Royal Household

A Royal Household or Imperial Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations.

Among many of these households there are certain great offices which have become, in course of time, merely hereditary. In most cases, as the name of the office would suggest, they were held by those who discharged personal functions about the sovereign. Gradually, in ways or for reasons which might vary in each individual case, the office alone survived, the duties either ceasing to be necessary or being transferred to officers of less exalted station.

In the modern period, royal households have evolved into entities which are variously differentiated from national governments. Most modern households have become merely titular.

Europe

The royal households of such of European monarchies have a continuous history since medieval times.

France

Germany

Imperial palace

Imperial Palace may refer to:

Institutions

Places:

In fiction:

See also

Imperial Household Agency

The Imperial Household Agency (宮内庁, Kunai-chō) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family and also keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD up to the Second World War, it was named the Imperial Household Ministry (宮内省, Kunai-shō).

The agency is unique among conventional government agencies and ministries, in that it does not directly report to the Prime Minister at the cabinet level, nor is it affected by legislation that establishes it as an Independent Administrative Institution.

Organization and functions

The Agency is headed by the Grand Steward and he is assisted by the Vice-Grand Steward. The main organization elements are:

The current Grand Steward is Noriyuki Kazaoka.

Imperial

Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or the concept of imperialism.

Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:

Places

In Africa

In Canada

In the United States

Buildings

Organizations

Akihito

Akihito (明仁, born 23 December 1933) ( English pronunciation ) is the reigning Emperor of Japan (天皇, Tennō), the 125th Emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 7 January 1989.

Name

In Japan, the Emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Majesty the Emperor" (天皇陛下, Tennō Heika) which may be shortened to "His Majesty" (陛下, Heika). In writing, the Emperor is also referred to formally as "The Reigning Emperor" (今上天皇, Kinjō Tennō). The Era of Akihito's reign bears the name "Heisei" (平成), and according to custom he will be renamed "Emperor Heisei" (平成天皇 Heisei Tennō; see "posthumous name") by order of the Cabinet after his death. At the same time, the name of the next era under his successor will also be established.

Biography

Akihito is the eldest son and the fifth child of the Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and Empress Kōjun (Nagako). Titled Prince Tsugu (継宮, Tsugu-no-miya) as a child, he was raised and educated by his private tutors and then attended the elementary and secondary departments of the Peers' School (Gakushūin) from 1940 to 1952. Unlike his predecessors in the Imperial Family, he did not receive a commission as an Army officer, at the request of his father, Hirohito.