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A '''regent''', from the [[Latin]] ''regens'' "one who [[reign]]s", is anyone who acts as head of state, especially if not the [[monarch]] (who has higher [[title]]s).  In a monarchy, a regent usually rules due to the actual monarch's absence, incapacity or minority, and may also be elected to rule during the ''sede vacante'' when the [[royal]] line has died out. 

Thus, in [[France]], between 1060 and 1066, during the minority of [[Philip I]], his mother [[Princess]] Anne of [[Kiev]] acted as Regent.  In 1552, during the reign of [[Henri II]] his [[queen]], [[Catherine de Medici]] acted as Regent when the [[king]] left the [[kingdom]] on a military campaign to Metz in 1552. Again, on Henri's death in 1559, Catherine acted as Regent for their son, [[Francois II]], and on his death, for his brother and successor, [[Charles IX]].

In [[Scotland]] a serial regency occurred after the (hasty) departure of [[Mary Stuart]] to [[England]] in 1568.  First [[James Stuart]], [[Earl]] of Moray, ruled in her absence.  After her death ([[execution]] at the hands of the [[Protestant]] English, she being a [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]]), first James, then Matthew, Earl of Lennox, then John Erskine, Earl of Mar, and then James Douglas, Earl of Morton, acted as regent for [[James VI]] during his minority.

== Regents in the SCA ==

In the [[SCA]], a regent is generally appointed when there is no current [[royal]] head of a [[group]], i.e., no [[king]] or [[queen]]. There may be many reasons for the lack of royalty, like death or infringements of the [[Society]]'s [[rule|regulations]], but the regent will normally help organise a [[crown tournament]] to decide a new king and queen. The regent does not have the power to change [[kingdom]] laws and give out [[award]]s. The regent's appointment ends with the [[coronation]] of new monarchs.

A good example was the appointment of [[Duke]] Palymar as regent of [[Midrealm]] when the [[Board of Directors]] ended the first reign of Lutr and Tessa. 

Smaller SCA branches can also have regents appointed but they sometimes go by other names, e.g., [[viceroy]] for [[Crown Principality|crown principalities]], [[vicar]] for [[barony|baronies]].


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