In amonarchy,aregent(fromLatinregens[1]'ruling, governing')[2][3]is a person appointed to govern a statepro tempore(Latinfor 'for the time being') because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or thethrone is vacantand a new monarch has not yet been determined.[2][4]The rule of a regent or regents is called aregency.A regent or regency council may be formedad hocor in accordance with a constitutional rule.Regentis sometimes a formal title granted to a monarch's most trusted advisor orpersonal assistant.If the regent is holding the position due to their being in theline of succession,the compound termprince regentis often used; if the regent of a minor is their mother, and she is wife orwidowof the king, she would be referred to asqueen regent.
If the formally appointed regent is unavailable or cannot serve on a temporary basis, aregent ad interimmay be appointed to fill the gap.
In a monarchy, a regent usually governs due to one of these reasons, but may also be elected to rule during the period when the royal line has died out. This was the case in theKingdom of Finlandand theKingdom of Hungary,where the royal line was considered extinct in theaftermath of World War I.InIceland,the regent represented theKing of Denmarkassovereign of Icelanduntil the countrybecame a republicin 1944. In thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth(1569–1795), kings wereelective,which often led to a fairly long interregnum. During this period, theRoman Catholic primate(theArchbishop of Gniezno) served as the regent, and was calledinterrex(Latin: ruler 'between kings' as inAncient Rome). In the small republic ofSan Marino,the twoCaptains Regent(Capitani Reggenti) are both elected for a six-month term asjoint heads of state.
Famous regency periods include that of the Prince Regent, laterGeorge IVof theUnited Kingdom,giving rise to many terms such asRegency eraandRegency architecture.Strictly, this period lasted from 1811 to 1820, when his fatherGeorge IIIwas insane, though when used as a period label it generally covers a wider period.Philippe II, Duke of Orléanswas Regent of France from the death ofLouis XIVin 1715 untilLouis XVcame of age in 1723; this is also used as a period label for many aspects of French history, asRégencein French, again tending to cover a rather wider period than the actual regency. In the 16th century, QueenCatherine de Medici's acts as regent caused her to become arguably the most important woman in Europe, giving her name to an age. The equivalent Greek term isepitropos(επίτροπος), meaning overseer.[citation needed]
As of 2024,[update]Liechtenstein(underAlois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein) andLuxembourg(underGuillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg) are the only countries with active regencies. In 2016,Prem Tinsulanondabecame the oldest regent of any nation, at the age of 96. He became the regent forRama XofThailand,who chose not to formally accede to the throne until the end of themourning periodforhis father.Previously, this record was held by Prince RegentLuitpoldofBavaria,who was 91 at the end of his regency.
Other uses
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The term “regent” may also refer to positions lower than that of a state’s ruler. The term may be used in the governance of organisations, typically as an equivalent of "director", and held by all members of a governing board rather than just the equivalent of the chief executive.
In theSociety of Jesus,a regent is an individual training to be a Jesuit and who has completed hisnovitiateand philosophy studies but has not yet progressed to theology studies. A regent among the Jesuits is often assigned to teach in schools or some other academic institution.
Someuniversitymanagers inNorth Americaare called regents, and a management board for acollegeoruniversitymay be titled the "Board of Regents".[5]InNew York State,all activities related to public and private education (P-12andpostsecondary) and professional licensure are administered by theBoard of Regents of the University of the State of New York,the appointed members of which are titled regents.
Europe
editThe term "regent" is also used for members of governing bodies of institutions such as the national banks ofFranceandBelgium.
In theDutch Republic,the members of the ruling class, not formally hereditary but forming ade factopatricianclass, were informally known collectively asregenten(theDutchplural forregent) because they typically held positions as "regent" on the boards of town councils, as well as charitable and civic institutions. Theregents group portrait,regentenstukorregentessenstukfor female boards inDutch,literally "regents' piece", is a group portrait of the board of trustees, called regents or regentesses, of acharitable organizationorguild.This type of group portrait was popular inDutch Golden Age paintingduring the 17th and 18th centuries.
Again in Belgium and France[citation needed](régentin French, or in Dutch), "regent" is the official title of a teacher in a lower secondary school (junior high school), who does not require acollege degreebut is trained in a specializedécole normale(normal school).
Southeast Asia
editIn the formerDutch East Indies,a regent was a native prince allowed to rulede factocolonized 'state' as aregentschap.Consequently, in the successor state ofIndonesia,the term regent is used in English to mean abupati,the head of akabupaten(second level local government).
InMalaysia,apemangku rajais the interim ruler of aMalay stateif its king is elected to be theYang di-Pertuan Agongfor the usual five-year term, or is unable to assume their role. For example,Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah,became Regent ofPahangafter his father,Abdullah of Pahangwas elected Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVI in 2019. Currently,Tunku Ismailis Regent ofJohorwhen his father,Ibrahim Iskandarwas elected as current Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2024.
In thePhilippines– specifically, theUniversity of Santo Tomas– the Father Regent, who must be aDominican priestand is often also a teacher, serves as the institution's spiritual head. They also form the Council of Regents that serves as the highest administrative body of the university.
Africa
editInEswatini,wheresuccession to the throneis not immediate, theNdlovukati(similar to aqueen mother) rules as regent until the new king is determined.[6]
InLagos, Nigeria,the subnationalErelu Kutirules the kingdom as regent whenever there is noOba of Lagos.Much like in Eswatini, succession to the throne of Lagos is not immediate, and the Erelu Kuti (a high ranking functionary in her own right) is charged with serving as custodian until a successor is crowned. The use of a regency is also common in Southwestern states, predominantlyOndoandEkiti.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Harper, Douglas."regency".Online Etymology Dictionary.Retrieved2014-08-18."early 15c.," government by regents, "from Medieval Latinregentia,from Latinregens(see regent). Notable instances were: France 1715–1723 (under Philip, Duke of Orleans), Britain 1811–1820 (under George, Prince of Wales, Prince Regent)... "
- ^abRees, Abraham (1819).The cyclopaedia; or, Universal dictionary of arts, sciences, and literature.Vol. 29. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown. REGENT.
- ^Johnson, Samuel (1828).A Dictionary of the English Language... Abstracted from the folio edition of the author... Fourteenth edition, corrected, etc.London: A & H Spottiswoode. REGENT.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-07-23.Retrieved2020-09-26.
- ^Oxford English Dictionary
- ^"Board of Regents".The Free Dictionary.Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2022.Retrieved14 December2022.
- ^A. D. C. (2019-02-09)."All About Eswatini/Swaziland – Africa".africa.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-02-22.Retrieved2022-02-22.