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{{Short description|Term for the formal dress and (rarely) responsibilities of a monarch}}
{{Other uses}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2011}}
[[File:Aachen city hall Imperial Regalia replicas.jpg|thumb|[[Aachen Town Hall#Present|Replicas of the Imperial Regalia]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], symbolizing the [[translatio imperii]] and the authority of the emperors, displayed in the Aachen Town Hall, Germany]]
[[File:Bav Regaliaaa.jpg|thumb|Regalia of the [[Kingdom of Bavaria|past kings]] of [[Bavaria]], [[Munich Residenz#The Treasury|Residenz Palace treasury]], [[Munich]]]]
[[File:Crown, Sword and Globus Cruciger of Hungary2.jpg|thumb|The [[Holy Crown of Hungary]] along with other regalia.]]
[[File:Crown jewels Poland 1.JPG|thumb|Replicas of the [[Crown of Bolesław I the Brave]] and other [[Polish Crown Jewels|regalia]].]]
'''Regalia''' ({{IPAc-en|r|ə|ˈ|ɡ|eɪ|l||i||ə|,_|-|ˈ|g|eɪ|l|j|ə}} {{respell|rə|GAY|lee|ə|,_|-|GAYL|yə}})<ref>{{cite Dictionary.com|regalia}}</ref> is the set of emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royal status, as well as rights, prerogatives and privileges enjoyed by a sovereign, regardless of title. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and accessories of a sovereign, but now it also refers to any type of elaborate formal dress. The word stems from the Latin substantivation of the adjective ''regalis'', "regal", itself from ''rex'', "king". It is sometimes used in the singular, ''regale''.{{NoteTag|As in the [[Upper Harz Water Regale]], a royal right granted for use of water resources in the [[Harz]] mountains of Germany.}}

==In the abstract==
{{Main|Droit de régale}}
The term can refer to the [[rights]], [[prerogative]]s, and [[privilege (legal ethics)|privilege]]s that are held exclusively by any sovereign, regardless of title ([[emperor]], [[grand duke]], etc.). An example of that is the right to [[mint (coin)|mint]] coins, and especially coins that bear one's own [[effigy]]. In many cases, especially in [[feudal]] societies and generally weak [[sovereign state|states]], such rights have in time been eroded by grants to, or usurpations by, lesser [[vassal]]s.

==Royal dress, accessories, and associated pomp==
Some [[emblem]]s, [[symbol]]s, or [[paraphernalia]] possessed by rulers are a visual representation of [[Empire|imperial]], [[monarchy|royal]], or [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] status. Some are shared with [[divinities]], either to symbolize a god(ess)'s role as, say, king of the [[Pantheon (gods)|Pantheon]] (e.g. [[Brahman]]'s scepter) or to allow mortal royalty to resemble, identify with, or link to, a [[divinity]].

The term "[[crown jewels]]" is commonly used to refer to regalia items that are designed to lend luster to occasions such as coronations. They feature some combination of precious materials, artistic merit, and symbolic or historical value. Crown jewels may have been designated at the start of a dynasty, accumulated through many years of tradition, or sent as tangible recognition of legitimacy by some leader such as the [[pope]] to an [[emperor]] or [[caliph]].

Each culture, even each monarchy and dynasty within one culture, may have its own historical traditions, and some even have a specific name for its regalia, or at least for an important subset, such as:

* The [[Honours of Scotland]]
* The [[Nigerian Royal Regalia]]
* The [[Three Sacred Treasures]] of the [[Emperor of Japan]]
* The [[Imperial Regalia]] of the emperors and kings of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]
* The [[French Crown Jewels|French Crown Regalia]]

But some elements occur in many traditions.

===Headgear===
* [[Crown (headgear)|Crowns]] and variations ([[diadem]], [[tiara]])
* [[Cap of Maintenance]]

===Other regal dress and jewelry===
* [[Armillae|Armills]]—bracelets
* [[Ermine (heraldry)|Ermine]] [[coronation]] [[mantle (royal garment)|mantle]]
* [[Gloves]]
* Barmi (Бармы) or barmas, a detachable silk collar with medallions of precious material sewn to it,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kreml.ru/en/virtual/exposition/regalia/AlekseyMichaylovich/Barmy/|title=Moscow Kremlin Museums: EXHIBITIONS|website=www.kreml.ru}}</ref> as used in [[Moscovy]]
* [[Ring (finger)|Rings]], symbolizing the monarch's "marriage" to the state (in the case of the Doge of the Republic of Venice, to its lifeblood, the sea); or as a [[Seal (emblem)|signet-ring]], a practical attribute of his power to command legally

===Hand-held symbols of power===
[[File:Scepter of Tsar Boris III.jpg|thumb|180px|left|The Royal Scepter of [[Boris III]] of [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]]]
[[File:Denmark globus cruciger.jpg|thumb|160px|Danish globus cruciger. Part of the [[Danish Crown Regalia]].]]
* [[Globus cruciger|Orb (globus cruciger)]]
* [[Scepter]], including the French Hand of Justice
* [[Ceremonial mace|Mace]]
* [[Sword]] - for examples, see [[Coronation of the British monarch|Sword of Justice]]; [[Sword of State]]; [[Sword of Mercy]] (known also as [[Edward the Confessor]]'s Sword)
* Other weapons, such as a dagger (as in Arabian and Indian traditions), a spear, or a royal [[kris]] (in Malay traditions)
* [[Crook and flail]]
* [[Fly-whisk]]; In Japan, it is said to have some of the power of [[Amaterasu]].
* [[Seal (Chinese)|Seals]], such as the [[Heirloom Seal of the Realm]], represented imperial authority under the [[Mandate of Heaven]] in China.

===Other hand-held symbols===
Regalia can also stand for other attributes or virtues, i.e. what is expected from the holder.

Thus the [[Imperial Regalia of Japan]] ({{langx|ja|三種の神器|Sanshu no Jingi}}, or "Three Sacred Treasures"), also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan as follows:

* The sword, [[Kusanagi]] (草薙剣) (or possibly a replica of the original; located at [[Atsuta Shrine]] in [[Nagoya]]) represents [[Courage|valor]]
* The jewel or necklace of jewels, [[Yasakani no magatama]] (八尺瓊曲玉; at [[Kokyo]] in [[Tokyo]]), represents [[wikt:benevolence|benevolence]]
* The mirror, [[Yata no kagami]] (八咫鏡), located in the [[Ise Shrine]] in [[Mie Prefecture]], represents [[wisdom]]
Since 690, the presentation of these items to the [[emperor]] by the priests at the shrine are a central part of the imperial enthronement ceremony. As this ceremony is not public, the regalia are by tradition only seen by the emperor and certain priests, and no known photographs or drawings exist.

===Coronation paraphernalia===
Some regalia objects are presented and/or used in the formal ceremony of [[enthronement]]/[[coronation]]. They can be associated with an office or court [[sinecure]] (cfr. archoffices) that enjoys the privilege to carry, present and/or use it at the august occasion, and sometimes on other formal occasions, such as a royal funeral.

Such objects, with or without intrinsic [[symbol]]ism, can include
* Anointing utensils:
** Sacred [[ampulla]] containing the ointment.
** [[Spoon]] for the same ointment.
** Alternatively, the monarchies of [[Norwegian Monarchy|Norway]] and [[Monarchy of Sweden|Sweden]] have an [[anointment horn]].
* A [[Bible]] used for swearing in the [[monarch]] as the new sovereign.
* Cage with a bird (wren) for [[Wren Day|wren hunting]] in Celtic ceremonies.<ref>Régalia 2011 éd. Imago. {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
* [[Coronation stone]] e.g. [[Stone of Scone]] or [[Lia Fáil]].

===Companions' attributes===
Apart from the sovereign himself, attributes (especially a crown) can be used for close relatives who are allowed to share in the pomp. For example, in Norway, the queen consort and the crown prince are the only other members of the royal family to possess these attributes and share in the sovereign's royal symbolism.

===Reserved color===
In the [[Roman Empire]], the color [[Tyrian purple]], produced with an extremely expensive [[Mediterranean]] [[Haustellum brandaris|mollusk extract]], was in principle reserved for the [[court (royal)|imperial court]]. The use of this dye was extended to various dignitaries, such as members of the [[Roman senate]], who wore stripes of Tyrian purple on their white [[toga]]s, for whom the term purpuratus was coined as a high aulic distinction.

In late imperial China, the color yellow was reserved for the emperor, as it had a multitude of meanings. Yellow was a symbol of gold, and thus wealth and power, and since it was also the color that symbolized the center in Chinese cosmology (the five elements, or ''wu xing(五行)''), it was the perfect way to refer to the emperor, who was always in the center of the universe. Consequently, peasants and noblemen alike were forbidden to wear robes made entirely out of yellow, although they were allowed to use the color sparingly.

===Additional display===
[[File:Palacky University insignia.jpg|thumb|right|Copy of [[University of Olomouc]] rector's mace]]
* [[Umbrella]] / [[Baldachin|canopy]]
* [[Fan (implement)|Fan]](s)
* [[Flag|Standard]](s)
* [[Ceremonial mace|Mace]](s)
* Music, such as
** A [[fanfare]] or other specific piece of music
** Reserved instruments, such as silver [[trumpet]]s, or in India (especially Mewar) the Nakkara [[drum]]
** The ceremonial [[Royal Regalia of Malaysia|Nobat orchestra]] is a formal requirement for a valid [[Malaysia]]n [[coronation]].

==Non-royal regalia==
===Republics===
In republics, the [[presidential sash]], common especially in Latin American countries but appearing elsewhere in the world as well, has a role similar to that of royal regalia: distinguishing the [[head of state]].

===Academic regalia===
{{main|Academic dress}}
Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary (and sometimes secondary) education, worn mainly by those who have been admitted to a university degree (or similar), or hold a status that entitles them to assume them (e.g., undergraduate students at certain old universities). It is also known as academicals and, in the United States, as academic regalia.

===Other regalia===
Another example of non-royal regalia is the traditional dress that is worn by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] peoples in the United States, and [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] peoples in Canada for ceremonial purposes, such as [[powwow]] and [[Native American Hoop Dance|hoop dancing]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=McCue|first1=Duncan|title=First Nations law student gets OK to wear regalia to call to bar in Ontario|url=http://www.cbc.ca/1.3123665|website=CBC News|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">
File:Gustaf (V), Oscar II & Gustaf (VI) Adolf open Parliament.jpg|King [[Oscar II of Sweden]], Crown Prince [[Gustaf V|Gustaf (V)]], and Prince [[Gustaf VI Adolf|Gustaf (VI) Adolf]] wearing their crowns and coronets, c. 1900
File:King Haakon VII and Queen Maud.jpg|King [[Haakon VII]] and [[Queen Maud of Norway]] with their regalia in 1906<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Royal Regalia |url=http://www.royalcourt.no/seksjon.html?tid=28696&sek=27318 |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=www.royalcourt.no |language=en}}</ref>
File:Queen Elizabeth II wearing her Coronation robes and regalia.jpg|[[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] with her regalia, 1953
File:Sotho regalia.jpg|[[Sotho people|Sotho]] regalia in [[South Africa]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Bergregal]]
* [[Crown jewels]]
* [[Jura regalia]]
* [[Papal regalia and insignia]]
* [[Regalia of Norway]]
* [[Regalia of Sweden]]
* [[Regalia of the Russian tsars]]
* [[Right of coinage in the Holy Roman Empire]]
* [[Royal Family]]
* [[Throne]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|regalia}}
*{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Regalia |volume=12}}
*{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Regalia |volume=23 |page=36 |short=1}}

{{Clear}}
{{crowns}}
{{Crown jewels by country}}
{{Coronation}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Regalia| ]]