Höghet

Höghet is a Swedish noun meaning highness. It is used as a formal honorific in royal contexts and as part of titles referring to members of the royal family. The word is formed from the adjective hög (“high”) and the abstract-noun suffix -het, yielding a general notion of elevated status.

In modern Swedish, höghet appears primarily in ceremonial language and official texts. It is most commonly encountered in the compound kunglig höghet, translated as Royal Highness, which serves as a standard form of address in formal contexts. The personal form hans/hennes höghet is used when referring to a specific royal person in a solemn or official setting. In protocol, höghet is a certified style of address that sits below majestäts (Majesty) in the hierarchy of royal styles.

Historically, höghet has been part of Swedish royal protocol alongside other high-status titles, reflecting the broader European practice of distinguishing ranks of rulers, princes and princesses, and other royals through distinct honorifics. While majesty is the supreme style for sovereigns in Swedish usage, höghet remains an established term for formal address within the royal sphere.

Beyond royalty, höghet can appear in general language as a formal notion of elevated status, but its primary contemporary use is tied to royal language and ceremonial procedure. The concept is closely related to similar titles in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian høyhet and Danish højhed, which share the same etymology and function.

See also: Majestät; Kunglig höghet; Royal protocol in Sweden.