A viceroy (/ˈvaɪsrɔɪ/) is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory.
The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman roy (Old French roi, roy), meaning "king". This denotes the position as one who acts on behalf of a king or monarch.[1][2][3][4] A viceroy's territory may be called a viceroyalty, though this term is not always applied. The adjective form is viceregal,[5] less often viceroyal.[6] The term vicereine is sometimes used to indicate a female viceroy suo jure, although viceroy can serve as a gender-neutral term.[7] Vicereine is more commonly used to indicate a viceroy's wife, known as the viceregal consort.[7]
The term has occasionally been applied to the governors-general of the Commonwealth realms, who are viceregal representatives of the monarch.
The position of a viceroy is by royal appointment rather than a noble rank. An individual viceroy often also held a separate noble title, such as Bernardo de Gálvez, 1st Viscount of Galveston, who was also Viceroy of New Spain.
- ^ "Les roys de Engeltere: An illustrated genealogy for King Edward I (Cotton MS Vitellius A XIII/1)". Les roys de Engeltere. 1272–1307. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
The series of images of English kings from Edward the Confessor to Edward I in London, British Library, Cotton MS Vitellius A. XIII/1 is widely familiar from television, textbooks, websites, and exhibitions. In spite of this, the origins and context of this set of four leaves are mysterious. The limited attention given to them has focused on the images rather than the Anglo-Norman captions attached to them, which forms a genealogy of the kings, derived from earlier sources. "Sir Lowys fiz le Roy Phylippe de Fraunce en Engletere. Le Roy Jon regna .xvii. aunz e demy..." "Sir Louis, the son of Philip king of France, came into England.... King John reigned for seventeen and a half years..."
- ^ "viceroy". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
C16: from French, from vice3 + roy king, from Latin rex
- ^ Bruges, William (1430–1440). "Roy Edward (Edward III) manuscript". William Bruges’ Garter Book. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
Languages: Anglo-Norman "Edward III and Henry, Duke of Lancaster, of the Order of the Garter "Roy Edward"
- ^ Roemer, Jean (1888). "roy". Origins of the English People and the English Languages. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
...the kings of England have retained the custom of using the Old Norman language when they give the royal assent... as: Le roy le veult;
- ^ "viceregal". OxfordDictionariesOnline.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Viceroyal, a", The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. 1989, OED Online, Oxford University Press, 4 April 2000 <http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50277245>
- ^ a b "vicereine". OxfordDictionariesOnline.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2014.