Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin Maiestas, meaning Greatness. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

Origin

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. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the This was crucially defined by the existence of a specific crime, called laesa maiestatis, literally "Violated Majesty" (in English law Lese majesty, via the French Lèse-majesté), consisting of the violation of this supreme status. Lèse majesté ( French expression from the Latin Laesa maiestas or Laesae maiestatis (crimen, (crime of injury to the Majesty in English 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. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Even indirect actions such as paying for a service in a brothel with a coin bearing the portrait of the emperor could be punished as an act aganst this "maiestas". For the 2008 film of this name see The Brothel. For the television series of this name see Cathouse The Series.

Western style monarch's address

After the fall of Rome, Majesty was used to describe a Monarch of the very highest rank - indeed, it was generally applied to God. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. The title was then also assumed by Monarchs of great powers as an attempt at self-praise and despite a supposed lower royal style as a King or Queen, who would thus often be called "His or Her Royal Majesty. Regalia is Latin Plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign. " The first English king to be styled Majesty was Henry VIII - earlier monarchs had used the form His Grace. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of Eventually the title became enshrined in law, and it was thus that all of the Kings and Queens of Europe bear the title to this day. Variations include His Catholic Majesty for Spain and Her Britannic Majesty for the United Kingdom, when used to distinguish Her Majesty from other Monarchs. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

The Monarchs of Principalities were considered lesser, so they generally did not take the title, opting for either His Highness or His Serene Highness. A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince Highness, often used with a personal possessive pronoun ( His/Her/Your/Their Highness(es, the first two abbreviated HH is an attribute referring to the rank of the Serene Highness ( Acronym HSH) &ndash His Serene Highness or Her Serene Highness. On a similar note almost all rulers of princely states in the British Empire were denied the Majesty style, only being recognised as His Highness, a style commonly used for sons (and other relatives) of a Majesty, since they were not sovereigns in their own right. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Highness, often used with a personal possessive pronoun ( His/Her/Your/Their Highness(es, the first two abbreviated HH is an attribute referring to the rank of the

The United Kingdom

Main article: Style of the British sovereign

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 fro the monarch in official documents or the most formal situations. The precise style of British Sovereigns has varied over the years TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy

Most Gracious Majesty is only used in the most formal of occasions. Around 1519 King Henry VIII decided Majesty should become the style of the sovereign of England. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of "Majesty", however, was not used exclusively; it arbitrarily alternated with both "Highness" and "Grace", even in official documents. Highness, often used with a personal possessive pronoun ( His/Her/Your/Their Highness(es, the first two abbreviated HH is an attribute referring to the rank of the His Grace or Her Grace was the style used to address the King or Queen of Scotland up to the Act of Union of 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. "

In pre-Union Scotland Sovereigns were only addressed as Your Grace. His Grace or Her Grace was the style used to address the King or Queen of Scotland up to the Act of Union of During the reign of James I & VI, Majesty became the official style, to the exclusion of others. James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James In full, the Sovereign is still referred to as "His (or Her) Most Gracious Majesty", actually a merger of both the Scottish Grace and the English Majesty.

Britannic Majesty is the style used for the monarch and the crown in diplomacy, the law of nations, and international relations. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards For example, in the Mandate for Palestine of the League of Nations, it was His Britannic Majesty who was designated as the Mandatory for Palestine. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Britannic Majesty is famously used in all British Passports, where the following sentence is used:

Most Excellent Majesty is mainly used in Acts of Parliament, where the phrase "The King's (or Queen's) Most Excellent Majesty" is used in the enacting clause. An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. An enacting formula, or enacting clause, is a short phrase that introduces the main provisions of a Law enacted by some Legislatures It usually The standard is as follows:

Usage in Africa

In most of Africa where there may be Kings and Queens or Chiefs, they use His/Her Majesty, instead of Highness or Royal Highness regardless of whether the Kings or Chiefs are sovereign over any land or not, since most are heads of the tribes within the various countries of Africa. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories

Imperial monarch's address

In the case of Emperors and Empresses, the style "His (or Her) Imperial Majesty" is used instead, where there may be several monarchs (Kings or Queens) that are considered to be under the jurisdiction of the Emperor/Empress. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of