REGENT (Lat. re'o, I govern), one who exercises the power without having the name of a king. In a hereditary monarchy there are various circumstances which may neces sitate the delegation of the sovereign power—as the devolution of the crown on a minor too young to be intrusted with the kingly office; the incapacity of the sovereign by ill ness, mental or bodily; and the case of absence front the realm. A regent under the title of protector (q.v.) has often been appointed to exercise royal authority in the sovereign's minority, the latest instance in England being during the minority of Edward VI.; and regents and councils of regency have been sometimes named by the sovereign to provide for the probable nonage of his heir. According to Coke, the surest way of making such an appoiptment is by authority of the great council in parliament; and in recent timesthe appointment has generally been made by statute. During the frequent absences of the first two kings of the house of Hanover in their continental dominions, it was the practice to appoint regents or lords justices (q.v.) to exercise the powers of sovereign. In 1783, when George III. became incapacitated from exercising the kingly office by insanity, it became a question whether his eldest son, then of full age, had a right to be regent, or whether the nomination rested with parliament. The chief politi
cal authorities of the time were divided in their judgment, but the king's recovery ended the discussion. On the return of the malady, all parties were unanimous that the regency should be conferred on the prince of Wales; this was done, however, by parliament, and for the first year of his regency, certain restrictions were imposed, which were to be removed in the case—which eventually occurred—of the king's continued illness.
In 1830 a regency bill was passed, providing for the administration of the government, should the crown descend to the princess Victoria before she attained eighteen years of age; and in 1840 a regency bill (3 and 4 Viet,. c. 52) was passed, providing that the late prince consort should be regent, in the event of the demise of the queen, her next lineal successor being under age. During her present majesty's various short absences from the country there has been no delegation of the royal power.