If you ever get the opportunity to meet someone royal in person, it’s probably pretty important to know how to speak to them. Both past and present royals have specific titles that you are required to address them by. Today for our Chapter 5 vocab words, we are examining…
lord, master, highness, grace, liege, worship, majesty
Depending on your familiarity with the language used with royals, you may or may not have already known that all of these words can be used as titles to address kings, queens, princes, and princesses. Throughout The Prince and the Pauper, we see these terms frequently used in different ways. But they essentially all mean the same thing. Keep reading or watch the video below for more info!
About these titles
These titles are all possibilities for addressing someone who has a higher social standing or royal position that one. These formal titles originate from the belief that monarchs are chosen by God. They need to be treated with the highest respect because they are the closest thing on Earth to God. Some of these titles are used for people with higher titles, like a queen or queen, and some are used for lower nobles like dukes and duchesses. One of the tricky things about these titles is that some involve the word “my” (my lord) and some involve the word “your” (your majesty).
Etymology
| Title/Address | Etymology |
| your worship | weorþscipe (Old English) = to venerate; honor shown to an object |
| your majesty | maiestatem (Latin) = greatness, honor, excellence |
| your highness | heanes (Old English) = royalty, excellence, nobility |
| your grace | gratia (Latin) = favor, esteem; pleasing quality |
| my lord | hlaford (Old English) = master of household |
| my master | magister (Latin) = chief, head, director, teacher |
| my liege | laeticus (Germanic) = leader of a band of free men |
Sentences/Additional Forms
- Straightforward sentence: “Your majesty, may I please ask you for a favor?”
- Sentence from the chapter: “But is it not I that speed him hence, my liege? How long might he not live, but for me?” (p. 25)
- Other forms: n/a
But wait, there’s more!
Here are some of the correct titles to use with royals/nobles modern-day (particulary in the UK):
- King = “His Majesty, the King”
- Queen = “Her Majesty, the Queen”
- Prince = “His Royal Highness, Prince of (Name of Country)”
- Princess = “Her Royal Highness, Princess of (Name of Country)”
- Duke = “His Grace, the Duke of (Name of Country)”
- Duchess = “Her Grace, the Duchess of (Name of Country)”
Other Etiquette Rules
- Don’t touch a king/queen (no handshakes unless they reach out to you)
- Wear formal attire (fancy; avoid sleeveless/casual)
- No slouching/arms crossed
- Kisses are only for family members or close friends
- No wrists, elbows, or hands on the table (at a meal)
- Wait for the host to place the napkin first
- Partial curtsies/bows upon meeting royalty
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References
https://www.etymonline.com/word/lord#:~:text=lord%20(n.),English%20dryhten%20was%20more%20frequent).
https://www.etymonline.com/word/master
https://www.etymonline.com/word/highness
Pontes Books 