What's the difference between "Royal Highness" and "Imperial Highness"?

I'm doing a project for school.... so anyone know?

What's the difference between "Royal Highness" and "Imperial Highness"?
Actually Stephen, Maria Alexandrovna was styled "Her Royal and Imperial Highness" in the United Kingdom, not just "Her Royal Highness". In Saxe-Coburg and Gotha where her husband reigned she was referred to as "Her Imperial and Royal Highness".





Originally, kings and emperors were referred to by several different styles, mainly as "highnesses". When the Holy Roman Emperor assumed the style of Majesty, so did the King of France. Thereafter the Holy Roman Emperor called himself "Imperial Majesty" and the French king was a royal "Majesty".





The style of Highness was soon after picked up by the princelings of Europe throughout the 18th century when "title inflation" started to become noticed as a phenomena, and even a trend. They styles of "Royal Highness" and "Imperial Highness" echo the status of the heads of Imperial and Royal families.





Traditionally, an Imperial Highness ranked ahead of a Royal Highness simply because an emperor ranked above a king (therefore the issue of an emperor outranked the issue of a king). In some monarchies, specifically Russia and Austria, imperial issue also used titles higher than prince --- grand duke and archduke, respectively. Again, this was a show of status.





In today's day and age, however, an Imperial Highness is equal with a Royal Highness. The Crown Prince of Japan does not outrank the Crown Princess of Sweden, for instance, simply because he is imperial and she is royal. Precedence today is calculated through different means.





All non-Japanese holders of the style "Imperial Highness" belong to formerly sovereign families. Off the top of my head, those are Austria, Brazil, France (House of Bonaparte), Ethiopia, Germany (the head of the Prussian Royal Family only), Korea, Ottoman Empire, Russia, etc. These families may more strongly observe the distinction between "Imperial" and "Royal", although technically they are all outranked even by the Princes of Monaco and Liechtenstein, who are only Serene Highnesses (the second lowest "Highness", just about "Illustrious Highness").





Holders of *both* the style Imperial Highness and Royal Highness either hold one by birth and one by marriage (this was the case with Maria Alexandrovna of Russia when she married Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, and also with Marie Bonaparte when she married Prince George of Greece and Denmark), both by birth or position (as is the case with all Archdukes and Archduchesses of Austria and with the German Crown Princes and German Crown Princesses) or *both* by marriage (such as when any woman marries an archduke and becomes an archduchess).





Sometimes, however, a woman may not opt to combine "Imperial" and "Royal" and may just used "Imperial Highness" instead. It would seem to be personal choice. For instance, Maria Vladimirovna of Russia never styled herself "Imperial and Royal Highness" when she was a Royal Highness by marriage to Prince Francis William of Prussia.
Reply:"Royal" refers to a king or queen, and "imperial" refers to an emperor. So "Royal Highness" would be the style or form of address of the son or daughter of a king or queen, and "Imperial Highness" would be that of the son or daughter of an emperor.





(Or you could say that "royal" refers to pudding and "imperial" to ice cream, but I don't think Imperial brand ice cream is made any more.)
Reply:Royal Highness (abbreviation HRH) is a style (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness); plural Royal Highnesses (abbreviation TRH, Their Royal Highnesses). It appears in front of the names of some members of some royal families other than the King or Queen. The style His/Her Royal Highness is used by members of many European royal families including the British, Danish, Swedish, Spanish, the Dutch and more.





The style His/Her Royal Highness ranks below His/Her Imperial Highness (referring to an Imperial House) but above His/Her Grand Ducal Highness, His/Her Highness, His/Her Serene Highness and some other styles (referring to Grand Ducal, Princely or Ducal Houses).





His/Her Imperial Highness (abbreviation HIH) is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial - as opposed to royal - status to show that the holder in question is descended from an Emperor rather than a King (compare His/Her Royal Highness). It generally outranks all other single styles.





Today the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial Family of Japan, and the descendants of the Imperial Line of Russia who are still addressed as such, although, of course, no longer have any power in Russia. In the past, the style has been applied to more senior members of the French and Korean Imperial Houses.
Reply:An Imperial Highness is the son or daughter of a Emperor, whereas a Royal Highness is the son or daughter of a King or Queen. An Imperial Highness is considered to be higher in rank than a Royal Highness as an Emperor is considered a higher rank than a King.





This sometimes causes trouble in royal protocol. When Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia (the daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia) married His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (2nd eldest son of Queen Victoria), the Tsar insisted she be styled Imperial Highness rather than Royal Highness as this was a higher style. Victoria refused however, and she was formally styled in the United Kingdom as Royal Highness.
Reply:Royal Highness and Imperial Highness are both used to refer to a princess and prince. Royal Highness is refered to a princess and prince where the rulers are known as a King and Queen and Imperial Highness is refered to a princess and prince where the rulers are known as an Emperer and Emperess. The best example of Imperial highness would be the children of the Russian Emperers and the best example of Royal Highness would be the children of Britian's monarchs.
Reply:To extend what Elizabeth has said, perhaps a better example of Imperial Highness is in Japan where they still have a monarchy


Emperor/ess: HIM = His/Her Imperial Majesty


Children: HIH = His/Her Imperial Higness





King/Queen: HM = His/Her Majesty


Children HRH: His/Her Royal Highness





and for Extra Marks at your school:


Prince/Princess in some countries such as Monaco and for some non-royal Prince/Princesses in Thailand:


HSH = His/Her Serene Highness
Reply:I assume that imperial has something to do with an empire. presumably the title of imperial highness is only used in a country that is ruled by an emporer/ empress.
Reply:No difference same bullshit...........

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