Throngs before the Imperial Palace in Japan awaiting the appearance of the Crown Prince Hirohito for the recent proclamation of his official recognition as the heir apparent to the Japanese Imperial Throne -- New York Times, 1916.

A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess.

The term is now borne as a title only in Thailand and the Scandinavian monarchies;^{[citation needed]} but it may also be used generically to refer to the person or position of the heir apparent in other kingdoms. However, heirs apparent to non-imperial and non-royal monarchies (i.e., wherein the hereditary sovereign holds a title below that of king/queen, e.g., grand duke or prince), crown prince is not used as a title, although it is sometimes used as a synonym for heir apparent.

In Europe, where primogeniture governs succession to all monarchies except those of the Papacy and Andorra, the eldest son (Spain and United Kingdom) or eldest child (Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden) of the current monarch fills the role of crown prince or princess, depending upon whether females of the dynasty enjoy personal succession rights. The eldest living child of a monarch is sometimes not the heir apparent or crown prince, because that position can be held by a descendant of a deceased older child who, by "right of representation", inherits the same place in the line of succession that would be held by the ancestor if he or she were still living (e.g., Carl Gustaf, Duke of Jämtland, was de facto Crown Prince of Sweden from 1950 to 1973, as the senior grandson by male primogeniture of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, although the former Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland, was Gustaf VI's eldest living son, and Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland, his eldest living dynastic son during those years).

In some monarchies, those of the Middle East for example, in which primogeniture is not the decisive factor in dynastic succession, a person may not possess the title or status of crown prince by right of birth, but may obtain (and lose) it as a result of an official designation made on some other legal or traditional basis, e.g., former Crown Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.

Compare heir apparent and heir presumptive. In Scandinavian kingdoms, the heir presumptive to the crown holds a different title than the heir apparent; Hereditary Prince (German: Erbprinz, French: prince héréditaire). That is also the title borne by the heirs apparent of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, and by the heir or heiress presumptive of Monaco. In the Germanic monarchies abolished in 1918, hereditary prince, rather than crown prince, was also the title borne by the heirs apparent of the kingdoms of Bavaria, Hanover, Saxony and Württemberg, as well as those of grand duchies, of sovereign duchies and principalities, and of mediatized princely families.

Christian/Western traditional titles[link]

Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia

Many monarchies use or did use unique titles for their heirs apparent, often of historical origin:

• Dauphin (Kingdom of France); originally not unique but an alternative comital title in chief of the Dauphiné region
• Prince Royal (Kingdom of France, monarchy of 1789-91; and July Monarchy)
• Diadoch (Kingdom of Greece); translated as Crown Prince but literally successor (see also below)
• Prince Imperial (Empire of Brazil, Second French Empire, and Empire of Mexico)
• Rex iunior (Kingdom of Hungary); i.e., "Junior King", so called because he was crowned during the life of the incumbent (often his father)
• Tsesarevich (Imperial Russia); commonly but mistakenly confused with Tsarevich
• Prince Royal of Portugal (Príncipe Real de Portugal e dos Algarves) (Kingdom of Portugal); for the heir presumptive since 1815)
• Duke of Braganza (Kingdom of Portugal); when the House of Braganza inherited the throne (1640), this title passed to the royal heir and was used together with Prince of Brazil (until 1815), and Prince Royal of Portugal (after 1815)
  • Duke of Barcelos (Kingdom of Portugal); used in conjunction with Duke of Braganza by royal heirs of the House of Braganza
• Duke of Cornwall (former Kingdom of England); by letters patent of creation, the automatic title of the eldest son of the monarch, unlike the title Prince of Wales, which is bestowed by the monarch. Should the eldest son predecease his parent then the title does not transfer to the next in line to the throne, but reverts to the Crown. The title Prince of Wales can be bestowed by the monarch on somebody other than the eldest son, such as George II, who bestowed it on his grandson, later George III.
• Duke of Rothesay (former Kingdom of Scotland); now used in lieu of Prince of Wales
• Prince of Asturias, Kingdom of Spain; from the former Kingdom of Castile, retained as principal title after unification with Aragon and, later, Navarre
  • Prince of Gerona (former Crown of Aragon); this title was always used in conjunction with other three titles for the heir of the Crown of Aragon crown: Duke of Montblanc, Count of Cervera, Lord of Balaguer; now the four titles are used in conjunction with Prince of Asturias.
  • Prince of Viana (former Kingdom of Navarre); now used in conjunction with Prince of Asturias

Some monarchies have used (although not always de jure) a territorial title for heirs apparent which, though often perceived as a crown princely title, is not automatically hereditary. It generally requires a specific conferral by the sovereign, which may be withheld.

Current and past titles in this category include:

• Duke of Brabant (Kingdom of Belgium); does not automatically descend by primogeniture, e.g., never held by Albert, Prince of Liège after his childless brother became king
• Duke of Estonia and Laland (Denmark; during, at least, reigns of Christopher II and Valdemar IV)
• HH the Crown Prince (Kuwait)
• Prince of Norway (Denmark-Norway); in 15th-19th centuries
• Prince of Orange (Netherlands)
• Prince of Wales (England, Great Britain, United Kingdom)
• King of the Romans (Holy Roman Empire) - an elective, rather than an inherited title, for the designated successor - usually the son, but sometimes the brother - of the Emperor
• Prince of Grão-Para (title of the eldest son of the Brazilian heir)
• King of Rome (First French Empire)
• Duke of Sparta, Kingdom of Greece; used briefly, within Greece, only by Prince Constantine, during reign of his father King George I
• Prince of Piedmont (title of the eldest son of the King of Sardinia, and then of the King of Italy, when it was alternated with Prince of Naples)
• Prince of Brazil (title of the Portuguese heir from 1645 to 1815)
• Prince of Beira (title of the eldest son of the Portuguese heir)
• Duke of Scania (Sweden during the time when Magnus IV of Sweden also was King of Terra Scania)
• Prince of Ani (Kingdom of West Armenia)
• Prince of Turnovo (Kingdom of Bulgaria)
• Prince of Alba Julia (Kingdom of Romania)
• Grand Duke of Grahavo (Kingdom of Montenegro)
• Prince of Venice (see Prince Eugène de Beauharnais); for the heir presumptive to Napoleon I in his Kingdom of Italy
• Duke of Calabria (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies)

Other specific traditions[link]

Islamic cultures:

• In Egypt, Prince of the Sa'id, meaning Prince of Upper Egypt
• In Persia, Qajar dynasty, the full style was Vala Hazrat-i-Humayun Vali Ahad, Shahzada (given name) Mirza, i.e. His August Imperial Highness the Heir Apparent, Prince ...;
• the above component vali ahad meaning 'successor by virtue of a covenant' (or various forms and etymological derivations) was adopted by many oriental monarchies, even some non-Muslim, e.g. Walet as alternative title for the Nepali (Hindu) royal heir apparent; first used Crown Prince Trailokya in the middle of the nineteenth century, taken from the Mughal title 'Vali Ahad'

Hindu tradition (Indian subcontinent):

• Yuvaraja was part of the full title in many princely states of India, e.g.
  • in Jammu & Kashmir, the heir apparent was styled Maharaj Kumar Shri Yuvaraj (personal name) Singhji Bahadur
• Tika
• Nepal, where the King was styled Maharajadhiraja:
  • the heir apparent was styled: Sri Sri Sri Sri Sri Yuvarajadhiraj ('Young King of Kings', i.e. Crown Prince) (personal name) Bir Bikram Shah Deva;
  • the eldest son of the heir apparent was styled: Sri Sri Sri Sri Sri Nava Yuvaraj ('Young Crown Prince') (personal name) Bir Bikram Shah Deva

East Asian traditions:

• The cognates of Chinese Chinese Huang Taizi (皇太子, "Great Imperial Son"): Japanese Kōtaishi, Korean Hwangtaeja (황태자), Vietnamese Hoàng Thái Tử -- if a son of the reigning emperor. In case the heir is a grandson, the title Huang Taisun (皇太孫), Kōtaison, Hwangtaeson (황태손), and Hoàng Thái Tôn, literally "Great Imperial Grandson", are used
• During the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, the crown prince was referred as Dong-gung(동궁, 東宮) due to the location of his residence from the main palace; or wangseja (王世子 왕세자). He was not necessarily the first born son, wonja (元子 원자).

Southeast Asian traditions:

• Siam Makutrajakuman (สยามมกุฎราชกุมาร) in Thailand since 1886.
• Krom Phrarajawangboworn Sathanmongkol or Phra Maha Uparaja or commonly called Wang Na (or Front Palace) in Thailand prior to 1886.
• Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Anom in Yogyakarta sultanate and Surakarta, Indonesia.
• Raja Muda or Tengku Mahkota in the Malay sultanates of Malaysia.
• Pengiran Muda Mahkota in Brunei

Equivalents in other cultures:

• Jaguar Prince (Mesoamerica)
• Ka Haku O Hawaiʻi or

See also[link]

• Caesar (title) (since the tetrarchy) and Consors imperii
• Princeps iuventutis
• Prince of the blood
• "Crown Prince Party" of the People's Republic of China
• List of heirs apparent

Sources and references[link]

• RoyalArk- see each present country
• Heraldica.org- here napoleonic section

HH The Emir Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم
Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 January 2006 Acting until 11 February 2006
President	Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Deputy	Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2006–09) Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2006–09) Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2009–) Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2009–)
Preceded by	Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
1st Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates
Incumbent
Assumed office December 1971
President	Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime Minister	Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Emir of Dubai
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 January 2006
Deputy	Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Preceded by	Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince of Dubai
In office 4 January 1995 – 4 January 2006
Monarch	Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Succeeded by	Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Personal details
Born	(1949-07-22) 22 July 1949 (age 62) Dubai, Trucial States
Religion	Sunni Islam
Father	Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Heir Apparent	Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Arabic محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم; Muḥammad bin Rāshid al Maktūm), also Sheikh Mohammed, (born July 22, 1949), is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and constitutional monarch of Dubai.^[1]

Early life and education[link]

He is the third of Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum's four sons (members of Dubai's ruling family Al Maktoum and descendants of the House of Al-Falasi, of which he is the tribal leader^[2]). From the age of four, Sheikh Mohammed was privately tutored in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In 1955, he began his formal education at Al Ahmedia School. At the age of 10, he moved to Al Shaab School, and two years later, he went to Dubai Secondary School. In 1966, he and his cousin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Maktoum, attended the Bell Educational Trust's English Language School in the United Kingdom.^{[citation needed]}

Marriage and family[link]

His senior wife is Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum whom he married in 1979.

His best-known junior wife is HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and half-sister of current King Abdullah II of Jordan, whom he married on April 10, 2004, and with whom he has two children, a daughter, Al-Jalila, born December 2, 2007 and a son, Zayed, born January 7, 2012.^[3][4][5] Sheikh Mohammed announced the arrival of his son Zayed on Twitter.^[6]

Sheikh Mohammed has 21 officially acknowledged children, eight sons and thirteen daughters, whom his heir and three daughters married with Middle East royalties :

• HH Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, married to HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi
• HH Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, married to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah
• HH Sheikha Shaikha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum married to HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain

Sporting and cultural interests[link]

Al Maktoum, his sons, and his daughters are known to be avid enthusiasts of traditional Arabic poems and arts, and take part in projects to aid developing countries such as Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and Yemen. He writes poetry in Nabati (colloquial Arabic.) ^[7]

They are also sport enthusiasts, especially in horse and camel racing. For example, in the 15th Asian Games in 2006, his son Rashid took the individual gold in Endurance, his sons Rashid, Ahmed, Majid, and Hamdan took the team gold in Endurance,^[8] his niece Latifa took a bronze in Show Jumping,^[9] and his daughter Maitha led the UAE team in taekwondo .^[10]

Thoroughbred horse racing[link]

Racing silks of Sheikh Mohammed

Sheikh Mohammed is a major figure in international thoroughbred horse racing and breeding. In late 1981, he purchased Gainsborough Stud at Woolton Hill, near Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom. He owns Ballysheehan Stud in County Tipperary, Ireland. He also owns Gainsborough Farms Inc in Versailles, Kentucky, United States. His racing operations includes the ownership of Darley Stables and he is the leading partner in his family's Godolphin Stables. Sheikh Mohammed hosts the Dubai World Cup, the world's richest series of horse races.^{[citation needed]}

In the UK, his horses have won numerous important Group One races including several of the British Classic Races. His horses have also won the Irish Derby Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and in the United States the 2006 Preakness Stakes with Bernardini.^{[citation needed]}

In 2008, he bought the Woodlands Stud empire for more than $460 million.^[11]

Political and business career[link]

On January 3, 1995, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum signed two decrees that appointed Sheikh Mohammed as Crown Prince of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed oversaw the development of numerous projects in Dubai including the creation of the Palm Islands and the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel. He also promoted the construction of Burj Khalifa, which is now the tallest free-standing structure in the world, world's tallest building; its official opening was on Monday, 4 January 2010. During his tenure as Crown Prince he set up Dubai Holding, the debt laden and financially troubled holding company with multi-diversified businesses and investments. He currently owns 99.67% of the company.^[12]

After roughly a decade of de facto rulership,^[13] he became the Ruler of Dubai on January 4, 2006 upon the death of his elder brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was also nominated by the President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to be the next Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE on January 5, 2006. The members of the UAE Federal National Council accepted the President's nomination shortly after.^{[citation needed]}

Net worth[link]

Dubai Princely Family

HH The Emir Sheikh HH Sheikha Hind HH The Hereditary Prince HH Sheikha Hassa HH Sheikh Rashid HH Sheikh Maktoum HH Sheikh Ahmed HH Sheikh Saeed HH Sheikha Latifa HH Sheikha Maryam HH Sheikha Sheikha HH Sheikha Futaim HH Sheikha Salamah HH Sheikha Shamma other wives HH Sheikha Manal HH Sheikha Maitha HH Sheikh Majed HH Sheikh Mansour HH Sheikha Shamsa HH Sheikha Mahra and 2 unknown HRH Princess Haya of Jordan HH Sheikha Al Jalila HH Sheikh Zayed HH Sheikh Maktoum HH Sheikh Saeed HH Sheikh Rashid HH Sheikh Hamdan HH Rashid HH Saeed HH Maktoum HH Sheikh Ahmed HH Sheikh Mohammed

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His family wealth in March 2012 is estimated at USD$ 79.5 billion by Forbes magazine.^{[citation needed]}

Charity[link]

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been known for his vast charitable donations. On May 19, 2007, he announced plans to give 10 billion USD to set up the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, an educational foundation in the Middle East.^[14] Sheikh Mohammed stated that the money is meant to bridge the knowledge gap between the Arab region and the developed world. The announcement was made at the 2007 World Economic Forum in Jordan.

Dubai Cares[link]

In September 2007, he launched the Dubai Cares campaign to raise money to educate 1 million children in poor countries. The campaign is Dubai's contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing Children's Primary Education to every child by 2015. The amount donated to this campaign has exceeded AED 1.65 billion (Approximately US$ 450 million).^{[citation needed]}

Noor Dubai[link]

On September 3, 2008, Sheikh Mohammad also launched a new Ramadan initiative under the name "Noor Dubai", aiming to help the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) in achieving its goals outlined in VISION 2020: the Right to Sight. Noor Dubai will treat and provide health services to one million people suffering from treatable blindness and visual impairment in developing countries on a local, regional, and international scale.^{[citation needed]}

Controversies[link]

In 2000, the Sheikh funded 4 million euro for the construction of the Essalaam mosque in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, which led to a major controversy.^[15]

Since 2000, international equestrian athletes affiliated with UNICEF have worked to end the "scourge of modern slavery in mounted sports,"^[16] by putting public and diplomatic pressure on Sheikh Mohammed and the UAE government. In 2005, a UNICEF-sponsored programme with the UAE government resulted in the repatriation of hundreds of children formerly enslaved as camel jockeys, and provided them with social services and compensation upon return to their home countries of Pakistan, Sudan, Mauritania, and Bangladesh. The UAE government set aside $US2.7 million in initial funding in 2005 with an additional $US9 million for the second phase, and to enforce compliance, adopted a law officially banning the practice with penalties of jail time and a $US27,200 fine.^[17] UNICEF endorsed the UAE’s efforts and expressed the hopes that “the UAE’s programme will serve as a model to other countries in the region, as a means of ending all forms of exploitation of children”.^[18]

In September 2006, Sheikh Mohammed was accused of encouraging the abduction and enslavement of thousands of boys for use as jockeys in camel races. A class-action suit was filed against him in the state of Florida.^{[19][20][21][22]} However, in 2006, American lawyers representing the UAE raised a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, not on its substance but on the grounds that none of the involved parties resided in the U.S. In July 2007, judge Cecilia Altonaga accepted the motion and dismissed the suit.^{[citation needed]}

On 9 March 2007, the London-based Metro newspaper wrongly published a picture of Sheikh Mohammed, attributing it to the terror suspect Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. The Metro has since apologized for the error.^[23]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• My Vision - Challenges in the Race for Excellence by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (2006); in Arabic; explains the vision of Sheikh Mohammed for Dubai
• Dubai The Maktoum Story by John M. Smith; in English; a book which criticizes the governance of Sheikh Mohammed

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum