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In the song 宮さん宮さん (明治時代)

宮さん宮さん お馬の前に ひらひらするのは 何じゃいな

As far as I can see it is referring to the emperor using さん、has its formality
changed since that era? Or is it being ironic
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2019-06-10T16:32:12.627
68786
2019-06-11T04:57:13.823
9357
question
honorifics old-japanese
Historical use of さん
First, according to Wikipedia, this 宮さん is not Emperor but [Prince
Arisugawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Arisugawa_Taruhito). The most
formal and polite way to address him is 有栖川親王殿下{ありすがわしんのうでんか} ("His Imperial
Highness Prince Arisugawa"), or 殿下{でんか} ("His Highness") for short.

The formality of さん and 様 has not changed. Judging from the
[lyrics](https://ja.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%AE%AE%E3%81%95%E3%82%93%E5%AE%AE%E3%81%95%E3%82%93),
the Prince was marching in some rural area, and the person who made this
question was an ordinary person who simply did not know proper standard keigo.
That's understandable in this age.

宮様（みやさま） is a relatively friendly way to address princes and princesses in
Japanese Royal Family. For example, you can call a prince 宮様 when you talk
with him in a party. 宮さん is unsophisticated and definitely inappropriate as
standard keigo, but I can understand someone who said this is a friendly and
harmless person.

Related:

  * [神 compared to 神様](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/44725/5010)
  * [Is 最愛の神さん the proper way to write "Dear God?"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/48954/5010)
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2019-06-11T03:27:57.130
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2019-06-11T04:57:13.823
2019-06-11T04:57:13.823
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answer