Royal ranks. Noble titles in France: description, history and hierarchy

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.

Titles and ranks, as a rule, 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.

Lately I’ve been losing myself in the online strategy game Goodgame Empire, where you can get a title for military merit (I’m already Margrave x), and this hierarchy is attached there, I decided to find out more.

From the bottom to the top:
1) Knight - a political hereditary class of untitled or lower nobility. A free person, but, due to lack of property, unable to perform equestrian service, could, as a vassal, receive benefices or a plot of quitrent land. The allocation of quitrent land served economic purposes, while the distribution of benefits served military purposes. One way or another, the owner of the lands, the feuds, had the right to nominate himself for knighthood, giving an oath of allegiance to the more noble.

The dedication most often took place on the holidays of Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost - the solemn consecration of the sword, golden spurs and “blow”.

The knight must be "m. i. l. e. s.”, that is, magnanimus (generous), ingenuus (freeborn), largifluus (generous), egregius (valiant), strenuus (warlike). The knightly oath (votum professionis) requires listening to mass every day, protecting churches and clergy from robbers, protecting widows and orphans, avoiding an unfair environment and unclean earnings, going to duel to save the innocent, attending tournaments only for the sake of military exercises, respectfully serving the emperor in worldly affairs. , not to alienate the imperial fiefs, to live impeccably before the Lord and people.

Otherwise, there was also a procedure for depriving the knighthood, which usually ended with the transfer of the former knight into the hands of the executioner x) The ceremony took place on the scaffold, on which the knight’s shield was hung with the reverse side (always with the personal coat of arms depicted on it), and was accompanied by the singing of funeral prayers a choir of a dozen priests. During the ceremony, after each psalm sung, a knight in full regalia was removed from a knight's vestment (not only armor, but also, for example, spurs, which were an attribute of knightly dignity). After complete exposure and another funeral psalm, the knight’s personal coat of arms (along with the shield on which he is depicted) was broken into three parts. After which they sang the 109th Psalm of King David, consisting of a set of curses, under the last words of which the herald (and sometimes the king himself) poured cold water on the former knight, symbolizing cleansing.

Then the former knight was lowered from the scaffold using a gallows, the loop of which was passed under the armpits. The former knight, under the hooting of the crowd, was led to the church, where a real funeral service was held for him, at the end of which he was handed over to the hands of the executioner, unless he was sentenced to another punishment that did not require the services of an executioner (if the knight was relatively lucky, then anything could limited to deprivation of knighthood). After the execution of the sentence, the heralds publicly declared the children (or other heirs) “vile, deprived of rank, not having the right to bear arms and appear and participate in games and tournaments, at court and at royal meetings, on pain of being stripped naked and flogged with rods, like the Villans and those born of an ignoble father.” If the knight was impeccable and successful in battle, he could be endowed with new possessions and titles.

2) Chevalier - not much better than a knight, practically a synonym - a French name, except that he is 100% a nobleman.

3) Baron is an honorary title of nobility, it is a major ruling nobleman and feudal lord, a direct vassal of the king with the right of limited criminal and civil judicial jurisdiction in his fiefs, and at his own discretion he appointed judges, prosecutors and judicial officials. This title was assigned to members of such knightly families who, without having any proprietary rights, used fiefs directly from the king.

4) Count - a title of the highest nobility, a royal official with judicial, administrative and military powers. The West Germanic word was used to translate the Latin comes “companion,” which in the Middle Ages received the meaning “companion of the king.”

5) Margrave - aka Marquis. An official subordinate to the king, endowed with broad administrative, military and judicial powers in the mark - a district located in the border region and containing various types of possessions, both state and private property. Provided protection from foreign invaders.

6) Count Palatine or Count Palatine - in the Early Middle Ages, the count manager of the palatinate (palace) during the absence of a ruling monarch, also a royal official who headed the royal court, and a representative-deputy of the king. The palatines, who replaced the emperor in their district, had power in their domains that exceeded the power of ordinary counts.

7) Landgrave - the title of a count who enjoyed the highest jurisdiction in his possessions and was not subordinate to the duke or prince. Originally, a landgrave was a royal or imperial official who had possessions granted to fief directly by the emperor. At the same time, the Landgraves did not submit to either dukes, counts, or bishops. This was done in order to weaken the power of the powerful dukes.

8) Duke - among the ancient Germans - a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; in Western Europe, during the early Middle Ages, a tribal prince, and during the period of feudal fragmentation, a major territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military-feudal hierarchy. The German dukes were turned into officials of the king, to whom the rulers of individual regions - the counts - were subordinate. In France, with the elimination of feudal disunity and the establishment of absolutism of royal power, the word “duke” began to designate the highest noble title, often members of the royal family and related families. In late European history, the title of duke was usually reserved for members of royal families. In addition to ducal titles of sovereign monarchs and titles of allodial (feudal) origin, there are noble titles of dukes, granted by monarchs to their subjects by royal prerogative.

9) Prince - the head of a separate political entity (appanage prince). the highest noble title, depending on its importance, equated to a prince or duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern Europe - konung. The term "prince" is used to convey Western European titles going back to princeps and Fürst, also sometimes dux (usually duke). Initially, the prince was a tribal leader who headed the bodies of military democracy.

10) Elector “prince-elector”, from Kur - “choice, election” and Fürst - “prince”; tracing paper lat. principes electores imperii) - in the Holy Roman Empire - an imperial prince, to whom the right to elect an emperor was assigned since the 13th century.
The emergence of the institution of electors was associated, first of all, with the peculiarities of the political development of feudal Germany, with the formation of territorial principalities there, the long-term consolidation of political fragmentation and the weakening of central power.

11) Grand Duke is the title of the head of an independent state. Approximately corresponds to the European title "prince of the blood".

12) Grand Duke - the title of independent sovereigns, standing, according to international law, between kings and dukes; they were given the title "Royal Highness".

13)Archduke is a title used exclusively by members of the Austrian royal house of Habsburg. In the hierarchy of titles in Germany during the Middle Ages and modern times, the Archduke stands above the Duke, but below the Elector and the King. The title of Archduke was first recognized by Emperor Frederick III of the House of Habsburg. Around 1458 he bestowed this title on his younger brother Albrecht VI, and in 1477 on Sigismund of Tyrol. After 1482, the title of Archduke began to be used by the son and heir of Frederick III, Maximilian I, the future emperor. At some point similar to the use of the titles prince or duke in other royal houses of Europe.

14) King - König - the title of a monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom. In Europe, until 1533, the title of king was granted by the Pope, which was de facto recognized by Orthodox monarchs. The only representatives of the East Slavic statehood who officially bore the title of king were Daniil of Galicia and his descendants - who received the right to the royal title from Pope Innocent IV.

Based on Wikipedia))

"Ladder" of titles

Princes- Your Highness, Your Grace
Dukes- Your Grace, Duke/Duchess
Awnings- My Lord/Milady, Marquis/Marquise (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)
Eldest sons of dukes
Dukes' Daughters
Graphs- My Lord/Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)
Eldest sons of the marquises
Daughters of the Marquises
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts- My Lord/Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)
Earls' eldest sons
Younger sons of the marquises
Barons- My Lord/Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)
Eldest sons of viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Eldest sons of the barons
Younger sons of viscounts
Younger sons of the barons
Baronets- Sir
Eldest sons of younger sons of peers
Eldest sons of baronets
Younger sons of baronets

sons

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

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

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

Thus, the heir of a duke always stands immediately behind the marquis, even if his “courtesy title” is only that of count.

The younger sons of dukes and marquises are lords.

Women

In the vast majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could belong to a woman if the title allowed transmission through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly women's titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are “courtesy titles” and do not entitle the holder to the privileges accorded to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; marquise, marrying a marquis; etc.

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

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

Women are title holders "by right"

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

1. The woman became, as it were, the custodian of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heir to then be transferred to her son... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. A woman received the title “in her own right”. In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike male title holders, a woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords or hold positions associated with this title.

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

Note: Who occupies a higher position, the Baroness "in her own right" or the Baron's wife? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the “title of courtesy.”

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

Widows

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

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

1. The next Earl of Chatham became the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)
2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).

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

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

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

If a widow remarries, her position is determined by that of her new husband.

Daughters

Daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest son in the family (if there is one) and his wife (if there is one). They stand above all other sons in the family.

The daughter of a Duke, Marquis or Earl receives the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But when she marries a titled man, she receives the title of her husband.

Ruler titles

Elected:
Doge
Caliph of the Kharijites

Noble titles:

Monarchs

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

Today, only the Emperor of Japan, Akihito, has this title in the world.

King(Latin rex, French roi, English king, German Konig) - the title of a monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, head of the kingdom.
Queen- the female ruler of a kingdom or the consort of a king.

Tsar(from tsar, tssar, lat. caesar - one of the Slavic titles of the monarch, usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor. In an allegorical speech to denote primacy, dominance: “the lion is the king of beasts.”

The queen is the reigning person or the wife of the king.
Tsarevich - the son of a king or queen (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of prince was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum Khan of Siberia had the title of prince of Siberia.
Tsesarevich is a male heir, the full title is Heir Tsesarevich, informally shortened in Russia to Heir (with a capital letter) and rarely to Tsesarevich.
Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.
A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.

Titled nobility

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

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

Graph(Earl) - Countess
Graph(from German Graf; Latin comes (lit.: “companion”), French comte, English earl or count) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title originated in the 4th century in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to high dignitaries (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his district-county had judicial, administrative and military power. According to the decree of Charles II the Bald (Cersian Capitulary, 877), the count's position and possessions became hereditary.

The English earl (OE eorl) originally denoted a senior official, but since the time of the Norman kings it has become an honorary title.

During the period of feudal fragmentation - the feudal ruler of the county, then (with the elimination of feudal fragmentation) the title of the highest nobility (female - countess). It continues to be formally retained as a title in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.

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

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

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

All others fall under the definition of "commoner", i.e. untitled (including Knight, Esquire, Gentleman)

Note: In the vast majority of cases, the title belongs to the man. In rare cases, a woman may hold the title herself. Thus, Duchess, Marchioness, Countess, Viscountess, Baroness - in the vast majority of cases these are "courtesy titles"

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

English titles are higher than Scottish ones, and Scottish ones, in turn, are higher than Irish ones. With all this, the “older” titles are at a higher level.

Note: about English, Scottish and Irish titles.
At different times in England the following titles were created:
before 1707 - peers of England, Scotland and Ireland
1701-1801 - Peers of Great Britain and Ireland
after 1801 - peers of the United Kingdom (and Ireland).

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

Lord

Initially, this title was used to designate everyone belonging to the class of feudal landowners. In this sense, the lord (French seigneur (“senior”)) opposed the peasants who lived on his lands and owed him allegiance and feudal obligations. Later, a narrower meaning appeared - the holder of lands directly from the king, in contrast to knights (gentry in England, lairds in Scotland), who owned lands belonging to other nobles. Thus, the title of lord became a collective title for the five ranks of the peerage (duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron).

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

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

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

Lord, this is not a title - it is an address to the nobility, e.g. Lord Stone.

Lord (lord, in the original meaning - owner, head of the house, family, from the Anglo-Saxon hlaford, literally - keeper, protector of bread), 1) originally in medieval England in the general meaning - feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord) and lord his vassals, in a more special meaning - a large feudal lord, the direct holder of the king - a baron. Gradually, the title of L. became the collective title of the English high nobility (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons), which was received (since the 14th century) by the peers of the kingdom, constituting the upper house of the British parliament - the House of Lords. The title of L. is transmitted through the male line and seniority, but can also be granted by the crown (on the recommendation of the Prime Minister). Since the 19th century complains (“for special merits”) not only to large landowners, as was previously customary, but also to representatives of big capital, as well as some scientists, cultural figures, etc. Until 1958, seats in the House of Lithuania were filled only by inheritance of this title. Since 1958, the appointment by the monarch of some of the members of the chamber of parliament has been introduced, and those appointed by parliament sit in the chamber for life; their title is not inherited. In 1963, hereditary L. received the right to resign their title. 2) An integral part of the official title of some senior and local officials of Great Britain, for example, Lord Chancellor, Lord Mayor and others. Lord Chancellor, Supreme Law of Great Britain, is one of the oldest government positions (established in the 11th century); in modern Great Britain, the L. Chancellor is a member of the government and a representative of the House of Lords. Mainly performs the functions of the Minister of Justice: he appoints judges in the counties, heads the Supreme Court, and is the custodian of the great state seal. Lord Mayor is a title preserved from the Middle Ages for the head of local government in London (in the City area) and a number of other large cities (Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and others). 3) In the 15th-17th centuries, an integral part of the title of L.-protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen of England, for example, regents under a minor king. In 1653-58, the title of L. Protector was also held by O. Cromwell.

I made this extract from the encyclopedia.

KING(on behalf of Charlemagne), head of a monarchical state, kingdom

TSAR(from Latin caesar - Caesar), in Russia in 1547-1721 the official title of the head of state. The first Tsar was Ivan IV the Terrible. Under Peter I, the title Emperor was replaced, but unofficially existed on a par with him.

ARCHDUKE(German: Erzherzog), title of the Austrian monarchs of the Habsburg dynasty.
The title appeared in 1453 and is based on the privilege received by the Austrian dukes in the 12th century from the Holy Roman Emperor, which made them equal to the electors. For some time, the Austrian dukes were also called Erzfuersts. When the Habsburgs themselves took possession of the imperial throne, they began to own two titles - Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and the Austrian Archduke directly. In 1806, Holy Roman Emperor Francis II of Habsburg was forced to resign as emperor. In return, he proclaimed himself Emperor Francis I of Austria, and the title of Archduke passed to his children. From then until 1918, the princes of the House of Habsburg were called archdukes.

PRINCE(German Prinz, from Latin princeps - first), the title of a non-reigning member of a royal or other ruling house.

THE HIGHEST PRINCE, in Russia 18-19 centuries. a noble title given for special personal merit (the first His Serene Highness Prince - A.D. Menshikov, from 1707).

PRINCE,
1) leader of a tribe, ruler of a state or state entity. In medieval Germany, a prince (German Furst) was a representative of the highest imperial aristocracy who had special privileges. In the countries of Romance languages, the title of prince is denoted by the word prince (from the Latin princeps - first, see Art. Prince). In Rus', the eldest of the princes was called the Grand Duke, the rest - appanage princes.
2) Honorary hereditary noble title; from the 18th century complained to the king for special merits.

GRAPH(German Graf), in the early Middle Ages in the West. In Europe, an official who represented the king's authority in the county. During the period of feudal fragmentation, the counts turned into independent large feudal lords. In the future, count is a noble title (in Russia from the time of Peter I until 1917

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

DUKE(German: Herzog), among the ancient Germans, the military leader of the tribe; in the Middle Ages in the West. In Europe, a major feudal ruler, since the end of the Middle Ages - one of the highest noble titles.

BARON(from the Middle Ages. Lat. baro, gen. p. baronis), in Western. In Europe in the Middle Ages, a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (in Russia introduced by Peter I for the highest Baltic nobility of German origin).

BARONET(English baronet), hereditary title of nobility in England.
VISCOUNT(French vicomte), title of nobility in Western countries. Europe.

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).

SIR(English sir),
1) in Great Britain, a title preceding the name of a baronet (originally a knight).
2) In English-speaking countries, respectful address to a man.

ESQ(squire) (English esquire, from Latin scutarius - shield-bearer), in early Middle Ages England, a knight's squire, then a fief holder who did not have knightly dignity. In the late Middle Ages and in modern times - an honorary title of nobility. In everyday life, the term is often used as equivalent to the word “gentleman”.

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It is not clear how titles were distributed at a time when they ceased to have a specific meaning. For what reason was Porthos given a baron and not a marquis? Which one is cooler? Why did the son of Athos become a viscount and not a count, who called him that?

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

Titles Great Britain . There is a 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.