[ rɪ'geɪlɪə ]
■ plural noun [treated as sing. or plural ]
1》 the insignia of royalty, especially the crown and other ornaments used at a coronation.
2》 the distinctive clothing and trappings of high office, worn at formal occasions.
Origin
C16 (in the sense 'royal powers'): from med. L., lit. 'royal privileges', neut. plural of regalis 'regal'.
Usage
The word ~ comes from Latin and is, technically speaking, the plural of regalis . However, in modern English use it behaves as a collective noun, similar to words like staff or government , which means that it can be used with either a singular or plural verb.