Why Tom Riddle isn't the "Prince"

[mnaper2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 103701

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pandrea100" <pandrea100 at h...> 
wrote:
> I've seen it argued that although JK sez Voldemort isn't the 
Prince, 
> Tom Riddle as a somewhat separate entity could be.  However, what 
is 
> a prince?  Either a hereditary title - a real prince and part of a 
> royal family - or a honorary title adopted by/given to a self-
> important person.
> 
> Now, if it's the former, which I feel is unlikely as we've seen his 
> parents' home and there's no suggestion of a royal link, then Tom 
> Riddle changing his name wouldn't affect his title.  If Prince 
> Charles decided he wanted to be known as Norman, he would still be 
> the heir to the throne, unless he abdicated (which someone as 
> ambitious as Tom would never do).
> 
> If it's the latter, then we have Tom being known first as a prince, 
> then changing his name to Voldemort, but demoting himself by asking 
> his followers to call him LORD Voldemort, Lord being lower than a 
> prince.  That seems really unlikely.  
> 
> I also think that a modern-day prince is unlikely in the wizarding 
> world as we know it so far - even going back a few decades to Tom's 
> youth.  So I think the prince is either someone from the past (eg 
> Godric Gryffindor) or someone from another country (unlikely given 
> we've already had overseas visitors in GoF but on the other hand, 
> VERY much in the tradition of British boarding school fiction which 
> JK is to some extent working in: Greyfriars, the Chalet School, 
> Malory Towers, etc etc, they all had princes/princesses as pupils 
at 
> times).
> 
> Really trying to resist making a "wizard formerly known as Prince" 
> joke here ...

Ally:

I think too much emphasis is being placed on the literal 
interpretation of prince.  It could very well be that Tom Riddle was 
the HBP, because he ultimately became LORD Voldemort.