Advances in technology for a short time changed our world a lot. Many concepts that were in use a hundred years ago are now a thing of the past. For example, to the question: "Who is higher - the count or the prince?" our ancestors would have answered without hesitation.
Nevertheless, many of us can be confused by it. Indeed, the inhabitants of the XXI century are not surprised to get confused in the titles of nobility, and all the more to explain how the prince differs from the count.
The emergence of the estate nobility
The social structure of medieval society was clearly regulated. Each person from birth occupied a certain stage in it, and the transition from one estate to another was practically impossible. At the same time, in the Middle Ages, a social hierarchy took shape, which regulated the way of life and relations within the estates.
The nobility appeared in Europe in the process of the formation of feudalism, when it became necessary to streamline relations between the overlords and their vassals. The duties of the latter included the protection of the interests and life of the feudal lord, from whom they received the possession of flax. Thus, a medieval nobleman is a warrior, ready to join his army at the call of the overlord.
Over time, the economic relations in society changed, and with them the role of the nobility. For example, count is a title that in the early Middle Ages denoted a major feudal ruler who had full power in his county. However, after the formation of centralized states, the possession of them indicated only belonging to the highest nobility - the aristocracy.
Titled noblemen of medieval Europe
As already noted, each class had a strict hierarchical structure. So, the nobility was divided into gratuitous and clan, as well as titled and not having titles. The last group was the largest in all countries.
The social affiliation of the clan nobility was determined by the very fact of being born into a noble family, while the beneficiaries became part of the privileged class due to personal merit or impeccable public service.
Titled nobles were at the very top of the hierarchical pyramid, second only to monarchs and members of the royal family in birth. Princes, dukes, earls, marquises, barons, viscounts constituted the feudal aristocracy in medieval Western Europe.
But the prince - a title that was mainly used by the noble class in importance, he corresponded to a Western European prince or duke.
Origin of titles of nobility
Over the years, today it is impossible to say with certainty when and how the honorary titles of nobles appeared. Let's say count is a title that researchers associate with the Latin word comes. This is how the highest state dignitaries were called in the late Roman Empire. Today, in Romance languages, this title is spelled as conte (Italian), conde (Spanish), and comte (French).
The tribes of the Franks in the early Middle Ages called the leaders of the rural community counts. Several centuries later, under the king, their ownership and title, along with the right to rule, began to be inherited.
The Slavic princes were originally the heads of the tribes, and only after centuries did they honorary title became associated with the clans that ruled a certain territory, which had the right to reign, inherited.
Thus, you can see something in common in the titles "prince" and "count". The difference was originally more geographic. In Western Europe, the word count was used, and in Eastern and Central Europe, the word was used for prince. Only over time did these titles acquire a different meaning.
Peter's Table of Ranks
It was formed in the XII century on the basis of courtyard people who were in the service of the boyars or appanage princes. They performed various judicial and administrative functions along with the obligation to carry out military service in the princely army.
Peter I, within the framework of the struggle against the tribal boyar aristocracy, introduced new titles of nobility, borrowed from the countries of Western Europe, into use. So, in the 18th century, counts and barons appeared in Russia along with princes. These and other innovations were recorded in the Table of Ranks - a list of civil, court and military ranks.
Some time passed until the subjects of the Russian autocrat figured out the new hierarchical structure and were able to understand who is higher - the count or the prince. The last title existed in Russia for a long time, and by the time of the reign of Peter I there were 47 princely families in Russia.
Awarding titles
Peter's reforms put an end to the aristocratic hierarchy, which was based on gentility. Since that time, not only the descendants of the Rurik and Gediminovichs could become princes. The elevation to princely or county's dignity now depended on the will of the emperor.
Boris Sheremetev, field marshal and associate of Peter the Great, was the first in Russia, even before the adoption of the Table of Ranks, to receive the title of count. However, not all of the successors of the reformer czar were generous in favor of new titles. Catherine II raised to the rank of count mainly her favorites.
A certain appeal was attached to the new title: high nobility. It is noteworthy that the princes in the 18th century. have not yet enjoyed such a privilege. For this reason, to the question: "Who is higher - the count or the prince?" a Russian nobleman at that time would most likely have answered: "Count." In the next century, this title was received mainly by ministers or those who had previously been awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
What is the difference between a prince and a count
In the 19th century, emperors no longer skimp on new awards. Therefore, by the end of the century, there were 310 county families and 250 princely families in Russia. In exceptional cases, one nobleman was allowed to have several titles. For example, V. for his invaluable services to the Fatherland was elevated to both a count and a princely dignity.
So, who is higher - the count or the prince? In short, the holders of the last title were one step higher on the hierarchical ladder. Only one who had previously been elevated to the rank of count could become a prince.
This state of affairs was characteristic not only of the Russian nobility. As mentioned above, in Western Europe, the title of duke or prince, who occupied the highest step on the aristocratic ladder, corresponded to the princely rank.
Hierarchy of nobilityI'm in recent times everything disappears in the online strategy Goodgame Empire, where you can get a title for military merit (I am already a margrave x), so, and this hierarchy is attached there, I decided to find out more.
From the bottom to the top:
1) Knight - a political hereditary class of untitled or lower nobility. A free person, but due to a lack of property, incapable of performing equestrian service, could, as a vassal, receive a benefit or a plot of quitrent land. The allotment of quitrent land haunted economic purposes, distribution of benefits - military. One way or another, the owner of the land - the feuds, had the right to nominate himself for the knights, giving the more noble oath of allegiance.
Dedication was most often performed on the holidays of Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost - the solemn consecration of the sword, golden spurs and "blow".
The knight should be “m. i. l. e. s. ”, that is, magnanimus (generous), ingenuus (free-born), largifluus (generous), egregius (valiant), strenuus (warlike). The knightly oath (votum professionis) requires daily listening to mass, protecting churches and clergy from robbers, protecting widows and orphans, avoiding an unjust environment and unclean earnings, going to a duel to save an innocent person, attending tournaments only for military exercises, respectfully serving the emperor in worldly affairs , not to alienate the imperial fiefs, to live flawlessly before the Lord and people.
Otherwise, there was also a procedure for deprivation of knightly dignity, usually ending with the transfer of the former knight into the hands of the executioner x) The ceremony took place on the scaffold, on which the knight's shield was hung with the reverse side (always with the personal coat of arms depicted on it), and was accompanied by the singing of funeral prayers a choir of a dozen priests. During the ceremony, after each sung psalm, a part of the knight's vestment was removed from a knight in full vestments (they removed not only armor, but also, for example, spurs, which were an attribute of knightly dignity). After complete exposure and another funeral psalm, the knight's personal coat of arms was broken into three parts (along with the shield on which he is depicted). Then they sang the 109th psalm of King David, consisting of a set of curses, under the last words of which the herald (and sometimes the king himself) poured out on the former knight cold water, symbolizing cleansing.
Then the former knight was lowered from the scaffold with the help of a gallows, a loop of which was passed under the armpits. The former knight, amid the hooting of the crowd, was led to the church, where a real funeral service was conducted on him, at the end of which he was handed over to the executioner, unless he was sentenced to another punishment that did not require the services of the executioner (if the knight was relatively lucky, then everything could confine themselves to deprivation of knightly dignity). After the execution of the sentence, the heralds publicly declared the children (or other heirs) to be “vile, deprived of ranks, not having the right to bear arms and appear and participate in games and tournaments, at court and at royal meetings, on pain of being stripped naked and carved with rods, like villans and those born of an ignoble father. " If the knight was flawless and successful in battles, he could be endowed with new possessions and titles.
2) Chevalier - not much better than a knight, practically a synonym - is a French name, except that he is 100% nobleman.
3) Baron - honorary title of nobility, this is a large sovereign nobleman and feudal lord, a direct vassal of the king with the right of limited criminal and civil judicial jurisdiction in his fiefs, and at his discretion appointed judges, prosecutors and judicial officials. This title was assigned to members of such knightly families, which, having no sovereign rights, used fiefs directly from the king.
4) Count - a title of high nobility, a royal official with judicial, administrative and military power... The West Germanic word was used to translate the Latin comes "satellite", which in the Middle Ages received the meaning of "companion of the king."
5) Margrave - aka Marquis. An official subordinate to the king, endowed with broad administrative, military and judicial powers in the mark - a district located in the border region and containing various kinds of possessions, consisting of both state and private property. Provided protection from foreign invaders.
6) Count Palatine or Count Palatine, - in the Early Middle Ages, count-governor of the Palatinate (palace) during the absence of the ruling monarch in it, also a royal official who headed the royal court, and a deputy king's representative. The Palatines, who replaced the emperor in their district, had power in their domains that exceeded the power of ordinary counts.
7) Landgrave - the title of count, which used the highest jurisdiction in its possessions and was not subordinate to the duke or prince. Originally, the Landgrave was a royal or imperial official who had possessions transferred directly to the fief by the emperor. At the same time, the landgraves did not obey either the dukes, or the earls, or the bishops. This was done in order to weaken the power of powerful dukes.
8) Duke - among the ancient Germans - 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, ranking first after the king in the military-fief hierarchy. Germanic dukes were turned into officials of the king, to whom the rulers of individual regions - counts - were subordinate. In France, with the elimination of feudal disunity and the establishment of the absolutism of royal power, the word “duke” began to denote the highest title of nobility, often members of the royal family and related families. In late European history, the title of duke is asserted, as a rule, for members of the royal families. In addition to the ducal titles of sovereign monarchs and titles of allodial (feudal) origin, there are noble titles of dukes, granted by the monarchs to their subjects under the royal prerogative.
9) Prince - the head of a separate political entity (appanage prince). the highest noble title, depending on its importance, equated to a prince or a duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in the North - konung. The term "prince" is used to convey Western European titles dating back to princeps and Fürst, also sometimes dux (usually duke). Initially, the prince was a tribal leader who headed the organs of military democracy.
10) Elector "prince-elector", from Kur - "choice, election" and Fürst - "prince"; tracing paper lat. principes electores imperii) - in the Holy Roman Empire - an imperial prince, to whom the right to elect an emperor was secured from the 13th century.
The emergence of the institution of electors was associated, first of all, with the peculiarities of the political development of feudal Germany, with the formation of territorial principalities there, the long-term consolidation of political fragmentation and the weakening of central power.
11)Grand Duke- the title of the head of an independent state. Approximately corresponds to the European title "prince of the blood".
12) Grand Duke - the title of independent sovereigns, standing by international law, between kings and dukes; they were awarded the title "Royal Highness".
13) Archduke - a title used exclusively by members of the Austrian royal house of the Habsburgs. In the hierarchy of titles in Germany in the Middle Ages and Modern Times, the Archduke stands above the Duke, but below the Elector and King. For the first time, the title of Archduke was recognized by Emperor Frederick III of the House of Habsburgs. Around 1458 he bestowed this title on his younger brother Albrecht VI, and in 1477 to Sigismund of Tyrol. After 1482, the title of archduke began to be used by the son and heir of Frederick III, Maximilian I, the future emperor. At some point similar to the use of the titles prince or prince in other royal houses of Europe.
14) King - König - A title of monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elected, the head of the kingdom. In Europe, until 1533, the title of king was granted by the Pope, which was de facto recognized by the Orthodox monarchs. The only representatives of the East Slavic statehood who officially bore the title of king were Daniel Galitsky and his descendants - who received the right to the royal title from Pope Innocent IV.
Based on wikipedia))
Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about, we are constantly faced with all sorts 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 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, title ownership is defining in the hierarchy:
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 then 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 - located between the duke and the count. 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 are 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 address "Your Grace" is used, as for the duchess, or the title of Duke-Duchess is used 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 followed by 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 real title of Lord in England can be awarded by the Queen for special services to the country. But you can get it in a roundabout way, 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, then she acquired a new title corresponding to the title of her new husband, or even turned out to be an untitled person altogether, 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 wide, 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.
And the sweetheart was knocked down by a hut ...
Title ladder
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
Awnings - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Daughters of dukes
Graphs - My Lord / 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 went through several lower titles, which continued to "remained in the family." Usually this is the next oldest title (for example , the heir to the duke - the marquis), but not necessarily.In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the owner 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 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.
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 title and do not entitle the holder to the privileges due to the title holder. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; the marquise, by 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.
Comment: 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 a "courtesy title" of marquis, see section Sons). So, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, always stands below the marquis as such).
Women - title holders "by right"
In some cases, the title could be inherited through the female line. There could be two options here.
1. The woman became, as it were, the 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." 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).
Comment: Who is in a higher position, Baroness "in her own right" or the baron's wife? After all, the title of the former belongs directly to her, and the latter enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, the position of a woman is entirely determined by that of her father or husband, unless 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 (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)
2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth earl, the father of her late husband).
In all other cases, she is Mary, Countess of Chatham, i.e. name + title of 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 Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current title holder marries and a new Countess 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 is given 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.
Ruler titles
Inherited:
Prince
Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)
King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infante
The emperor
Caliph
Maharaja
Khan
Shah
Elected:
Doge
Caliph among the Kharijites
Titles of nobility:
Boyarin
Marquis
Baron
Graph
Duke
Prince
Viscount
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 was almost always 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 title of the title is state languages these countries do not derive from the Latin imperator.
Today, only the Emperor of Japan, Akihito, has this title in the world.
King(Latin rex, French roi, English king, German König) - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elected, the head of the kingdom.
Queen- the female ruler of the kingdom or the consort of the king.
Tsar(from tsar, tsar, lat. caesar, Greek kαῖσαρ - 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.
The Tsarevich is a male heir, the full title of Heir Tsarevich, informally shortened in Russia to Heir (with a capital letter) and rarely to 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 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 family
Duc - Duchess
The duke(German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans - a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; in Western Europe, during the early Middle Ages, 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.
The Marquess - The 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 county and ducal; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.
Earl - Countess
Graph(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 district-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 of the governor in any of the count's possessions in the Middle Ages (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 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 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 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.
Baronet - (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 hold the title herself. Thus, the Duchess, Marquess, 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.
V different time titles were created in England:
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
Lord(English Lord - lord, master, lord) - title of nobility in Great Britain.
Originally, this title was used to designate everyone 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 was not widespread. The granting of the title of lord by the Scottish kings to the nobles gave them the opportunity to directly participate in the country's parliament, and 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 the highest ranking noblemen (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 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 passed on through the male line and seniority, but it can also be awarded 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. Since 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. Mainly performs the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints county judges, heads Supreme Court, is the keeper 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 15-17 centuries, an integral part of the title of L. protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen in England, for example, regents with a minor king. In 1653-58 the title of L. Protector was also borne by O. Cromwell.
Yu. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"
But first, let's deal with the very concept of "nobility". “What is nobility? - wrote A.S. Pushkin. - The hereditary class of the people is the highest, that is, awarded with great advantages in terms of property and private freedom. "
The rise of the nobility in Russia
The word "nobleman" literally means "a man from the princely court", or "courtier."
In Russia, the nobility arose in the XII century. as the lowest part of the military-service class, which made up the court of a prince or a large 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 rulers in ancient times, men who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired a noble denomination for their offspring. Noble means all those who were born from the ancestors of the noble, or who were granted this dignity by monarchs.
Rise of the nobility
Since the XIV century. the nobles began to receive land for their diligent service. So there was a class of landowners - landowners. Later they were allowed to buy land.
The 1497 Code of Law limited the peasants' right to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.
In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor was held in the Kremlin Palace. Ivan IV (the Terrible) made 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 abuses of power and called on everyone to joint activities to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
G. Sedov "Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov"
In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow noblemen (1071 people) was placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.
In the middle of the XVI century. the Kazan Khanate was annexed, and the patrimonials were evicted from the oprichnina area, which was declared the property of the king. The vacated lands were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
In the 80s of the XVI century. were introduced reserved(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state peasant going out on the autumn St. George's day was prohibited, provided for in the "Code of Laws of 1497". Reserves began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) in 1581.
The "Cathedral Code" of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and indefinite search for fugitive peasants.
But Peter I began a decisive struggle against 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 gentility with the principle of personal length of service... The table of ranks influenced the official schedule and the historical fate of the nobility.
Personal length of service became the only regulator of the service; "Fatherly honor", the breed has lost all meaning in this respect. 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 the VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of the VIII class. "For that purpose, we do not allow anyone any rank," wrote Peter, "until they show us and the fatherland any services."
The table of ranks underwent numerous changes, but generally existed until 1917.
After Peter I, the nobles received one privilege after another. Catherine II actually freed the nobles from compulsory service while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, which created a real chasm between the nobles and the people. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry and their anger was 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 from Catherine II, which freed the nobles from compulsory service. But this was the beginning of the decline of the nobility, which gradually turned into an "idle class", and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. And after the peasant reform of 1861, the economic positions of the nobility weakened even more.
By the beginning of the XX century. hereditary nobility, "the first support of the throne" and "one of the most reliable instruments of government", is gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance.
Titles of nobility
In Muscovite Rus there was only one aristocratic title - "prince". It came from the word "reign" and meant that his ancestors once ruled any part of Russia. This title was possessed not only by Russians - 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 carried by foreigners whom Peter attracted to Russia. But the title "Count" was at first weighed down with the words "Holy Roman Empire", i.e. this title was assigned at the request of the Russian monarch by the German emperor. In January 1776, Catherine II petitioned the "Roman emperor" Grigory Orlov " to give the Roman Empire princely dignity, for which the mail is highly indebted to itself».
Golovin (1701) and Menshikov (1702) became the first counts of the Holy Roman Empire in Russia, and under Catherine II, four of her favorites received the titles of princes of the Holy Roman Empire: Orlov, Potemkin, Bezborodko and Zubov. But the assignment of such titles ceases in 1796.
The title "Count"
Earl's heraldic crown
Graph(it. Graf) was 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.
During the period of feudal fragmentation graph- Feudal ruler of the county, then becomes the title of the highest nobility. Female - Countess... As a title, it still formally continues to be retained in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Sheremetyev became the first Russian count in 1706.
Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev (1652-1719)
Russian commander of the time of the Northern War, diplomat, one of the first Russian general-field marshals.
Born into the old boyar family of the Sheremetyevs.
In 1681 he commanded troops against the Tatars. He showed 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 took part in the first Azov campaign of Peter I.
In the years 1697-1699. visited Poland, Austria, Italy, the island of Malta, carrying out diplomatic assignments of Peter I. During the Northern War of 1700-1721. proved himself 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 ill-equipped", for which he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and was awarded 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 was the first in Russia to be awarded the title of count.
V last years he expressed a desire to be a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but the tsar did not allow this, just as he did not allow the fulfillment of Sheremetyev's will to bury him in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: Peter I ordered to bury Sheremetev in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, forcing even a dead companion to serve the state.
At the end of the XIX century. there were over 300 county families in Russia. The count's title in Soviet Russia was abolished 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 major sovereign nobleman and feudal lord, later simply an honorary title of nobility. Female - baroness... The title of Baron in England is preserved to this day and is located in the 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, and P.P.Shafirov was the first to receive it in 1710. Then A.I. Osterman (1721), A.G., N.G. and S.G. Stroganovs (1722), A.-E. Stambken (1726). The clans of the barons were subdivided into Russian, Baltic and foreign.
Peter Pavlovich Shafirov (1669-1739)
Peter's time diplomat, vice-chancellor. Commander of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1719). In 1701-1722. in fact, he was in charge of the Russian mail. In 1723 he was sentenced to death on charges of abuse, but after Peter's death he was able to return to diplomatic activity.
Descended from a family of Polish Jews who settled in Smolensk and converted to Orthodoxy. He began his service as a translator in 1691 in the same ambassadorial order where his father also served. Accompanying Peter the Great during his travels and campaigns, he took part in the conclusion of a treaty with the Polish king Augustus II (1701) and with the ambassadors of the prince of Sedmigrad Rakoczi. In 1709 he became a privy councilor and was promoted to vice-chancellor. In 1711 he concluded the Prut Peace Treaty with the Turks and, together with Count M. B. Sheremetev, remained with them as a hostage. He entered into treaties with Denmark, Prussia, France to preserve peace in Europe.
In 1723, Shafirov fell out with the powerful prince A. D. Menshikov and the chief prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev, having caught them in embezzlement. In response, he himself was accused of embezzlement and was sentenced to death, which Peter I replaced by exile to Siberia, but on the way there he allowed him to stay "for a residence" in Nizhny Novgorod "under a strong guard."
Empress Catherine I, upon her accession to the throne, returned Shafirov from exile, returned him the baronial title, conferred the rank of actual councilor of state, made him president of the commercial college and commissioned the compilation of the history of Peter the Great.
The barons enjoyed the right to appeal "Your honor"(like untitled nobles) or "Mister baron".
At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were about 240 baronial families (including extinct ones), mainly representatives of the Ostsee (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
The title "prince"
Prince- the head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (appanage 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, equated 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 the North - konung.
In Russia Grand Duke(or princess) - title of nobility for members of the royal family. Princess also called the wife of the prince, prince(among the Slavs) - the son of a prince, princess- the daughter of a prince.
Yuri Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky" ("For the Russian Land!")
The princely power, at first most often elective, gradually becomes hereditary (Rurikovich in Russia, Gediminovichs and Jagiellons in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Piast in Poland, etc.). With the formation of a centralized state, appanage princes gradually became part of the grand ducal (from 1547 - royal) court in the Moscow principality. In Russia until the 18th century. the title of prince was only generic. Since the beginning of the XVIII century. The tsar also began to complain of the title of prince to higher dignitaries for special merits (the first prince was granted - A.D. Menshikov).
Russian princes
Before Peter I, there were 47 princely families in Russia, some of which originated from Rurik. Princely titles were divided into "His lordship" and "His lordship" which was considered taller.
Until 1797 new princely families did not appear, with the exception of Menshikov, who was bestowed in 1707 with the title of Prince of Izhora.
Under Paul I, the granting of this title began, 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 Gedimin. 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 lower than that of the baronial.
Did you know?
Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Unknown artist of the 19th century
Did you know that Alexander Vasilyevich 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 Italic (1799), graph Rymniksky (1789), graph Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal General of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, the grand of the Sardinian kingdom and the prince of the 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.
What is the Android status bar?
How to choose a gift for the new year for yourself
How to choose gifts for the New Year?
Excel status bar options What the status bar is for
Complete Lessons - Knowledge Hypermarket