Reading historical literature, we come across different titles of the rulers of states. European countries were most often led by kings. What does this title mean and how does it differ from emperor or king? Let's deal with this issue.
Term Definition
King is an ancient monarchical title. Traditionally, it is inherited. The name of the title comes from the name of Charlemagne - the king of the Franks, who ruled in the second half of the VIII - early IX centuries. For Russian lands, this term was alien and associated with the Catholic faith. Until 1533, all rulers in Europe received the royal title from the hands of the Pope.
In the Middle Ages, the king acted as an intermediary between the subjects of his state and God. He was equated with the Creator and endowed with unlimited power. Those who opposed his will were severely punished. To ascend the throne, the ruler had to go through a complex coronation ceremony. Only after that he had the right to put on a mantle, symbolizing the sky. Other symbols of royal power also had a hidden meaning. The wand and scepter in the hands of the monarch were associated with justice and undeniable rightness. The medieval king is a person personifying the state with his appearance. According to his state of he alth, the well-being of all subjects was judged. There was even a belief that if the monarch was sick, you should not expect a good harvest.
A woman could also wear a royal title. She received it in two cases: if she married the ruling king and when she headed the state on her own.
The difference between monarchical titles
What is the difference between a king and an emperor or king? After all, all these rulers lead the country and have unlimited power. Emperors are the rulers who rule empires - huge states, within whose borders many different peoples are united. As a rule, they included previously independent lands that were conquered as a result of military invasions. Some empires were so large that they consisted of separate kingdoms or kingdoms, headed by governors who were subordinate to the emperor. In the vast territories of empires, people of several nationalities could live. Often they spoke different languages.
Unlike the emperor, a king is a monarch who is subordinate to a state populated by people of the same nationality. As mentioned above, this title was common in European countries. In the Russian state, from the middle of the 16th century, the supreme rulers began to be called tsars. They, like kings, had unlimited power on their lands. The royal title could be inherited.
King in Russia
There was also a Russian king in the East Slavic lands. This title was worn by the ruler of the Galicia-Volyn principality Daniil Galitsky. It fell to him to rule in difficult times, when the Russian lands suffered from the Mongol-Tatar invasions. To protect his principality from the Horde yoke, Galitsky sought support from European countries. To do this, he adopted the Latin faith and was crowned on the throne by Pope Innocent IV. So Daniel of Galicia became the first king in Russia among the princes. This title he passed on to his successors.
Modern Kingdoms
In some countries, the king and queen are still in power today. In modern Europe such states are Great Britain, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway. In Asian countries, kingdoms also survived. They are Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain and Bhutan. In Africa, kings rule in Morocco, Swaziland and Lesotho, and in Polynesia - in Tonga. The king and queen are to this day the supreme rulers in their states and enjoy great love among their subjects.
The fate of the monarchy in France
But not in all countries, the kings managed to keep power in their hands. France is a prime example of this. The rulers of this state for many centuries bore the title of kings. At various times, the French throne was headed by the monarchs of several dynastic families (Merovingians, Carolingians, Capetians, Valois, Bourbons). The royal title in the country was abolished as a result of the revolution of 1848,pursuing the establishment of equal rights and freedoms for all citizens. The last monarch, who was called "the French king", was the representative of the Bourbon dynasty, Louis-Philippe. Having abdicated under the pressure of the protesters from the throne in February 1848, he fled to England. After that, a republic was established in France.
King is a title dreamed of by many representatives of noble families. They sought to inherit the throne, and with it the power, at any cost, not stopping even before killing rivals. The modern king bears little resemblance to the monarch of the Middle Ages. But he, as before, is the face of his state, so he is always in the center of public attention.
