King vs. Prince — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 7, 2023
A king is the highest-ranking monarch, while a prince is typically a monarch's son or a monarch of a smaller region.
Difference Between King and Prince
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A king is often the ruler of a nation or a sovereign entity, holding the highest position of authority and power in a monarchy. A prince, in contrast, usually refers to a male royal family member who is not the reigning monarch, often the son of a king or queen.
Kings are sovereign rulers who may have ascended to the throne by heredity or election, depending on the system of governance of the land. Princes, while they may hold significant status, do not possess the same level of power or responsibility as a king and may or may not be in line for the throne.
In many regions, a king has the authority to enact laws, govern lands, and lead armies. Princes may have certain duties and territories to manage, but their role is subordinate to that of a king and is often focused on representing the monarchy or assisting the king.
While a king's consort is typically known as a queen, a prince may have a consort known as a princess. The role of a queen consort is usually ceremonial, similar to that of the prince, unless she is a queen regnant, where she rules in her own right, as the king does.
When a king passes away or abdicates, a prince may become the new king if he is the next in succession. The transition from prince to king signifies a significant shift in responsibility and power within the monarchy.
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Comparison Chart
Title Significance
Highest-ranking monarch.
A monarch’s male offspring or a monarch of a lesser domain.
Power and Authority
Holds supreme power, often absolute within the monarchy.
Has royal status but with less authority, often none outside ceremonial roles.
Succession
Inherits or is elected to the throne as the head of state.
May be in the line of succession but is not the reigning monarch.
Territory
Reigns over a kingdom or empire.
May govern a principality or hold no specific territory.
Consort
Married to a queen (consort or regnant).
Married to a princess or someone of noble status.
Compare with Definitions
King
A man who holds a life tenure awarded for merit in a royal order of knighthood.
He was knighted and became a king in the realm of science.
Prince
A male ruler or monarch of a small state, actually, nominally, or originally subject to a king or emperor.
The prince governed his principality with a fair and just hand.
King
The principal or most important person or thing in a group or field.
In the world of boxing, he was the undisputed king.
Prince
An outstanding man especially in a particular group or class.
In the arts, he was considered a prince for his generous patronage.
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
Prince
A non-reigning male member of a royal family, especially a son of the reigning monarch.
The prince attended the gala representing the royal family.
King
A male sovereign.
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. Prince is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states.
King
One that is supreme or preeminent in a particular group, category, or sphere
"In many countries, soccer is the king of sports" (Cameron W. Barr).
Prince
A male member of a royal family other than the monarch, especially a son of the monarch.
King
A man chosen as the winner of a contest or the honorary head of an event
A homecoming king.
Prince
A man who is a ruler of a principality.
King
Abbr. K A playing card bearing the figure of a king, ranking above a queen.
Prince
A hereditary male ruler; a king.
King
Abbr. K The principal chess piece, which can move one square in any direction and must be protected against checkmate.
Prince
A nobleman of varying status or rank.
King
A piece in checkers that has been moved to the last row on the opponent's side of the board and been crowned, thus becoming free to move both forward and backward.
Prince
An outstanding man, especially in a particular group or class
A merchant prince.
King
Kings(used with a sing. verb) See Table at Bible.
Prince
A (male) ruler, a sovereign; a king, monarch.
King
A king-size bed.
Prince
(obsolete) A female monarch.
King
Principal or chief, as in size or importance.
Prince
Someone who is preeminent in their field; a great person.
He is a prince among men.
King
Of or relating to a king-size bed
King sheets.
A king bed skirt.
Prince
The (male) ruler or head of a principality.
King
To make (a piece in checkers) into a king; crown.
Prince
A male member of a royal family other than the ruler; especially (in the United Kingdom) the son or grandson of the monarch.
King
A male monarch; a man who heads a monarchy. If it is an absolute monarchy, then he is the supreme ruler of his nation.
Henry VIII was the king of England from 1509 to 1547.
Prince
A non-royal high title of nobility, especially in France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Prince Louis de Broglie won the 1929 Nobel Prize in Physics.
King
A powerful or majorly influential person.
Howard Stern styled himself as the "king of all media".
Prince
The mushroom Agaricus augustus.
King
Something that has a preeminent position.
In times of financial panic, cash is king.
Prince
A type of court card used in tarot cards, the equivalent of the jack.
King
A component of certain games.
Prince
Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Rohana.
King
(chess) The principal chess piece, that players seek to threaten with unavoidable capture to result in a victory by checkmate. It is often the tallest piece, with a symbolic crown with a cross at the top.
Prince
The one of highest rank; one holding the highest place and authority; a sovereign; a monarch; - originally applied to either sex, but now rarely applied to a female.
Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince.
Queen Elizabeth, a prince admirable above her sex.
King
(card games) A playing card with the letter "K" and the image of a king on it, the thirteenth card in a given suit.
Prince
The son of a king or emperor, or the issue of a royal family; as, princes of the blood.
King
A checker (a piece of checkers/draughts) that reached the farthest row forward, thus becoming crowned (either by turning it upside-down, or by stacking another checker on it) and gaining more freedom of movement.
Prince
A title belonging to persons of high rank, differing in different countries. In England it belongs to dukes, marquises, and earls, but is given to members of the royal family only. In Italy a prince is inferior to a duke as a member of a particular order of nobility; in Spain he is always one of the royal family.
King
The central pin or skittle in bowling games.
Prince
The chief of any body of men; one at the head of a class or profession; one who is preëminent; as, a merchant prince; a prince of players.
King
A king skin.
Oi mate, have you got kings?
Prince
To play the prince.
King
A male dragonfly; a drake.
Prince
A male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
King
A king-sized bed.
Prince
Used as a title for the heir apparent to the throne of an empire, kingdom, or principality.
The prince is next in line to the throne, preparing for his future role.
King
The monarch with the most power and authority in a monarchy, regardless of sex.
King
(graph theory) A vertex in a directed graph which can reach every other vertex via a path with a length of at most 2.
King
To crown king, to make (a person) king.
King
To rule over as king.
King
To perform the duties of a king.
King
To assume or pretend preeminence (over); to lord it over.
King
To promote a piece of draughts/checkers that has traversed the board to the opposite side, that piece subsequently being permitted to move backwards as well as forwards.
King
To dress and perform as a drag king.
King
A Chinese musical instrument, consisting of resonant stones or metal plates, arranged according to their tones in a frame of wood, and struck with a hammer.
King
A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince.
Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle.
There was a State without king or nobles.
But yonder comes the powerful King of Day,Rejoicing in the east
King
One who, or that which, holds a supreme position or rank; a chief among competitors; as, a railroad king; a money king; the king of the lobby; the king of beasts.
King
A playing card having the picture of a king{1}; as, the king of diamonds.
King
The chief piece in the game of chess.
King
A crowned man in the game of draughts.
King
The title of two historical books in the Old Testament.
King
To supply with a king; to make a king of; to raise to royalty.
Those traitorous captains of Israel who kinged themselves by slaying their masters and reigning in their stead.
King
A male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
King
A competitor who holds a preeminent position
King
A very wealthy or powerful businessman;
An oil baron
King
Preeminence in a particular category or group or field;
The lion is the king of beasts
King
United States woman tennis player (born in 1943)
King
United States guitar player and singer of the blues (born in 1925)
King
United States charismatic civil rights leader and Baptist minister who campaigned against the segregation of Blacks (1929-1968)
King
A checker that has been moved to the opponent's first row where it is promoted to a piece that is free to move either forward or backward
King
One of the four playing cards in a deck bearing the picture of a king
King
(chess) the weakest but the most important piece
King
A male monarch of a major territorial unit; the sovereign head of a kingdom.
The king decreed a new law that benefited his subjects.
King
The chief piece in the game of chess having the greatest value and importance.
After a strategic game, her king was checkmated.
King
A card bearing a picture of a king, ranking above a queen.
She won the round with a king of hearts.
Common Curiosities
What is a king?
A king is the male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.
Who is a prince?
A prince is a male royal family member, often the son of a king or queen, or a ruler of a small sovereign state.
Does a king always have more power than a prince?
In most traditional monarchies, a king has more power than a prince, who is often subordinate.
How does a prince become a king?
A prince typically becomes a king through succession, usually following the death or abdication of the preceding monarch.
What responsibilities does a prince have?
A prince's responsibilities vary but often include ceremonial duties and representing the royal family.
Can a prince rule a country?
A prince may rule a principality or act as a regent if the king is unable to rule, but is not a reigning monarch of a kingdom.
Are all princes sons of kings?
Not all princes are sons of kings; some are grandsons or other relatives within the royal lineage.
What titles do princes hold?
Princes can hold various titles, often reflecting their place in the line of succession or their territorial holdings.
Can a king be a prince?
A reigning king cannot simultaneously be a prince, but a king may have held the title of prince before ascending to the throne.
What is the female equivalent of a prince?
The female equivalent of a prince is a princess, who is a female member of a royal family.
How is a king addressed?
A king is usually addressed as "Your Majesty" or "His Majesty."
Is a king's wife always a queen?
The wife of a king is typically known as a queen consort, but she does not rule unless she is a queen regnant.
Can there be more than one prince in a kingdom?
Yes, there can be multiple princes in a kingdom, such as the sons of the monarch or princes of subsidiary regions.
How is a prince addressed?
A prince is often addressed as "Your Royal Highness" or "His Royal Highness."
What is the role of a king in government?
A king's role in government depends on the country's laws but often includes being the head of state and potentially influencing government policies.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
