Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"

But first, let’s deal with the concept of “nobility” itself. “What is nobility? – wrote A.S. Pushkin. “The hereditary class of the people is the highest, that is, awarded with great advantages regarding property and private freedom.”

The emergence of the nobility in Russia

The word "nobleman" literally means "a person from the princely court", or "courtier".

In Russia, the nobility arose in the 12th century. as the lowest part of the military service class, which made up the court of a prince or a major boyar.

In the Code of Laws Russian Empire"It is said that belonging to the noble class" is a consequence flowing from the quality and virtue of the men in command in ancient times, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the service itself into merit, they acquired a noble name for their offspring. Noble means all those who were born from noble ancestors, or were granted this dignity by monarchs.”

Rise of the nobility

Since the 14th century nobles began to receive land for their diligent service. This is how the class of landowners - landowners - emerged. Later they were allowed to buy land.

The Code of Law of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.

In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor. Ivan IV (the Terrible) gave a speech there. The Tsar set a course towards building a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant a struggle with the old (boyar) aristocracy. He accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.

G. Sedov “Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov”

In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) were placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.

In the middle of the 16th century. The Kazan Khanate was annexed, and the patrimonial people were evicted from the oprichnina region, which was declared the property of the tsar. The vacated lands were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.

In the 80s of the 16th century. were introduced reserved summers(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state peasants were prohibited from going out on the autumn St. George’s Day, provided for in the Code of Laws of 1497. Reserved summers began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) in 1581.

The “Conciliar Code” of 1649 secured the right of nobles to perpetual 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 birth with the principle of personal service. The table of ranks influenced the official routine and the historical destinies of the noble class.

Personal length of service became the only regulator of service; “fatherly honor”, ​​the breed has lost all meaning in this regard. Under Peter I, the rank of the lowest XIV class in military service gave the right to hereditary nobility. Civil service in the rank up to VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of VIII class. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone of any rank,” wrote Peter, “until they show us and the fatherland any services.”

The table of ranks was subject to numerous changes, but in general it 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 gap between the nobles and the people. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry and their embitterment became one of the reasons for Pugachev's uprising.

The apogee of the power of the Russian nobility was the receipt of “noble liberties” - a charter from Catherine II, which freed nobles from compulsory service. But this began the decline of the nobility, which gradually turned into a “leisure class,” and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. And after the peasant reform of 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened even more.

By the beginning of the 20th century. the hereditary nobility, “the first support of the throne” and “one of the most reliable tools of the government,” is gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance.

Noble titles

In Muscovite Rus' there was only one aristocratic title - “prince”. It came from the word “to reign” and meant that his ancestors had once ruled some part of Russia. Not only Russians had this title; foreigners who converted to Orthodoxy were also allowed to become princes.

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 borne by foreigners whom Peter attracted to Russia. But the title “count” was initially burdened 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 “ give the Roman Empire princely dignity, for which he greatly obliged himself».

Golovin (1701) and Menshikov (1702) become 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 ceased in 1796.

Title "Count"

Earl's heraldic crown

Graph(German) Graf) - 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 high dignitaries.

During the period of feudal fragmentation graph– feudal lord of a county, then becomes a title of the highest nobility. Woman - countess. It continues to be formally retained as a title 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 during the Northern War, diplomat, one of the first Russian field marshals.

Born into the old boyar family of the Sheremetyevs.

In 1681 he commanded troops against the Tatars. He proved himself in the military and diplomatic fields. In 1686 he participated in the conclusion of the “Eternal Peace” with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and then was sent to Warsaw to ratify the concluded peace.

Protected Russia from Crimean raids. In 1695 he took part in the first Azov campaign of Peter I.

In 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 “remained ignorant and would not recover for a long time,” for which he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and granted the rank of Field Marshal. Subsequently he won several victories over the Swedes.

In 1705-1706 Sheremetyev suppressed the mutiny of the archers in Astrakhan, for which I was first in Russia awarded the title of count.

IN last years he expressed a desire to become a monk of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, but the tsar did not allow this, just as he did not allow Sheremetyev’s will to be buried in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra: Peter I ordered Sheremetev to be buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, forcing even a dead associate to serve the state.

At the end of the 19th century. There were over 300 count families in Russia. The title of count 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 ruling nobleman and feudal lord, later simply an honorary title of nobility. Woman - Baroness. The title of baron in England continues to this day and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount. In Germany, this title was lower than the count's.

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. Stroganov (1722), A.-E. Stambken (1726). The families of the barons were divided into Russian, Baltic and foreign.

Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov (1669-1739)

Diplomat of Peter's time, vice-chancellor. Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1719). In 1701-1722 in fact, he was in charge of the Russian postal service. In 1723 he was sentenced to death on charges of abuse, but after the death of Peter he was able to return to diplomatic activity.

He came from a family of Polish Jews who settled in Smolensk and converted to Orthodoxy. He began serving as a translator in 1691 in the same embassy department where his father served. Accompanying Peter the Great during his travels and campaigns, he took part in concluding an agreement with the Polish king Augustus II (1701) and with the ambassadors of the Sedmigrad prince Rakoczi. In 1709 he became a privy councilor and promoted to vice-chancellor. In 1711 he concluded the Prut Peace Treaty with the Turks and he himself, together with Count M. B. Sheremetev, remained hostage with them. He concluded agreements with Denmark, Prussia, and France to maintain peace in Europe.

In 1723, Shafirov quarreled with the powerful Prince A.D. Menshikov and Chief Prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev, convicting them of embezzlement. In response, he himself was accused of embezzlement and sentenced to death, which Peter I replaced with exile to Siberia, but on the way there he allowed him to stop “to live” in Nizhny Novgorod"under strong guard."

Empress Catherine I, upon her accession to the throne, returned Shafirov from exile, returned his baronial title, awarded him the rank of actual state councilor, made him president of the commerce board and commissioned the compilation of the history of Peter the Great.

Barons enjoyed the right to appeal "your honor"(like untitled nobles) or "Mr. Baron".

At the end of the 19th century. in Russia there were about 240 baronial families (including extinct ones), mainly representatives of the Baltic (Baltic) nobility. The title was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.

Baron P.N. Wrangel

Title "prince"

Prince- head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political education(appanage prince) in the 9th-16th centuries. among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy. Later it became the highest noble title, equivalent to a prince or duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern Europe - konung.

In Russia Grand Duke(or princess) – a noble title of members royal family. Princess also called the prince's wife, prince(among the Slavs) - the son of a prince, princess- daughter of a prince.

Y. Pantyukhin “Prince Alexander Nevsky” (“For the Russian Land!”)

Princely power, at first most often elective, gradually becomes hereditary (Rurikovich in Rus', Gediminovich and Jagiellon in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Piasts in Poland, etc.). With education 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. From the beginning of the 18th century. The title of prince also began to be granted by the tsar to the highest dignitaries for special merits (the first prince granted was A.D. Menshikov).

Russian princes

Before Peter I, there were 47 princely families in Russia, some of which traced their origins to Rurik. Princely titles were divided into "His Excellency" And "his lordship", which was considered higher.

Until 1797, no new princely families appeared, with the exception of Menshikov, who was granted the title of Prince of Izhora in 1707.

Under Paul I, awards with this title began, and the annexation of Georgia literally “exploded” the Russian nobility - 86 families recognized the princely title.

By the end of the 19th century. in the Russian Empire there were 250 princely families, 40 of which traced their origins to Rurik or Gediminas. 56% of the princely families in the empire were Georgian.

In addition, there were about 30 Tatar, Kalmyk and Mordovian princes; the status of these princes was considered lower than that of barons.

Did you know?

Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Unknown artist of the 19th century.

Did you know that Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, national hero Russia, the great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art, had several titles at the same time: prince Italian (1799), graph Rymniksky (1789), graph Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal General of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, Grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Prince of the Royal Blood (with the title "King's Cousin"), Knight of all Russian orders of his time awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders

In France, from the Middle Ages until 1871, there was a unified system, according to which feudal lords were divided into several categories. Noble titles and their hierarchy are of great interest today. And this is not surprising, since representatives of the aristocracy and their offspring are constantly the object of close attention of the press, along with show business stars and famous politicians.

Hierarchy

The head of the medieval French state was the king. At the next level of the hierarchical ladder were the overlords - dukes and major counts, who were the supreme rulers of a particular region. Moreover, their power on the lands was almost equal to the royal one. Next came the owners of domains, benefices or allotments, issued for service, and fiefs, granted for service and passed on by inheritance. These nobles had various titles. It is interesting that any feudal lord could be both a suzerain and the owner of a domain and beneficiary at the same time.

Le Roi (king)

As already mentioned, this is the highest noble title of medieval France. At different periods, its owners were endowed with more or less power. The French kings enjoyed their greatest power during the era of absolutism, especially during the reign of Louis XIV.

Le Duce (Duke)

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

Le Marquis (marquises)

These titles of nobility in France arose under Charlemagne. Their name comes from the name of the border administrative unit- stamps. This is due to the fact that the marquis was the royal governor of the region.

Le Comte (Count)

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

Le Vicomte (Viscount)

Noble titles in France were inherited. In different eras, different rules applied for this. For example, the title of viscount, which in the early period designated the deputy of an earl, was later borne by the younger male heirs of marquises and earls, as well as their descendants.

Le Baron (baron)

Noble titles in France were quite numerous. Their hierarchy also included the level of baron. This was the name for feudal lords who had their own domain, who, being vassals of the king directly, were themselves sovereigns of their own subjects. In France it was one of the less common.

Le Chevalier (Chevalier)

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

Monsieur De

The junior title of nobility in Old Order France is equier. It was used to designate a squire, and literally translated it meant “dresser.” In addition, this was the name given to personally independent noble children who did not have the opportunity to uniform and equip themselves on their own. Serving as a squire was the only opportunity for a chevalier to win the right to own a fief or benefice. However, some of the squires, for one reason or another, did not achieve what they wanted and remained simply Monsieur de (name). Over time, this class merged with the Chevalier.

Title inheritance

The right of birthright was put at the forefront. This meant that the title was inherited by the eldest son of its owner. At the same time, daughters born before the appearance of a boy in the family were deprived of this right.

While the father was alive, the son received a so-called courtesy title lower in rank than that of the parent. For example, the heir of a duke became a marquis. At the same time, when the position of a particular nobleman in the hierarchy of the French aristocracy was considered, the father's title was taken as a basis to determine his place. In other words, the count, who was the son of a duke, was superior to the “colleague” whose father was the marquis.

Typically, the highest aristocracy had several titles that remained in the family, so sometimes their offspring had to change them when older relatives died. For example, if after the death of his grandfather the son became a duke, then the grandson took his place as a count.

Women's titles

The title of nobility in France and England was usually passed down through the male line. As for women, they became their owners in two ways. The first option is marriage, and the second is receiving it from the father. In the latter case, we were again talking about a courtesy title, which did not give the lady any privileges. It was a different matter when a woman became, for example, a duchess as a result of her marriage to a duke. This meant that she found herself at the same level of the hierarchy as her husband, and bypassed everyone, including male representatives, who followed him. In addition, for example, of two marquises, the lower one was the one whose husband had the title of courtesy, and did not inherit it after the death of the parent.

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

The most famous aristocratic houses in France

• House de Montmorency.

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

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

• House d'Albret.

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

• House of Artois.

A county with this name was repeatedly created in the Middle Ages. In addition, it was one of the few whose inheritance was contrary to Salic law. The county later became part of Burgundy. In 1482, the title and lands went to the Habsburgs. However, already in 1659 it returned to the French protectorate and became a nominal county. At the same time, its owners received the title of peer of France, and later one of the representatives of this family became King Charles the Ninth of France.

• Princes of Condé.

This junior branch played an important role in the social and political life of the kingdom until their disappearance in 1830. Throughout its history, this family repeatedly laid claim to the throne and took part in various conspiracies.

• Lusignan family.

The family is known for spreading its influence far beyond France. Its representatives since the 12th century as a result dynastic marriages became rulers of Cyprus and Jerusalem, and in the 13th century became kings of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and the Principality of Antioch. Thanks to them, the hierarchy of noble titles in France partially transferred to these states.

• House of Valois-Anjou.

Representatives of the family were the kings of Naples and one of the branches of the ancient Capetian dynasty. In 1328, their representative Philip the Sixth ascended the throne of France. He received it not as an inheritance, but due to the lack of male heirs from his cousin, the King of France. The dynasty ruled for more than 2 centuries until the throne passed to Henry the Fourth.

Now you know how many steps of the hierarchical ladder separated an ordinary aristocrat and the one who held the highest noble title in France, England or other Western European states. Today, many of their offspring, who inherited only a big name, live like ordinary people and only occasionally remember their ancestors who passed on their blue blood.

Most people associate the courageous and somewhat romanticized image of a knight with the Middle Ages. After all, as is known, “knighthood as a military and landowning class arose among the Franks in connection with the transition in the 8th century from the people’s foot army to the cavalry army of vassals. Having been influenced by the church and poetry, it developed the moral and aesthetic ideal of a warrior, and in the era of the Crusades , under the influence of the then emerging spiritual knightly orders, closed into a hereditary aristocracy. Gain state power, superiority of infantry over cavalry, invention firearms and the creation of a standing army by the end of the Middle Ages turned feudal knighthood into a political class of untitled nobility."

At that time, knighting in medieval Latin texts was designated by the words “putting on a military belt.” At that time anyone could be a knight. At first, knighthood was given, according to German tradition, at the age of 12, 15, 19, but in the 13th century there was a noticeable desire to push it back to adulthood, that is, to the 21st year. Although the era of firearms abolished knighthood as a military class, modern world also have their own knights.

The British Scheme of Awards for personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom includes the following:

Honors- to recognize virtues in terms of achievement and service;

Medals- to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service, and/or good behavior; A

Award badges usually given for specific achievements.

Well, knights today exist in cavalry orders like the Order of the Garter (1348) or the Knights of Honor (1917) and in a class known as knights bachelors. Although, unlike knights of British orders, knights bachelors are not given special letters after their names, indicating their affiliation with a specific knightly order, a knight bachelor is entitled to the title sir.

Let's talk about them. As you know, not only subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but also foreign citizens can receive the honorary title. Of the famous non-British people, the honor of being a British knight was awarded, in particular, to the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, singer Placido Doming oh, film director Steven Spielberg, scientist and historian Simon Wiesenthal, also known as the "Nazi hunter".

Among British citizens, actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore (playing James Bond), singers Sting (Gordon Sumner), Paul McCartney, Elton John and many others are considered honorary knights.

Back in 1992, a wonderful composer received the right to use the prefix “sir” Andrew Lloyd Webber, author of music from the musicals "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats", from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar".

Sir Paul McCartney- knight since 1997. This is not the first royal award for the famous Beatle - after all, back in the mid-sixties, each of the Fab Four received an Order of the British Empire. But John Lennon later returned his medal in protest at Britain's support for the US war effort in Vietnam.

In the same year, 1997, another king of British music was knighted - Elton John.

And, having been included in the lists of prospective knights more than once, another talented and legendary British musician was finally initiated into them in 2003, on his 60th birthday. Mick Jagger. The ceremonial atmosphere calls for ceremonial attire, but the lead singer of the rock band The Rolling Stones appeared in a long leather coat, a red scarf and black sneakers, which caused universal condemnation.

Let's finish the theme of music with a solemn ceremony, which took place in 2007 at the residence of the British Ambassador in Dublin. Here he was awarded an honorary knighthood for his service to the UK in the music industry and humanitarian work Bono(real name Paul Newson), Irish musician and public figure, leader of the rock band U-2.

As you know, the title of Knight Bachelor is given only to men, the equivalent title for women is Dame of the Order of the British Empire. So, March 26, 2015 Joan Collins became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The award ceremony was hosted by Prince Charles.

A year earlier, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Angelina Jolie the title of Dame Dame and the Order of St. Michael and St. George for humanitarian work. October 10, 2014.

He became a knight for his contribution to cinema in 2000. Sean Connery. After he was knighted, newspapers came out with headlines: “My name is Sean, Sir Sean” - this is how the famous greeting of agent 007 was paraphrased.

By the way, the famous Russian actor Vasily Livanov, known even to children for his role as Sherlock Holmes, was also awarded the title of knight in 2006 precisely for his unforgettable recreation of this literary image.

It would take a long time to list individuals who, with their talent and hard work, deserved and were awarded the honorary title of knight. But for today, having mentioned music and cinema, we will end with sports. In 1999, the world learned the name of another knight: the Scottish football player and coach Sir Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Ladder" of titles

At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).

Princes - Your Highness, Your Serene Highness

Dukes - Your Grace, Duke/Duchess

Marquises - My Lord/Milady, Marquis/Marquise (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)

Eldest sons of dukes

Dukes' Daughters

Earls - My Lord/Milady, Your Lordship (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)

Eldest sons of the marquises

Daughters of the Marquises

Younger sons of dukes

Viscounts - My Lord/Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)

Earls' eldest sons

Younger sons of the marquises

Barons - My Lord/Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord/Lady)

Eldest sons of viscounts

Younger sons of counts

Eldest sons of the barons

Younger sons of viscounts

Younger sons of the barons

Baronets - Sir

Eldest sons of younger sons of peers

Eldest sons of baronets

Younger sons of baronets

sons

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

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

The eldest son of a Duke, Marquess, Earl or Viscount comes immediately after the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles")

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

The younger sons of dukes and marquises are lords.

Women

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

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

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

Women are title holders “by right.”

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

1. The woman became, as it were, the custodian of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heir to then be transferred to her son... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.

2. A woman received the title “in her own right”. In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike male title holders, a woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords or hold positions associated with this title.

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

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

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

Widows

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

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

1. The next Earl of Chatham became the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)

2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).

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

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

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

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

Daughters

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

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

Ruler titles
Inherited:

Prince

Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)

King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infant

Emperor

Maharajah

Elected:

Caliph of the Kharijites

Noble titles:

Boyarin

Chevalier

Kazoku - Japanese title system

Monarchs

Emperor(Latin imperator - ruler) - 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 led by two emperors with the titles of Augusti (their co-rulers bore the title of Caesars).

Also used to designate the rulers of a number of eastern monarchies (China, Korea, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Japan, pre-Columbian states of America), despite the fact that the name of the title is on official languages 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 a monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, head of the kingdom.

A queen is the female ruler of a kingdom or the consort of a king.

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

The queen is the reigning person or the wife of the king.

Tsarevich - the son of a king or queen (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of prince was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum Khan of Siberia had the title of prince of Siberia.

Tsesarevich is a male heir, the full title Heir Tsesarevich, informally shortened in Russia to Heir (with a capital letter) and rarely to Tsesarevich.

Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.

A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.

Titled nobility:

Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish principe, from Latin princeps - first) - one of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. The Russian word “prince” means direct descendants of monarchs, as well as, by special decree, other members royal family

Duke (Duc) - Duchess (Duchess)

The Duke (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 the period of feudal fragmentation, he was a major territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military-feudal hierarchy.

Marquis (Marquess) - Marchioness

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

Earl - Countess

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

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

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

Viscount - Viscountess

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

Baron - Baroness

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comment: about English, Scottish and Irish titles.

IN different time titles were created in England:

before 1707 - peers of England, Scotland and Ireland

1701-1801 - Peers of Great Britain and Ireland

after 1801 - peers of the United Kingdom (and Ireland).

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

Lord(English Lord - lord, master, ruler) - a title of nobility in Great Britain.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Emperor

Kaiser | King | Konung | King | Basileus

Grand Duke | Grand Duke | Duke | Elector | Archduke | Prince

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Titled nobility

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Infant | Prince | Jarl/Earl | Palatine Count

Marquis | Margrave | Count | Landgraf| Despot | Ban

Viscount | Burggraf | Views

Baron | Baronet

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Untitled nobility.

Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about the life of the English, we constantly come across all sorts of sirs, lords, princes, dukes and other titles. It is quite difficult to understand the purpose of all these appeals to certain segments of the population from books or films. We will try to consider what titles there are in England, what their hierarchy is, how they are received and whether the title can be passed on by inheritance, etc.

Peerage in England

Peerage is a system of noble titles in England. Peers are all English people who hold a title. All other people who do not have any titles are considered commoners. The main difference between peers and other people is that the title of nobility in England gives certain privileges, and these privileges differ for peers of different ranks.

There are also differences in privileges between different parts of the peerage system:

The Peerage of England is all titled Englishmen whose title was created by the Queens and Kings of England before 1707 (the signing of the Act of Union).

The Peerage of Scotland is a title of nobility created by the monarchs of Scotland before 1707.

Peerage of Ireland - titles of the Kingdom of Ireland created before 1800 (the signing of the Act of Union) and some of them created later.

Peerage of Great Britain - all titles created in the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800.

Peerage of the United Kingdom - almost all titles created after 1800.

Older ranks are considered higher in the hierarchy. In addition, the determining factor in the hierarchy is the ownership of the title:

English,

Scottish,

Irish.

For example, an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title received at the same time. But the same Irish Earl will be higher in the hierarchy than the Earl of Great Britain with a title assigned after 1707.

Emergence of the peerage

The history of the creation of the English peerage system began with the conquest of England by the illegitimate son of the ruler of Normandy, William the Conqueror. He created a single Kingdom of England and divided the entire territory into manors. Those Englishmen who owned manors were called barons; Depending on the amount of land, “greater barons” and “lesser barons” were distinguished.

The king assembled the greater barons for royal councils, and the lesser ones were assembled by the sheriffs. Then they stopped convening lesser barons. It was the meetings of the great barons that were then transformed into the House of Lords, which still exists today. Most titles of nobility, like the Crown of England, are hereditary.

Times changed and various ranks began to form among the nobles, the privileges of which differed significantly.

Hierarchy of titles

At the top of the hierarchy is, naturally, the royal family, which has its own hierarchy. The British royal family includes the monarch himself and a group of his close relatives. Members of the royal family are: the monarch, the monarch's consort or the widowed spouse of the monarch, the children of the monarch, his grandchildren in the male line, the spouses or widowed spouses of the heirs of the monarch in the male line.

The next most important among the English are:

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

Marquis and Marquise (first awarded in 1385). Marquess is an English title of nobility, located between a duke and an earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories (from the French "marque" or border territory). In addition to the marquises themselves, this title is awarded to the eldest son of the duke and the daughter of the duke.

Earl (earl) and countess (used from 800-1000). Earls are members of the English nobility who previously owned and administered their own lands - counties, tried cases in provincial courts on behalf of the King, and collected fines and taxes from the local population. Also awarded earldoms were: the eldest son of the marquis, the daughters of the marquis and younger son Duke

Viscount and Viscountess (the first such title was awarded in 1440). The word comes from the Latin "vice-count", "deputy of the count". During the father's lifetime, the eldest son of an earl or the younger sons of a marquess became viscounts as a courtesy title.

Baron and Baroness (first appeared in 1066). The word comes from the Old German "free master". Baron is the lowest rank of nobility in England. If the title is historically related to feudal baronies, then the baron holds that barony. In addition to the barons themselves, the following persons were endowed with this title in the form of a courtesy title: the eldest son of a viscount, the youngest son of an earl, the eldest son of a baron, then the younger sons of viscounts and the younger sons of barons followed in the hierarchy.

Another title, although heritable, but not one of English titled aristocratic persons, is baronet (there is no female equivalent). Baronets do not sit in the House of Lords and do not enjoy the privileges of the nobility. The eldest children of the younger sons of peers of various ranks, the eldest and youngest sons of baronets, became baronets.

All other Englishmen are untitled persons.

Appeal to titled persons

The treatment of titled Englishmen is a rather complex issue. Everyone knows that addressing the King and Queen involves the combination “Your Majesty.”

For dukes, the address "Your Grace" is used, as for duchesses, or the address duke-duchess along with the use of a title (for example, Duke of Wellington). Dukes rarely use surnames, but duchesses never use them.

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

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

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

Receiving the title

The real title of Lord in England can be awarded by the Queen for special services to the country. But you can also get it in roundabout ways, for example, purchasing a medieval estate for a huge price along with a title, for example, baron. At the same time, they receive a certificate of belonging to a certain noble rank.

Title Features

Most often, the holder of any title is a man. Sometimes the title could belong to a woman if it was intended to be inherited. In other cases, the woman was awarded the title of courtesy as the wife of her husband. At the same time, the woman did not have the privileges that the husband had.

A woman's title was inherited in two cases:

If the woman was only the custodian of the title, in order to pass it on to a male heir in the future;

When a woman rightfully received a title, but could not sit in the House of Lords and hold certain positions.

Moreover, if a titled woman got married, her husband did not receive her title.

If a woman who received a title thanks to her husband turned out to be a widow, she kept it, and the word “dowager” could be added before addressing her. If a woman remarried, she acquired a new title corresponding to the title of her new husband, or even turned out to be an untitled person if new husband did not belong to the nobility of England.

Another feature is that illegitimate sons did not receive titles under any circumstances. Therefore, titled persons often sought to marry pregnant women in order to ensure their son the right to inherit his title. Otherwise, only the youngest son had the right to receive nobility if he was already born in marriage, and in the absence of other sons, a distant relative.

Privileges of titled persons

Previously, the privileges of peers were very broad, but now titled Englishmen have very few rights left:

The right to sit in parliament,

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

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

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