire did not include any kingdoms. The short-lived First French Empire (1804–1814/5) included a number of client kingdoms under Napoleon I, such as the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Westphalia, the Kingdom of Etruria, the Kingdom of Württemberg, the Kingdom of Bavaria, the Kingdom of Saxony and the Kingdom of Holland. The German Empire (1871–1918) included the Kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Württemberg and Saxony, with the Prussian king also holding the Imperial title.
- ^ Pine, L.G. (1992). Titles: How the King became His Majesty. New York: Barnes & Noble. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-56619-085-5.
- ^ History Crunch Writers. "Aztec Emperors (Huey Tlatoani)". History Crunch - History Articles, Summaries, Biographies, Resources and More. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ see e.g. M. Mitterauer, Why Europe?: The Medieval Origins of Its Special Path, University of Chicago Press (2010), p. 28.
- ^ The distinction of the title of "king" from "sultan" or "emir" in oriental monarchies is largely stylistics; the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are also categorised as absolute monarchies.
References
- Cannadine, David; Price, Simon, eds. (1987). Rituals of Royalty: Power and Ceremonial in Traditional Societies. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-33513-2. LCCN 86-29881.
- Craughwell, Thomas J. (2009). 5,000 Years of Royalty: Kings, Queens, Princes, Emperors & Tsars. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. ISBN 978-1-60376-189-5.
- Hani, Jean (2011). Sacred Royalty: From the Pharaoh to the Most Christian King. The Matheson Trust. ISBN 978-1-908092-05-2.
External links
Look up cyning in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Media related to Kings at Wikimedia Commons
Wikiquote has quotations related to King.
- Phillip, Walter Alison (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). pp. 805–806.
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