The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-28
OLD EMPERORS
George to Reppe Title of His Predecessors the Throne
Stories of KaiSerS dedication

have the act ratified by his privy council.
that is to say. by any Of the members
thereof whom he may summon for the
purpose. BY assuming this title. by
means Of an order IN council, on the
occasion OF his coronation. King George
would rrt an end to the anomaly created
by his being Emperor only of portion
Of the British empire. namely. India
All the great Safeguarding colonies
enumerated above are embraced in what
Is officially known as the British en-
pire. the home government IS known in
the colonies as the imperial government.
and the court Of ultimate appeal. con
stituted by the sovereign and his privy
council. is known as the court Of the
empire. But. as matters stand now, all
this huge empire is without its emperor
II George V fulhIs these expectations,
and adopts a title embracing the over
sea dominions and territories. thereby
Strengthening the link between them and
the Crown, he Will. after all, be merely
reviving an ancient dignity Of the reign
ing house Of England. Only those. how
ever who in their studies have made a
speciality Of English history. are aware
tina: the imperial title was used by the
rulers Of England, from the earliest times,
down to the beginning OF the reign OF
James l.
The sovereigns, who reigned over Eng
land prior 20 the Norman conquest. were
wont to style themselves 'Bretwalda, .
which is declared to be the Anglo-Saxon
equivalent OF Emperor; any doubts as 70
the correctness Of this rendering being
set at rest by the existence in the British
Museum of Latin document bearing the
signature Of King Athelstane. in which
he IS described as Rex. that is. King.
and as 'Cesare totius Britannica" which
means. Caesar Cor Emperor OF all
Britain"
In another Latin state paper, likewise
preserved at the British Museum. his
immediate successor Is designated as
Rex ct Basileus," the latter being the
Greek word for emperor.
The assumption OF the imperial dignity
by these old Anglo-saxon ynonarchs was
due to the fact that they were not only
monarchs OF their own particular king
dom. but likewise the suzerain Of all those
other kingdoms into which England and
Wales were In those days divided
In the British Museum there is like
wise 10 be found an old Latin poem. OF
the time Of William the Conqueror, which
describes his Transformation from the
Duke Of Normandy into British En-
peror," and throughout the subsequent
reigns, down to that OF Henry VIII. the
words, Empire. Imperial Dignity, %
and Emperor were constantly being
used in Official document. that are stin
on file in the state record Office, and may
be seen by any one who takes the trouble
10 secure an order Of admission to the
Office OF records, from its chief. the
master Of the rolls.
The so-cailed Statute Of Appeal -
bearing the date OF 1857. by which Henry
VIII and his Parliament renowned IN,
supremacy OF the Pope and OF Rome. say.
explicitly. This realm Of England Is ar
empire, governed by a King. having The
royal estate OF an ancient crown" and II
another statute dealing with Irish affairs
Henry VIII is designated as being king
and Emperor OF the realm OF England
and OF the land Of Ireland
Queen Elizabeth. on the occasion OF her
coronation was proclaimed most worthy
Empress" Archbishop Heath, OF Canter-
bury speaking Of Queen EIzabeth.s
rights Of supremacy over the church. de-
scribes her as being our Sovereign and
our Empress" And those who have made
a careful study Of Shakespeare's work.
viii recall the fact that in those Of his
plays which deal with King Henry Y
and Henry VI the Immortal Bard" fire.
quently makes reference TO the Imperial
Crown" to the Empire" to the I'm.
Perial State and TO the most mighty
empire"
For some reason or other James I and
his son. Charles I. allowed the title OF
Emperor 10 drop. and both Charles II
and his brother and successor. James. II
were far too dependent. politically and
financially, upon Louis XIV. Of France,
to render the assumption OF the imperial
title practicable Pressure was brough,
TO bear upon Queen Anne to revive the
imperial title borne by her ancestors. and
in the British Museum library several