What is nobility? Hierarchy of titles from Knight to King! Titles of the highest nobility in the Russian Empire
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
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 peerage systems:
The Peerage of England is all titled Englishmen whose title was created by the Queens and Kings of England before 1707 (signing of the Act of Union).
The Peerage of Scotland is a title 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 the Crown of England, are hereditary.
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 of nobility 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 courtesy title: 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).
To ex-wives peers of any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's first name, then the rank and title, without using the definite article "the" before the rank (for example, 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.
Few people know, unfortunately, that the knightly title sir can only precede the first name (and never the surname). That is, you can say Sir Alec Guinness or Sir Alec, but Sir Guinness - by no means.
With the title of lord, the situation is almost the opposite, but not always.
The highest English nobility, the peerage, has five degrees: duke (duke), marquis (marquess, in contrast to the French title marquis), count (earl, by no means count - this is the title of the European continental aristocracy; although the wife the English count will still be countess), viscount (viscount) and baron (baron).
The lower, baronial title, as a rule, is assigned to new, life members of the House of Lords, who receive the nobility for services to the state. In any case, this title is omitted in circulation and ceremonial, and the title of lord is used instead, which may only precede the title title. The name of the title is not a surname, but may coincide with it (Lord Byron). Instead of the full title of Baron Olivier of Brighton, it would be correct to say Lord Olivier. The name in these cases always precedes the title: Alfred, Lord Tennyson, or George Gordon, Lord Byron.
The titles of marquess, earl and viscount are also omitted in informal contexts and replaced with lord (e.g. Lord Salisbury instead of Marquess of Salisbury - note that with the title of lord the preposition of disappears). These titles, however, are necessarily recited in full in the ceremonial. The name of the title, if it does not match the family name, is territorial, for example Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon, and then it would be correct to say Lord Avon (in this case, both the name and the surname precede the title).
The title of duke is never replaced by the title of lord.
There are, however, so-called courtesy titles, which do not have a legal basis, among which there is also the title of lord. In this traditional system, the eldest son of a duke holds the title of marquis; the eldest son of the marquis - the title of earl; the eldest son of the count - the title of viscount. The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords, but in this case the title precedes the name: Lord Peter Wimsey. All daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls have the title of lady that precedes the name: Lady Jane or Lady Jane Seymour. However, if a woman receives the title of lady through her husband, then it can only precede the surname: Joan Plowright, according to etiquette, should be called Lady Olivier, but not Lady Joan.
The sons and daughters of viscounts and barons, and the younger sons of earls, are called the Honourable. There is also the title of Right Honorable, which serves as a kind of free addition to the titles of earl, viscount and baron, and also comes before the title of lord for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses. The title of marquess is preceded in ceremonial by the title of Most Honorable.
update. The origin of the titles varies greatly. Barons appeared immediately after the Norman Conquest, but originally this word meant a vassal knight, primarily a royal one. By the thirteenth century there was already a division into greater and lesser barons; the first and became the owners of the corresponding title.
The first English Viscount was John, Lord Beaumont in 1440.
The title of earl (earl) is Anglo-Saxon, and originally meant the manager of a certain large territory. William the Conqueror tried to replace it with the title of count, but to no avail.
The first English marquis was the favorite of Richard II, Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who received the title of Marquess of Dublin in 1385.
The first English duke, the Duke of Cornwall, was Edward III's eldest son, Edward the "Black Prince", in 1338. Prior to that, he was the Earl of Cornwall.
The title of knight (knight), which gives its owner the right to polite treatment sir, is personal and not inherited. This is the lowest title of nobility: knights are not part of the peerage (peerage). Few people know that this title has various degrees.
The lowest degree of knighthood is called knight bachelor (knight bachelor). Historically, these were, as a rule, young knights who were not part of any of the knightly orders and did not have the right to unfurl their own banner.
The second degree is called knight banneret (knight-standard-bearer). To this degree, a knight was made on the battlefield for outstanding courage, tearing off the "tongues" of his flag (pennon), which thus turned into a banner. After the reign of Elizabeth I, this knighthood almost ceased to exist. The last knight-bearer was in 1642, Colonel John Smith, who recaptured the royal standard of Charles I from the enemy at the battle of Edgehill.
The title of baronet (baronet) was originally also a degree of knighthood (knight baronet), but did not take root in this capacity. Read more about baronets below.
The highest degree of knighthood is the members of the orders of chivalry, of which there are nine in England. Chief among them is The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded by Edward III around 1348. Other orders, in order of preference:
Order of the Thistle (The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, 1687);
Order of St. Patrick (The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, 1788, actually no longer exists);
Order of the Bath (The Most Honorable Order of the Bath, 1399, restored in 1715);
The Order of the Star of India (The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, 1861, awarded until 1947);
Order of St. Michael and St. George (The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, 1818);
Order of the Indian Empire (The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, 1877, awarded until 1947);
Order of Queen Victoria (The Royal Victorian Order, 1896);
Order of the British Empire (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1917).
The situation is further complicated by the fact that some orders have three or five degrees, and each degree has its own abbreviated name, which is traditionally placed after the owner's surname. As an example, I will name the degrees of the Order of the Bath: Knight / Dame Grand Cross (abbreviated as G.C.B. - Grand Cross of the Bath); Knight/Dame Commander of the Bath (K.C.B. or D.C.B.) and Companion of the Bath (C.B.) In this case, regardless of the number of degrees in the order, only the first two are knightly.
As I already wrote, the knightly title of sir can only appear before the name of the knight, and for his wife the title of lady - only before the surname (unless she is the owner of the hereditary title of courtesy, in which case the lady will precede her name).
The title of baronet, as already mentioned, arose originally as one of the degrees of knighthood. The title was created by James I in 1611 to raise money for the defense of Ulster by selling patents. Subsequently (under George IV) the title ceased to be knightly. However, its owner has the right to address sir, and to distinguish baronets from knights, the letters Bt are placed after their name: Sir Percival Glyde, Bt. He is not a baronet and a peer, but this title is hereditary.
The concept of esquire (esquire) means in the narrow sense of an untitled nobleman, and in the broad sense is actually equivalent to the title of courtesy mister. However, Esq is by no means a title, and always follows only the surname, usually in documents and letters: Sherlock Holmes, Esq.
The informal title of squire (squire) historically meant a knightly squire, but from the end of the 16th century, relatively large landowners, who were informal "first persons" in a particular rural area, began to be called that. At the same time, the squire could be either a titled aristocrat or an untitled landowner.
The courageous and somewhat romanticized image of a knight in most people is associated with the Middle Ages. After all, as you know, "chivalry as a military and landowning estate arose among the Franks in connection with the transition in the VIII century from the people's foot army to the horse army of vassals. Being influenced by the church and poetry, it developed the moral and aesthetic ideal of a warrior, and in the era of the Crusades , under the influence of the spiritual and knightly orders that arose at that time, closed into a hereditary aristocracy. state power, the superiority of infantry over cavalry, the invention of firearms and the creation of a permanent army by the end of the Middle Ages turned feudal chivalry into a political class of untitled nobility.
Then knighting in medieval Latin texts was denoted by the words "put on a military belt." Everyone could be a knight at that time. At first, knighthood was given, according to the German tradition, at 12, 15, 19 years old, but in the 13th century there was a noticeable desire to push it back to adulthood, that is, to the 21st year. Although the era of firearms abolished knighthood as a military class, the modern world also has its knights.
According to the British system of awards for personal gallantry, achievement or service to the United Kingdom, the following is expected:
Honors- to recognize the virtues in terms of achievement and service;
Medals- to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service, and/or good behaviour; a
Award badges usually given for specific achievements.
Well, knights today exist in cavalier orders like the Order of the Garter (1348) or the Order of the Knights of Honor (1917) and in a class known as knight bachelors. Although, unlike the knights of the British orders, the knights bachelors are not given special letters after the name, indicating belonging to a particular knightly order, the knight bachelor is entitled to the title of sir.
Let's talk about them. As you know, not only subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but foreign citizens can receive an honorary title. Of the famous non-British honor to be a British knight awarded, in particular, the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, singer Placido Doming oh movie director Steven Spielberg, scientist and historian Simon Wiesenthal, also known as the "Nazi hunter".
Of the citizens of Great Britain, actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore (who played James Bond), singers Sting (Gordon Sumner), Paul McCartney, Elton John and many others are considered honorary knights.
Back in 1992, the right to the prefix "sir" received a wonderful composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, author of music from the musicals "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats", from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Sir Paul McCartney- Knight since 1997. This is not the first royal award of the famous Beatle - after all, back in the mid-sixties, each of the "Liverpool Four" received the Order of the British Empire. But John Lennon later returned his order in protest of Britain's support for the US military action in Vietnam.
In the same 1997, another king of British music was knighted - Elton John.
And, having been included in the lists of alleged knights more than once, he was finally initiated into them in 2003, on his 60th birthday, another talented and legendary British musician - Mick Jagger. The solemn atmosphere obliges to solemn outfits, but the vocalist of the rock band The Rolling Stones appeared in a long leather coat, a red scarf and black sneakers, which caused general condemnation.
Let's finish the theme of music with a solemn ceremony, which took place in 2007 at the residence of the British Ambassador in Dublin. Here he was awarded an honorary knighthood for his service to the UK in the music industry and humanitarian action Bono(real name Paul Newson), Irish musician and social activist, leader of the rock band U-2.
As you know, the title of knight-bachelor is given only to men, the equivalent title for women is Dame of the Order of the British Empire. Yes, March 26, 2015 Joan Collins She became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The awards ceremony was hosted by Prince Charles.
A year earlier, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Angelina Jolie the title of cavalry lady and the Order of St. Michael and St. George for humanitarian work. October 10, 2014.
For his contribution to cinema in 2000 he became a knight Sean Connery. After he was knighted, the newspapers came out with headlines: "My name is Sean, Sir Sean," as 007's famous greeting was paraphrased.
By the way, the famous Russian actor Vasily Livanov, known even to children for the role of Sherlock Holmes, was also awarded the title of knight in 2006 precisely for an unforgettable recreation of this literary image.
It would take a long time to list the personalities who deserved and were awarded the honorary title of knight with their talent and diligence. But for today, having mentioned music and cinema, we will end with sports. In 1999, the world learned the name of another knight: the Scottish football player and coach Sir Alex Ferguson.
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 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 the 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 titles of nobility in France 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 appropriate address 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 marquises) 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 incapacity 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 usually 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.
Style of existence (foundation of institutions, political institutions, regulation public life) of the Roman Empire was restored to 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 a 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.
On the English language The (untranslated) 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) Infanta 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 reference to 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. English word"head" retains part of this value. In German, the idea was translated by the title "Furst".
In most general terms, when not referring to the children of the king, "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, "prince" (translated into European languages as prince, e.g. Prince Potemkin) is the most high degree nobility, and sometimes, represents a middle title for the older branch of the dynasty by birth (for example, 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, the earl is a member of the British nobility, and in the aristocratic ranks is ranked below the Marquis and above the 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 the actual rulers in their own dominions. 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 khanate). Khan heads the ruling dynasty, and is the ruler in a monarchical state, 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.
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The title of Khan of Khans was among the numerous titles used by the Sultans. 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 Baron 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 given 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 have 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 of 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 noble titles
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 duke title as royal was strong in Germany, perhaps stronger than ever in Great Britain and other parts of Europe, where all the children of the head ruling house- automatically received 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 directly by the Germanic peoples 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 Margherita) (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 (the consort of an empress) and 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.
