page_title: Royal Prussia
section_title: Independence protected by the king of Poland
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Prussia / History / Independence protected by the king of Poland
caption_attribution_description: Map of Prussia in 1751, with Royal Prussia (Polish) shown in pink and the Kingdom of Prussia (Brandenburg), formerly Ducal Prussia shown in dark gold.French map caption: “La Prusse, divisée en Prusse Royale, et Prusse Ducale laquelle a été erigée en Royaume par l'Empereur Leopold en favour de Frederic I. Elect. de Brandebourg couroné en Janvier 1701. Par le Sr. Robert Geog. ord. du Roy. Avec Privilege. 1751. Guill. Delahaye, sculpsit.”
context_page_description: Royal Prussia or Polish Prussia was a break-away territory of the Teutonic Order that in 1466 won autonomy as a dependency of the King of Poland. Subsequently, in 1569 Royal Prussia was fully merged into the Kingdom of Poland.
  Royal Prussia was established after the Second Peace of Thorn, from territory in western Prussia which seceded from the despotic State of the Teutonic Order seeking protection as a dependency of the King of Poland. As a dependency, its political status was similar to the Bailiwick of Jersey, reflected in the title "Royal Prussia" or the King's Prussia. Royal Prussia retained autonomy, governing itself and maintaining its indigenous laws, customs, and rights. As a royal dependency, it could participate in the election of its titular monarch, however it could not participate in the Sejm, the Polish parliament.
  In 1772, the former territories of Royal Prussia were annexed by Prussia.
context_section_description: According to the 1454 treaty signed by King Casimir IV, Royal Prussia enjoyed complete autonomy as a dependency of the king: it had its own laws, rights, treasury, money, and armies. It governed itself in council, whose members were chosen from local lords and powerful burghers (ius indigenatus). Eventually, Royal Prussia was privileged to send one, non-voting observer to the Sejm (Polish Diet). Thorn, Elbing, and Danzig (Danzig law) were granted additional privileges similar to the status of a Free imperial city.
  In many respects, the constitutional status of Royal Prussia was similar to the Bailiwick of Jersey or the Isle of Man, which are ruled by the monarch of the United Kingdom. Royal Prussia, as a vassal state answerable to the King of Poland alone, benefited from its association with the Commonwealth, and owing to its liberties under the Polish monarch, its rulers ranked as the most powerful among palatines of the Commonwealth.
  The Bishop of Warmia had claimed Imperial Prince-Bishopric status, as mentioned in the Golden Bull of 1356 by Emperor Charles IV. Although the area was never directly under the Emperor's jurisdiction and the claim seems unsupported by any bestowal document, it was in wide use in the 17th century. The bishopric continued defending this status until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
caption: Contemporary map showing Royal Prussia - dependency of the king of Poland, and Ducal Prussia - enfeoffed to the king of Poland.
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