A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. His province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty. The relative adjective is viceregal. A vicereine is a woman in a viceregal position, or a viceroy's wife.
The etymological allusion to the royal style can create the p...
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A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. His province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty. The relative adjective is viceregal. A vicereine is a woman in a viceregal position, or a viceroy's wife.
The etymological allusion to the royal style can create the perception that the office ranks higher than governor-general and lord lieutenant, even in cases when it is a synonym for that administrative rank and not necessarily ranked above "provincial" (lieutenant-) governors.
In some cases, the title (and the office, when the title is permanently attached to the job) is reserved for members of the ruling dynasty. It was not uncommon for potential heirs to the throne to obtain such a post (or an equivalent one, without the viceregal style) as a test and learning stage, not unlike the even loftier ...
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