KING (AS. (lining, DUG. kuning, (4er. Konig; probably connected with Goth. knit/. 1)1311. kunni, AS. cynn, Eng. kin. Imp. family. and ultimately with Lat. yen us, Gk. -y(vos, genus, Ir. eine, Skt. jana, race, family. people. from jan, to beget). The title of a ruler vested with supreme au thority over a State. nation. or tribe. In early times the king was the chief source of all au thority. He was responsible only to God. of whom he was the earthly representative, and his person was sacred. The tenure of the crown was usually hereditary, and was clainied by di vine right, although occasionally it was elective within certain limits, as among the early Ger mans, where the chief qualification for the king ship was ability to lead ,the warriors in battle. With the growth of the feudal system the char aeter of the kingship changed. In Germany the royal power was largely ltsurped by the feudal lords. In France. on the other hand. the king was able to overcome the feudal nobility. With the constitutional development of modern times the feudal king and the absolute king of the me diaeval age have given way to the constitutional king. whose prerogatives are limited by the pre scripts of a written eongitution or custom. At present all the Continental European countries except Russia and Turkey have written constitu tions which place substantial limitations upon the royal power. Another important modification of the kingship effected by the constitutional de velopment of the last century is its relegation from a position of sovereign power to a position as an organ of government merely. That is to say, the Eurof wan kingship is no bmge• a SOV ereignty. but an office, the powers of soverei,mty which formerly were vested in the king having been largely withdrawn and conferred upon the national legislative body. In the third place, the kingship has become more generally elective than formerly. By this is meant the power of the legislature. now generally recognized. to depose unworthy kings and designate their successors. In most of the European constitutions the crown is dese•ibed as hereditary. In England the law of succession is lineal primogenial, with prefer ence for males over females. In the Netherlands.
Portugal, and Spain essentially the same rule prevails. lm Norway and Sweden. and Prussia it is agnatic lineal primogenial. with absolute exclusion of felon 1 in Anstria.lfmu gary it is the same, except that in default of male heirs females may succeed. The age at which the attains his majority is usually eighteen, although in Anstria-Hummry it is six teen. During the minority of the king.. or when for any reason he is unable to exercise the royal prerogatives, a regent is appointed, who is vested with the anal power. The only qualifications required of European kings relate to the profes sion of religious faith. Thils in England the sovereign must be a Protestant, in Norway and •-•weoleit a Lutheran. and in Austria-lIntigary a Ifonian (;atholic. By the ceremony of corona tion a seini-sacred character is communicated to the royal person which symbolizes his inviolabil ity and supremacy. Among the qualities whielt attach to the crown an inviolability, immacu lateness, irresponsibility ( for the conduct of po litical affairs), and immortality. It is a com mon maxim that the king eon do no wrong; therefore his ministers who his offi cial acts assume the responsibility for his eon duct. By the quality of immortality is meant the immediate transmission of the crown upon the death of the to his successor without interruption or interregnum. 111 general.• the powers of the king include the appointment to ()thee; the disposition of the land and naval forces; the calling. opening. proroguing, adjourn ing, and dissolving of the parliamentary bodies; the approval or rejection of legislative measures; the appointment and recognition of ambassadors pild ministers; the negotiation of treaties. subject to eertaill restrictions in some countries; and the issue of administrative regulations and proclama tions of various kinds. The crown is also the source of clemency and pardon, as well as of all honors and hereditary titles. In several of the European countries. besides Germany, the royal crown was formerly for a long period elective; these were Hungary, Bohemia, and Poland.