King of Lithuania

Titles

As the territory of Lithuania expanded eastwards, other king-titled grand dukes who ruled the country adopted similar titles for introducing themselves abroad. For instance, Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytenis was sometimes regarded as Rex Lethowinorum ('King of Lithuanians') while his successor Gediminas was known by the title, in Latin: Rex Lithuanorum et Multorum Ruthenorum ('King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians'). Some German sources also titled Gediminas as Rex de Owsteiten ('King of Aukštaitija'). Gediminas' right to use the Latin rex, which the papacy had been claiming the right to grant from the 13th century onwards, was not universally recognized in Catholic sources. Thus, he was called rex sive dux ("King or Duke") in one source; Pope John XXII, in a letter to the King of France, referred to Gediminas as "the one who calls himself rex". However, the Pope did call Gediminas rex when addressing him (regem sive ducem, "king or duke").