The original, but now less common use of the word, originated in the application of the Latin word
princeps, from
late Roman law, and the classical system of government that eventually gave way to the European
feudal society. In this sense, a prince is a ruler of a territory which is
sovereign, or
quasi-sovereign, i.e., exercising substantial (though not all) prerogatives associated with monarchs of independent nations, as was common, for instance, within the historical boundaries of the
Holy Roman Empire. In
medieval and
Early Modern Europe, there were as many as two hundred such territories, especially in Italy, Germany, and
Gaelic Ireland. In this sense, "prince" is used of any and all rulers, regardless of actual title or precise rank. This is the
Renaissance use of the term found in
Niccolò Machiavelli's famous work,
Il Principe.
[2]
As a title, by the end of the medieval era,
prince was borne by rulers of territories that were either substantially smaller than or exercised fewer of the rights of sovereignty than did emperors and kings. A
lord of even a quite small territory might come to be referred to as a
prince before the 13th century, either from translations of a native title into the Latin
princeps (as for the hereditary ruler of
Wales), or when the lord's territory was
allodial. The lord of an
allodium owned his lands and exercised prerogatives over the subjects in his territory absolutely, owing no feudal homage or duty as a vassal to a
liege lord, nor being subject to any higher jurisdiction. Most small territories designated as principalities during feudal eras were allodial, e.g. the
Princedom of Dombes.
Lords who exercised lawful authority over territories and people within a feudal hierarchy were also sometimes regarded as
princes in the general sense, especially if they held the rank of
count or higher. This is attested in some surviving
styles for e.g., British earls,
marquesses, and
dukes are still addressed by the
Crown on
ceremonial occasions as
high and noble princes (cf.
Royal and noble styles).
