Prince is a title of the highest rank of the nobility. The word comes from the Latin princeps, meaning first. Princeps was used as a title for civil and military officials among the ancient Romans. The German Visigoth and Lombard tribes that settled in the Roman Empire used prince to mean independent authority. The crusaders followed this practice when they set up governments in the Near East.
In modern times, the title prince or princess can be used in many ways. It is the title of the ruler of the principality of Liechtenstein. In the United Kingdom, only the eldest son of the ruler has a legal right to the title of prince, and only after the ruler has created him Prince of Wales. The oldest daughter may be granted the title Princess Royal. As a mark of courtesy, other members of the royal family, and they alone, are called prince or princess. In France, male members of the former royal Bourbon family are called prince. In Italy, the title is commonly used by the heads of many of the great Italian families.
