And the darling was hit by a hut ...
Title ladder
At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Next, in order of importance of the titles, are:
princes- Your Highness, Your Grace
Dukes- Your Grace, Duke/Duchess
marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Dukes' daughters
Counts - My lord / milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of marquesses
Daughters of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Barons - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of viscounts
Younger sons of barons
baronets - Sir
Elder sons younger sons peers
Elder sons of baronets
Younger sons of baronets
sons
The eldest son of the holder of the title is his direct heir.
The eldest son of a duke, marquis or earl receives a "courtesy title" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which "remained in the family" further. Usually this is the next title in seniority (for example , the duke's heir is a marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the holder of the title was determined by the title of their father, and not by their "title of courtesy".
The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl or viscount comes immediately after the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father.
(see "Ladder of titles"
Thus, the heir to a duke is always right behind the marquis, even if his "courtesy title" is only an earl.
The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could be held by a woman if that title could be passed down through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are courtesy title and do not give the holder the right to the privileges due to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; a marquise by marrying a marquis; etc.
In the general hierarchy, the wife occupies a place determined by the title of her husband. We can say that she is standing on the same rung of the stairs as her husband, right behind him.
Comment: You should pay attention to this nuance: For example, there are marquises, wives of marquises and marquises, wives of the eldest sons of dukes (who have the "title of courtesy" marquis, see section Sons). Now, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, is always inferior to the marquis as such).
Women - holders of the title "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 keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right". In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike the male holders of the title, the woman did not receive the right to sit in the House of Lords along with this title, and also hold positions associated with this title.
If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive a title (both in the first and in the second case).
Comment: Who occupies a higher position, 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 the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).
widows
In the literature, in relation to the widows of titled aristocrats, one can often find a kind of prefix to the title - Dowager, i.e. Dowager. Can every widow be called a "Widowmaker"? No.
Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called Dowager Countess of Chatham if both following conditions:
1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)
2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).
In all other cases, she is Mary, Countess of Chatham (Mary, Countess of Chatham, that is, the name + title of her late husband). For example, if she is the widow of a count, but the widow of her husband's father is still alive. Or if, after the death of her husband, his nephew became a count.
If the current title holder is not yet married, then the previous title holder's widow continues to be called the Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current title holder marries and a new Countess of Chatham appears.
How is the position of a widow in society determined? - By 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 marries again, her position is determined by the position of her new husband.
daughters
The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.
The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.
Ruler titles
Inherited:
prince
Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)
King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infante
Emperor
caliph
Maharaja
Khan
Shah
Elected:
doge
Caliph of the Kharijites
titles of nobility:
boyar
marquis
Baron
Graph
duke
prince
Viscount
Chevalier
Kazoku - Japanese title system
Monarchs
Emperor(lat. imperator - sovereign) - the title of the monarch, head of state (empire). From the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character. From the time of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), the Roman Empire was almost always headed by two emperors with the titles of Augustus (their co-rulers bore the title of Caesars).
Also used to refer to the rulers of a number of eastern monarchies (China, Korea, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Japan, the pre-Columbian states of America), despite the fact that the name of the title in state languages these countries does not come from the Latin imperator.
To date, only Emperor Akihito of Japan has this title in the world.
King(Latin rex, French roi, English king, German König) - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom.
Queen- the female ruler of the kingdom or the consort of the king.
Tsar(from tssar, tssar, lat. caesar, Greek kαῖσαρ - one of the Slavic titles of the monarch, usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor. In allegorical speech to denote primacy, dominance: "the lion is the king of beasts."
A queen is a queen or the wife of a king.
Tsarevich - the son of a king or queen (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of prince was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum Khan of Siberia had the title of princes of Siberia.
Tsesarevich - male heir, full title Tsesarevich Heir, informally abbreviated in Russia to Heir (from capital letter) and rarely up to Tsesarevich.
Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.
A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.
Titled nobility
Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish príncipe, from Latin princeps - first) - one of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. The Russian word "prince" means direct descendants of monarchs, as well as, by special decree, other members royal family
Duke (Duc) - Duchess (Duchess)
Duke(German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans - a military leader elected by tribal nobility; in Western Europe, in the early Middle Ages, - a tribal prince, and in the period feudal fragmentation- a large territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military hierarchy.
Marquis (Marquess) - Marquise (Marchioness)
marquis- (French marquis, novolat. marchisus or marchio, from German Markgraf, in Italy marchese) - a Western European title of nobility, standing in the middle between a count and a duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.
Count (Earl) - Countess (Countess)
Graph(from German Graf; Latin comes (lit.: "satellite"), French comte, English earl or count) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title arose in the 4th century in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his district-county had judicial, administrative and military power. By decree of Charles II the Bald (Capitulary of Kersey, 877), the position and possessions of the count became hereditary.
The English earl (OE eorl) originally denoted the highest official, but from the time of the Norman kings it turned into an honorary title.
During the period of feudal fragmentation - the feudal lord of the county, then (with the elimination of feudal fragmentation) the title of the highest nobility (a woman - a countess). As a title, it formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Viscount (Viscount) - Viscountess (Viscountess)
Viscount- (French Vicornte, English Viscount, Italian Visconte, Spanish Vicecomte) - this was the name of the governor in some possession of the count in the Middle Ages (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. became so intensified that they became independent and owned certain destinies (Beaumont, Poitiers, etc.) began to be combined with the title of V. At present, this title in France and England occupies a middle place between a count and a baron. The eldest son of the count usually bears the title of V.
Baron (Baron) - Baroness (Baroness)
Baron(from late Latin baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - a man, a man), in Western Europe a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (a woman is a baroness). The title of B. in England (where it remains to this day) is lower than the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (in a broader sense, all English high nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than that of a count. IN Russian Empire the title B. was introduced by Peter I for the German higher nobility of the Baltic states.
Baronet (Baronet) - (there is no female version of the title)
Baronet(Baronet) - (there is no female version of the title) - although this is a hereditary title, in fact, baronets do not belong to peers (titled aristocracy) and do not have seats in the House of Lords.
All others fall under the definition of "commoner", i.e. not titled (including Knight, Esquire, Gentleman)
Comment: In the vast majority of cases, the title belongs to a man. In rare cases, a woman may herself hold the title. Thus, duchess, marquise, countess, viscountess, baroness - in the vast majority of cases these are "courtesy titles"
There is a hierarchy within a title based on when the title was created and whether the title is English, Scottish or Irish.
English titles are higher than Scottish titles, and Scottish titles are higher than Irish titles. For all that, for more high level there are more "old" titles.
Comment: of English, Scottish and Irish titles.
At various times in England, titles were created:
before 1707 - Peerages of England, Scotland and Ireland
1701-1801 - Peerages of Great Britain and Ireland
after 1801 - peers of the United Kingdom (and Ireland).
Thus an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title of the same time; but higher than the Earl of Great Britain with a title created after 1707
Lord
Lord(Eng. Lord - lord, master, lord) - a title of nobility in Great Britain.
Initially, this title was used to refer to all those belonging to the class of feudal landowners. In this sense, the lord (fr. seigneur ("seigneur")) opposed the peasants who lived on his lands and owed him loyalty and feudal duties. Later, a narrower meaning appeared - the holder of lands directly from the king, in contrast to the knights (gentry in England, lairds in Scotland), who owned lands belonging to other nobles. Thus the title of lordship became collective for the five ranks of the peerage (duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron).
With the emergence of parliaments in England and Scotland in the 13th century, the lords received the right to directly participate in parliament, and in England a separate, upper house of lords of parliament was formed. Nobles with the title of lord sat in the House of Lords by birthright, while other feudal lords had to elect their representatives to the House of Commons by counties.
In a narrower sense, the title of lord was usually used as equivalent to the title of baron, the lowest in the peerage system. This is especially true in Scotland, where the title of baron was not common. The granting by the Scottish kings of the title of lord to the nobles gave them the opportunity to take a direct part in the country's parliament, and often was not associated with the appearance of such persons land holdings on the right of holding from the king. Thus the title of Lords of Parliament arose in Scotland.
Only the king had the right to assign the title of lord to a nobleman. This title was inherited through the male line and in accordance with the principle of primogeniture. However, the title of lord was also used by the children of nobles of higher ranks (dukes, marquis, viscounts). In this sense, the wearing of this title did not require special sanction from the monarch.
Lord, this is not a title - this is an appeal to the nobility, eg Lord Stone.
Lord(lord, in the original meaning - the owner, the head of the house, family, from the Anglo-Saxon. hlaford, literally - the keeper, protector of bread), 1) originally in medieval England in general meaning- a feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord) and a lord of his vassals, in a more special sense - a large feudal lord, the direct holder of the king - a baron. Gradually, the title of L. became the collective title of the English nobility (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons), which is received (since the 14th century) by the peers of the kingdom, who make up the upper house of the British Parliament - the House of Lords. The title of L. is passed down through the male line and seniority, but can also be granted by the crown (on the recommendation of the prime minister). Since the 19th century complains (“for special merits”) not only to large landowners, as was customary before, but also to representatives of big capital, as well as to certain figures in science, culture, and others. Since 1958, the appointment by the monarch of a part of the members of the L. chamber has been introduced, and the appointed L. sit in the chamber for life, their title is not inherited. In 1963, hereditary L. received the right to abdicate the title. 2) An integral part of the official title of some of the highest and local officials of Great Britain, for example, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mayor and others. The Lord Chancellor, Supreme L. of Great Britain, is one of the oldest government positions (established in the 11th century); in modern UK L. Chancellor is a member of the government and a representative of the House of Lords. Performs mainly the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints judges in the counties, heads the Supreme Court, is the custodian of the large state seal. Lord Mayor - the title of the head of local authorities in London (in the City area) and a number of other large cities (Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and others) that has been preserved from the Middle Ages. 3) In the 15-17 centuries, an integral part of the title of L.-protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen England, for example, to the regents under the minor king. In 1653-58 O. Cromwell also held the title of L. Protector.
Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"
But first, let's deal with the very concept of "nobility". "What is nobility? - wrote A.S. Pushkin. “The hereditary estate of the people is higher, that is, awarded with great advantages regarding property and private freedom.”
The emergence of the nobility in Russia
The word "noble" literally means "a man from the prince's court", or "court".
In Russia, the nobility arose in the 12th century. as the lowest part of the military service class, which constituted the court of a prince or a major boyar.
The "Code of Laws of the Russian Empire" says that belonging to the nobility " there is a consequence that flows from the quality and virtue of the men who ruled in antiquity, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired a noble name for their offspring. Noble means all those who are born from noble ancestors, or who are granted this dignity by monarchs.
Rise of the nobility
From the 14th century nobles began to receive land for diligent service. So there was a class of landowners - landowners. Later they were allowed to buy land.
The Sudebnik of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.
In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor took place in the Kremlin Palace. Ivan IV (the Terrible) delivered a speech there. The tsar took a course towards building a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant fighting the old (boyar) aristocracy. He accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
G. Sedov "Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov"
In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) was placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.
IN mid-sixteenth in. the Kazan Khanate was annexed, and the estates were evicted from the oprichnina region, which was declared the property of the tsar. The vacated lands were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
In the 80s of the XVI century. introduced reserved summers(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state a peasant exit was prohibited on the autumn St. George's Day, provided for in the Sudebnik of 1497. Protected years began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) from 1581.
The "Cathedral Code" of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and an indefinite search for fugitive peasants.
But Peter I began a decisive struggle with the old boyar aristocracy, making the nobles his support. In 1722 he introduced Table of ranks.
Monument to Peter I in Voronezh
The table of ranks replaced the principle of generosity with the principle of personal service. The table of ranks influenced the official routine and the historical fate of the nobility.
The only regulator of service was personal length of service; "Paternal honor", the breed has lost all meaning in this regard. Under Peter I, the rank of the lower XIV class in military service gave the right to hereditary nobility. Civil service in the rank up to VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of VIII class. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” wrote Peter, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.”
The table of ranks was subjected to numerous changes, but in general it existed until 1917.
After Peter I, the nobles receive one privilege after another. Catherine II actually freed the nobles from compulsory service while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, which created a real gulf between the nobles and the people. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry and their anger became one of the reasons for the Pugachev uprising.
The apogee of the power of the Russian nobility was the receipt of "noble liberty" - a letter of Catherine II, which freed the nobles from compulsory service. But with this began the decline of the nobility, which gradually turned into an "idle class", and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. And then peasant reform In 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened even more.
By the beginning of the XX century. the hereditary nobility, "the first pillar of the throne" and "one of the most reliable instruments of the government", is gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance.
titles of nobility
In Muscovite Russia there was only one aristocratic title - "prince". He came from the word "prince" and meant that his ancestors once ruled any part of Russia. Not only Russians possessed this title - grants to princes and foreigners who converted to Orthodoxy were allowed.
Foreign titles in Russia appeared under Peter I: "baron" and "count". There is the following explanation for this: in the territories annexed by Peter there were already people with such titles, and these titles were also worn by foreigners whom Peter attracted to Russia. But the title "count" was first burdened with the words "Holy Roman Empire", i.e. this title was granted at the request of Russian monarch German emperor. In January 1776, Catherine II intercedes with the "Roman Emperor" Grigory Orlov " give the Roman Empire princely dignity, for which the post».
Golovin (1701) and Menshikov (1702) become the first counts of the Holy Roman Empire in Russia, and under Catherine II, four of her favorites receive the titles of princes of the Holy Roman Empire: Orlov, Potemkin, Bezborodko and Zubov. But the assignment of such titles ceases in 1796.
Title "Count"
Count's heraldic crown
Graph(German graph) - 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 the highest dignitaries.
During the period of feudal fragmentation graph- feudal lord of the county, then becomes the title of the highest nobility. Female - countess. As a title, it still formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Sheremetiev became the first Russian count in 1706.
Boris Petrovich Sheremetiev (1652-1719)
Russian commander of time Northern war, diplomat, one of the first Russian field marshals.
Born in an old boyar family Sheremetevs.
In 1681 he commanded troops against the Tatars. He proved himself in the military and diplomatic fields. In 1686, he participated in the conclusion of the "Eternal Peace" with the Commonwealth, and then was sent to Warsaw to ratify the concluded peace.
Protected Russia from the Crimean raids. In 1695, he participated in the first Azov campaign of Peter I.
In 1697-1699. visited Poland, Austria, Italy, the island of Malta, carrying out diplomatic missions of Peter I. During the Northern War of 1700-1721. proved to be a cautious and talented commander who earned the trust of Peter I. In 1701, he inflicted a defeat on the Swedes, from which they were “for a long time unreasonable and not corrected”, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and granted the rank of Field Marshal. Subsequently, he won several victories over the Swedes.
In 1705-1706. Sheremetyev suppressed the rebellion of the archers in Astrakhan, for which he was the first in Russia to be awarded the title of count.
IN last years he expressed a desire to be tonsured as a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but the tsar did not allow this, just as he did not allow the execution of Sheremetyev’s will to bury him in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: Peter I ordered Sheremetev to be buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, forcing even a dead associate to serve the state.
At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were over 300 count families. Count's title in Soviet Russia was liquidated by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.
Title "Baron"
English baronial crown
Baron(from late lat. baro with the original meaning "man, man"). In medieval feudal Western Europe, a large sovereign nobleman and feudal lord, later just an honorary title of nobility. Female - baroness. The title of baron in England is preserved to this day and is located in hierarchical system below the title of viscount. In Germany, this title was below the count.
In the Russian Empire, the title of baron was introduced by Peter I, the first to receive it in 1710 was P.P. Shafirov. Then A. I. Osterman (1721), A. G., N. G. and S. G. Stroganovs (1722), A.-E. Stambken (1726). The families of the barons were divided into Russian, Baltic and foreign.
Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov (1669-1739)
Diplomat of the time of Peter the Great, Vice-Chancellor. Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1719). In 1701-1722. actually supervised the Russian post. In 1723 he was sentenced to death on charges of abuse, but after Peter's death he was able to return to diplomatic activity.
He came from a family of Polish Jews who settled in Smolensk and converted to Orthodoxy. He began his service as an interpreter in 1691 in the same embassy office where his father also served. Accompanying Peter the Great during his travels and campaigns, he took part in the conclusion of an agreement with the Polish king August II (1701) and with the ambassadors of the seven-grad prince Rakoczi. In 1709 he became Privy Councilor and promoted to Vice Chancellor. In 1711, he concluded the Prut peace treaty with the Turks and himself, together with Count M. B. Sheremetev, remained a hostage to them. He concluded agreements with Denmark, Prussia, France on the preservation of peace in Europe.
In 1723, Shafirov quarreled with the powerful prince A. D. Menshikov and the chief prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev, convicting them of embezzlement. In response, he himself was accused of embezzlement and sentenced to death, which Peter I replaced with exile to Siberia, but on the way there he allowed him to stop "to live" in Nizhny Novgorod"under strong guard."
Empress Catherine I, upon accession to the throne, returned Shafirov from exile, restored him to the baronial title, conferred the rank of real state councilor, made him president of the College of Commerce and entrusted the compilation of the history of Peter the Great.
The barons enjoyed the right to appeal "your honor"(like untitled nobles) or "Mr. Baron".
At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were about 240 baronial families (including extinct ones), mainly representatives of the Baltic (Baltic) nobility. The title was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.
Baron P.N. Wrangel
Title "prince"
prince- the head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (specific prince) in the 9th-16th centuries. among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy. Later it became the highest title of nobility, equivalent to a prince or a duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern Europe - king.
In Russia Grand Duke (or princess) - the title of nobility of the members royal family. Princess also called the prince's wife, knyazhych(among the Slavs) - the son of a prince, princess- The daughter of a prince.
Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky" ("For the Russian Land!")
Princely power, at first most often elective, gradually becomes hereditary (Rurikovich in Russia, Gediminoviches and Jagiellons in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Piasts in Poland, etc.). With the formation of a centralized state, the appanage princes gradually became part of the grand ducal (since 1547 - royal) court in the Moscow principality. in Russia until the 18th century. the title of prince was only generic. FROM early XVIII in. the title of prince also began to be complained by the tsar to the highest dignitaries for special merits (the first prince granted was A. D. Menshikov).
Russian princes
Before Peter I in Russia, there were 47 princely families, some of which were descended from Rurik. Princely titles were divided into "His Excellency" And "his lordship" which was considered higher.
Until 1797, new princely families did not appear, with the exception of Menshikov, granted in 1707 the title of Prince of Izhora.
Under Paul I, this title began to be awarded, and the annexation of Georgia literally “blew up” the Russian nobility - 86 clans recognized the princely title.
By the end of the XIX century. in the Russian Empire there were 250 princely families, 40 of which were descended from Rurik or Gediminas. 56% of the princely families in the empire were Georgian.
In addition, there were about 30 Tatar, Kalmyk and Mordovian princes; the status of these princes was considered below the baronial.
Did you know?
Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Unknown artist of the 19th century.
Did you know that Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov, the national hero of Russia, the great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career(more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art, had several titles at the same time: prince Italian (1799), graph Rymniksky (1789), graph of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and prince of royal blood (with the title "cousin of the king"), holder of all Russian orders of his time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.
Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about the life of the English, we constantly come across all sorts of sirs, lords, princes, dukes and other titles. It is quite difficult to understand the purpose of all these appeals to certain segments of the population from books or films. We will try to consider what titles there are in England, what is their hierarchy, how they are obtained and whether it is possible to transfer the title by inheritance, etc.
Peerage in England
The Peerage is the system of nobility in England. All Englishmen who hold a title are called peers. All other people who do not have any titles are considered commoners. The main difference between peers and other people is that a title of nobility in England gives certain privileges, and these privileges differ among peers of different ranks.
There are also differences in privileges between different parts of the peerage system:
The Peerage of England is all titled Englishmen whose title was created by the Queens and Kings of England prior to 1707 (signing of the Act of Union).
The Peerage of Scotland is a title of nobility created by the monarchs of Scotland before 1707.
Peerage of Ireland - titles of the Kingdom of Ireland created before 1800 (signing of the Act of Union) and some of them created later.
The Peerage of Great Britain is all titles created in the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800.
Peerage of the United Kingdom - almost all titles created after 1800.
Older ranks are considered higher in the hierarchy. In addition, determining in the hierarchy is the ownership of the title:
English,
Scottish,
Irish.
For example, an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title obtained at the same time. But the same Irish earl would be higher in the hierarchy than a Great Britain earl with a post-1707 title.
Emergence of the Peerage
The history of the creation of the peerage system among the British began with the conquest of England by the illegitimate son of the ruler of Normandy, William the Conqueror. He created a single Kingdom of England and divided the entire territory into manors. Those Englishmen who owned manors were called barons; depending on the amount of land, there were "big barons" and "lesser barons".
The king collected the big barons for royal councils, and the smaller ones were collected by the sheriffs. Then the lesser barons ceased to convene. It was the meetings of the great barons that were then transformed into the House of Lords, which still exists today. Most titles of nobility, like the Crown of England, are hereditary.
Times changed and various ranks began to form among the nobles, the privileges of which differed significantly.
Title hierarchy
At the top of the hierarchy is naturally the royal family, which has its own hierarchy. The British royal family includes the monarch himself and a group of his close relatives. Members of the royal family are: the monarch, the monarch's spouse or the monarch's widowed spouse, the monarch's children, his male grandchildren, the spouses or widowed spouses of the monarch's male heirs.
The next most important among the English are:
Duke and Duchess (began to confer this title in 1337). Duke (derived from the Latin for "chief") is the highest ranking English title after King and Queen. Usually dukes govern the Duchy. Dukes constitute the second rank of princes after the princes of the royal family.
Marquis and marquise (first awarded in 1385). Marquis is an English title of nobility between a duke and an earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories (from the French "mark" or border territory). In addition to the marquises themselves, this title is awarded to the eldest son of the duke and the daughter of the duke.
Count (earl) and countess (used from 800-1000). Earls - members of the English nobility, who previously owned and managed their own lands - counties, tried court cases in provincial courts on behalf of the King, collected fines and taxes from the local population. Also counties were honored: the eldest son of the marquis, the daughter of the marquis and the youngest son of the duke.
Viscount and viscountess (the first such title was awarded in 1440). The word comes from the Latin "vice count", "deputy count". During the lifetime of the father, the eldest son of an earl or the younger sons of a marquis became viscounts as a courtesy title.
Baron and Baroness (first appeared in 1066). The word comes from the Old German "free master". Baron is the lowest noble rank in England. If the title is historically related to feudal baronies, then the baron holds that barony. In addition to the barons themselves, the following persons were endowed with this title in the form of a courtesy title: the eldest son of a viscount, the youngest son of a count, the eldest son of a baron, then the younger sons of viscounts and the younger sons of barons followed the hierarchy.
Another rank, although inherited, but not belonging to the English titled aristocratic persons, is the baronet (there is no female equivalent). Baronets do not sit in the House of Lords and do not enjoy the privileges of the nobility. The eldest children of the younger sons of peers of various ranks, the eldest and youngest sons of baronets became baronets.
All other Englishmen are non-titled persons.
Appeal to titled persons
The treatment of titled Englishmen is a rather complex issue. Everyone knows that addressing the King and Queen involves the combination "Your Majesty."
For dukes, "Your Grace" is used, as for duchesses, or duke-duchess is used along with the use of the title (for example, Duke of Wellington). The surnames of dukes are rarely used in circulation, those of duchesses are never used.
Marquesses, viscounts, earls, barons and their wives are addressed as Milord (My Lord) or Milady (My Lady), or simply Lord and Lady. You can also use the address directly in the form of rank and title (for example, Marquess of Queensbury).
TO ex-wives peers of any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's first name, then the rank and title, without using the definite article "the" before the rank (eg Diana, Princess of Wales).
Baronets and untitled persons are addressed with the words "sir" and "lady".
Getting the title
The real title of Lord in England can be awarded by the Queen for special services to the country. But you can also get it by workarounds, for example, by purchasing a medieval estate for a huge price along with the title, for example, of a baron. At the same time, they receive a certificate of belonging to a certain noble rank.
Title Features
Most often, the holder of any title is a man. Sometimes the title could also belong to a woman, if it was supposed to be inherited. In other cases, the woman was awarded the title of courtesy as the wife of her husband. At the same time, the woman did not have the privileges that the husband had.
The title of a woman was inherited in two cases:
If the woman was only the custodian of the title, in order to transfer it to the male heir in the future;
When a woman rightfully received a title, but could not sit in the House of Lords and hold certain positions.
Moreover, if a titled woman got married, her husband did not receive her title.
If a woman who received a title thanks to her husband turned out to be a widow, she kept it, while the word “widowed” could be added before addressing her. If a woman remarried, she acquired a new title corresponding to the title of her new husband, or even turned out to be an untitled person if the new husband did not belong to the nobility of England.
Another feature is that illegitimate sons did not receive titles under any circumstances. Therefore, often titled persons sought to marry pregnant women in order to ensure their son the right to inherit his title. Otherwise, only the youngest son had the right to receive nobility, if he was already born in marriage, and in the absence of other sons, a distant relative.
Privileges of titled persons
Previously, the privileges of peers were very wide, but now there are very few rights left for titled Englishmen:
The right to sit in parliament
Access to the Queen and King, although this right has not been used for a long time,
The right not to be subject to civil arrest (it has been used only twice since 1945).
In addition, all peers have special crowns for use at coronations and distinctive robes for sitting in the House of Lords (if they are members) and coronations.
| I. Royal house |
| II. peerage The highest titled English nobility. Subdivided into five degrees (given in descending order of nobility)
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| III. Knights The lower titled English nobility
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| IV. baronets The title of baronet originated originally as one of the degrees of knighthood (knight baronet). It was established by James I in 1611 to raise money through the sale of patents for the defense of Ulster. Subsequently, the title ceased to be knightly. A baronet is also not a peer, as a result of which he does not have a seat in the House of Lords in the English Parliament, but this title (unlike knighthood) is inherited. |
V. Non-titled nobility:
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In England, there are the following orders of chivalry:
1. Order of the Garter (The Most Noble Order of the Garter) - founded by Edward III around 1348. It is considered the main and most popular among the orders of chivalry in Great Britain.
2. Order of the Thistle (The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle) - founded in 1687.
3. Order of St. Patrick's (The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick) - founded in 1788.
4. Order of the Bath (The Most Honorable Order of the Bath) - founded in 1399, restored in 1715.
5. Order of the Star of India (The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India) - founded in 1861. Historically, the order was awarded until 1947.
6. Order of St. Michael and St. George (The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George) - founded in 1818.
7. Order of the Indian Empire (The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire) - founded in 1877. Historically, the order was awarded until 1947.
8. Order of Queen Victoria (The Royal Victorian Order) - founded in 1896.
9. Order of the British Empire (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) - founded in 1917.
Rules and order of succession of titles of nobility:
- A noble title in the UK is only the head of the family. The eldest son and the son of the eldest son, as well as the younger sons, may, by right of courtesy, wear the title, but lower than the title of the head by one or more points.
- For example, the eldest son of a duke would hold the title of marquess, the eldest son of a marquis would hold the title of earl, the eldest son of an earl would hold the title of viscount, and the younger sons of dukes, marquesses and earls would simply have titles of lords. When a father dies, his eldest son inherits the title. At the death of the eldest son, if he has no heir left, the next son in seniority. In the absence of living sons, the title passes to the eldest son of the eldest of the daughters, and so on. In the absence of daughters or descendants from them, the title passes to the next of kin.
- The sons and daughters of baronets do not bear the title. The father's title is inherited by the eldest son after his death. The wives of baronets are not considered baronetesses, but they bear the title of "lady". Only women who have received this title on their own, and not at the expense of the husband's title, are called baronets.
- All knightly titles are personal and not inherited.
- The woman became, as it were, the keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
- A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right"). In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike male holders of the title, a woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords, as well as to hold positions associated with this title.
The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.
Proper appeal to representatives of the nobility using the title. Use of title in ceremonial
Courtesy titles
There are, however, so-called courtesy titles, which do not have a legal basis, among which there is also the title of lord.
In this traditional system, as mentioned above, the eldest son of a duke bears the title of "marquis"; the eldest son of the marquis - the title of "count"; the eldest son of the count - the title of "Viscount". The younger sons of dukes and marquesses bear the title of "lords", but in this case the title "lord" precedes the personal name and surname, and not the title of the title itself. For example: "Lord Peter Wimsey". All daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls bear the title "lady", which strictly precedes the name. For example, "Lady Jane" or "Lady Jane Seymour". However, if a woman receives the title of "lady" through her husband, then he can only precede the surname. For example: Joan Plowright, according to etiquette, should be called "Lady Olivier", but not "Lady Joan".
The sons and daughters of viscounts and barons, as well as the younger sons of earls, bear the title "the Honourable". There is also the title "Right Honourable" (honorable), which serves as a kind of free addition to the titles of earl, viscount and baron, and also comes before the title of lord for the younger sons of dukes and marquis. The title of marquis is preceded in ceremonial by the title "Most Honorable".
Titles of married women
If a woman with a title by birthright got married, then her husband did not receive her title.
Note: Who occupies a higher position, the baroness "in her own right" or the wife of the baron? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, a woman's position is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).
The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.
Example: Mr. Parker, a very talented young man, thanks to the support of his uncle in the government, receives a diplomatic post in Vienna, under the authority of the English ambassador, the Duke of White. The duke has a young and charming, but very purposeful daughter - Lady Martha Smythe (Smythe is the surname of the duke), who falls in love with Mr. Parker.
The Duke, seeing that Mr. Parker intends to succeed in life (and trusting his daughter's instinct), agrees to the marriage. Now the young couple is becoming Mr. Parker and Lady Martha Parker. She retains her position in the hierarchy, determined by her father's position (i.e., remains "the daughter of a duke") even after marrying a person who is not from aristocratic circles.
Mr. Parker helps avoid a major diplomatic row, thus proving himself worthy of the duke's trust. As a result, he is knighted. Now the couple becomes - Sir David Parker and Lady Martha Parker. She is not called Lady Parker, as a knight's wife should be. Since the knight is still "commoner" (untitled), she continues to occupy the position determined by her father's title.
After further adventures in the diplomatic field (and certain matters about which it is better to remain silent), Sir David receives a barony. Now our couple is Lord Parker and Lady Parker. The baron is a peer, so the wife now occupies a position similar to that of her husband.
I made this extract from the encyclopedia.
KING(on behalf of Charlemagne), head of a monarchical state, kingdom
TSAR(from lat. caesar - Caesar), in Russia in 1547-1721 the official title of the head of state. Ivan IV the Terrible was the first tsar. Under Peter I, the emperor was replaced by the title, but unofficially existed on a par with him.
ARCHDUKE(German: Erzherzog), the title of the Austrian monarchs from 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 equalized them with electors. For some time, the dukes of Austria were also called Erzfürsts. When the Habsburgs themselves seized the imperial throne, they began to own two titles - Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and directly the Austrian Archduke. In 1806, Holy Roman Emperor Franz II of Habsburg was forced to resign his imperial powers. In return, he proclaimed himself Emperor Franz 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 sovereign house.
THE HIGHEST PRINCE, in Russia 18-19 centuries. title of nobility, given for special personal merits (the first Most Serene Prince - A. D. Menshikov, from 1707).
PRINCE,
1) the leader of a tribe, the ruler of a state or public education. In medieval Germany, a prince (German Furst) was a representative of the highest imperial aristocracy, who had special privileges. In the countries of the Romance languages, the title of prince is denoted by the word prince (from the Latin princeps - the first, see Art. Prince). In Russia, the eldest of the princes was called the Grand Duke, the rest - specific princes.
2) Honorary hereditary title of nobility; from the 18th century complained to the king for special merits.
GRAPH(German Graf), in the early Middle Ages in the West. Europe an official representing the power of the king in the county. During the period of feudal fragmentation, the counts turned into independent big feudal lords. In the future, count - a title of nobility (in Russia from the time of Peter I until 1917
marquis(French marquis, novolat. marchisus or marchio, from German Markgraf, in Italy marchese) is a Western European title of nobility, standing in the middle between count and duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.
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 lord, from the end of the Middle Ages - one of the highest titles of nobility.
BARON(from the Middle Ages. Lat. baro, genus p. baronis), in Zap. 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), a hereditary title of nobility in England.
VISCOUNT(French vicomte), title of nobility in the countries of the West. Europe.
LORD(English lord),
1) in medieval England, originally a feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord), then the collective title of the English high nobility; assigned to the peers of the kingdom, forming the House of Lords of the British Parliament. Since the 19th century the title of lord complains for merits to figures of science and culture.
2) An integral part of the names of some positions in the UK (for example, the Lord Chancellor is the chairman of the House of Lords, the Lord Mayor is the head of local authorities in London and other large cities).
SIR(English sir),
1) in Great Britain, a title preceding the name of a baronet (originally a knight).
2) In countries in English respectful address to a man.
ESQ(squire) (eng. esquire, from lat. scutarius - shield-bearer), in England of the early Middle Ages, a knight's squire, then a fief holder who did not have knighthood. 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. Why was Porthos given a baron and not a marquis? Which one is tougher? Why did the son of Athos become a viscount and not a count, who called him that?
