When Sir Spitfire noted that he had been named 'king' by another feline, Princess Treasure appointed a study committee to search the archives and advise her as to any history or traditions regarding the use of honorifics by members of the Sphinx Clan.
After painstakingly combing the archives, they note the following:
The use of honorifics and titles in the feline world is rooted in obscurity. References in history of the Precious Dynasty do mention Kings and Queens. However, linguists now realize that, even then, in close to source documents, that human transcription caused a number of errors to be passed down through the centuries. Such effect on our later actions and what we attribute to tradition and history must be viewed with caution.
The oldest document extant is the memoir of Slinky, a personal secretary to Princess Shaup. References in this document include the titles 'queen' and 'princess'. However, it is significant to note that felines have long realized that only those who have undergone the Traumatic Event will have adequate time to prepare for the heavy burden of monarchy. To that end, a 'queen' appears to refer to mother cats and 'princess' to those who sit on the throne.
In terms of mancats, we note the peculiar absence of the word 'king' from all first century records. This appears to reflect the matrilineal descent in feline culture. 'king' would imply fatherhood, and we know this is difficult at best to monitor and prove. To that end, a 'Prince' is a mancat companion of royal blood and 'Gentleman Consort' is one not of royal stock.
In acknowledgement of the above, and remembering the sometimes lighthearted, playful nature of our knight, Princess Treasure does not plan any expressions of royal displeasure. She does, however, express concern that Spitfire may forget the sacred duties he committed himself to on that very special day. Quartermaster Scruffy has been assigned the task of monitoring Spitfire's actions and reporting on Spitfire's performance.
How very informative about the titles and roles and the way they ought to be used in the Realm. We were quite surprised when Sir Spitfire suddenly became King. Audrey definitely likes the idea that the female line dominates, and that "Princess" the correct title for one who sits on the throne. She has her pink Princess blanket after all.
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