Native English speakers only, why not "You Majesty"?

Question

If I say "your brother" to Tom, "your brother" refers to Tom's brother rather than Tom. So why do people use "Your Majesty" to call the Queen, under which circumstance "You Majesty" seems to more proper?
Thank you very much.

Answer 1

"Majesty" refers to a quality the queen possesses, so the word "your" isn't a term of address like "You, Tom". It is an adjective that modifies the noun "majesty".



If you think of explaining to a friend that people are attracted by "your niceness" - that would be about the same thing that you're doing when you are talking to the queen. The custom is a little odd, in that it probably started out a thousand years ago with phrases like "The king of France is intimidated by your majesty" (meaning "scared of your power/ your authority/your grandness", rather than "scared of YOU") but quickly morphed by imitation into being used essentially as a name for the monarch, rather than a description of one of the monarch's characteristics. Courtiers are generally better at flattery than grammar.

Answer 2

The Queen possesses that undefinable Royal "something" known as "Majesty". Only reigning Kings or Queens are referred to as Majesty.

When you address the Queen, you refer to her as "Your Majesty" - she herself is the Royal person to whom you are speaking who possesses majesty. When you speak of the Queen to others, you refer to her as "Her Majesty" - the Royal person of whom you are speaking who possesses Majesty.

"Majesty" is not a Proper Noun (such as someone's name). It is more a state of being. The word "your" or "her" is an adjective that modifies the noun "majesty". "Your majesty" also refers to her realm.



Other Royals do not possess "majesty". They are referred to as "Your Highness" or "His Highness".

Answer 3

Because English rules are stupid (I am a native speaker).

Answer 4

You are referring to the position of sovereign that the Queen holds and it is an adjective rather than a noun. As a Princess she was addressed as Your Royal Highness, as Queen, it is Your Majesty. It is really a matter of convention, like Your Grace for a duke, Your Lordship for a judge or Your Holiness for the Pope.

Answer 5

YOUR MAJESTY is ONLY said while addressing someone of royal peerage. When referring to such a person in conversation, for example, you would say HIS MAJESTY or HER MAJESTY.

Answer 6

Because she is not a person but a state. "Your majesty" references to her state, realm, omniscience, supreme royalty.