His (Royal) Apostolic Majesty was a
styleA style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title, in other words a term which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post, or which is used to refer to the political office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
used by the Kings of Hungary, in the sense of being latter-day apostles of Christianity.
The origin of this title dates from about A.D. 1000 when it was conferred by
Pope Silvester IIPope Sylvester II, or Silvester II , born Gerbert d'Aurillac, was a prolific scholar, teacher, and pope. He endorsed and promoted Arabic knowledge of arithmetic, mathematics, and astronomy to Europe, reintroducing the abacus and armillary sphere which had been lost to Europe since the end of the...
upon
Saint Stephen ISaint Stephen I was Grand Prince of the Hungarians and the first King of Hungary ....
(975–1038), the first
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
king of
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, who is supposed to have received it from Pope Sylvester II in recognition of the activity displayed by him in promoting the introduction of Christianity into Hungary and his zeal in seeking the conversion of the heathen.
His (Royal) Apostolic Majesty was a
styleA style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title, in other words a term which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post, or which is used to refer to the political office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
used by the Kings of Hungary, in the sense of being latter-day apostles of Christianity.
First creation
The origin of this title dates from about A.D. 1000 when it was conferred by
Pope Silvester IIPope Sylvester II, or Silvester II , born Gerbert d'Aurillac, was a prolific scholar, teacher, and pope. He endorsed and promoted Arabic knowledge of arithmetic, mathematics, and astronomy to Europe, reintroducing the abacus and armillary sphere which had been lost to Europe since the end of the...
upon
Saint Stephen ISaint Stephen I was Grand Prince of the Hungarians and the first King of Hungary ....
(975–1038), the first
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
king of
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, who is supposed to have received it from Pope Sylvester II in recognition of the activity displayed by him in promoting the introduction of Christianity into Hungary and his zeal in seeking the conversion of the heathen. According to tradition, Stephen also received the ecclesiastical title of Apostolic Legate.
Arduin or Hartvik (1097-1103), bishop of Raab (Györ), the biographer of St. Stephen, tells us that the pope hailed the king as a veritable "Apostle" of Christ, with reference to his holy labours in spreading the Catholic faith through Hungary. However the
papal bullA Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a pope. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end to authenticate it....
of Sylvester II, dated 27 March 1000, whereby the pope grants St. Stephen the crown and title of King, returns to him the kingdom he had offered to the Holy See and confers on him the right to have the cross carried before him, with an administrative authority over bishoprics and churches, affords no basis for the granting of this particular title.
Second creation
It was renewed by
Pope Clement XIIIPope Clement XIII , born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was Pope from 16 July 1758 to 2 February 1769....
in 1758 in favor of the empress Maria Theresia and her descendants, the later Habsburg Emperors of
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
, bore the title of
apostolic king of Hungary, used by the King himself, as also in the letters addressed to him by officials or private individuals.
Pope Leo XPope Leo X was Pope from 1513 to his death. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known primarily for the sale of indulgences to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 theses. He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the most famous ruler of...
having conferred the title of Defensor Fidei on
Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Henry VIII was a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy...
, in the year 1521, the nobles of Hungary, with Stephen Werboczi, the learned jurist and later Palatine of Hungary, at their head, opened negotiations with the Holy See to have the title of "Apostolic Majesty", said to have been granted by Pope Sylvester II to Stephen, conferred on King Louis II of Hungary. But these negotiations led to no result.
In 1627, Emperor
Ferdinand IIIFerdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor 15 February 1637 – 1657. King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, King of the Romans.-Life:...
endeavoured to obtain the title for himself, but desisted from the attempt when he found the Primate of Hungary,
Péter PázmányPéter Pázmány de Panasz was a Hungarian philosopher, theologian, cardinal, pulpit orator and statesman. He was an important figure in the Counter-Reformation in Royal Hungary...
, as well as the Holy See itself, unwilling to accede to his request. When, however, measures were taken, in the reign of Emperor Leopold I (1657-1705) to make the royal authority supreme in the domain of ecclesiastical jurisdiction and administration, the title "Apostolic Majesty" came into use.
Maria Theresia used (the female version of) the title, "Apostolic Queen", for the first time in the letters patent granted to the imperial plenipotentiary sent to the College of Cardinals after the death of
Pope Benedict XIVPope Benedict XIV , born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.-Biography:...
. In the instructions imparted to this ambassador, the hope was expressed that the Holy See will not withhold this title in the future from the ruler of Hungary.
Pope Clement XIIIPope Clement XIII , born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was Pope from 16 July 1758 to 2 February 1769....
, on learning of this wish of Maria Theresa, granted this title
motu proprio to the queen and her successors, by virtue of the
Papal BriefThe Papal Brief is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a Papal Bull.-History:The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugenius IV, was clearly prompted for the same desire for greater simplicity and...
"Carissima in Christo filia", of 19 August, 1758.
The title was thereupon associated with Hungary by an edict of Maria Theresa, which prescribed that the title "Apostolic King of Hungary" should be used for the future in all acts, records and writings.
Since then the King of Hungary bore this title, which, however, only accrued to him after his
coronationA coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch or their consort with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head, and the presentation of other items of regalia...
, and did not belong to him before that ceremony, nor did it extend to the King's spouse (Empress-consort of Austria), nor any other member of the dynasty, not even the heir to the throne, the so-called
rex junior, who was crowned in the life-time of the reigning monarch.
Franz Joseph I of AustriaFranz Joseph I , reigned as Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and as King of Hungary and Crotia from 1848 until 1916 .-Early life:Franz Joseph was born in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the oldest son of...
was titled "His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty" (
Seine Kaiserliche und Königlich Apostolische Majestät) along with his consort Empress Elisabeth, who was styled "Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty" (
Ihre Kaiserliche und Königlich Apostolische Majestät). The plural for the couple was also used as "Their Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesties" (
Ihre Kaiserlichen und Königlich Apostolischen Majestäten).
The rights exercised by the crown in respect of the Catholic Church in Hungary were not connected with the title "Apostolic Majesty", but exercised in virtue of the supreme royal right of patronage.
The style has not been used since the abolition of the
monarchyThe person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch. It was a common form of government in the world during the ancient and medieval times. A Monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or...
in 1918. It was abbreviated to HAM or HRAM; when used with the Austrian Imperial style, it was usually simplified to HI&RM or HIM.
Sources and references
- Apostolic Majesty on the Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and it was completed in April 1914...