Evening star., 1901-12-14
TITLES OF CROWNED HEADS
POWERS AND ATTRIBUTES CLAIMED
BY CERTAIN KINGS.
Swelling Appendices to the Names of
European and Eastern
SOvereigns.
From Tit Bits.

From Tit Bits. s-Ase
The change now being made in the king S
title so that it may comprehend the whole
of the British empire, and not merely, as
before, Great Britain and Ireland and In
dia, marks an interesting stage in the SLOW
and gradual development of the royal ad-
dress which has taken place since the time
of Edward the elder, son and successor OF
Alfred the Great, who was the first soVer-
eign of this realm to call himself King OF
the English, and whose present-day sue
cessor and namesake is to be described in
the sonorous and swelling phrase: Ed
ward VII, by the grace OF God, OF the
United Kingdom of Great Britain ana ire
land and of all the British dominions be-
yond the sea, King, Defender or the 4 ailn'
Emperor of India. ;"
The Edwards of our history have been es-
pecially associated with alterations IN the
royal style, for it was Edward III VINO III,
corpOrated with his title that OF hinS OIL
France, and quartefed the heur-de-lys on
his coat-of-arms, this practice being main
tanned until the reign of George IL, Wnen'
the parliamentary union of Great BRIT
ain and ireland century ago, the claim
was finally abandoned.
Defender of the Faith.
1t Is worthy of note that the compliment
ary distinction of Defender of Faith, be-
slowed by the pope on Henry VIII for MS
tract on the Seven Sacraments in opposition
t. Martin Luther, has since been so prized
by this country that the two-shllllng piece
OF 1S49 had to be recoined because OF the
omission of the letters F. d. tt1del De-
fensor) the coin now being great rarity
and known among collectors as the sou-
less form.
Like the English style of Defender OF
the Faith the French and Spanish kings
inc
for services to the Church of Rome Inc
King of France was thus the Most Shiis-
tan King, well as the Eldest son Oh lhe
Church. while the Spanish monarch nau
the honor of being known as the Most
Catholic King. Similarly the ruler OF the
Austrian empire is addressed as His Apos-
tolic Majesty, his full address pelns his
Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty EN-
peror of Austria, King OF Bohemla ana
Apostolic King of Hungary.
Among Mohammedan princes religious IT,
ties are also greatly venerated Ihe sultan
of Turkey, as successor or CanpnS, aiIects
the style of Commander OF the Falthiul;
the Sultan of Morocco is the Emir-al Mu-
menin, otherwise Prince of True Believers,
and the Ameer of Afghanistan terms him
self Zia-u- Mitatiwadin dlGht of Union
and Religion).
The Son of Heaven.
But these are modest in comparison with
the Emperor of China, whose lofty title is
the Son of Heaven. The claim to be King
of Kings is made by both the Shah of Per
sia (shah-in-ShaD and the Emperor Meme
lik of Abyssinia tNegus NegusD.
The Emperor of Japan has very curious
and unique appellatfon: The Mikado or
Honorable Gate; and a stately and splendid
title is that of the Great White Car, who
is Emperor of All the Russias.
The former Portuguese emperorS of Bra
zi We're styled Constitutional Emperor and
Perpetual Defender But the most sub
lime and high-soundng title of any ruler
must surely be the following, which was
possessed by the 'ex-King Theebaw of Bur
ma, whom we deposed in 1855: His Most
Glorious Excellent Majesty, Lord of the
Ishaddan, King of Elephants, Master of
Many White Elephants, Lord Of the Mines
of Gold and Silver, Rubies, Amber and the
Noble Serpentine, Sovereign of the En-
pires of Thunaparanta and Tampadipa and
other Great Empires and Countries, and of
all the UmbrellaW Wearing Chiefs, the Sup
porter of Religion, the Sun-Descended Mon
arch, Arbiter of Life and Great Righteous
King. King of Kings, and Possessor of
Boundless Dominions and Supreme Wis
dom.