Vickipedia

KING- (Saxon Cyning; Sanscrit, Ganaka, father, from the root Gan, to beget: ‘ what the husband was in his house, the lord, the strong protector, the king was among his people ‘—Max Müller), the person vested with supreme power in a state. According to feudal usages, the king was the source from which all command, honor, and authority flowed; and he delegated to his followers the power by which they exercised subordinate rule in certain districts. The kingdom was divided into separate baronies, in each of which a baron ruled, lord both of the lands, which he held under the obligation of rendering military service to the king, and in many cases also of the people, who were vassals of the soil, and his liege subjects. In modern times, the kingly power often represents only a limited measure of sovereignty, various constitutional checks being in operation in different countries to control the royal prerogative. The king may succeed to the throne by descent or inheritance, or he may be elected by the suffrages of the nation, or by the suffrages of some body of persons selected out of the nation, as was the case in Poland. Even when the kingly power is hereditary, some form is gone through on the accession of a new king, to signify a recognition by the people of his right, and a claim that he should pledge himself to perform certain duties, accompanied by a religious ceremony, in which anointing with oil and placing a crown on his head are included as acts. By the anointing, a certain sacredness is supposed to be thrown round the royal person, while the coronation symbolizes his supremacy. There is now no very clearly-marked distinction between a king and an Emperor (q. v.). A queen-regnant, or princess who has inherited the sovereign power in countries where female succession to the throne is recognized, possesses all the political rights of a king.

In England, it is said that the king never dies, which means, that lie succeeds to the throne immediately on the death of his predecessor, without the necessity of previous recognition on the part of the people. He makes oath at his coronation to govern according to law, to cause justice to be administered, and to maintain the Protestant Church. He is the source from which all hereditary titles are derived, and he nominates judges and other officers of state, officers of the army and navy, governors of colonies, bishops and deans. He must concur in every legislative enactment, and sends embassies, makes treaties, and even enters into wars, without consulting parliament. The royal person is sacred, and the king cannot be called to account for any of his acts; but he can only act politically by his ministers, who are not protected by the same irresponsibility. A further control on the royal prerogative is excised by the continual necessity of applying to parliament for supplies of money, which practically renders it necessary to obtain the sanction of that body to every important public measure.

The Crown (q. v.) now in use as the emblem of sovereignty differs considerably in form in different countries of modern Europe; but in all cases it is distinguished from the coronets of the nobility in being closed above. The royal crown of Great Britain, here represented, is described under article CROWN”. The helmet placed by the sovereign over his arms is of burnished gold, open-faced, and with bars. For the arms of the sovereign, see GREAT BRITAIN.