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{{Short description|Regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince}}{{pp|small=yes}} 
{{other uses}}
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[[File:Sigrid Eriksdotter Vasa.jpg|thumb|[[Princess of Sweden|Princess]] [[Sigrid of Sweden (1566–1633)|Sigrid Vasa of Sweden]] (1566–1633)<ref>Sture Arnell: ''Karin Månsdotter'', Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm 1951.</ref><ref>Lars-Olof Larsson (in Swedish): ''Arvet efter Gustav Vasa'' (The Inheritance of Gustav Vasa)</ref>|299x299px]]

[[File:Princess Benedikte of Denmark -2.jpg|thumb|[[Princess Benedikte of Denmark]] wearing insignia of the [[Order of the Polar Star]] ([[Sweden]]) and various Danish orders' insignia while in [[Stockholm]], 2013|299x299px]]

'''Princess''' is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female [[Monarch|ruler]] of a [[principality]]. The male equivalent is a [[prince]] (from [[Latin]] ''[[princeps]]'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a monarch. A [[crown prince]]ss can be the [[heir apparent]] to the [[throne]] or the spouse of the heir apparent.

==Princess as a substantive title==
Some princesses are reigning monarchs of principalities. There have been fewer instances of reigning princesses than reigning princes, as most principalities excluded women from inheriting the throne. An example of a princess regnant is [[Constance of Antioch]], princess regnant of [[Principality of Antioch|Antioch]] in the 12th century.<ref name="Runciman">{{cite book|title=A History of the Crusades: The kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East 1100-1187|last=Runciman|first=Steven|volume=II|isbn=9780521347716|year=1987|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge, UK|pages=507}}</ref> Since the [[president of France]], an office for which women are eligible, is ''[[Ex officio member|ex-officio]]'' a [[co-prince of Andorra]], then [[Andorra]] could theoretically be jointly ruled by a princess.{{Ranks of Nobility}}

==Princess as a courtesy title==

===Descendants of monarchs===
For many centuries, the title "princess" was not regularly used for a monarch's daughter, who, in English, might simply be called "Lady". [[Old English]] had no female equivalent of "prince", "earl", or any other royal or noble title aside from [[queen regnant|queen]]. Royal women were simply addressed or referred to as "The Lady [Firstname]". For example, [[Mary I of England|Mary]] and [[Elizabeth I|Elizabeth]], daughters of [[Henry VIII|Henry VIII of England]], were often simply referred to as "the Ladies Mary and Elizabeth".<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of the Most Renowned and Victorious Princess Elizabeth Late Queen of England|last=Camden|first=William|publisher= M. Flesher|location=London, UK|year=1688|edition=4th|pages=5}}</ref> This practice, however, was not consistent. In the marriage contract between [[Prince George of Denmark]] and [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Anne]], daughter of [[James II of England]], Anne is referred to as "The Princess Anne".<ref>{{cite book|title=English Historical Documents, 1660-1714|orig-year=1966|year=2006|publisher=ROUTLEDGE|location=London, UK|isbn=9780415143714|editor-first=David C.|editor-last=Douglas}}</ref>

Practice in Britain began to change in the 18th century. After the accession of King [[George I of Great Britain|George I]] to the British throne, the children, grandchildren, and male-line great-grandchildren of the British sovereign were automatically titled "Prince or Princess of Great Britain and Ireland" and styled "[[Royal Highness]]" (in the case of children and grandchildren) or "[[Highness]]" (in the case of male line great-grandchildren). [[Queen Victoria]] confirmed this practice in letters patent dated 30 January 1864 (the first Act of the Prerogative dealing with the princely title in general terms). On 31 December 2012, Queen [[Elizabeth II]] issued letters patent enabling all children of the eldest son of the [[Prince of Wales]] to enjoy the princely title and style of "Royal Highness", as opposed to only the eldest son.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=60384|page=213 |date=8 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Royal baby girl 'would be princess'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20962102|date=9 January 2013|newspaper=BBC News|access-date=6 July 2013}}</ref>

===Wives of princes===
In European countries, a woman who marries a prince will almost always become a princess, but a man who marries a princess will almost never become a prince, unless specifically created so. From 1301 onward, the eldest sons of the [[List of English monarchs|kings of England]] (and later Great Britain and the United Kingdom) have generally been created [[Prince of Wales|Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester]], and their wives have been titled [[Princess of Wales]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Fourteenth Century England|volume=VI|pages=131|editor-last=Given-Wilson|editor-first=Chris|year=2010|publisher=The Boydell Press|location=Woodbridge, UK|isbn=9781843835301}}</ref>

Queen Elizabeth II issued letters patent dated 21 August 1996, stating that any woman divorced from a Prince of the United Kingdom would no longer be entitled to the style "Royal Highness". This has so far applied to [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], and [[Sarah, Duchess of York]]. Similarly, in [[Denmark]], [[Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg]], lost her status as princess upon her second marriage after divorcing [[Prince Joachim of Denmark]] ({{Langx|da|Grevinde af Frederiksborg}}).<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/464149655|title=Danmarks Adels Årbog 2009-11|publisher=Dansk Adelsforening|year=2012|editor-last=Bisgaard|editor-first=Lars|edition=99|pages=159|trans-title=Yearbook of the Danish Nobility|oclc=464149655|editor-last2=Kragsig Jensen|editor-first2=Mogens}}</ref>

==As term of endearment==

In some cases, "princess" is used as a term of endearment to express love for a woman. For example, throughout the 1997 film ''[[Life Is Beautiful]]'' the protagonist Guido calls his beloved Dora "principessa", Italian for "princess".

== See also ==
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
* [[British princess]]
* [[Indian princess]]
* [[List of fictional princesses]]
* [[:Category:Lists of princesses|Lists of princesses]]
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Princesses| ]]
[[Category:Royal titles]]
[[Category:Noble titles]]
[[Category:Women's social titles]]
[[Category:Noble titles of women]]