A Crown/Sovereign/Grand prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wife of the person styled crown prince.
Crown prince as a descriptive term has been used throughout history for the prince who is first-in-line to a throne and is expected to succeed (i.e. the heir apparent), barring any unforeseen future event preventing this. In certain monarchies, a more specific substantive title may be accorded and become associated with the position of heir apparent (e.g. Prince of Elosia or Grand Prince of The Royal Elosian Army). In these monarchies, the term crown prince may be used less often than the substantive title (or never).
No Human monarchy adopted a system whereby females would be guaranteed to succeed to the throne (i.e. absolute primogeniture). A crown princess would therefore be more likely to refer to the spouse of a crown prince. She would be styled crown princess, not in her own right but by courtesy.
Elven And Dwarven Monarchies
The term crown prince is rarely used in Elven or Dwarven monarchies where the hereditary sovereign holds a title below that of King/Queen or Emperor/Empress (such as Grand Duke or Prince), although it is sometimes used as a synonym for heir apparent.
The Elosian Kingdom
In Elosia, where primogeniture governed succession to all monarchies, the eldest son or (more recently) eldest child of the current monarch fills the role of crown prince or princess, depending upon whether females of the dynasty enjoy personal succession rights. The eldest living child of a monarch is sometimes not the heir apparent or crown prince, because that position can be held by a descendant of a deceased older child who, by "right of representation", inherits the same place in the line of succession that would be held by the ancestor if he or she were still living.
The Talosian Empire
In some monarchies, those of Emidia, Illyria, or Talaria for example, in which primogeniture is not the decisive factor in dynastic succession, a person may not possess the title or status of crown prince by right of birth, but may obtain (and lose) it as a result of an official designation made on some other legal or traditional basis, such as the former Crown Prince Hassan of Emidia, when the Talosi overthrew The Northern Kingdom of Emidia.
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