View source for Royal we

{{Short description|Use of a first-person plural pronoun to refer to a single person}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Royal ''we''}}
{{for|the song by Silversun Pickups|The Royal We}}
{{Refimprove|date=May 2011}}
{{use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
[[File:Jul-Greg-George-II-1750.tif|thumb|Document of 1750 signed by [[George II of Great Britain]], using the royal ''we'' in [[German language|German]]: ''Gegeben auf Unserm Palais zu St. James den 3/14ten April des 1750ten Jahres Unsers Reiches im Dreÿ und Zwantzigstem. George R'' ("Issued in Our Palace of St. James, on 3rd/14th April in the 1750th year in the three and twentieth of Our Reign. George [[Rex (title)|R]]")]]
[[File:Archaeologia cantiana (1859) (14779402855).jpg|thumb|Latin document of 1249–50 issued by [[Henry III of England]]; he uses the phrase ''Mandamus vobis'' ("We command you").]]
[[File:Sam-mostyn-gg-commission.png|thumb|2024 Commission of Australian Governor-General [[Sam Mostyn]], issued by [[Charles III]]]]
The '''royal ''we''''', also known as the '''majestic plural''' ({{langx|la|pluralis majestatis}}) or '''royal plural''', is the use of a plural [[pronoun]] (or corresponding [[plural]]-inflected verb forms) by one who is a [[monarch]] or high office holder to refer to oneself. A more general term for the use of a ''we'', ''us'', or ''our'' to refer to oneself is ''[[nosism]]''.

== Example ==
In 1902, after the [[United Kingdom]] had been asked to arbitrate a boundary dispute between [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]], [[King Edward VII]] issued the adjudication of the requested arbitration, known as the [[Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case]]. The sentence following the preamble of the award begins as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legal.un.org/riaa/cases/vol_IX/37-49.pdf|title=The Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case|publisher=Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations|series=Reports of International Arbitral Awards}}</ref>
{{blockquote|Now, {{smallcaps|<u>We</u>, Edward}}, by the grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, etc., etc., have arrived at the following decisions upon the questions in dispute, which have been referred to <u>Our</u> arbitration, ...}}
In this quotation, underlining has been added to the words that exemplify the use of the majestic plural.

== Western usage ==
The royal ''we'' is commonly employed by a person of high office, such as a monarch or other type of [[sovereign]]. It is also used in certain formal contexts by [[bishop]]s and university [[Rector (academia)|rectors]]. [[William Longchamp]] is credited with its introduction to England in the late 12th century, following the practice of the [[Chancery of Apostolic Briefs]].<ref>{{cite ODNB |title=Longchamp, William de (''d''. 1197) |url= http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/16980 |last=Turner |first=Ralph V. |date=May 2007 |doi= 10.1093/ref:odnb/16980 |url-access=subscription |access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref>

In the public situations in which it is used, the monarch or other dignitary is typically speaking not only in their own personal capacity but also in an official capacity as leader of a nation or institution. In the grammar of several languages, plural forms tend to be perceived as deferential and more polite than singular forms.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

In diplomatic letters, such as [[Letter of credence|letters of credence]], it is customary for monarchs to use the singular first-person (''[[I (pronoun)|I]]'', ''me'', ''my'') when writing to other monarchs, while the majestic plural is used in royal letters to a president of a republic.<ref name="satow1932">{{cite book|last1=Satow|first1=Ernest Mason|title=A Guide to Diplomatic Practice|url=https://archive.org/details/guidetodiplomati00satouoft|date=1932|publisher=Longmans|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/guidetodiplomati00satouoft/page/37 37]|quote=In these letters the plural "We" and "Our" are employed instead of "I" and "My," and the letters terminate thus: "Your Good Friend." This form is used mainly for Royal letters to Presidents of Republics.}}</ref>

In [[Commonwealth realms]], the sovereign discharges their [[Commission (document)#Examples of military and naval commissions|commissions to ranked military officers]] in the capacity of ''we''.  Many official documents published in the name of the monarch are also presented with royal ''we'', such as [[letters patent]], [[proclamation|proclamations]], etc.

Popes have historically used the ''we'' as part of their formal speech, for example as used in {{lang|fr|[[Notre charge apostolique]]}}, {{lang|de|[[Mit brennender Sorge]]}}, and {{lang|it|[[Non abbiamo bisogno]]}}.  
Since [[Pope John Paul I]], however, the royal ''we'' has been dropped by popes in public speech, although formal documents may have retained it.  Recent important papal documents still use the majestic plural in the original Latin but are given with the singular ''I'' in their official English translations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/ |title=Ioannes Paulus PP. II: Karol Wojtyla: 16.X.1978 - 2.IV.2005 |publisher=The Vatican |access-date=28 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430185550/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/ |archive-date=30 April 2011}}</ref>{{full|date=November 2012}}

In 1989, [[Margaret Thatcher]], then [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]], was met with disdain by some in the press for using the royal ''we'' when announcing to reporters that she had become a grandmother in her "[[We have become a grandmother]]" statement.<ref>''The Phrase Finder''. [http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/401700.html "We are a grandmother"].</ref>

== Non-Western usage ==
Several prominent [[Names of God in Judaism|epithets]] of the [[Tanakh|Bible]] describe the [[Yahweh|Hebrew God]] in plural terms: {{lang|he-Latn|[[Elohim]]}}, {{lang|he-Latn|[[Adonai]]}}, and {{lang|he-Latn|[[El Shaddai]]}}. Many Christian scholars, including the post-apostolic leaders and [[Augustine of Hippo]], have seen the use of the plural and grammatically singular verb forms as support for the doctrine of the [[Trinity]].<ref>{{cite web |title=On the Trinity |url=http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1301.htm |publisher=New Advent |access-date=7 February 2014}}</ref> The earliest known use of this poetic device is somewhere in the 4th century AD, during the Byzantine period; nevertheless, scholars such as [[Mircea Eliade]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Eliade |first=Mircea |author-link=Mircea Eliade |editor1-last=Espín |editor1-first=Orlando O. |editor2-last=Nickoloff |editor2-first=James B. |title=An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies |date=2007 |publisher=Liturgical Press |page=396 |isbn=9780814658567}}</ref> [[Wilhelm Gesenius]],<ref>Gesenius, Hebrew Grammar: 124g, without article 125f, with article 126e, with the singular 145h, with plural 132h, 145i</ref> and Aaron Ember<ref>{{cite thesis |type=PhD |title=The Pluralis Intensivus in Hebrew |first=Aaron |last=Ember |location=Baltimore |publisher=Johns Hopkins University |date=1905 |page=207 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=VEUDAAAAMAAJ |via=Google Books}}</ref> claim that ''Elohim'' is a form of majestic plural in the [[Torah]].

In [[Imperial China]] and every monarchy within [[East Asian cultural sphere|its cultural sphere]] (including [[Japanese Empire|Japan]], [[Korean Empire|Korea]], [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyu]], and [[Vietnamese Empire|Vietnam]]), the majestic imperial pronoun was expressed by the [[Chinese character|character]] {{lang|zh-Latn|zhèn}} ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|朕}}}}, {{langx|och-Latn|proto=yes|lrəmʔ}}). It was in fact the former Chinese first-person {{em|singular}} pronoun (that is, {{gloss|I}}). However, following his [[Qin's wars of unification|unification of China]], the [[Emperor of China|Chinese emperor]] [[Qin Shi Huang]] arrogated it entirely for his personal use. Previously, in the Chinese cultural sphere, the use of the first-person pronoun in formal courtly language was already uncommon, with the nobility using the self-deprecating term {{lang|zh-Latn|guǎrén}} {{lang|zh|寡人}} ({{gloss|lonely one}}) for self-reference, while their subjects referred to themselves as {{lang|zh-Latn|chén}} {{lang|zh|臣}} ({{gloss|subject}}, originally meaning {{gloss|servant}} or {{gloss|slave}}), with an indirect deferential reference like {{lang|zh-Latn|zúxià}} {{lang|zh|足下}} ({{gloss|below [your] foot}}), or by employing a [[Chinese honorifics|deferential epithet]] (such as the adjective {{lang|zh-Latn|yú}} ({{lang|zh|愚}}), {{gloss|foolish}}). While this practice did not affect non-Chinese countries as much since their variants of {{lang|zh-Latn|zhèn}} ({{lang|zh|朕}}) and other terms were generally loanwords, the polite avoidance of pronouns nevertheless spread throughout East Asia. {{Crossreference|(For more information, see: [[Japanese pronouns]], [[Korean pronouns]], and [[Vietnamese pronouns]].)}} This still persists, except in [[China]], where, following the [[May Fourth Movement]] and the [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]] victory in the [[Chinese Civil War]], the use of the first-person pronoun {{lang|zh|我}} {{lang|zh-Latn|wǒ}}, which dates to [[Shang dynasty]] oracle inscriptions as a plural possessive pronoun, is common.{{Crossreference|(See also [[Chinese Pronouns]].)}} {{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} The pronoun 朕 remained in use by [[Emperor of Japan|Japanese emperors]] until 1945, when {{Nihongo||私|watakushi}} became more favoured.<ref>As seen in the [[Hirohito surrender broadcast]] (1945): 朕󠄂深ク世界ノ大勢ト帝國ノ現狀トニ鑑ミ非常ノ措置ヲ以テ時局ヲ收拾セムト欲シ茲ニ忠良ナル爾臣民ニ吿ク</ref> 

In [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] and other [[Indo-Aryan languages]], the majestic plural is a common way for elders and those of higher social rank to refer to themselves. In certain communities, the first-person singular ({{langx|hi|मैं|maiṁ|I}}) may be dispensed with altogether for self-reference and the plural [[nosism]] used uniformly.{{cn|date=July 2024}}<!-- Invalid ref added here in Revision as of 20:07, 3 February 2014 by 203.145.159.148. What is it? Rupert Snell and Simon Weightman coauthored books on Hindi, but I can't find any older than 1993: ''Hindi: A Complete Course for Beginners Book and 2 Tapes''. -- <ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Snell|Weightman|1989|p=106}}</ref> -->

In [[Islam]], several plural word forms are used to refer to [[Allah]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Surah Al-Hijr [15:9]|url=https://quran.com/15:9|website=Surah Al-Hijr [15:9]|language=en|access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref>

In [[Malaysia]], before the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] takes office, he will first swear an oath where he refers to himself with the [[Malay language|Malay]] first person plural {{lang|ms|kami}} (“we”). This is because His Majesty represents the other [[Conference of Rulers|Malay Rulers]] during his reign as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

In [[Indonesia]], the royal ''we'' was historically used in the [[Preamble|preambles]] of early legislative documents, such as Government Regulation No. 1/1945<ref name="PP2">{{cite act|type=Government Regulation|index=1/1945|date=1945|legislature=President of Indonesia|title=PERATURAN PEMERINTAH NOMOR 1 TAHUN 1945 TENTANG DAN MULAI BERLAKUNJA UNDANG-UNDANG DAN PERATURAN PEMERINTAH|url=https://jdih.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/8186/PP0011945.pdf|language=id}}</ref> and Law No. 1/1945.<ref name="PP22">{{cite act|type=Law|index=1/1945|date=1945|legislature=President of Indonesia|title=UNDANG-UNDANG 1945 NOMOR 1 TENTANG PERATURAN MENGENAI KEDUDUKAN KOMITE NASIONAL DAERAH.|url=https://jdih.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/8341/UU0011945.pdf|language=id}}</ref> This was abandoned in 1946 since the issuance of Government Regulation No. 1/1946<ref name="PP23">{{cite act|type=Government Regulation|index=1/1946|date=1946|legislature=President of Indonesia|title=PERATURAN PEMERINTAH NOMOR 1 TAHUN 1946 TENTANG BANK RAKYAT INDONESIA|url=https://jdih.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/8189/PP0011946.pdf|language=id}}</ref> and Law No. 1/1946.<ref name="PP222">{{cite act|type=Law|index=1/1946|date=1946|legislature=President of Indonesia|title=UNDANG-UNDANG NOMOR 1 TAHUN 1946 TENTANG PERATURAN HUKUM PIDANA|url=https://jdih.setkab.go.id/PUUdoc/8342/UU0011946.pdf|language=id}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Generic you|Generic ''you'']]
* {{lang|la|[[Pluralis excellentiae]]}}
* [[Royal one|Royal ''one'']]
* [[Singular they|Singular ''they'']]
* [[T–V distinction]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Personal pronouns]]
[[Category:Sociolinguistics]]
[[Category:Grammatical number]]
[[Category:Etiquette]]