Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-26
BRITISH PRINCEssEs ROYAL.
Historic Precedents-origin of the
Title-Some Bearers of It.

From the London Telegraph.
Nothing in the list of the birthday honors
will crafty his majesty's subjects more
than the announcement that the Duchess Of
Fife. the kings eldest daughter will bear
the style and title OF Princess Royal and
that the daughters OF her royal hIghness
will bear the title of highness and the
style OF princess.
The title of princess Royal" Is endeared
to an cider generation by the fact that Il
was borne by the eldest of Queen VIctoria's
daughters. the deeply loved and much la
mented Empress Frederick OF Germany.
II is common error to suppose that
the title IS only conferred upon daugh-
ter of the reigning house IL she happens
to be the first born child. This is not the
case. 1t has been conferred on the eldest
daughter of the house, whether first born
or not, whether born before the accession
OF her parents to the throne or after. Be
fore the reign OF Henry VIII the daUgh-
tiers of the sovereign do not appear to
have borne any distinctive title save that
OF 1.-The Lady Margaret or THE Lady
Elizabeth" as the case might be. But
Henry VIII made more than one altera-
ton in the styles and titles of royalty.
He was, for instance, the first English
sovereign who bore the title Of Majesty"
his predecessors being content with Soy
ereign Lord Highness." This step, how
ever was taken probably TO put himself
upon equal terms with his brother OF
Spain, who was the first European monarch
to style himself Majesty. He also caused
his eldest daughter to be described as
Princess Mary''-the queen who afterward
came to be popularity known by lessat-
tractive designation. II was not TIL the
reign Of Charles L that the kings eldest
daughter was commonly called Princess
Royal
AS far as we can discover there was no
special warrant issued TO regularize what
.S,r,. - to-. .
probable explanation is that the title was
suggested by Queen Henrietta Maria, who
was daughter of Henri de Navarro in ac-
cordance with the usage of the French
to the different members of the royal
family. This first Princess Royal mar
ried William II, Prince of Orange. and
their son. William Henry. Prince OF
Orange. afterward became William III OF
England Henceforth, as occasion offered.
the eldest daughter of the reigning SOW
ereign usually bore the title, unless she had
married into some royal house before the
accession Of her parents to the throne.
Charles IL died without issue, and Mary,
the daughter of James ii, who subsequently
became Queen of England. had married
William of Orange, afterward William
III, prior 10 her fathers accession to the
throne. None of Queen Anne's daughters
she had four-lived many years after their
birth. The only daughter of George / was
already Crown Princess fof Prussa) when
her father came 10 the throne. Anne, eldest
daughter of George II. who also married
a Prince of Orange. was styled Princess
Royal upon the fathers accession. Curl
ously enough, Augusta, eldest daughter OF
George III, who married the King of Wur-
temberg, was not only Princess Royal"
till her marriage. but was buried as 'Prin-
cess Royal" In Westminster Abbey in 1928.
The Princess Charlotte OF Wales, whose
premature death plunged two countries in
gloom. did not live to see her father. the
regent, ascend the throne as George w
IT. -f>s. 1.asG
died In infancy before he became king.
And last of all. the Princess Victoria, ED
est daughter and eldest child of Queen Vic
,toria OF blessed memory, was dubbed
Princess Royal in the official papers notify
ing her birth, and also described at
her baptism by the same title.