Issue vs Children
According to Wikipedia, a nobleman and a noblewoman have issues while non-nobles have children, so what's the difference? I'm not a native speaker of English, but in my poor understanding, I assume that if a couple has a child as their issue, it means the offspring is some kind of document. Also, if Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip have Prince Charles as their issue, is it correct to say the couple issued Prince Charles?
Nicholas II of Russia (Wikipedia):
Issue:
Grand Duchess Olga
Grand Duchess Tatiana
Grand Duchess Maria
Grand Duchess Anastasia
Tsesarevich Alexei
Henry VIII (Wikipedia):
Issue:
Henry, Duke of Cornwall
Mary I, Queen of England
Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (ill.)
Elizabeth I, Queen of England
Edward VI, King of England
Such people occupy a formal position in society. Some or all of their children are their issue. issues are something else, such as problems or difficulties with finance, personal relationships, emotions, attitudes and other aspects of life.
Legal Dictionary
issue:
a person's children or other lineal descendants such as grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It does not mean all heirs, but only the direct bloodline. Occasionally, there is a problem in determining whether a writer of a will or deed meant issue to include descendants beyond his or her immediate children. While a child or children are alive, issue refers only to them, but if they are deceased then it will apply to the next living generation unless there is language in the document which shows it specifically does not apply to them.
The Cambridge dictionary, curiously, omits this meaning but it is relevant that it offers
Cambridge
issue:
To produce or provide something official
Likewise, the children of nobility may be seen as something produced to fill official positions presently occupied by their parents. However, although Prince Charles is the issue of his parents, I have never met the idea that they issued him; it is not used in that way; it makes him sound like a radio announcement or a banknote, which he clearly is not!
No matter how many children they have, they have "issue" NOT "issues". And the difference between "issue" and "children" is one of formality, not rank. A lawyer drawing up a will for a commoner would likely use "issue".
In British and Australian English as it pertains to the law, children and issue have distinctly different meanings.
Issue is a technical legal term meaning all of a person’s lineal descendants. Children are the direct descendants of their parents. Children are some but not all of a person or couple's issue.
Issue is used as both singular and plural.