principalities

Principality is a political jurisdiction ruled by a prince. Historically, principalities appeared across Europe as semi-independent or sovereign polities, often within larger dynastic or imperial frameworks. The precise status of a principality varied: some exercised full sovereignty and international recognition as states; others were vassals or appanages whose rulers held authority by feudal concession.

In contemporary terms, several well-known territories are described as principalities. Monaco and Liechtenstein are sovereign principalities with constitutional frameworks and long-standing dynastic rule. Andorra is a unique co-principality, headed by two co-rulers: the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France, with a shared sovereignty recognized by treaty.

Historically, principalities were also central to the organization of medieval and early modern Europe. The Princes of Moldavia and Wallachia governed successor states in what is now Romania, and the Principality of Serbia emerged under Ottoman and later European influence before becoming the Kingdom of Serbia in 1882. The term often appears in studies of the Holy Roman Empire, which contained many small principalities and micro-states ruled by various princes, counts, and other noble titles.