Notable titles. Titles of nobility. Middle Ages. Privileges of titled persons
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TwitterEconomic differentiation among the nobility clearly shows the heterogeneity of the nobility. An important factor dividing the nobles was also the presence of a title, division into titled nobility(princes, counts, barons) and untitled nobility(most of the estate) has always been present in the life of the noble society.
Generic titles appeared in medieval Europe to denote the degree of vassalage to the lord. In modern times, neither in Russia nor in Europe, the possession of the title did not bring its owner any special legal rights, the title made it possible to join the chosen circle, was an indicator of either the nobility of the family, or special merits before the throne.
PRINCE
In Russia, until the 18th century, there was only a princely title, which was inherited. The title of prince meant belonging to a family that once ruled over a certain territory of the country. Among the Slavs, princes were called the leaders of the squads, and then the rulers of individual lands - principalities.
Since the XI century. the princely title belonged only to the descendants of Rurik, who ruled in different lands... In the XIV century. the descendants of the Lithuanian grand-ducal dynasty - the Gediminovichi - were transferred to the Russian service. In the Moscow state of the seventeenth century. the princely title was possessed by the descendants of these two clans - the Rurikovichs (Obolensky, Volkonsky, Repnins, Odoevsky, Gagarins, Vyazemsky, etc.), Gediminovichs (Kurakins, Golitsyns, Khovansky, Trubetskoy), as well as some descendants of the Golden Horde nobility and the Caucasian clans ( , Cherkassky). In total, there were 47 princely families.
Until the 18th century. princely title passed only by inheritance, it could not be received as a royal favor. The princely title was first awarded under Peter I, when A. D. Menshikov in 1707 began to be called Prince of Izhora.
Under Catherine, there were a number of princely awards from the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire - G.A. called the prince of Italy. Suvorov was later awarded the title of the Most Serene Prince. Serene Princes(among them were M.I. Golinishchev-Kutuzov, N.I.Saltykov, A.K. Razumovsky) were called "Your Mightiness"; hereditary princes, unlike them, had the title "Your lordship".
TO late XIX v. due to the suppression of some families (Bezborodko, Lopukhins, Razumovsky), the number of princely families who received the title through an award, was about 20.
New princely families arose in the 19th - early 20th centuries. also as a result of morganatic marriages. This was the name of the marriages of members of the imperial family with persons who did not belong to the ruling houses. Such marriages were legally enforceable, with the exception of inheritance rights. If the husband was a member of the imperial family, then the wife and children bore a different surname, being the founders of a new family.
GRAPHS
The title of count originally existed in Western European monarchies. He appeared in Russia since the times of Peter the Great. In 1706, B.P.Sheremetev became the first truly Russian count. Among the first nobles who were elevated to the rank of count were G.I. Golovkin, F.M. Apraksin, P.A.Tolstoy. The first morganatic marriage in the Russian tsarist dynasty was the union of the Great Prince Konstantin Pavlovich with the Polish Countess Grudzinskaya, who then became known as the Most Serene Princess Lowicz.
In 1880, the family of princes Yuryevsky appeared, this title was granted to E. M. Dolgorukova, with whom Emperor Alexander II entered into a morganatic marriage. Empress Elizabeth Petrovna awarded the title of count to the brothers Razumovsky and Shuvalov, Catherine - to the Orlov brothers.
GIRL'S SURNAMES
Some surnames were transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which came to Russia from other states. Thus, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine surname of the Khovrins, and the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna awarded the noblemen the title of count to the brothers Razumovsky and Shuvalov, Ekaterina - to the Orlov brothers.
The earls at this time often became the favorites of the emperors and empresses, the closest relatives of the imperial family, people who distinguished themselves on the battlefields, in the diplomatic and public service... These representatives of the nobility often stood closer to the throne than the descendants of the old fading princely families, because in the 18th century. the title of count was sometimes valued above the title of prince. At the beginning of the XX century. 320 county families were counted.
BARONS
The title of baron also came to Russia from Western Europe in the 18th century. Among the first Russian barons were P. P. Shafirov, A. I. Osterman, the Stroganov brothers. Traditionally, the title of baron was bestowed on financiers and industrialists (Fredericks, Stieglitz) and foreigners who distinguished themselves in the Russian service (Nikolai, Delvig, Bellingshausen).
Most of the hereditary baronial families were of Baltic origin. Among the most famous Baltic barons are Wrangeli, Richter, Palena. By the beginning of the XX century. there were more than 250 baronial families.
At all times, among the nobility above any title, the antiquity of the family was still valued, therefore the most honorable title was the title of column nobles, leading their noble lineage for more than 100 years. After all, a title, even a princely title, could be acquired, and noble ancestors, if they are not there, cannot be given by any power. An illustrative example is the noble family of the Naryshkins, who never possessed any titles, but were among the first among the nobles and courtiers.
GIRL'S SURNAMES
Noble dignity in the Russian nominal formula was not expressed in any way, there were no special prefixes indicating a noble origin (for example, a background in German or de in French names). The very possession of a name, patronymic and surname at a certain stage already spoke of a noble rank. For a long time, other estates did not have surnames at all. For the nobles, however, belonging to a particular surname meant generic self-identification.
The surnames of ancient noble families often came from the names of the places of reign. This is how the names of the Vyazemsky, Beloselsky, Obolensky, Volkonsky, Trubetskoy appeared, associated with the names of rivers, lakes, cities and villages. Often the surnames of the entire family came from some old ancestor who left a mark on history (Golitsyn, Tolstoy, Kurakin).
Some surnames were transformed from foreign ones, the owners of which came to Russia from other states. Thus, the Russian noble family of the Golovins descended from the famous Byzantine family of the Khovrins, and the Khomutovs had their ancestor a Scotsman, Hamilton. The German surname Levenshtein eventually turned into a Russian - the Levshins, and the descendants of the natives of Florence, the Chicherins, began to be called the Chicherins in Russia. Many surnames came from the Tatar noble families - Godunovs, Karamzins, Kudashevs.
Usually surnames in Russia were single, but sometimes, in the noble environment, especially, there was a doubling of surnames. The reasons for this could be different, sometimes the surname of a separate branch was added to the surname of a large clan. An example is the princes of Rostov, whose various branches began to be called the Buinosov-Rostovsky, Lobanov-Rostovsky, Kasatkin-Rostovsky. In order not to lose the well-known extinct surname, it was attached to their heirs along the female or lateral line. This is how the Repnins-Bolkonsky, Vorontsov-Dashkovs, Golitsyn-Prozorovsky, Orlov-Denisovs, etc. appeared.
Another group of double surnames arose as a result of the awarding of a higher title and the addition of an honorary prefix to the family name. Often such prefixes were given for military victories, as a result, these famous names became part of Russian history: Orlov-Chesmensky, Rumyantsev-Zadu-naysky, Potemkin-Tavrichesky, Suvorov-Rymniksky.
FAMILY TIES
The nobleman never lived by himself, he was always a member of the family, always felt belonging to a certain surname, he thought of himself as the successor of his numerous ancestors, was responsible for his descendants. For the noble world, in this regard, it is very characteristic of close attention to family ties and relationships, sometimes very complex.
The ability to understand all the intricacies of kinship was caused by necessity, because the title of nobility, and generic titles, and, finally, the land and property were inherited according to the kinship principle. In addition, the noble families were, as a rule, numerous, in each generation they entered into kinship with several clans *.
The basis of noble family ties was belonging to a certain family; the concept of "genus" meant that people of different generations had one common ancestor - the ancestor. The figure of the ancestor is rather arbitrary, because he also had ancestors. Usually the ancestor became the earliest ancestor, about whom information has been preserved, who committed some high-profile deeds, who had services to the fatherland, or who came to serve in Russia from foreign lands.
With the general scarcity of the nobility, family ties could be a hindrance in the conclusion of marriages, because the church prohibited marriages between close relatives. Therefore, the knowledge of one's own and other people's kindred circle was the most important part of the noble life. The clan generation, or knee, is made up of descendants who are at an equal distance from a common ancestor. If kinship is transmitted through the male line, and this was the tradition among the Russian nobility, the descendants of the brothers form different branches of the family.
In the event that one of the representatives of the clan received the title, his descendants represented a special line of the clan - county or princely. So, in the genealogy of the Orlovs, three lines were noted: noble (most of the representatives of the family), count (descendants of the five Orlov brothers, who became counts under Catherine II), prince (heirs of A.F. Orlov, whose title was granted in 1856 by Alexander II).
Based on materials from the book "Noble and merchant families of Russia" Zhukov A. V.
Inheritance in Russia. Playing by the rules and without Dmitry Chudinov
Inherited titles
Inherited titles
Titles in Russia before the reign of Peter I did not complain, but were inherited, so it was impossible to become a prince - they could only be born. Until the XV century. the princely title meant real ownership of the principality. The sons of Yaroslav the Wise, the descendants of Rurik, became the founders of many princely dynasties - Ryazan, Chernigov, Smolensk, Rostov, Tver and Moscow. The most famous princely families of Rurikovich in the history of Russia are Vorotynsky, Odoevsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky, Kurbsky, Shakhovsky, Prozorovsky, Shuisky, Pozharsky, Romodanovsky, etc. The most famous descendants of Gedimin are the Trubetskoy, Belsky, Golitsyns, Kurakin, Khovansky princes.
On the next step of the feudal ladder, after the princes, were the boyars. The most well-born among them were the old Moscow boyars - the Morozovs, Saltykovs, Zakharyins, Pleshcheevs and others. Once their ancestors helped the Moscow princes to achieve the rise of Moscow among the Russian lands. The unification of the Russian lands under the rule of the Moscow prince led to the merger of boyar and princely appanage clans, and in the future - to the emergence of parochialism (a system of service relations based on the mutual disposition of clans, which should always remain the same). When appointing to a position, it was not the personal qualities of a person that were taken into account, but the position that his grandfather and father occupied. For example, the son of a large voivode, who commanded the right-hand regiment, could not be appointed as the second voivode. If someone from the genus managed to take a higher position, then the position of his offspring was guaranteed to rise. To argue with a representative of a different kind about the position he occupied or a new appointment was called "localizing", and winning such a dispute was "sitting out." At the end of the 17th century. localism was officially abolished. The nobility consisted mainly of the descendants of impoverished boyar families. Become nobles and people from other estates, hired and received a local salary. Thus, among the nobility, there were distinctions between “service people by country”, that is, those who received the nobility by inheritance, and “service people by device,” that is, those who are in the service and receive a local salary.
Under Peter I, Russian subjects had the opportunity to receive generic titles of Western states, primarily the Holy Roman Empire; the territories where some of these titles have long been used were included in Russia. The granting of family titles was often accompanied by the award of lands and serfs, but formally, the possession of a family title was not associated with a specific property status, and in many cases the barons, counts and princes were not rich. The princes and counts of the Holy Roman Empire were divided into sovereign (real) and titular. The latter possessed only the title of count or prince; the first were to have land holdings within the empire.
As a legal basis for the indisputable transfer of both generic titles and honorary surnames to the descendants, direct descending kinship in the male line acted. In the absence of such descendants, titles and honorary surnames could be transferred along other lines of kinship and even properties, but each time on the basis of the special permission of the emperor. At the same time, they took into account, on the one hand, the desire to preserve an old or famous titled surname in Russian history, and on the other, the presence of worthy successors.
On the female line, the transfer of titles of suppressed genera, in fact, not even titles, but titled surnames, began to be practiced only during the reign of Paul I. So, the title of the princes of Romodanovsky, along with their surname, passed to the Ladyzhensky family, and they began to be called Ladyzhensky princes Romodanovsky. And in 1878, the princely title, along with the surname of the princes Odoevsky (the oldest in the family of Rurikovich), was received by a certain N.N. Maslov, whose mother was nee Odoevskaya.
From the book Civil Code Russian Federation... Parts one, two, three and four. Text as amended on May 10, 2009 the author The team of authors From the book Copyright. Introductory course the author Kozyrev Vladimir From the book The Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Parts one, two, three and four. Text with amendments and additions as of November 1, 2009 the author author unknownTransfer of copyright by inheritance Only property copyrights are inherited by inheritance, including exclusive rights that allow heirs to authorize or prohibit the use of a work.
From the book The Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Parts one, two, three and four. Text as amended on October 21, 2011 the author The team of authorsArticle 1283. Transfer of the exclusive right to a work by inheritance 1. The exclusive right to a work shall pass by inheritance. 2. In the cases provided for in Article 1151 of this Code, the exclusive right to a work included in the inheritance
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From the book Encyclopedia of the Lawyer the author author unknownARTICLE 1283. Transfer of the exclusive right to a work by inheritance 1. The exclusive right to a work shall pass by inheritance. 2. In the cases provided for in Article 1151 of this Code, the exclusive right to a work included in the inheritance
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"Ladder" of titles
At the very top stands The Royal Family(with its own hierarchy).
Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace
Dukes - Your Grace, Duke / Duchess
Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquis (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Daughters of Dukes
Counts - Milord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of the marquis
Daughters of the Marquis
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - Milord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the earls
Younger sons of the marquis
Barons - Milord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the earls
The eldest sons of the barons
Younger sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the barons
Baronets - Sir
The eldest sons of the younger sons of the peers
Elder sons of the baronets
Younger sons of the baronets
Sons
The eldest son of the title holder is his direct heir.
The eldest son of a duke, marquis or count receives a "title of courtesy" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which continued to "remain in the family"). Usually this is the next highest title (for example, the heir to the duke - the marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the titleholder was determined by the title of their father, not by their "title of courtesy."
The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl, or viscount immediately follows the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles")
Thus, the heir to the duke always stands right behind the marquis, even if his "title of courtesy" is only a count.
The younger sons of dukes and marquis are lords.
Women
In the vast majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, the title could have belonged to a woman, if transfer through the female line was allowed for this title. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are "courtesy titles" and do not entitle the holder to the privileges of the title holder. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; marquise, marrying the 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 staircase 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 the Sons section). 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 the duke, always stands below the marquis as such).
Women are the 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, passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next woman-heiress to be passed on to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. The woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right"). In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike men, holders of the title, the woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords, as well as to hold positions associated with this title.
If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive the title (both in the first and in the second case).
Note: Who is in a higher position, the "in her own right" baroness or the baron's wife? After all, the title of the former belongs directly to her, while the latter enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, the position of a woman is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except in cases where the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, its position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baroness, the higher in position is the one whose barony is older. (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 "Dowager"? No.
Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called Dowager Countess of Chatham if the following conditions are met simultaneously:
1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (ie, 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 the deceased husband. For example, if she is the widow of the 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 title holder is not yet married, the previous title holder's widow continues to be called Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current titleholder 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 rank 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
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 the other sons in the family.
The daughter of a Duke, Marquis or Earl receives the title of courtesy "Lady". She retains this title, even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled man, she receives the title of her husband.
Rule titles
Inherited:
Prince
Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)
King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infant
The emperor
Maharaja
Elected:
Caliph among the Kharijites
Titles of nobility:
Boyarin
Chevalier
Kazoku - Japanese title system
Monarchs
The emperor(Latin imperator - sovereign) - the title of the monarch, head of state (empire). Since the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character. Since the time of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), the Roman Empire has almost always been headed by two emperors with the titles of Augustus (their co-rulers bore the title of Caesars).
It is also used to designate the rulers of a number of eastern monarchies (China, Korea, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Japan, the pre-Columbian states of America), while 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 has this title in the world.
King(Latin rex, French roi, English king, German Konig) - the title of monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elected, the head of the kingdom.
Korole? Va is the female ruler of the kingdom or the consort of the king.
Tsar(from tsar, tsar, lat. caesar, greek. k ????? - one of the Slavic titles of the monarch, usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor.
The queen is the reigning person or the spouse of the king.
A prince is the son of a tsar or tsarina (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of tsarevich was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum khan of Siberia had the title of tsarevich of Siberia.
Tsarevich is a male heir, the full title of Heir Tsarevich, informally shortened in Russia to Heir (from capital letter) and rarely before the Tsarevich.
Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.
A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.
Titled nobility:
Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish principe, from Latin princeps - the 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
Duc - Duchess
The prince (German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans is a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; v Western Europe, in the period of the early Middle Ages, - a tribal prince, and in the period of feudal fragmentation - a large territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military-feudal hierarchy.
Marquess - Marchioness
Marquis - (French marquis, Novolat. Marchisus or marchio, from German Markgraf, in Italy marchese) - Western European title of nobility, standing in the middle between the count and the duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of the dukes.
Earl - Countess
Count (from German Graf; Latin comes (literally: "satellite"), French comte, English earl or count) - royal executive 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 (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his county-county possessed judicial, administrative and military power. By decree of Charles II the Bald (Kersian capitulary, 877), the position and possessions of the count became hereditary.
The English earl (OE eorl) originally stood for the highest 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 (woman - countess). As a title, it continues to formally persist in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Viscount - Viscountess
Viscount - (Fr. Vicornte, English Viscount, Italian. Visconte, Spanish. Vicecomte) - this was the name in the Middle Ages of the governor in some possession of the count (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. became so strong that they became independent and owned certain estates (Beaumont, Poitiers, and others) and began to merge with the title B. At present, this title in France and in England occupies a middle place between the count and the baron. The eldest son of the count usually bears the title of V.
Baron - Baroness
Baron (from late Lat. Baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - man, man), in Western Europe, the direct vassal of the king, later a noble title (woman - baroness). The title of B. in England (where it is preserved 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 upper nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords, belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than the count. V Russian Empire the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German upper nobility of the Baltic states.
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.
Note: All others fall under the definition of "commoner", i.e. not titled (including Knight, Esquire, Gentleman)
Comment: In the vast majority of cases, the title belongs to a man. In rare cases, a woman may hold the title herself. Thus, the Duchess, Marquise, Countess, Viscountess, Baroness - in the overwhelming majority of cases, these are "titles of courtesy"
Within a single title, there is a hierarchy based on the time the title was created and whether the title is English, Scottish or Irish.
English titles are higher than Scottish titles, and Scottish titles, in turn, are higher than Irish titles. For all that, the "older" titles are at a higher level.
Comment: about titles in English, Scottish and Irish.
At different times in England, titles were created:
until 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 ranks lower in the hierarchical ladder 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(English Lord - lord, master, lord) - title of nobility in Great Britain.
Originally, this title was used to designate all 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 obligations. 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 lord 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 XIII 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 birth, 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 that of the lowest baron in the peerage system. This is especially the case in Scotland, where the title of baron has not become 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 often was not associated with the emergence of land holdings from such persons on the right of the king. Thus, the title of Lords of Parliament arose in Scotland.
Only the king had the right to confer the title of lord on a nobleman. This title was inherited through the male line and in accordance with the principle of primogeniture. However, the title of lord also came to be used by the children of noblemen of the highest ranks (dukes, marquis, viscounts). In this sense, the wearing of this title did not require special authorization 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, 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 manora, landlord) and 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 high 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 transmitted through the male line and seniority, but it can also be bestowed by the crown (on the recommendation of the prime minister). From the 19th century. complains ("for special merits") not only to large landowners, as was the case earlier, but also to representatives of big business, as well as to some scientists, cultural figures, and others. Until 1958, seats in the chamber of Latvia were replaced only by inheritance of this title. Beginning in 1958, the monarch introduced a portion of the members of the House of Latvia, and the appointed members sit in the House for life, and their title is not inherited. In 1963 hereditary L. received the right to relinquish their title. 2) An integral part of the official name of some of the highest and local officials of Great Britain, for example, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Mayor and others. The Lord Chancellor, Supreme L. of Great Britain, is one of the oldest government offices (established in the 11th century); in modern Great Britain, L. Chancellor is a member of the government and a representative of the House of Lords. Serves mainly the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints judges in the counties, presides over the Supreme Court, is the custodian of the large state seal... Lord Mayor - the title of the head of local government in London (in the City area) and a number of other large cities (Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and others), preserved from the Middle Ages. 3) In the 15th and 17th centuries, an integral part of the title of L. protector, which was awarded to some high-ranking statesmen in England, for example, regents to a minor king. In 1653–58 the title of L. Protector was also borne by O. Cromwell.
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The emperor
Kaiser | King | King | Tsar | Basilevs
Grand Duke | Grand Duke | Duke | Elector | Archduke | Prince
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Titled nobility
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Infant | Prince | Jarl / Earl | Count palatine
Marquis | Margrave | Count | Landgrave | Despot | Ban
Viscount | Burggrave | Species
Baron | Baronet
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Untitled nobility.
Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about the life of the English, we are constantly faced with all kinds of sirs, lords, princes, dukes and other titles. It is rather 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 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
Peerage is a system of nobility in England. All Englishmen who hold the title are called peers. All other people who do not have any rank are considered commoners. The main difference between peers and other people is that the title of nobility in England gives certain privileges, and these privileges differ 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, the title of which was created by the Queens and Kings of England before 1707 (the signing of the Unification Act).
Peerage of Scotland are titles of nobility created by the monarchs of Scotland before 1707.
Peerage of Ireland - titles of the Kingdom of Ireland created before 1800 (signing of the Unification Act) and some of them created later.
Peerage of Great Britain - All titles created in the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800.
Peerage of the United Kingdom - Nearly all titles created after 1800.
Older ranks are considered higher in the hierarchy. In addition, the defining title 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 the same title. But the same Irish earl will be higher in the hierarchy than the Earl of Great Britain, with a title conferred after 1707.
The emergence of 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 English Kingdom and divided the entire territory into manors. Those Englishmen who owned manors were called barons; depending on the amount of land, they distinguished between “big barons” and “lesser barons”.
The king collected large barons for royal councils, and sheriffs collected smaller ones. Then they stopped calling the lesser barons. It was the assemblies of the great barons that were later transformed into the House of Lords, which still exists today. Most titles of nobility, like the Crown of England, are inherited.
Times changed and various ranks began to form among the nobility, the privileges of which were significantly different.
Title hierarchy
At the top of the hierarchy is, of course, 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 spouse of the monarch or the widowed spouse of the monarch, the children of the monarch, his male grandchildren, the spouses or widowed spouses of the male heirs of the monarch.
The next most important among the British are:
Duke and Duchess (began to confer this title in 1337). Duke (the word comes from the Latin "chieftain") is an English noble title of the highest rank after the King and Queen. Dukes usually rule the Duchy. Dukes are the second rank of princes after the princes of the royal family.
Marquis and Marquis (first assigned in 1385). Marquis is a title of nobility of the English, located between the duke and the earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories (from the French "mark" or border area). In addition to the marquises themselves, this title is awarded to the eldest son of the duke and the daughter of the duke.
Earl (Earl) and Countess (used from 800-1000). Earls - members of the English nobility, who previously owned and managed their own lands - counties, tried cases in provincial courts on behalf of the King, collected fines and taxes from the local population. Counties were also 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 father's lifetime, the earl's eldest son or the marquis's younger sons became viscounts as a title of courtesy.
Baron and Baroness (first appeared in 1066). The word comes from the old Germanic "free lord". Baron is the lowest rank of nobility in England. If the title is historically related to feudal baronies, then the baron holds that barony. In addition to the barons themselves, the following persons were endowed with this title in the form of the title of courtesy: the eldest son of the viscount, the youngest son of the count, the eldest son of the baron, then the younger sons of the viscounts and the younger sons of the barons followed the hierarchy.
Another title, 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 elder children of the younger sons of peers of various ranks, the elder and younger sons of baronets became baronets.
All other Englishmen belong to non-titled persons.
Appeal to titled persons
Dealing with titled Englishmen is a rather difficult question. Everyone knows that addressing the King and Queen involves the combination "Your Majesty".
For dukes, the appeal "Your Grace" is used, as for the duchess, or the appeal of Duke-Duchess together with the use of the title (for example, Duke of Wellington). The surnames of the dukes are rarely used in circulation, among the duchesses they are never used.
Marquis, 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 appeal directly in the form of rank and title (for example, Marquis of Queensbury).
Ex-wives of peers of all ranks are addressed as follows: the woman's name, then rank and title, without using the definite article "the" in front of the rank (eg Diana, Princess of Wales).
Baronets and non-titled persons are addressed with the words "sir" and "lady."
Obtaining the title
The present title of Lord in England can be awarded by the Queen for special services to the country. But you can also get it in roundabout ways, for example, to purchase a medieval estate for a huge price along with the title, for example, of baron. At the same time, they receive a certificate of belonging to a certain noble title.
Features of titles
Most often, the owner 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 her husband had.
The title of a woman was inherited in two cases:
If the woman was only the guardian of the title in order to transfer it to the male heir in the future;
When a woman rightfully received the 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 the title thanks to her husband turned out to be a widow, she retained it, while the word "widowed" could be added to her before turning to 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 the nobility if he was born already in marriage, and in the absence of other sons - a distant relative.
Privileges of titled persons
Previously, the privileges of peers were very broad, but now there are very few rights left for the titled English:
The right to sit in parliament,
Access to the Queen and the King, although this right has not been used for a long time,
The right not to be subject to civil arrest (it has only been used twice since 1945).
In addition, all peers have special crowns used for coronations and distinctive vestments for sitting in the House of Lords (if they are members) and coronations.
At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Further, according to the importance of titles, are:
Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace
Dukes - Your Grace, Duke / Duchess
Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquis (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Daughters of Dukes
Counts - Milord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of the marquis
Daughters of the Marquis
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - Milord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the earls
Younger sons of the marquis
Barons - Milord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the earls
The eldest sons of the barons
Younger sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the barons
Baronets - Sir
The eldest sons of the younger sons of the peers
Elder sons of the baronets
Younger sons of the baronets
Sons
The eldest son of the title holder is his direct heir.
The eldest son of a duke, marquis or count receives a "title of courtesy" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which continued to "remain in the family"). Usually this is the next highest title (for example, the heir to the duke - the marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the titleholder was determined by the title of their father, not by their "title of courtesy."
The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl or viscount immediately follows the holder of the title, next in seniority to that of his father.
(see "Ladder of titles")
Thus, the heir to the duke always stands right behind the marquis, even if his "title of courtesy" is only a count.
The younger sons of dukes and marquis are lords.
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Women
In the vast majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, the title could have belonged to a woman, if transfer through the female line was allowed for this title. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are "courtesy titles" and do not entitle the holder to the privileges of the title holder. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; marquise, marrying the 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 staircase 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 the Sons section). 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 the duke, always stands below the marquis as such).
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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, passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next woman heiress to be passed on to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. The woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right"). In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike men, holders of the title, the woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords, as well as to hold positions associated with this title.
If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive the title (both in the first and in the second case).
Note: Who is in a higher position, the "in her own right" baroness or the baron's wife? After all, the title of the former belongs directly to her, while the latter enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, the position of a woman is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except in cases where the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, its position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baroness, the higher in position is the one whose barony is older. (two title holders are compared).
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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 "Dowager"? No.
Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called Dowager Countess of Chatham if the following conditions are met simultaneously:
1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (ie, 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 the deceased husband). For example, if she is the widow of the 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 title holder is not yet married, the previous title holder's widow continues to be called Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current titleholder 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 rank 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.
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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 the other sons in the family.
The daughter of a Duke, Marquis or Earl receives the title of courtesy "Lady". She retains this title, even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled man, she receives the title of her husband.
Titled nobility
Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish príncipe, from Latin princeps - the 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 familyDuke(Duc) - Duchess(Duchess)
The Herzog (German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans was a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; in Western Europe, during the early Middle Ages, he was a tribal prince, and during a period of feudal fragmentation, he was a major territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military-fief hierarchy.
Marquis(Marquess) - Marquise(Marchioness)
Marquis - (French marquis, Novolat. Marchisus or marchio, from German Markgraf, in Italy marchese) - Western European title of nobility, standing in the middle between the count and the duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of the dukes.
Graph(Earl) - Countess(Countess)
Count (from German Graf; Latin comes (literally: "satellite"), 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 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 county-county possessed judicial, administrative and military power. By decree of Charles II the Bald (Kersian capitulary, 877), the position and possessions of the count became hereditary.
The English earl (OE eorl) originally stood for the highest 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 (woman - countess). As a title, it continues to formally persist in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Viscount(Viscount) - Viscountess(Viscountess)
Viscount - (Fr. Vicornte, English Viscount, Italian. Visconte, Spanish. Vicecomte) - this was the name in the Middle Ages of the governor in some possession of the count (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. became so strong that they became independent and owned certain estates (Beaumont, Poitiers, and others) and began to merge with the title B. At present, this title in France and in England occupies a middle place between the count and the baron. The eldest son of the count usually bears the title of V.
Baron(Baron) - Baroness(Baroness)
Baron (from late Lat. Baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - man, man), in Western Europe, the direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (woman - baroness). The title of B. in England (where it is preserved 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 upper nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords, belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than the count. In the Russian Empire, the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German upper nobility of the Baltic states.
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