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Hierarchy of royal titles. Titles and their hierarchy

Hierarchy of royal titles. Titles and their hierarchy

24.09.2019

On the territory of France from the Middle Ages until 1871 there was a single system, according to which the feudal lords were divided into several categories. Titles of nobility and their hierarchy are of great interest today. And this is not surprising, since representatives of the aristocracy and their offspring are constantly the object of close attention of the press along with show business stars and famous politicians.

Hierarchy

The head of the medieval French state was the king. At the next rung of the hierarchical ladder were overlords - dukes and large counts, who were the supreme rulers of a particular area. At the same time, their power on the lands was almost equal to the royal one. Next came the owners of domains, beneficiaries or allotments issued for service, and fiefs granted for service and inherited. These nobles had various titles. Interestingly, any feudal lord could be both a suzerain and the owner of a domain and beneficiary at the same time.

Le Roi (king)

As already mentioned, this is the highest title of nobility in medieval France. In different periods, its owners were endowed with more or less power. The French kings had the highest power in the era of absolutism, especially during the reign of Louis XIV.

Le Duke (duke)

This is the highest non-crowned title in the French kingdom, which was translated into Russian as "duke". It is believed that it originally denoted the leader of the tribe and arose during the Carolingian times, when the French, Italians and Germans were subjects of one king. In the course of the formation and expansion of the Frankish state, the German dukes became officials of the king, and the counts, the rulers of certain regions, were subordinate to them.

Le Marquis (marquises)

These titles of nobility in France arose under Charlemagne. Their name comes from the name of the border administrative unit - brand. This is due to the fact that the marquis was the royal governor in the area.

Le Comte (count)

This was the name of the royal servant, who had the authority to manage a certain territory and exercise the functions of the judiciary. He was next after the Marquis in the hierarchy of titles of nobility and practically single-handedly, with the exception of only a few issues, he ruled his county. By the way, from the word comte came the name "komtur", denoting a position in the spiritual and knightly orders.

Le Vicomte (viscount)

Titles of nobility in France were hereditary. In different eras, there were different rules for this. For example, the title of viscount, which in the early period denoted the deputy of the count, was later borne by the younger male heirs of marquises and earls, as well as their descendants.

Le Baron (baron)

Noble titles in France were quite numerous. Their hierarchy also included the step of baron. This was the name of the feudal lords who had their own domain, who, being vassals directly to the king, were themselves sovereigns of their own subjects. In France, it was one of the rarest.

Le Chevalier (Chevalier)

Noble titles in France were also among those representatives of this class who did not have their own domains. It was they who joined the ranks of the army and made up most of the chivalry. The very word "chevalier" means a heavily armed horseman. In the countries of Western Europe, it originally meant acceptance into the military service of one's overlord. For loyalty, the chevalier received from the master a hereditary fief and a lifelong beneficiary.

Monsieur De

The junior title of nobility in France of the old order is equier (ecuye). They denoted a squire, and in literal translation it meant "clothes". In addition, this was the name given to personally independent noble children who did not have the opportunity to equip and equip themselves on their own. Service as a squire was the only way for the chevalier to win the right to own fief or benefice. However, some of the squires, for one reason or another, did not achieve what they wanted and remained simply Monsieur de (name). Over time, this class merged with the Chevalier.

Title succession

At the forefront was the birthright. This meant that the title was inherited by the eldest son of its owner. At the same time, daughters born before the appearance of a boy in the family were deprived of this right.

While the father was alive, the son received the so-called courtesy title lower in rank than that of the parent. For example, the heir to a duke became a marquis. At the same time, when the position of a particular nobleman in the hierarchy of the French aristocracy was considered, the title of father was taken as the basis for determining his place. In other words, the count, who is the son of the duke, was higher than the "colleague", whose father was the marquis.

Usually the highest aristocracy had several titles that remained in the family, so sometimes their offspring had to change them with the death of older relatives. For example, if after the death of a grandfather, the son became a duke, then the grandson took his place as a count.

Women's titles

The title of nobility in France and England was usually passed down through the male line. As for women, that they became their owners in two ways. The first option is marriage, and the second option is receiving from the father. In the latter case, again, it was a title of courtesy, which did not give the lady any privileges. It is a different matter when a woman becomes, for example, a duchess as a result of her marriage to a duke. This meant that she was on the same level of the hierarchy as her husband, and bypassed everyone, including the males, who followed him. In addition, for example, of the two marquises, the one below was the one whose husband had the title of courtesy, and did not inherit it after the death of a parent.

At the same time, the Salic law of succession to the throne was in force in France, according to which women unconditionally could not inherit family titles, i.e. the daughter of a duke did not become a duchess, even if the father had no male heirs.

The most famous aristocratic houses of France

House de Montmorency.

The family has been known since the 10th century and gave France 6 constables, 12 marshals, a cardinal, several admirals, as well as masters of various noble orders and numerous famous statesmen.

Anne de Montmorency was the first in the family to receive a ducal title in 1551.

House d'Albret.

This house reached the very top of the hierarchical ladder, becoming the royal house in Navarre. In addition, one of its representatives (John d "Albret) married the Duke of Vendom. In this marriage, the future king, first of Navarre, and then of France, Henry the Fourth, was born.

House of Artois.

The county with this name in the Middle Ages repeatedly became. In addition, it was one of the few whose inheritance was contrary to the Salic law. The county later became part of Burgundy. In 1482, the title with the lands went to the Habsburgs. However, already in 1659 it returned to the French protectorate and became a nominal county. At the same time, its owners received the title of peer of France, and later one of the representatives of this family became King of France, Charles the Ninth.

Princes of Conde.

This junior branch played an important role in the social and political life of the kingdom until their disappearance in 1830. Throughout its history, this family repeatedly claimed the throne and took part in various conspiracies.

The Lusignan family.

Rod is known for spreading its influence far beyond the borders of France. From the 12th century, as a result of dynastic marriages, its representatives became the rulers of Cyprus and Jerusalem, and in the 13th century they became kings of the Cilician Armenian kingdom and the Principality of Antioch. Thanks to them, the hierarchy of French titles of nobility was partially transferred to these states.

House of Valois-Anjou.

Representatives of the family were the kings of Naples and one of the branches of the ancient Capetian dynasty. In 1328 their representative, Philip the Sixth, assumed the throne of France. He received it not as an inheritance, but because of the absence of male heirs from his cousin, the King of France. The dynasty ruled for more than 2 centuries, until the throne passed to Henry the Fourth.

Now you know how many rungs of the hierarchical ladder separated the ordinary aristocrat and the one who held the highest title of nobility in France, England or other Western European states. Today, many of their offspring, who inherited only a big name, live like the most ordinary people and only occasionally remember their ancestors, who gave them blue blood.

About titles of nobility, their appropriation, appeal to titled persons in different countries, ranks and titles of nobles in European countries, the meaning and status of each title according to its affiliation, the origin of titles and their modern meanings. And also about the hierarchy in the Protestant and Catholic churches and the corresponding appeal to their ministers .

Titles Great Britain . There is a rather strict order of protocol seniority - 129 points.
Main:

The sovereign and members of his family .

Dukes (of England, then Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland)
Eldest sons of dukes of royal blood
Marquesses (same seniority)
Elder sons of dukes
Counts
Younger sons of dukes of royal blood
Elder sons of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Bishops
Barons
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of barons
Sons of barons for life
baronets
Knights of orders (except the Order of the Garter - it is higher)
Knights not in Orders
Exquires
Squires

A noble title in the UK is only the head of the family. The eldest son and the son of the eldest son (among dukes and marquesses) may, by right of courtesy, also bear the title, but lower than the title of the head by one or more points. The title of Lord is held by the sons of dukes and marquesses. The younger sons of earls and all the sons of barons and viscounts are called the Honorable (Honorable, in letters abbreviated The Hon)
Ladies are called daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls. Daughters of Viscounts and Barons - The Hon. Only the Duke and Duchess are invariably referred to by their full title.
Marquesses, earls and viscounts are titled only on solemn occasions, but on other occasions they should be called Lord or Lady, and also in relation to barons and baronesses.

France.

sovereign
princes
Dukes
marquises
Counts
Viscounts
Barons
The family title is inherited by the eldest son, the others receive the next in rank.
The title of knight is not inherited.
Handling:
mr duke- Monseigneur le Duc
Madam Duchess- Madame la Duchesse
Appeal adopted in aristocratic circles: duke + given name, baron/earl + surname, sir + given name and surname

Church. Appeals.

Protestant.
Archbishop - Your Grace
Bishop - Lord
Clergymen up to the rank of prebendary - Sir
Others - Reverend + name and surname

Catholic .
Pope - Holy Father or Your Holiness in the third person
Cardinal - Eminence or Your Grace
Archbishops and Bishops - Excellency or Your Grace in the second person
others - according to dignity

LORD (English lord),
1) in medieval England, originally a feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord), then the collective title of the English high nobility; assigned to the peers of the kingdom, forming the House of Lords of the British Parliament. Since the 19th century the title of lord complains for merits to figures of science and culture.
2) An integral part of the names of some positions in the UK (for example, the Lord Chancellor is the chairman of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor is the head of local authorities in London and other large cities).

Prince Regent
The Prince Regent (or Regent) is a prince who rules as a monarch Regent instead of a Monarch, for example due to the Sovereign's incapacity (due to age or illness) or absence (the monarch's distance from his realm, such as exile or a long journey). While this title may have a generic meaning and refer to any prince who has acted as regent, historically the title was mainly used to separate a small number of those princes who ruled as regents.

In England, the use of the title Prince with the prefix Regent is usually associated with George IV, who used the title (HRH) during the inability of his father, George III, to govern. This period in British history is known as the English Regency, or simply the Regency. The title was awarded by the Regency Act of February 5, 1811. With certain restrictions during the regency period, the Prince Regent was able to exercise the powers of the King.

In Germany, the title Prinzregent (literally Prince Regent) is commonly associated with Prince Lutpold of Bavaria, who served as Regent for two of his nephews, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who was declared imbecile in 1886, and King Otto of Bavaria (who was declared insane in 1875) , from 1886 to 1912. The years of Lutpold's regency were marked by great artistic and cultural activity in Bavaria, these years were later known as the Prinzregentenjahre or Prinzregentenzeit. Numerous streets in Bavarian towns and cities are called Prinzregentenstrasse. Many institutions are named after Lutpold, such as the Prinzregententheater in Munich. Prinzregententorte is a layered chocolate cream cake named after Lutpold. After Lutpold's death in 1912, his son Prince Ludwig III of Bavaria became Prince Regent. Ludwig retained this title for a short period of less than a year, as the Bavarian legislature decided to recognize him as king.

Kaiser
Kaiser is a German name meaning "Emperor", Kaiserin is the female equivalent, "Empress". This title is directly derived from the name of the Latin Emperors Caesar (Caesar), which in turn was derived from the name of Julius Caesar.

The style of existence (foundation of institutions, political institutions, regulation of social life) of the Roman Empire was restored in the Kingdom of the Franks by Emperor Charlemagne in 800. When his empire was divided, the title of emperor passed to the ruler who ruled over the Roman kingdom. Through a system of succession, this kingdom passed to the eastern ("German") kingdom. The Holy Roman Emperors (962-1806) called themselves Kaiser, combining the imperial title with that of King of Rome; they perceived their rule as the prototype of the reign of the Roman Emperors and used a title derived from the title "Caesar" to reflect their imagined heritage.

Rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1804-1918) from the Habsburg dynasty, which represented all the Holy Roman Emperors since 1440. The Austrian-Hungarian rulers adopted the title of Kaiser.

In English (untranslated) the word "Kaiser" is mainly associated with the emperors of the unified German Empire (1871-1918) and in particular Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In 1871 a debate was held regarding the exact title for the monarch of a united Germany. Deutscher Kaiser ("German Emperor") was chosen among others such as Kaiser von Deutschland ("Emperor of Germany"), or Kaiser der Deutschen ("Emperor of the Germans"); since the selected title expressed the least degree of superiority over the rulers of other principalities. There were only three Kaisers of the (second) German Empire. They all belonged to the Hohenzollern dynasty, which was the informal leader among the rulers of Germany - the kings of Prussia, the largest power among the German principalities. German Kaisers:

Wilhelm I (1871-1888);
Frederick III (1888), who ruled for 99 days;
Wilhelm II (1888-1918), during his reign, the monarchy in Germany ended after the end of the First World War.

Infante
In the Spanish and former Portuguese monarchies, the (male title) Infante or (female) Infanta, was given to the son or daughter of a reigning King who is not the direct heir to the throne. Also, the Princes of the Blood of the Spanish and Portuguese royal families most often received this title by inheritance (children of aristocrats also bore the title of Infante, but in their case the title was associated with the definition of "child", without being tied to the royal family). Note that the infant is also used for a hereditary title of an aristocracy, such as Los infantas de Carrion (heirs of Carrion).

The name comes from the same root as "infant", "child" in Romance languages (French, Enfants de France), and in this case indicates that the Infante or Infanta is the child of the monarch.

The modern Infanta of Spain are Leonor and Sofia (daughters of Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia), Elena and Cristina (daughters of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia), Pilar and Margarita (daughters of Juan de Bourbon, Count of Barcelona). Carlos de Borbón, Duke of Calabria and cousin of King Juan Carlos, also holds the title of Infante of Spain. Prince Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos, is the direct heir to the Spanish throne and therefore bears the title of Prince of Asturias.

The modern Infantes of Portugal (now a republic) are Enrique, Duke of Coimbra and Miguel, Duke of Visi (brothers of the Dukes of Duarte of Braganza, pretenders to the Portuguese royal throne), Infante Afonso, Prince of Beira, Infanta Maria Francisca Isabel of Portugal and Infante Dinis, Duke of Porto (sons of the aforementioned Duke of Braganza).

Prince
The title "prince" has a long history. At the time when Emperor Augustus assumed the title of Emperor from the Roman Senate, it (the title) meant "one who is among equals, or equals". This title remained one of the titles of the Roman Emperor. The English word "leader" retains part of this meaning. In German, the idea was translated by the title "Fürst".

In most general terms, when not referring to the king's children, "prince" refers to the supreme or one of the supreme husbands, that is, to that person who has direct personal rule over a relatively small area, such as modern Monaco and Liechtenstein.

Since the German lands were ruled by a large number of princes, the people were more loyal to the Princes than other European nations outside the Empire (meaning the Holy Roman Empire, it did not occupy the whole of Europe), and therefore the German language has an additional title to determine the prince in the common European sense of the title - This is Furst. "Prince" in German does not have a royal imprint on an aristocratic title, and sometimes this title may be classified as a lesser title than Duke, or "Gro?herzog" depending on the history of the particular titular family. "Fürst" is a uniquely German title which is best translated as "prince" and should be regarded as a title above "prince". This title designates the head of a royal house, or the head of the ruling branch of such a house. For example, the German form of Prince Rainier's title is "Furst von Monaco".

The electors of the Holy Roman Empire were called "Elector". "Gro?furst" is the word used in German for the Russian Grand Duke (son of the Tsar).

It can be seen from the above examples that in the German system (and in other continental systems), a prince is sometimes more than a mere noble, but not necessarily of royal blood, and it is this distinction that makes comparison of this title with the British system difficult.

In the Russian system, "knyaz" (translated into European languages as prince, e.g. Knyaz Potemkin) is the highest degree of nobility, and sometimes, represents the middle title for the older branch of the dynasty by birth (e.g., the Bagrations), who passed into the Russian nobility under the Russian imperial dynasty (previously the Bagrations were a royal dynasty that ruled in the Georgian state); also this term was used originally by the Rurik dynasty.

"Prince" is also a term used to translate the highest level of the old Gaelic nobility.

Graph
Earl or Jarl was an Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian title meaning "leader" and referring primarily to chieftains who rule over territory on land belonging to the king (a separate estate or castle). In Scandinavia the title became obsolete and fell out of use in the Middle Ages, being replaced by the title of duke (hertig/hertug), while in Great Britain the title became synonymous with the continental title of Earl.

Today, an earl is a member of the British nobility, and in the aristocratic ranks is ranked below a Marquis and above a Viscount.

The word "earl" comes from the Middle English word "erl" meaning warrior, nobleman, and is the Old Norse equivalent of jarl. It remains unclear whether there is a real etymological connection with the Anglo-Saxon concept "Ealdorman", which translates literally as "Elder", and denotes a title that was subsequently replaced by Earl during the eleventh century.

The earls were originally royal "governors" (i.e. appointed administrators). Although the title of Earl was nominally equal to the continental meaning of such a title, unlike in continental Europe, the earls were not actual rulers in their own domains. After the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror attempted to govern England using the traditional system, but eventually changed it to his own system of government and land divisions. The counties became the largest secular divisions in England.

There was only one person in Iceland who ever held the title of Count (or Jarl). It was Gissur Borvaldsson who was made Count of Iceland by King Haakon IV of Norway for his efforts in securing Iceland's transition to Norwegian royal rule.

Khan
Khan is a sovereign (from sovereign, independent ruler) and military title to denote a ruler in the Altaic languages. The title originally came from the Turkish language, meaning the tribal leaders of the Mongols and Turks. This title now has many equivalent meanings, such as commander, leader, or ruler. Now the Khans exist mainly in South Asia, Central Asia and Iran. The female alternative to the title is Khatun, Khatan and Khanum.

Khan governs the khanate (sometimes written as khanat). The Khan heads the ruling dynasty, and is the ruler in a monarchical state, the Khan is also sometimes perceived in the European sense as a king or prince, but this is wrong. Initially, the khans only led relatively minor tribal possessions, in the vast Eurasian steppe, where the tribes were mostly nomadic.
.

The title of Khan of Khans was among the numerous titles used by the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the rulers of the Golden Horde and its descendant states. The title Khan was also used in the Turkish Seljuk dynasties of the Middle East to designate the head of many tribes, clans or nations.

Baron
Baron is a specific aristocratic title. The word Baron itself comes from the old French word baron, and directly from the Frankish word baro, which meant "honorary citizen, warrior"; later this word merged with the related Old English beorn in the sense of "nobleman".

In the British system of titles of nobility, barons rank below viscounts, being the lowest rank, in the peerage (nobles of all titles are referred to as peers). A woman from a family with a baronial title has her own equivalent - a baroness. A baron may hold a barony (multiple baronies) if the title is originally related to feudal baronies.

William the First introduced the title of "Baron" as a title of nobility in England to distinguish the nobles who pledged their loyalty to him. Previously, in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in Britain, the king's companions held the title of earl, and in Scotland, the title of Thane.

In Scotland, the title of baron is an aristocratic title associated with the feudal nobility of Scotland and refers to the holder of a feudal barony having his own holdings.

In the twentieth century Britain introduced the concept of non-hereditary life peers. All appointees assume the title of baron, but cannot pass it on to their children.

During the Old Regime, the French baronies were very similar to the Scottish ones. Feudal tenants were entitled to call themselves barons if they were nobles.

In pre-republican Germany, all noble families (sometimes distinguished by the prefix "fon") were eventually recognized as barons. The families who always held this status were called Primal Aristocrats. Today, there are no legal privileges associated with hereditary titles at all. The offspring of those who held aristocratic titles may wish to distinguish themselves from later "ennobled" families, however, many Barons' surnames do not contain any such prefix (von). In general, all male members of a baronial family inherited the title of Baron from birth.

In Spain, the title is one of the lowest. The Baron's wife assumes the title of "Barones". The term Baroness was also used for a woman who was granted a title for her merit. In general, the title of "Baron" until the nineteenth century corresponded to the title of nobility, derived from the "Crown of Aragon". The title lost territorial jurisdiction around the middle of the nineteenth century, and since then it has been used only as an honorific.

The title was very common in most European countries, in various languages the title was pronounced with virtually no change in sound.

Like other major Western noble titles, Baron is sometimes used to designate a title of similar merit outside the Western world.

In some republics of continental Europe, the unofficial title of "Baron" is retained as a socially prestigious title, without specific political privileges.

In the Polynesian monarchy of the island of Tonga, as opposed to Europe, the barons are granted power, and usually the barons carry out certain political activities while invested with power.

Viscount
A viscount is a member of the European nobility, this title usually occupies a place equal to the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl (in the UK) or duke (its continental equivalent).

The word viscount has been used in English since 1387, and is derived from the Old French word visconte (modern French: vicomte), which in turn is derived from the Medieval Latin term vicecomitem (originally meaning companion; later Roman imperial courtier).

As a rank in the British peerage, this title was first registered in 1440 when John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont, became King Henry VI. According to early sources, early viscounts were not originally granted titles or honors by the monarch, and the title was not hereditary.

A viscount is said to hold a "viscountcy" or province belonging to a viscount. The female equivalent of a viscount is a viscountess.

In British practice, the title of viscount may be either a place-name or a surname, or sometimes a combination of both.
A distinctly British custom is the use of the title viscount as an expression of respect for the heir of an earl or marquess. The heir apparent to a peer is sometimes also referred to as a viscount. More often than not, the eldest son of a British duke receives the title of Marquess; with exceptions such as the Dukedom of Norfolk which does not hold the title of Marquess, thus the heir apparent is given the next title below Duke, namely that of Earl.
The son of a marquis or earl may be referred to as a viscount when the title of viscount is not the second most senior title in the family. For example, the second most "senior" title of the Marquess of Salisbury is Earl of Salisbury. The eldest son of the Marquess does not use the title Earl of Salisbury, but the eldest title, Viscount Granbourne.
Sometimes the son of a peer may be referred to as a viscount even when he may use the more senior title. In this case, family tradition plays a role. For example, the eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry is Viscount Castlereagh, even though the Marquess is also the Earl of Vane.
The title of viscount is less common in Italy ("visconte"), although the noble Visconti family, the rulers of Milan, are one of the most prominent representatives of the modernization of this title.
In the former kingdom of Portugal, visconde ranks above baron, and below conde.
In the kingdom of Spain, this title began to be awarded from the time of Felipe IV (1621-65; Habsburg dynasty) until 1846.

There are non-etymological equivalents to the title Viscount in several languages, including German. For example, in Dutch, Burggraaf is a title above Baron but below Count in the realms of the Netherlands and Belgium. In Welsh this title is granted as Isiarll.

There are also non-Western copies of this title:

Korean jajak or Pansoh
Chinese Tzu or Zi, fourth-class hereditary title
Japanese Shishaku or Shi, the fourth and lowest, but one of the five ranks of titles of nobility

duke
The Latin Duke was a military title that could be equated with "field marshal". The title's historical core is found in the Arthurian stories, and is most likely associated with the Duke of Bellorus, who was in charge of holding back the barbarian attack on early post-Roman Britain. The English kings introduced the French ducal structure into the British system and it was originally mainly a royal title. In France, especially after 1600, however, as in Great Britain, this title no longer meant royalty.

However, the perception of the title duke as royal was strong in Germany, perhaps stronger than ever in Great Britain and other parts of Europe, where all children of the head of the ruling house were automatically given the title of Duke, and the descendants of the Imperial family were archdukes or archduchesses.

A duchy (or grand duchy) is a territory ruled by a duke (or grand duke). There are only two duchies properly in Great Britain, Lancaster and Cornwall; they are essentially "corporations" that provide income to the Queen (who is the "Duchess" of Lancaster), and to the Prince of Wales (who also holds the title Duke of Cornwall).

A duke is a nobleman, historically the highest rank below a King or Queen, and usually rules over a Duchy. The word itself comes from the Latin word for leader, which was understood as "military commander" and was used by the Germanic peoples directly, as well as by Roman authors.

In the Modern Age, the title became a nominal title with no actual principality. Duke is still the highest nominal aristocratic title in France, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, and Italy.

During the Middle Ages, after the collapse of Roman power in Western Europe, the title was still used in the Germanic kingdoms, most often to the rulers of the old Roman provinces and colonies.

In the 19th century, the High Dukes of Parma and Modena in Italy, and Anhalt, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Nassau (state), Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Main and Saxe-Altenburg in Germany survived Napoleon's rebuilding. Since the unification of Italy in 1870 and the end of the monarchy in Germany in 1918, there have been no more reigning dukes in Europe; only the Grand Duke remains, who governs Luxembourg.

Spanish infantes were usually given a dukedom upon marriage. This title is currently non-hereditary. Modern Royal Duchesses: HRH Duchess of Badajoz (Infanta Maria del Pilar), HRH Duchess of Soria (Infanta Margarita) (although she inherited the title of Duchess Ernani from her cousin and is the second holder of that title), HRH Duchess of Lugo (Infanta Elena) and HRH Duchess of Palma de Mallorca (Infanta Cristina).

Emperor
An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the supreme ruler of an empire or other type of "imperial" realm. Empress is the feminine form of the title. As a title, "empress" can refer to both the wife of an emperor (empress consort) or a woman who is a reigning monarch (empress regnant). Emperors are generally recognized to be superior to kings in the aristocratic hierarchy. Today, the Emperor of Japan is the only reigning emperor in the world.

Both kings and emperors are monarchs. Within the European context of the titles of monarchs, "emperor" is considered the highest of the monarchical titles. Emperors were once given precedence over kings in international diplomatic relations; currently, such primacy is limited to the duration of the period on the throne of the head of state.

Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about, we constantly come across all sorts of sirs, lords, princes, dukes and other titles. It is quite difficult to understand the purpose of all these appeals to certain segments of the population from books or films. We will try to consider what titles there are in England, what is their hierarchy, how they are obtained and whether it is possible to transfer the title by inheritance, etc.

Peerage in England

The Peerage is the system of nobility in England. All Englishmen who hold a title are called peers. All other people who do not have any titles are considered commoners. The main difference between peers and other people is that a title of nobility in England gives certain privileges, and these privileges differ among peers of different ranks.

There are also differences in privileges between different parts of the peerage system:

The Peerage of England is all titled Englishmen whose title was created before 1707 (signing of the Act of Union).

The Peerage of Scotland are titles of nobility created by the monarchs of Scotland before 1707.

Peerage of Ireland - titles of the Kingdom of Ireland created before 1800 (signing of the Act of Union) and some of them created later.

The Peerage of Great Britain is all titles created in the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800.

Peerage of the United Kingdom - almost all titles created after 1800.

Older ranks are considered higher in the hierarchy. In addition, determining in the hierarchy is the ownership of the title:

English,

Scottish,

Irish.

For example, an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title obtained at the same time. But the same Irish earl would be higher in the hierarchy than a Great Britain earl with a post-1707 title.

Emergence of the Peerage

The history of the creation of the peerage system among the British began with the conquest of England by the illegitimate son of the ruler of Normandy, William the Conqueror. He created a single Kingdom of England and divided the entire territory into manors. Those Englishmen who owned manors were called barons; depending on the amount of land, there were "big barons" and "lesser barons".

The king collected the big barons for royal councils, and the smaller ones were collected by the sheriffs. Then the lesser barons ceased to convene. It was the meetings of the great barons that were then transformed into the House of Lords, which still exists today. Most titles of nobility, like, are heritable.

Times changed and various ranks began to form among the nobles, the privileges of which differed significantly.

Title hierarchy

At the top of the hierarchy is naturally the royal family, which has its own hierarchy. The British royal family includes the monarch himself and a group of his close relatives. Members of the royal family are: the monarch, the monarch's spouse or the monarch's widowed spouse, the monarch's children, his male grandchildren, the spouses or widowed spouses of the monarch's male heirs.

The next most important among the English are:

Duke and Duchess (began to confer this title in 1337). Duke (derived from the Latin for "chief") is the highest ranking English title after King and Queen. Usually dukes govern the Duchy. Dukes constitute the second rank of princes after the princes of the royal family.

Marquis and marquise (first awarded in 1385). Marquis is an English title of nobility between a duke and an earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories (from the French "mark" or border territory). In addition to the marquises themselves, this title is awarded to the eldest son of the duke and the daughter of the duke.

Count (earl) and countess (used from 800-1000). Earls - members of the English nobility, who previously owned and managed their own lands - counties, tried court cases in provincial courts on behalf of the King, collected fines and taxes from the local population. Also counties were honored: the eldest son of the marquis, the daughter of the marquis and the youngest son of the duke.

Viscount and viscountess (the first such title was awarded in 1440). The word comes from the Latin "vice count", "deputy count". During the lifetime of the father, the eldest son of an earl or the younger sons of a marquis became viscounts as a courtesy title.

Baron and Baroness (first appeared in 1066). The word comes from the Old German "free master". Baron is the lowest noble rank in England. If the title is historically related to feudal baronies, then the baron holds that barony. In addition to the barons themselves, the following persons were endowed with this title in the form of a title of courtesy: the eldest son of a viscount, the youngest son of a count, the eldest son of a baron, then the younger sons of viscounts and the younger sons of barons followed the hierarchy.

Another rank, although inherited, but not belonging to the English titled aristocratic persons, is the baronet (there is no female equivalent). Baronets do not sit in the House of Lords and do not enjoy the privileges of the nobility. The eldest children of the younger sons of peers of various ranks, the eldest and youngest sons of baronets became baronets.

All other Englishmen are non-titled persons.

Appeal to titled persons

The treatment of titled Englishmen is a rather complex issue. Everyone knows that addressing the King and Queen involves the combination "Your Majesty."

For dukes, "Your Grace" is used, as for duchesses, or duke-duchess is used along with the use of the title (for example, Duke of Wellington). The surnames of dukes are rarely used in circulation, those of duchesses are never used.

Marquesses, viscounts, earls, barons and their wives are addressed as Milord (My Lord) or Milady (My Lady), or simply Lord and Lady. You can also use the address directly in the form of rank and title (for example, Marquess of Queensbury).

Ex-wives of peerages of any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's first name, then rank and title, without using the definite article "the" before rank (eg Diana, Princess of Wales).

Baronets and untitled persons are addressed with the words "sir" and "lady".

Getting the title

The real title of Lord in England can be awarded by the Queen for special services to the country. But you can also get it by workarounds, for example, by purchasing a medieval estate for a huge price along with the title, for example, of a baron. At the same time, they receive a certificate of belonging to a certain noble rank.

Title Features

Most often, the holder of any title is a man. Sometimes the title could also belong to a woman, if it was supposed to be inherited. In other cases, the woman was awarded the title of courtesy as the wife of her husband. At the same time, the woman did not have the privileges that the husband had.

The title of a woman was inherited in two cases:

If the woman was only the custodian of the title, in order to transfer it to the male heir in the future;

When a woman rightfully received a title, but could not sit in the House of Lords and hold certain positions.

Moreover, if a titled woman got married, her husband did not receive her title.

If a woman who received a title thanks to her husband turned out to be a widow, she kept it, while the word “widowed” could be added before addressing her. If a woman remarried, she acquired a new title corresponding to the title of her new husband, or even turned out to be an untitled person if the new husband did not belong to the nobility of England.

Another feature is that illegitimate sons did not receive titles under any circumstances. Therefore, often titled persons sought to marry pregnant women in order to ensure their son the right to inherit his title. Otherwise, only the youngest son had the right to receive nobility, if he was already born in marriage, and in the absence of other sons, a distant relative.

Privileges of titled persons

Previously, the privileges of peers were very wide, but now there are very few rights left for titled Englishmen:

The right to sit in parliament

Access to the Queen and King, although this right has not been used for a long time,

The right not to be subject to civil arrest (it has been used only twice since 1945).

In addition, all peers have special crowns for use at coronations and distinctive robes for sitting in the House of Lords (if they are members) and coronations.

Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about the life of the English, we constantly come across all sorts of sirs, lords, princes, dukes and other titles. It is quite difficult to understand the purpose of all these appeals to certain segments of the population from books or films. We will try to consider what titles there are in England, what is their hierarchy, how they are obtained and whether it is possible to transfer the title by inheritance, etc.

Peerage in England

There are also differences in privileges between different parts of the peerage system:

The Peerage of England is all titled Englishmen whose title was created by the Queens and Kings of England prior to 1707 (signing of the Act of Union).

The Peerage of Scotland are titles of nobility created by the monarchs of Scotland before 1707.

Peerage of Ireland - titles of the Kingdom of Ireland created before 1800 (signing of the Act of Union) and some of them created later.

The Peerage of Great Britain is all titles created in the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800.

Peerage of the United Kingdom - almost all titles created after 1800.

Older ranks are considered higher in the hierarchy. In addition, determining in the hierarchy is the ownership of the title:

English,

Scottish,

Irish.

Emergence of the Peerage

Times changed and various ranks began to form among the nobles, the privileges of which differed significantly.

Title hierarchy

The next most important among the English are:

All other Englishmen are non-titled persons.

Appeal to titled persons

The treatment of titled Englishmen is a rather complex issue. Everyone knows that addressing the King and Queen involves the combination "Your Majesty."

Ex-wives of peerages of any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's first name, then rank and title, without using the definite article "the" before rank (eg Diana, Princess of Wales).

Baronets and untitled persons are addressed with the words "sir" and "lady".

Getting the title

Title Features

The title of a woman was inherited in two cases:

If the woman was only the custodian of the title, in order to transfer it to the male heir in the future;

When a woman rightfully received a title, but could not sit in the House of Lords and hold certain positions.

Moreover, if a titled woman got married, her husband did not receive her title.

Privileges of titled persons

Previously, the privileges of peers were very wide, but now there are very few rights left for titled Englishmen:

The right to sit in parliament

Access to the Queen and King, although this right has not been used for a long time,

The right not to be subject to civil arrest (it has been used only twice since 1945).

In addition, all peers have special crowns for use at coronations and distinctive robes for sitting in the House of Lords (if they are members) and coronations.

"Ladder" of titles

At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).

Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace

The Dukes - Your Grace The Duke/Duchess

Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - lord / lady)

Elder sons of dukes

Dukes' daughters

Counts - My Lord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)

Elder sons of marquesses

Daughters of marquesses

Younger sons of dukes

Viscounts - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)

The eldest sons of the counts

Younger sons of marquesses

Barons - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)

The eldest sons of the viscounts

Younger sons of counts

Elder sons of the barons

Younger sons of viscounts

Younger sons of barons

Baronets - Sir

Elder sons of younger sons of peers

Elder sons of baronets

Younger sons of baronets

sons

The eldest son of the holder of the title is his direct heir.

The eldest son of a duke, marquis or earl receives a "courtesy title" - the eldest from the list of titles held by the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which "remained in the family"). Usually this is the next most senior title (for example, the heir to the duke - marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the holder of the title was determined by the title of their father, and not by their "title of courtesy".

The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl or viscount comes immediately after the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles")

Thus, the heir to a duke is always immediately next to the marquis, even if his "courtesy title" is only an earl.

The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords.

Women

In the vast majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could be held by a woman if that title could be passed down through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are courtesy titles and do not give the holder the right to the privileges due to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; a marquise by marrying a marquis; etc.

In the general hierarchy, the wife occupies a place determined by the title of her husband. We can say that she is standing on the same rung of the stairs as her husband, right behind him.

Note: You should pay attention to the following nuance: For example, there are marquises, wives of marquises and marquises, wives of the eldest sons of dukes (who have the "courtesy title" marquis, see section Sons). Now, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, is always lower than the marquis as such).

Women are rightful title holders.

In some cases, the title could be inherited through the female line. There could be two options here.

1. The woman became, as it were, the keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.

2. A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right"). In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike male holders of a title, a woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords, as well as to hold positions associated with this title.

If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive a title (both in the first and in the second case).

Note: Who occupies a higher position, the baroness "in her own right" or the wife of the baron? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the "title of courtesy."

According to Debrett, a woman's position is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).

widows

In the literature, in relation to the widows of titled aristocrats, one can often find a kind of prefix to the title - Dowager, i.e. Dowager. Can every widow be called a "Widowmaker"? No.

Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called the Dowager Countess of Chatham if the following conditions are simultaneously met:

1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)

2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).

In all other cases, she is Mary, Countess of Chatham (Mary, Countess of Chatham, that is, the name + title of her late husband). For example, if she is the widow of a count, but the widow of her husband's father is still alive. Or if, after the death of her husband, his nephew became a count.

If the current title holder is not yet married, then the previous title holder's widow continues to be called the Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current title holder marries and a new Countess of Chatham appears.

How is the position of a widow in society determined? “By her late husband's title. Thus, the widow of the 4th Earl of Chatham is higher in position than the wife of the 5th Earl of Chatham. Moreover, the age of women does not play any role here.

If a widow marries again, her position is determined by the position of her new husband.

daughters

The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.

The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.

Ruler titles
Inherited:

Prince

Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)

King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infante

Emperor

Maharaja

Elected:

Caliph of the Kharijites

Noble titles:

boyar

Chevalier

Kazoku - Japanese title system

Monarchs

Emperor(lat. imperator - sovereign) - the title of the monarch, head of state (empire). From the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character. From the time of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), the Roman Empire was almost always headed by two emperors with the titles of Augustus (their co-rulers bore the title of Caesars).

It is also used to designate the rulers of a number of eastern monarchies (China, Korea, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Japan, the pre-Columbian states of America), despite the fact that the name of the title in the state languages of these countries does not come from the Latin imperator.
To date, only the Emperor of Japan has this title in the world.

King(lat. rex, fr. roi, eng. king, germ. Konig) - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom.

Queen?va - the female ruler of the kingdom or the wife of the king.

Tsar(from tssar, ts?sar, lat. caesar, Greek k????? - one of the Slavic titles of the monarch, usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor. In allegorical speech to denote primacy, dominance: "the lion is the king of beasts."

A queen is a queen or the wife of a king.

Tsarevich - the son of a king or queen (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of prince was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum Khan of Siberia had the title of princes of Siberia.

Tsesarevich is a male heir, the full title is Heir Tsesarevich, informally abbreviated in Russia to Heir (with a capital letter) and rarely to Tsesarevich.

Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.

A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.

Titled nobility:

Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish principe, from Latin princeps - first) - one of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. The Russian word "prince" means direct descendants of monarchs, as well as, by special decree, other members royal family

Duke (Duc) — Duchess (Duchess)

The duke (German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans is a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; in Western Europe, in the early Middle Ages, it was a tribal prince, and in the period of feudal fragmentation, it was a major territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military hierarchy.

Marquis (Marquess) - Marquise (Marchioness)

Marquis - (French marquis, novolat. marchisus or marchio, from German Markgraf, in Italy marchese) - a Western European noble title, standing in the middle between count and duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.

Count (Earl) — Countess (Countess)

Count (from German Graf; Latin comes (literally: "companion"), French comte, English earl or count) is a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title arose in the 4th century in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his district-county had judicial, administrative and military power. By decree of Charles II the Bald (Capitulary of Kersey, 877), the position and possessions of the count became hereditary.

The English earl (OE eorl) originally denoted the highest official, but from the time of the Norman kings it turned into an honorary title.

During the period of feudal fragmentation - the feudal lord of the county, then (with the elimination of feudal fragmentation) the title of the highest nobility (a woman - a countess). As a title, it formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.

Viscount (Viscount) - Viscountess (Viscountess)

Viscount - (fr. Vicornte, English Viscount, Italian. Visconte, Spanish. Vicecomte) - this was the name of the governor in some possession of the count in the Middle Ages (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. so intensified that they became independent and owned certain destinies (Beaumont, Poitiers, etc.) began to be combined with the title of V. At present, this title in France and England occupies a middle place between a count and a baron. The eldest son of the count usually bears the title of V.

Baron (Baron) - Baroness (Baroness)

Baron (from late Latin baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - a man, a man), in Western Europe a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (a woman - a baroness). The title of B. in England (where it remains to this day) is lower than the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (in a broader sense, all English high nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than that of a count. In the Russian Empire, the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German higher nobility of the Baltic states.

Baronet (Baronet) - (there is no female version of the title) - although this is a hereditary title, but in fact the baronets do not belong to peers (titled aristocracy) and do not have seats in the House of Lords.

Note: All others fall under the definition of "commoner", i.e. not titled (including Knight, Esquire, Gentleman)

Comment: In the vast majority of cases, the title belongs to a man. In rare cases, a woman may herself hold the title. Thus, duchess, marquise, countess, viscountess, baroness - in the vast majority of cases, these are "courtesy titles"

There is a hierarchy within a title based on when the title was created and whether the title is English, Scottish or Irish.

English titles are higher than Scottish titles, and Scottish titles are higher than Irish titles. For all that, at a higher level are more "old" titles.

Comment: of English, Scottish and Irish titles.

At various times in England, titles were created:

before 1707 - peers of England, Scotland and Ireland

1701-1801 - Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland

after 1801 - peers of the United Kingdom (and Ireland).

Thus an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title of the same time; but higher than the Earl of Great Britain with a title created after 1707

Lord(Eng. Lord - lord, master, lord) - a title of nobility in Great Britain.

Initially, this title was used to refer to all those belonging to the class of feudal landowners. In this sense, the lord (fr. seigneur ("seigneur")) opposed the peasants who lived on his lands and owed him loyalty and feudal duties. Later, a narrower meaning appeared - the holder of lands directly from the king, in contrast to the knights (gentry in England, lairds in Scotland), who owned lands belonging to other nobles. Thus the title of lordship became collective for the five ranks of the peerage (duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron).

With the emergence of parliaments in England and Scotland in the 13th century, the lords received the right to directly participate in parliament, and in England a separate, upper house of lords of parliament was formed. Nobles with the title of lord sat in the House of Lords by birthright, while other feudal lords had to elect their representatives to the House of Commons by counties.

In a narrower sense, the title of lord was usually used as equivalent to the title of baron, the lowest in the peerage system. This is especially true in Scotland, where the title of baron was not common. The granting of the title of lord by the Scottish kings to the nobles gave them the opportunity to take a direct part in the country's parliament, and often was not associated with the appearance of land holdings by such persons on the right of holding from the king. Thus the title of Lords of Parliament arose in Scotland.

Only the king had the right to assign the title of lord to a nobleman. This title was inherited through the male line and in accordance with the principle of primogeniture. However, the title of lord was also used by the children of nobles of higher ranks (dukes, marquis, viscounts). In this sense, the wearing of this title did not require special sanction from the monarch.

Lord, this is not a title - this is an appeal to the nobility, eg Lord Stone.

Lord (lord, in the original meaning - the owner, the head of the house, family, from the Anglo-Saxon. hlaford, literally - the keeper, the protector of bread), 1) originally in medieval England in the general sense - the feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord) and seigneur his vassals, in a more special sense - a large feudal lord, the direct holder of the king - a baron. Gradually, the title of L. became the collective title of the English high nobility (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons), which was received (since the 14th century) by the peers of the kingdom, who constituted the upper house of the British Parliament—the House of Lords. The title of L. is transmitted through the male line and seniority, but can also be granted by the crown (on the recommendation of the prime minister). Since the 19th century complains (“for special merits”) not only to large landowners, as was customary earlier, but also to representatives of big capital, as well as to some figures in science, culture, and others. Since 1958, the appointment by the monarch of a part of the members of the L. chamber has been introduced, and the appointed L. sit in the chamber for life, their title is not inherited. In 1963, hereditary L. received the right to abdicate the title. 2) An integral part of the official title of some of the highest and local officials of Great Britain, for example, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mayor and others. The Lord Chancellor, Supreme L. of Great Britain, is one of the oldest public offices (established in the 11th century); in modern Great Britain, the L. Chancellor is a member of the government and a representative of the House of Lords. Performs mainly the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints judges in the counties, heads the Supreme Court, is the keeper of the great state seal. The Lord Mayor is the title of the head of local government in London (in the City area) and a number of other large cities (Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and others) that has been preserved from the Middle Ages. 3) In the 15th to 17th centuries, an integral part of the title of L. protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen of England, for example, regents under a minor king. From 1653 to 1658 O. Cromwell also held the title of L. Protector.

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Emperor

Kaiser | King | King | King | Basileus

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Titled nobility

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Infant | Prince | Jarl/Earl | Count Palatinate

Viscount | Burggraf | Vidam

Baron | Baronet

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untitled nobility.