Titles full list in history. Noble titles of medieval Europe

We select title names from France. Why from there? Because people use French names most often. With the exception of some used in Russia. And on this page we will tell you who is doing what.

As a rule, they are presented in order: from the highest to the simplest. Titles going from Emperors to Chevaliers (Knights) are usually called noble titles. For reference: A nobleman is one of the highest classes of feudal society (along with the clergy), which served the monarch and performed government activities. In other words, a nobleman is a person in the service of the court, usually a prince or king.

Emperor– the title of a monarch or several monarchs at once, the head of an empire. An emperor is usually the owner of several countries or peoples at once. As a rule, he takes land of his own free will. The highest title currently in existence. Feminine - Empress.

Caesar (Russian – Tsar) - a sovereign sovereign, the owner of a kingdom or a large state. A king is a person chosen by God, the people, etc. Usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor. In Russia, by the way, the current “tsar” is currently called the president, but in reality this is not so. The king, as a rule, takes charge of the entire country, and the president leads the country through others. Feminine - Queen.

King- the title of a monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of a kingdom or a small state. Feminine - Queen.

Prince- who it? It seems that everyone knows, but I’ll tell you anyway: this is the son of a monarch (king, czar or emperor). And when the king dies, the prince takes his place, being the new king. Feminine - Princess.

Duke (Russian – Prince) - leader of the army and ruler of the region. The head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity, a representative of the feudal aristocracy. Highest noble title. Feminine - Duchess or Princess.

Marquis (Russian – Zemsky Boyar) - a noble title higher than a count, but lower than a duke. Marquises usually became counts who had served the king well and received permission to rule a border mark (administrative unit). Hence, by the way, the name of the title. Feminine - Marquise or Boyarina.

Graph (Russian – Princely Boyar) – a title of nobility in Western Europe and pre-revolutionary Russia. It originally denoted a senior official, but since the time of the Norman kings it has become an honorary title. Generally higher than baron and viscount, but lower than marquis and duke. Feminine - Countess.

Viscount- a member of the European nobility, halfway between a baron and a count. As a rule, the eldest son of an earl (during his father's lifetime) bears the title of viscount. In the Russian nobility the title of Viscount is absent. Feminine - Viscountess.

Baron (Russian – Master or Boyarin) is a noble title, lower than count and viscount. A noble person, in the narrow sense, the highest stratum of feudal society. In medieval feudal Western Europe - a major ruling nobleman and feudal lord, later - an honorary title of nobility. Feminine - Baroness or Boyarina.

Chevalier (Russian – Knight) – he is also a Knight as well. The youngest title of nobility who owned land. Formally, they were not considered nobility and were not included in high society, but at the same time they were persons of blue blood and were still nobles.

Gentleman– initially the word “gentleman” meant a man of noble birth, this was the basic definition of an aristocrat, the next title was Esquire. But then they began to call an educated and well-mannered man, respectable and balanced. Gentleman, as a rule, does not apply to the title of nobility. But there is no female equivalent to the word “Gentleman”. They are called Ladies.

Lord- this is not a title, but a general name for representatives of the upper class. Lord from English means "lord". It can be called any ruler, regardless of rank. Although, if we talk about Great Britain, then Lord is still a title, but in other nations dukes, marquises, counts, etc. are also called lord.

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 their hierarchy is, how they are received and whether the title can be passed on by inheritance, etc.

Peerage in England

Peerage is a system of noble titles in England. Peers are all English people who hold a title. All other people who do not have any titles are considered commoners. The main difference between peers and other people is that the title of nobility in England gives certain privileges, and these privileges differ for 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 by the Queens and Kings of England before 1707 (the 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 (the signing of the Act of Union) and some of them created later.

Peerage of Great Britain - 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, the determining factor 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 received at the same time. But the same Irish Earl will be higher in the hierarchy than the Earl of Great Britain with a title assigned after 1707.

Emergence of the peerage

The history of the creation of the English peerage system 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, “greater barons” and “lesser barons” were distinguished.

The king assembled the greater barons for royal councils, and the lesser ones were assembled by the sheriffs. Then they stopped convening lesser barons. 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.

Hierarchy of titles

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 consort or the widowed spouse of the monarch, the children of the monarch, his grandchildren in the male line, the spouses or widowed spouses of the heirs of the monarch in the male line.

The next most important among the English are:

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

Marquis and Marquise (first awarded in 1385). Marquess is an English title of nobility, located between a duke and an earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories (from the French "marque" 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.

Earl (earl) and countess (used from 800-1000). Earls are members of the English nobility who previously owned and administered their own lands - counties, tried cases in provincial courts on behalf of the King, and collected fines and taxes from the local population. Also awarded earldoms were the eldest son of the marquis, the daughters 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 of the count". During the father's lifetime, the eldest son of an earl or the younger sons of a marquess 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 rank of nobility 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 an earl, the eldest son of a baron, then the younger sons of viscounts and the younger sons of barons followed in the hierarchy.

Another title, although heritable, but not one of English titled aristocratic persons, is 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 untitled 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, the address "Your Grace" is used, as for duchesses, or the address duke-duchess along with the use of a title (for example, Duke of Wellington). Dukes rarely use surnames, but duchesses never use them.

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

Former wives of peers of any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's name, then rank and title, without using the definite article "the" before the rank (for example, Diana, Princess of Wales).

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

Receiving 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 in roundabout ways, for example, purchasing a medieval estate for a huge price along with a title, for example, 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 belong to a woman if it was intended 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.

A woman's title was inherited in two cases:

If the woman was only the custodian of the title, in order to pass it on to a 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, and the word “dowager” 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, titled persons often 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 broad, but now titled Englishmen have very few rights left:

The right to sit in parliament,

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

Right not to be subject to civil arrest (used only twice since 1945).

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

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

The Sovereign and his family members .

Dukes (of England, then Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland)
Eldest sons of dukes of royal blood
Marquises (same seniority)
Eldest sons of dukes
Graphs
Younger sons of dukes of royal blood
Eldest sons of the marquises
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts
Earls' eldest sons
Younger sons of the marquises
Bishops
Barons
Eldest sons of viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Eldest sons of the barons
Younger sons of the barons
Sons of life barons
Baronets
Knights of the Orders (except for the Order of the Garter - it is higher)
Knights who are not members of the Orders
Exquires
Squires

In Great Britain, only the head of a family has a noble title. The eldest son and the son of the eldest son (among dukes and marquises) may, by right of courtesy, also bear the title, but below the title of the head by one or more points. The title of Lord is borne by the sons of dukes and marquises. The younger sons of earls and all sons of barons and viscounts are called Honorable (abbreviated to The Hon in letters)
Ladies are the daughters of dukes, marquises and counts. Daughters of Viscounts and Barons - The Hon. Only the Duke and Duchess are invariably referred to by their full title.
Marquises, earls and viscounts are titled only on ceremonial occasions, but on other occasions they should be called Lord or Lady, the same for barons and baronesses.

France.

Sovereign
Princes
Dukes
Awnings
Graphs
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.
Appeal:
Mister Duke- Monseigneur le Duc
Madame Duchess- Madame la Duchesse
Common address in aristocratic circles: Duke + first name, Baron/Earl + last name, Sir + first and last name

Church. Appeals.

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

Catholic .
Pope - Holy Father or Your Holiness in the third person
Cardinal - Eminence or Your Lordship
Archbishops and bishops - Excellency or Your Lordship in the second person
others - according to rank

LORD (English lord),
1) in medieval England, initially a feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord), then a 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 lord is granted for the merits of scientists and cultural figures.
2) An integral part of the names of some positions in the UK (for example, Lord Chancellor - chairman of the House of Lords, Lord Mayor - head of local authorities in London and other large cities).

Prince Regent
A Prince Regent (or Regent) is a prince who rules as a monarch. Regent instead of Monarch, for example due to the Sovereign's incapacity (due to age or illness) or absence (the monarch's distance from his state, such as exile or a long trip). At the same time, the title may have a generic meaning and refers to any prince who served as a regent; historically, the title was primarily used to distinguish the 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 5 February 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 under two of his nephews, King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who was declared feeble-minded 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 enormous artistic and cultural activity in Bavaria, these years were later known as Prinzregentenjahre or Prinzregentenzeit. Numerous streets in Bavarian towns and cities are called Prinzregentenstrasse. Many institutions are named after Lutpold, for example the Prinzregententheater in Munich. Prinzregententorte – 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 - the female equivalent - "Empress". This title is directly derived from the Latin title Caesar, which in turn was derived from the name Julius Caesar.

The style of existence (foundation of institutions, political institutions, regulation of public 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 went to the ruler who ruled the Roman kingdom. Through a system of succession, this kingdom became part of the Eastern ("German") kingdom. The Holy Roman Emperors (962-1806) called themselves Kaiser, combining the imperial title with the title of King of Rome; they perceived their reign as a prototype of the reign of the Roman Emperors and used a title whose pronunciation was derived from the title "Caesar" to reflect their imagined heritage.

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

In English (untranslated), the word "Kaiser" is primarily associated with the emperors of the unified German Empire (1871-1918) and especially 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. All of them 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.

Infant
In the Spanish and former Portuguese monarchies, the (male) Infante or (female) Infanta was given to the son or daughter of the 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 (the children of aristocrats also bore the title of Infants, but in their case the title was associated with the definition of “child”, without reference to the royal family). Note that infante is also used for a hereditary title of the aristocracy, such as Los infantas de Carrión (heirs of Carrión).

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

The modern Infantas 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 Bourbon, 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 heir apparent to the Spanish throne and therefore bears the title 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 Braganza, claimants 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 above Duke of Braganza).

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

In most general terms, unless referring to the children of a king, "prince" refers to the supreme or one of the paramount men, that is, the person who has direct personal rule over a relatively small territory, 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 all of Europe), and therefore the German language has an additional title to define a prince in the common European sense of the title - this is "Furst". "Prince" in German does not have a royal imprint on an aristocrat's 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 that is best translated as "prince" and should be regarded as a title above "prince". This title identifies 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 name is "Fürst von Monaco".

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

From the above examples it is clear that in the German system (and in other continental systems), a prince sometimes represents something more than a mere nobleman, but not necessarily of royal blood, and it is this difference 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 highest degree of nobility, and sometimes, represents the average title for the senior branch of the dynasty by birth (for example, the Bagrations), who passed into the Russian nobility under Russian imperial dynasty (previously the Bagrations were a royal dynasty that ruled the Georgian state); this term was also used originally by the Rurik dynasty.

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

Graph
Earl or Jarl was an Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian title meaning "chief" and referring primarily to the chiefs ruling over territory on land owned by the king (a detached manor 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 the Marquess and above the Viscount.

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

Earls were originally the king's "governors" (that is, appointed administrators). Although the title of Earl was nominally equivalent to the continental sense of a similar title, unlike in continental Europe, counts were not the actual rulers of their own domains. After the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror attempted to rule England using the traditional system, but ultimately changed it to his own system of government and division of lands. Counties became the largest secular divisions in England.

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

Khan
Khan is a sovereign (from sovereign, independent ruler) and military title to designate a ruler in 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. Female alternative titles are Khatun, Khatan and Khanum.

The Khan rules the Khanate (sometimes written as Khanate). 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 headed relatively minor tribal domains, in the vast Eurasian steppe, where the tribes led a largely nomadic lifestyle.
.

The title Khan of Khans was among the numerous titles used by the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, as well as by the rulers of the Golden Horde and its descendant states. The title Khan was also used in the Seljuk Turkish dynasties of the Middle East to designate the head of a variety of 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"; this word later merged with the related Old English beorn to mean "nobleman".

In the British system of titles of nobility, barons rank below viscounts, being the lowest rank in the peerage (a peer is the name given to aristocrats of all titles). A woman from a family with a baronial title has her own equivalent - a baroness. A baron can hold a barony (multiple baronies) if the title has an original relationship to a feudal barony.

William the First introduced the title of "baron" as a title of nobility in England to distinguish nobles who pledged their loyalty to him. Previously, in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Britain, the king's companions held the title of earls, 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 its own holdings.

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

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

In pre-Republican Germany, all noble families (sometimes distinguished by the prefix "von") were eventually recognized as barons. Families who always held this status were called Original Aristocrats. Today there are no legal privileges associated with hereditary titles. The offspring of those who possessed aristocratic titles may want 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 takes the title of "Baronese". The term Baronesa was also used for a woman who was granted a title based on her merits. In general, the title of "Baron" until the nineteenth century corresponded to a title of nobility, derived from the "Crown of Aragon". The title lost territorial jurisdiction around the mid-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 changes in sound.

Like other major Western noble titles, Baron is sometimes used to designate a similar title 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, in contrast to Europe, barons are given power, and barons usually carry out certain political activities while vested with power.

Viscount
A viscount is a member of the European nobility, a title usually ranked equivalent to the British peerage, above baron, below earl (in Britain) or duke (its continental equivalent).

The word Viscount has been used in English since 1387, and comes from the Old French word visconte (Modern French: vicomte), which in turn comes 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 initially granted titles or honors by the monarch, and the title was not hereditary.

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

In British practice, the title of Viscount can be either a place name or a surname, or sometimes a combination of both.
It is certainly British custom to use the title Viscount as an expression of respect for the heir to an earl or marquess. The heir apparent to a peer is sometimes also referred to as a viscount. More often than not, it is not the eldest son of a British duke who receives the title of marquis; with exceptions such as the Duchy of Norfolk, which does not have the title of Marquess, thus the heir receives 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-highest title in the family. For example, the second most "senior" title of the Marquess of Salisbury is Earl of Salisbury. The eldest son of a Marquess does not use the title Earl of Salisbury, but the eldest title, Viscount Granborne.
Sometimes the son of a peer may be referred to as a viscount, even when he may use a 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 among the most prominent representatives of the modernization of this title.
In the former kingdom of Portugal, the visconde ranks above the baron, and below the 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 Earl in the kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium. In Welsh this title is rendered 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 equivalent to "field marshal". The historical core of the title is found in the stories of King Arthur, and most likely relates to Duke Bellorus, who was responsible for the forces holding back the barbarian attack on early post-Roman Britain. English kings introduced the French ducal structure into the British system, and it was initially primarily a royal title. In France especially after 1600, however, as in Great Britain, the title no longer meant royalty.

However, the perception of the title Duke as a royal one was strong in Germany, perhaps more so than ever in Great Britain and other parts of Europe, where all children of the head of the ruling house automatically received the title Duke, and 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 properly only two duchies in Great Britain, Lancaster and Cornwall; they are essentially "corporations" that provide income to the Queen (who is the "Duchess" of Lancaster) and 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 a Duchy. The word itself comes from the Latin word meaning chief, which was understood as a "military commander" and was used by the Germanic peoples themselves, as well as by Roman authors.

In the Modern era, the title became a nominal title without an 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 by the rulers of old Roman regions and colonies.

In the 19th century, the supreme 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 restructuring. Since the unification of Italy in 1870 and the end of the monarchy in Germany in 1918, there have been no more ruling dukes in Europe; only the Grand Duke remains, who rules Luxembourg.

Spanish infantas were usually given a dukedom upon marriage. This title is currently not 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 of Hernani 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" kingdom. Empress is the feminine form of the title. As a title, "empress" can refer to either the wife of the emperor (empress consort) or the woman who is the 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 monarchical titles, "emperor" is considered the highest of monarchical titles. Emperors were once given primacy 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.

In France, from the Middle Ages until 1871, there was a unified system, according to which feudal lords were divided into several categories. Noble titles 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 level of the hierarchical ladder were the overlords - dukes and major counts, who were the supreme rulers of a particular region. Moreover, their power on the lands was almost equal to the royal one. Next came the owners of domains, benefices or allotments, issued for service, and fiefs, granted for service and passed on by inheritance. These nobles had various titles. It is interesting that 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 noble title of medieval France. At different periods, its owners were endowed with more or less power. The French kings enjoyed their greatest power during the era of absolutism, especially during the reign of Louis XIV.

Le Duce (Duke)

This is the highest non-crowned title in the Kingdom of France, which was translated into Russian as “duke”. It is believed that it originally denoted a tribal leader and originated in Carolingian times, when the French, Italians and Germans were all subjects of the same king. During the formation and expansion of the Frankish state, the German dukes turned into officials of the king, and the counts, the rulers of individual 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 - mark. This is due to the fact that the marquis was the royal governor of the region.

Le Comte (Count)

This was the name of a royal employee who had the authority to govern a certain territory and exercise the functions of the judiciary. He was next after the marquis in the hierarchy of noble titles and, with the exception of only a few matters, ruled his county almost single-handedly. By the way, the name “comtur” comes from the word comte, denoting a position in spiritual knightly orders.

Le Vicomte (Viscount)

Noble titles in France were inherited. In different eras, different rules applied for this. For example, the title of viscount, which in the early period designated the deputy of an earl, 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 level of baron. This was the name for feudal lords who had their own domain, who, being vassals of the king directly, were themselves sovereigns of their own subjects. In France it was one of the less common.

Le Chevalier (Chevalier)

Those representatives of this class who did not have their own domains also had titles of nobility in France. It was they who joined the ranks of the army and made up the majority of the knighthood. The word "chevalier" itself means a heavily armed horseman. In Western European countries, it originally meant acceptance into military service for one’s overlord. For their loyalty, the chevalier received a hereditary fief and a lifelong beneficiary from the master.

Monsieur De

The junior title of nobility in Old Order France is equier. It was used to designate a squire, and literally translated it meant “dresser.” In addition, this was the name given to personally independent noble children who did not have the opportunity to uniform and equip themselves on their own. Serving as a squire was the only opportunity for a chevalier to win the right to own a 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 inheritance

The right of birthright was put at the forefront. 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 a so-called courtesy title lower in rank than that of the parent. For example, the heir of 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 father's title was taken as a basis to determine his place. In other words, the count, who was the son of a duke, was superior to the “colleague” whose father was the marquis.

Typically, the highest aristocracy had several titles that remained in the family, so sometimes their offspring had to change them when older relatives died. For example, if after the death of his 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, they became their owners in two ways. The first option is marriage, and the second is receiving it from the father. In the latter case, we were again talking about a courtesy title, which did not give the lady any privileges. It was a different matter when a woman became, for example, a duchess as a result of her marriage to a duke. This meant that she found herself at the same level of the hierarchy as her husband, and bypassed everyone, including male representatives, who followed him. In addition, for example, of two marquises, the lower one was the one whose husband had the title of courtesy, and did not inherit it after the death of the parent.

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

The most famous aristocratic houses in France

• House de Montmorency.

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

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

• House d'Albret.

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

• House of Artois.

A county with this name was repeatedly created in the Middle Ages. In addition, it was one of the few whose inheritance was contrary to Salic law. The county later became part of Burgundy. In 1482, the title and 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 Charles the Ninth of France.

• Princes of Condé.

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 laid claim to the throne and took part in various conspiracies.

• Lusignan family.

The family is known for spreading its influence far beyond France. Its representatives from the 12th century, as a result of dynastic marriages, became the rulers of Cyprus and Jerusalem, and in the 13th century they became kings of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Principality of Antioch. Thanks to them, the hierarchy of noble titles in France 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 ascended the throne of France. He received it not as an inheritance, but due to the lack 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 steps of the hierarchical ladder separated an ordinary aristocrat and the one who held the highest noble title in France, England or other Western European states. Today, many of their offspring, who inherited only a big name, live like ordinary people and only occasionally remember their ancestors who passed on their blue blood.