While royalty dates back millennia, the specific title of "Princess Royal"—often used to denote the eldest daughter of the sovereign—was first granted to Princess Mary (daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria) in 1642. Henrietta Maria wanted to mimic the French style of "Madame Royale." Historically, one of the earliest recorded figures to hold a title equivalent to princess was Enheduanna (c. 2300 BCE), a Sumerian high priestess and daughter of Sargon of Akkad, who is often cited as the first known author in history. In the context of modern European heraldry, the shift from simply being a "king's daughter" to the formal style of "Princess" (prefixed to the name) became standardized much later. Before the 17th century, English royal daughters were more commonly addressed as "The Lady [Name]," making the 1600s the era where the modern "Princess" title truly solidified in English history.