Why does royalty refer to themselves as WE rather than I?t?

Question

I want serious answers only please on this and the more in depth the better.

i have always noticed tht in films of kings, queens, princes ect. such as lady jane where edward refers to himself as we before janes mother and the servants during janes beating , edward refers to hiomself as WE. HE SAYS QUOTE " WE WISH TO SPEAK TO OUR COUSIN JANE ALONE!

i have seen this done by royalty before in books and movies. what is the significance of this phrase?

Answer 1

the imperial "we". the royal, on behalf of the kingdom of great Britain, is stating that "we the royals".

it is common for the "common people" would say "i would like to talk to you"

Answer 2

Short answer: Here's your link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We#Atypical...

Long answer, in my own words:

It is the Imperial "We." As Sovereign of a country, a King or Queen is the standing figurehead of the country and all its people. Thus, they speak for every person in the country, hence with the "We shall do suchforth."

In a Democracy or Republic, the leader is elected FROM the people, and as such is explicitly different from the monarchical system.

In Robert Heinlein's _Stranger in a Strange Land_, there is a subtle but significant part played in the difference between a sovereign state and republic. I won't go into the philosophy here, but you're welcome to read the book yourself - I recommend the uncut manuscript if you can find it.

However, another piece of contrasting etiquette that's also relevant:

A President is expected to rise during the playing of his/her national anthem, because s/he is the person chosen to carry out the wishes of the people at large.

A Sovereign King or Queen shall remain seated, and rise after the end of the anthem as an acknowledgment, because they are the voice to command the people below.

You might also look into Rousseau's Social Compact as cited below, which goes more in-depth into the philosophy of supporting a monarch as the voice of many people, if they feel it is good.

Answer 3

"WE" represent the person who is speaking and the position they represent.

Answer 4

The word "we" is used because the monarch represents the government.

Answer 5

In many languages there is a first person plural.  English used to have a second person plural, "thou."

Further, the King is the nation.  When the King speaks, we speak.  A king is not a person in their own right, but the incarnation of the nation, placed there by God.

If you watch, Richard III, many of the nobility are addressed by their territory and not their name.  They may be people, but upon assuming the ducal throne, they became their people.

Answer 6

Because they have all been inbred for hundreds of years.

Answer 7

Since the king (I forget which one) decided that English should be the language of the Court rather than French, many changes have been made in the official use of the language. AS an aside, it was George III who mis-read lieutenant as lieFtenant, and when corrected checked a bit of a fruity, and ever since, the British have used that invisible F in the word. It may have been George III who also demanded the Royal Plural when he claimed that "I AM the State" and demanded to be addresses that way, but it could have been any of them. They were a pedantic lot in those days..

Answer 8

Hi,

The royal we (Pluralis Majestatis) is the first-person plural pronoun when used by an important personage to refer to himself or herself. It's best known usage is by a monarch such as a king, queen, or pope. It is also used in certain formal contexts by bishops and university rectors.

In the public situations in which it is used, the monarch or other dignitary is typically speaking, not in his own proper person, but as leader of a nation or institution. Nevertheless, the habit of referring to leaders in the plural has influenced the grammar of several languages, in which plural forms tend to be perceived as deferential and more polite than singular forms. This grammatical feature is called a T-V distinction.

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Answer 9

Beacuse WE Are far superior to you and WE have more money. WE think that you are here to do our bidding. WE also do not have to be royalty per say as much as being richer nad more important in the world than you.

WE do not have to even associate with you.