妃

nobleman's wife

Kanji 1724

Think you know what a princess is? This essay, which is largely organized around photos, illuminates the meanings of “princess,” “empress,” and “crown princess”; 妃 versus 姫; “regnant” versus “consort”; and much more. We look closely at Japan’s imperial household (especially Princess Masako), as well as royalty in Britain and France, even touching on Monaco and Manchuria! 

Revision history:

Mar. 21, 2025: p. 4: Added a note about how Princess Masako became the empress consort in 2019 but how I won't revise the entire essay and images of three book covers to update her status, as it would be a massive undertaking.

Feb. 16, 2022: 

• p. 2, Etymology Box: Updated the Henshall etymology and Sears link.
• p. 13: Added a link to the Kanshudo games.

Nov. 17, 2017: Originally published.