A condition in which royalty may lie in public (5)
I believe the answer is:
state
This could be a double definition.
'a condition in which royalty may lie' is the first definition.
'state' can be an answer for 'a condition' (the state something is in). I am not certain of the rest of the definition.
'public' is the second definition.
(similar in meaning)
'in' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for state that I've seen before include "See 18" , "E.g. Georgia" , "eg Maine" , "Speak" , "whole people" .)