1. The majesty, sovereign authority, or supreme prerogative of the state or sovereign; the supreme power of the people, esp. as represented by their highest representatives, the consuls, or the emperor.
2. The crime of treason. See crimen majestatis under CRIMEN.
“Majestas…. From being an attribute of the princeps, the word ‘majesty’ came to be an honorific title confined, at first, to the Roman emperors of the West but later extended to all kings. From the time of Henry II, it has been used in England, the full form being ‘Her Most Gracious Majesty’. The usual form is ‘Her Majesty’.” David M. Walker, The Oxford Companion to Law 798 (1980).
