why does royalty refer to themselves as WE rather than I?t?

silkcurtin · #1 13-07-2007, 17:15

I want serious answers only please on this and the more in depth the better. i have always noticed tht in films of kings, queens, princes ect. such as lady jane where edward refers to himself as we before janes mother and the servants during janes beating , edward refers to hiomself as WE. HE SAYS QUOTE " WE WISH TO SPEAK TO OUR COUSIN JANE ALONE! i have seen this done by royalty before in books and movies. what is the significance of this phrase?

OPM · #2 13-07-2007, 18:35

In many languages there is a first person plural. English used to have a second person plural, "thou."Further, the King is the nation. When the King speaks, we speak. A king is not a person in their own right, but the incarnation of the nation, placed there by God.If you watch, Richard III, many of the nobility are addressed by their territory and not their name. They may be people, but upon assuming the ducal throne, they became their people.

infintysquared · #3 13-07-2007, 18:55

Short answer: Here's your link.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We#Atypical_uses_of_weLong answer, in my own words:It is the Imperial "We." As Sovereign of a country, a King or Queen is the standing figurehead of the country and all its people. Thus, they speak for every person in the country, hence with the "We shall do suchforth."In a Democracy or Republic, the leader is elected FROM the people, and as such is explicitly different from the monarchical system. In Robert Heinlein's _Stranger in a Strange Land_, there is a subtle but significant part played in the difference between a sovereign state and republic. I won't go into the philosophy here, but you're welcome to read the book yourself - I recommend the uncut manuscript if you can find it.However, another piece of contrasting etiquette that's also relevant: A President is expected to rise during the playing of his/her national anthem, because s/he is the person chosen to carry out the wishes of the people at large.A Sovereign King or Queen shall remain seated, and rise after the end of the anthem as an acknowledgment, because they are the voice to command the people below.You might also look into Rousseau's Social Compact as cited below, which goes more in-depth into the philosophy of supporting a monarch as the voice of many people, if they feel it is good.

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