Princess Charlene of Monaco bears the title of Her Serene Highness. Ever wondered where this unusual name comes from today? Spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with a breeze.
It may sound a bit strange, but Charlene’s official royal title is Her Serene Highness. What does this special title actually mean? And why does the Monegasque princess bear it? We looked into it for you.
Illustrious
When we think of ‘airing’ we might think of opening a set of windows in the foyer. Would Charlene be such a ‘fresh breeze’ in the Grimaldi palace that she was given that title? No, of course not. The history behind the title goes back to a special translation from Latin.
Beacon of light
If we consult the experts at the Etymology Bank, they can point out a clear origin for the special title. According to the Etymological Dictionary of Dutch, the term means something like ‘exalted’. Now it was clear that the title is a sign of status, but where does it come from?
Language historians also know the answer to that: it would be a particularly literal translation of the Latin word ‘perillustris’, which means something like ‘very conspicuous’. But why don’t we have ‘Her Conspicuous Highness’? That’s because it has a somewhat special translation: the affix ‘per-‘ has been included quite literally as ‘door’. The word ‘illustris’, which means something like ‘in the light, shining, clear’, was then unceremoniously pasted onto it. Translucent, that is – as a kind of radiant beacon. Over the years, the pronunciation has changed to ‘doorluchtig’, and today Charlene and Albert are listed as a couple of Serene Highnesses. A-ha!
Source: Glamial archive, Etymology Bank | Image: NL Image
