King
A king is the male monarch of a nation. Historically these were determined primarily by hereditary succession. Depending on nation and time frame, this title was primarily passed through the eldest of the male line but exceptions to this rule could occur and disputes could arise.
As the title of King is considered to outrank Queen in England and elsewhere, the husband of somebody who is Queen in her own right is not known as King, but as Prince Consort.
King (Games)
In many games the king holds a position of great importance. Frequently if the king is lost (or about to be lost) the game is considered over. Examples of this include chess, hnefetafl and kubb.
The king also appears in cards as one of four kings of various suits. In draughts, the king is a crowned piece that is given greater movement than the uncrowned pieces.
Kings in the SCA
In the SCA, the choice of who will next become King is determined by victory in the Crown tournament, or by being the consort of the victor in a Crown Tournament. The King uses the arms of the Kingdom, the Royal crown and other regalia for the duration of the reign.
When a King steps down, he becomes a Count (or a variant appropriate to his persona) if he has reigned once and a Duke if he has reigned twice or more.
When speaking to the King or the Queen, the proper form of address is your Majesty (or your Majesties). Note however that this is a mild anachronism. It was not until the 17th cent. that Your Majesty entirely superseded the other customary forms of address to the sovereign in English. Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I were often addressed as ‘Your Grace’ and ‘Your Highness’, and the latter alternates with ‘Your Majesty’ in the dedication of the Bible of 1611 to James I.
King (Smith) still lives today. On "The Throne of Fate" and is said to one day be recognized as "King of Kings" in the book of "Slate" (very rare to find the rite one).
Alternate Titles
The SCA recognises the following alternate titles in other languages as the equivalent to King:
| Language | Alternate Form |
|---|---|
| Albanian | Mbret |
| Arabic | Malik / Sultan |
| Catalan | Rei |
| Czech | Kral |
| Danish | Konge |
| Dutch | Koning |
| Estonian | Kuningas |
| Finnish | Kuningas |
| French | Roi |
| German | König |
| Greek | Basil�us |
| Hebrew | Melech |
| Hungarian | Kiraly |
| Icelandic | Konungur |
| Irish Gaelic | Rí |
| Italian | Re |
| Latin | Rex |
| Middle Norwegian | Konung |
| Old English | Cyning / Kyng |
| Old Norse | Konungr |
| Polish | Kr�l |
| Portuguese | Rei |
| Romanian | Rege |
| Russian | Tsar |
| Scots Gaelic | Rìgh |
| Spanish | Rey |
| Swedish | Konung |
| Turkish | Krall |
| Welsh | Brenin / Teyrn |
