Emperor

Emperor [fr. empereur, Fr.; imperator, Lat.], a sovereign prince who bears rule over large kingdoms and territories; a monarch of title and dignity supposed to be superior to a king. 'The Emperor' was the title of the head of the Holy Roman Empire, the successor in the West of the Empire founded by Augustus, and this is the proper signification of the term. But in modern times the title 'Emperor' has been assumed by various monarchs. Thus Napoleon I. styled himself Emperor of the French, and the title was again taken by his nephew, Napoleon III. The sovereigns of Austria and Russia were also styled emperor; and in 1870 the King of Prussia assumed the title of German Emperor. The King is Emperor of India by virtue of the (English) Royal Titles Act, 1876 (39 & 40 Vict. c. 10).