(Inaccuracies are possible, because I did not have enough time-literacy to check, but since I did not find anything more competently constructed, I use this article)
Taken from http://www.diary.ru/~MasterGans/p146357633.htm?oam

Titles of nobility. Middle Ages.

The emperor
Emperor, lat., In republican Rome, an honorary title given to the victorious commander, for the first time Scipio African; from August and especially from the 2nd century - the ruler of the state. The title disappeared in the west with the fall in the west. Roman Empire 476, but survived in the east. the Roman Empire before its fall. It was restored in the west by Charlemagne 800, having been crowned in Rome. German kings bore the title of I. of the Holy Roman Empire, at first only when they were crowned in Rome (starting with Otto I 962). In Russia, Peter V. took the title of I. in 1721, and since then it has been worn by Russian monarchs. 1804 Franz I of Austria took the title of "Apostolic I." it is also worn by his heirs. 1809-89 the empire was Brazil, 1804-14 and 1852-70 France; from 1871 the King of Prussia bears the title of I. German, from 1876 the Queen of Great Britain is at the same time the Empress of India; since 1877 the Turkish sultan has been bearing the title of I. Ottomans. The title of I. is also given to the rulers of China, Japan, Siam, Abyssinia, and Morocco; it did not last long on the island of Haiti and in Mexico.
Latin - Imperator, Imperatrix
Greek - Autokrator
English - Emperor, Empress
German - Kaiser, Kaiserin
French - Empereur, Imperatrice
Spanish - Emperador, Emperatriz
Russian - Tsar, Tsarina

King, queen

The word "king" itself is relatively young and only appeared after the reign of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor of the German nation. Actually, the word comes from his name: Karl (lat. Carolus). In addition, we can assume that the word goes back to the ancient Germanic "Kuning", which comes from the words "kuni, kunne" (elder of the clan), and even further to the Greek "genos". In addition, the origin uses the Latin rex (f. - "regina" = "king and priest", derived from the word "reg" (something from priestly rituals). Hence the French "roi".
Appeal: Your Majesty
Latin - Rex, Regina
Greek - Basileus
English - King, Queen
German - Koenig, Koenigin
French - Roi, Reine
Spanish - Rey, Reina
Portuguese - Rei, Reiha
Romanian - Regele, Raina
Bulgarian - Tsar
Norwegian - Konge, Dronning
Danish - Konge, Dronning
Swedish - Konung, Drotning
Dutch - Koning, Koningin
Irish - Ri, Rigan (High-King = Ard Ri)

Prince, princess

One of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. Currently, the correspondence of the term "prince" in Western European languages ​​is used both in a generalized abstract sense ("sovereign", "monarch", and in several specific meanings. The female version of the title is a princess, however, princesses are also called wives of princes.
The etymology of the word is similar to the Latin title "princeps" (princeps - the first, main). Initially, in the European tradition, the heirs of kings / dukes were called so, then "princes of the blood" appeared, and in France the title became a full-fledged title of nobility (princes of Condé and Conti). In a number of states, the heirs to the throne bear not just the title of a prince, but the title of a prince of a certain province (Prince of Wales in England, Prince of Asturias in Spain). It is curious that in France the heir to the throne bore the title of Dauphin, which was associated with the acquisition by the future French king Charles V de Valois in 1349 of the Dauphiné region (formed on the territory of the Kingdom of Burgundy. The county of Viennois was the center). The Dauphine became the apanage of the heirs to the throne, who assumed the title and coat of arms of the Viennese Dauphins. The title of Dauphin was assigned by the Counts of Vienne before the sale of the site to the French, and the name of the lands originated from the title.
Appeal: Your Highness
Latin - Princeps
English - Prince, Princess
French - Prince, Princesse
German - Prinz, Prinzessin; Fuerst, Fuerstin
Italian - Principe, Principessa
Spanish - Principe, Princesa
Portuguese - Principe, Princeza

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; a representative of the feudal aristocracy; later - the highest title of nobility, 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).
Grand Duke (Princess) - in Russia, the noble title of members of the royal family.
The princess is the wife of the prince, as well as the actual title of the female person of the nobility, the prince is the son of the prince (only among the Slavs), the princess is the daughter of the prince.

Russian - Knyaz, Knyazhna

Grand Duke

English - Grand Duke, Grand Duchess
German - Grossherzog, Grossherzogin
French - Grand Duc, Grande Duchesse
Italian - Gran-duca, Gran-duchesa

(old noun. herizogo "der vor dem Heer zieht" - "going before the army" the dukes were relatives of the royal family, only they could have this title. That is, all dukes are members of the royal family. Comes from the Germanic herz (lord, master, m. . leader) - this is how the German leaders were called themselves.; Another series (duc, duke) comes from the Latin word dux, meaning exactly the same thing.in Western Europe during the early Middle Ages - a tribal prince, during the period of feudal fragmentation - a large territorial ruler ( in the system of the military-feudal hierarchy, the G. occupied the second place after the king); with the elimination of feudal fragmentation - one of the highest titles of nobility. In addition, there is the title of Archduke (a title of members of the Austrian royal family), the origin of which is simple: the prefix erz (first, highest ) and the word Herzog
Appeal: Your Grace
Latin- Dux
English - Duke, Duchess
German - Herzog, Herzogin
French - Duc, Duchesse
Italian - Duca, Duchesa
Spanish - Duque, Duquesa
Portuguese - Duque, Duqueza

Marquis

novolat. marquensis, French. marquis, ital. marchese
1) in the Carolingian empire the same as the margrave.
2) In medieval France and Italy (from the 10th century), a large feudal lord, according to his position on the hierarchical ladder, was between the duke and the count.
3) Hereditary title of nobility in a number of Western European states (France, Italy, Spain).
Marquises usually became earls who had served the king.
Appeal: Your Grace, my lord.
English - Marquess, Marchioness
German - Markgraf, Markgrѕfin (in English, Margrave, Margravine)
French - Marquis, Marquise
Italian - Marchese, Marchesa
Spanish - Marques, Marquesa
Portuguese - Marquez, Marqueza

Graf; lat. comes (lit .: "satellite", fr. comte, eng. earl or count) English earl (from the Scandinavian jarl (jarl)) originally meant the highest official, but since the time of the Norman kings it has become an honorary title.
(German Graf, English Earl, French comte, Latin comes), originally the name of an official in the Frankish state and in England. G. were appointed by the king, but by decree of Charles the Bald (Kersian capitulary 877), G.'s position and possessions became hereditary; G. turned into a feudal owner. (Margrave, Landgrave and Graf Palatine). With the fall of feudalism, the title of G. became an honorary family title. English earl - originally meant the highest official, but since the time of the Norman kings it has turned into an honorary title. In Russia, the title of count was introduced by Peter V .; the first G. was BN Sheremetyev. Count families enjoy the title of excellency and are brought into. Part V of the noble genealogy of the book.
Conversion: my lord
Latin - Comes, Comitissa
English - Earl, Countess
German - Graf, Graefin; Landgraf, Landgraefin (In English, Landgrave, Landgravine); Pfalzgraf, Pfalzgraefin (In English, Count-Palatine, Countess-Palatine)
French - Comte, Comtesse
Italian - Conte, Contessa
Spanish - Conde, Condesa
Portuguese - Conde, Condeza
Swedish - Greve, Grevinde
Danish - Greve Grevinde
Dutch - Graaf, Graafin
Irish - Ard Tiarna, Bantiarna
Hungarian - Groef, Groefin

Actually the governor of the count. It first came into use in France, from where the Normans brought it to England. A member of the European nobility, intermediate between a baron and an earl. The British viscount is above the baron, but below the British duke. The French viscount is above the baron (baron), but below the French count (comte). The same is true in all countries of the European continent where there is a title of viscount. The viscount was first recorded as a British peerage in 1440, when John Beaumont, 1st Viscount of Beaumont, was made such by King Henry VI.
Appeal: e.g. Viscount Little
English - Viscount, Viscountess
French - Vicomte, Vicomtesse
Italian - Visconte, Viscontessa
Spanish - Vizconde, Vizcondesa
Portuguese - Vizconde, Vizcondeza

(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. the title of baron in England (where it remains to this day) is the title of junior peerage and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (peers).
Appeal: Baron.
English - Baron, Baroness
German - Baron, Baronin; Freiherr, Freifrau
French - Baron, Baronne
Italian - Barone, Baronessa
Spanish - Baron, Baronesa
Portugese - Baron, Baroneza
Irish - Tiarna, Bantiarna

Hereditary title of nobility in England. Introduced in 1611. Bulgaria occupies a middle position between the higher nobility and the lower nobility. The title of baronet, as already mentioned, originated initially as one of the degrees of chivalry. The title was established by James I in 1611 to raise money for the defense of Ulster by selling patents. Subsequently (under George IV) the title ceased to be chivalrous. Nevertheless, its owner has the right to appeal sir, and in order to distinguish baronets from knights, the letters Bt are placed after their name: Sir Percival Glyde, Bt. He is not a baronet or a peer, but this title is inherited.

Esquire (Chevalier)

The youngest son in a noble family who had land. Formally, they were not considered the nobility and were not included in high society. However, at the same time, they were individuals of blue blood and still were nobles.
(English esquire, from Lat. scutarius - shield-bearer), in England of the early Middle Ages, a squire of a knight, then a holder of a knightly feud, who had no knightly dignity. In the late Middle Ages and modern times, E. was an honorary title of nobility. In common use, the term "E." is often used interchangeably with the term "gentleman".
Appeal: lord, chevalier

It will be about the French title system, that is, about the one that was distributed on the territory of the "Kingdom of France" from the Middle Ages to 1871.
It should be noted that the feudal lords can be divided into three categories. First, the overlords, i.e. the supreme lords of the territory (state), who possessed all the power on it, sometimes equal to the royal one. These are dukes and large earls. Secondly, the domain owners, i.e. land holdings in full personal ownership of the feudal lord. Third, the owners of the beneficiaries, i.e. lifelong estates, awarded for service and the owners of fiefs - hereditary estates, awarded for service.
Moreover, all the feudal lords listed above could be counts, and dukes, and barons, etc. That is, the count could be both a suzerain (County of Flanders), and the owner of his domain (de la Fer), and a feudal lord who received a benefit or a fief from the king (de Broglie).

The highest title in France was roi (rua). In Russian, the word "roi" is translated as "king" (on behalf of Charlemagne).

The highest “non-crowned” title in the kingdom was duce (duke), translated into Russian as “duke”. It is interesting that in Italian this word is read as "duce". Obviously, both words go back to the Latin "ducěre" - "message", and the original meaning of the French "duce" is identical to the modern meaning of the same word in Italian. Apparently the title itself arose back in the days of the Carolingians, when the future French, Germans and Italians were subjects of one king (later the emperor), and meant nothing more than the leader of the tribe.

The next title in the French hierarchy was the title of marquis (marquis). The word "mark" meant "borderland, borderland", and later began to denote the border administrative unit in the empire of Charlemagne - the mark. Accordingly, it is the imperial / royal viceroy in the mark. The Germanic title "markgraf" (margraf) has a similar etymology.

The next in the feudal hierarchy was the comte (count). The word itself comes from the name of the territorial unit. This was the name of the imperial or royal employee, endowed with full administrative and judicial power in a certain territory (i.e., in his county). A similar etymology has a term denoting an official of the spiritual-knightly order - komtur.

In addition to the usual graphs, there were also their vicomte (vi-kont) substitutes. Literally it is "vice-graph". In the later period, such a title, taking into account the rules of primacy, was borne by the younger sons of the marquis and counts and their descendants.

The next title was the title of baron (baron). This title was borne by feudal lords who had their own domain and were subordinate to vassals, themselves being the king’s vassals. Perhaps this is the most uncommon title in France (it was more common in Germany - "Freiherr" and early England - "Baron").

However, there were noblemen without domains. It was they who, carrying military service, made up the numerous layer of chivalry. For service, they received from their su-seren a lifelong benefit or hereditary fief. The etymology of the French chevalier (chevalier, cavalier) is interesting: the title of a knight goes back to the kind of his occupation - service in the feudal army as a heavily armed horseman. Accordingly, the elevation to the dignity of knighthood was initially tantamount to acceptance into such service. Knights served, as you know, for benefits - most often for the right to conditionally hold the land as a feud - and therefore did not have titles until they received the land in full possession. In addition, the layer of chivalry was heterogeneous, and the actual status of a knight depended on the status of his overlord.

Monsieur De ...

Basically, the prefix “de” (of) meant any noble in the kingdom. But there were nobles who did not even have the title of Chevalier. It would be unfair not to mention them: equier - squires. The word originally meant “dressing”. This was the name of the personally independent children of the nobility, who did not have the opportunity to uniform and equip themselves. The squire had the opportunity, by bravery in battle, to win the right to possession of the beneficiary or fief. Were squires for one reason or another who did not receive land or title. They remained just “Monsieur de ...”. Over time, they merged with the Chevalier. In the English title system, they retained the name "esquire" - esquire.

German titles of nobility

Consider now all the titles of nobility in Germany as of the beginning of the 1st World War.
The highest title of the empire was, of course, the title of Kaiser. This word comes from the Latin word "caesar" (Caesar, Caesar), which does not need unnecessary comments. So the title "Kaiser" is quite legitimate to translate into Russian as "emperor".
The imperial title was followed by the title König (könig). In ancient German, the word sounded like the well-known "Kuning" (kuning, konung), and meant "noble". In Russian, the word "König" is translated as "king".
The highest "non-crowned" title in the empire was Herzog (duke). The word comes from the ancient Germanic "Herizogo" meaning "leader". This is how the ancient Germans called their military leaders. During the time of the empire, dukes were military governors of emperors in large areas (including several counties), and often this was the area of ​​settlement of one tribe.

The German word Fürst (fürst) is translated as "prince", which is not entirely true. The word "Fürst" comes from the ancient Germanic "virst" meaning "first" (Anglo-Saxon "first." Thus, the translation "boyar" suggests itself.

There is a derivative from this title - Kurfürst (kufürst), cited in our literature without translation. We already know what "Fürst" means, and "kur-" means "choice." The fact is that after the fall of the Swabian Staufen dynasty at the end of the 13th century, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire began to be elected. But only a narrow circle of the highest nobles of the empire (i.e. the Fürsts), endowed with the appropriate right, took part in the elections. In Latin texts (chronicles, etc.), these nobles were called "elector" - "voter". In German, their title sounded like "Kurfürst".

The next in the German feudal hierarchy was the Graf (Count). The word itself comes from the Greek "γραθιος" (graphios) - "scribe." This was the name of the imperial or royal servant, endowed with full administrative and judicial power in a certain territory (that is, in his county). In addition to the usual counts, there were also mark and palatine counts.

The word "Mark" meant "borderland, borderland", and later began to denote a border administrative unit. A Markgraf, respectively, is the imperial / royal viceroy in the mark. The French title marquis (marquis) has a similar etymology.

As for the word Pfalz (palatinate), it comes from the Latin "palatium" - "palace", and meant a temporary royal or imperial residence. I must say that the kings of the early Middle Ages, as a rule, did not have permanent residences (the states did not have capitals, as such). Instead, the kings preferred to use alternately several temporary residences in different parts of the country - this was primarily justified by considerations of military organization. Accordingly, in the absence of the king (emperor), all affairs in such a residence were controlled by his representative, who bore the title of Pfalzgraf (count palatine).

As such, the title of Baron did not exist in Germany. The Russian fashion to call all Germans barons came from Peter the Great, who began to call almost all Baltic Germans barons. In Western Europe in the Middle Ages, it is the direct vassal of the king, and the term is rather collective. This title was borne by feudal lords who had their own fief and were subordinate to vassals. Met in Austria with the Hungarian nobility.

The lowest in the German feudal hierarchy was the title Freiherr. It is he who is worn by all German noblemen, known to us as "barons". Literally "Freiherr" is translated as "free lord". The owners of their own fiefdom (domain) could have a similar status, in contrast to the owners of estates (feuds).

With the formation of the feudal system, the concept of "title" necessarily included a relation to a certain inherited land ownership. Therefore, any title in the Empire included the preposition "von" (from) and the title of the possession. In France, the preposition "de" served the same purpose.

However, there were noblemen without possessions. It was they who, carrying military service, constituted the numerous layer of chivalry. It is interesting that the Russian word "knight" directly comes from the German title Ritter (ritter). That is what they were called in the Empire. The name itself has common roots with the word "Reiter" - a rider. It is interesting that the French "chevalier" (chevalier, cavalier) has the same etymology. That is, the title of knights goes back to the nature of their occupation - service in the feudal army as heavily armed horsemen. Accordingly, the elevation to the dignity of knighthood was initially tantamount to being accepted into such service. Knights served, as you know, for benefits - most often for the right to conditionally hold the land as a feud - and therefore did not have titles until they received the land in full possession. In addition, the layer of chivalry was heterogeneous, and the actual status of a knight depended on the status of his overlord. The most respected were "imperial knights" - vassals directly to the Kaiser. The rest were less respected. But in any case, there were practically no "no one's" knights, and the title of knight contained a mention of his overlord: Ritter des Herzog von Bayern - knight of the Duke of Bavaria, for example. Members of the orders of knighthood were in a special position. On the territory of the Empire, the most significant was the Deutsche Orden (Deutsche Order), known to us as "Teutonic" or "German".

Noble titles of Byzantium

Vasileus - emperor
Augusta - the official title of the Byzantine empress
Caesar - in Byzantium until the end of the XI century. the highest secular title after the imperial title. Frequently complained to the alleged heirs to the throne
Vasileopator (literally "father of the emperor") is the highest title created by imp. Constantine VII
Kuropalat - one of the first titles in the Byzantine hierarchy, usually complained to the closest relatives of the emperor and high-ranking foreigners
Sinckel is a title most often complained about the highest spiritual nobility of the capital and the provinces, its owners were part of the synclite
Parakimomen - chief sleeping quarters, a title usually accorded to eunuchs
Stratilat is a very ambiguous title denoting a military leader of a very high rank.
Master - one of the highest titles of the table of ranks, as a rule, not associated with the performance of certain functions
Patricius - high title in the Byzantine hierarchy
Zosta patricia - the title of a lady of the court under the empress, head of the empress's bedroom
Anfipatus - high title in the Byzantine table of ranks
Rector - an honorary title that is not usually associated with the performance of any specific functions
Protospafari - Medium title, usually complained to the military
Spafar candidate - visa. relatively low rank

England - title precedence system
Since each title is described above, I bring only the hierarchy.
Dukes (England, then Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland)
Elder sons of dukes of royalty
Marquises (same seniority)
Elder sons of dukes
Graphs
Younger sons of dukes of royalty
Elder sons of the marquis
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts
The eldest sons of the earls
Younger sons of the marquis
Bishops
Barons
Elder sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the earls
The eldest sons of the barons
Younger sons of the barons
Sons of Life Barons
Baronets
Order holders (except for the Order of the Garter - it is higher)
Non-Order Knights
Exquires
Squires

"Ladder" of titles

At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Further, according to the importance of titles, are:

Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace
Dukes - Your Grace, Duke / Duchess
Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquis (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Daughters of dukes
Counts - Milord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of the marquis
Daughters of the Marquis
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - Milord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the earls
Younger sons of the marquis
Barons - Milord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the earls
The eldest sons of the barons
Younger sons of the Viscounts
Younger sons of the barons
Baronets - Sir
The eldest sons of the younger sons of the peers
Elder sons of the baronets
Younger sons of the baronets

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

The eldest son of a duke, marquis or count receives a "title of courtesy" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which continued to "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 titles" and do not entitle the holder to the privileges of 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.

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 a "courtesy title" of marquis, see the Sons section). So, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, always stands below the marquis as such).

Women are the holders of the title "by right".

In some cases, the title could be inherited through the female line. There could be two options here.
1. The woman became, as it were, the keeper of the title, passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next woman-heiress to be passed on to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. The woman received the title "by right." hold positions associated with this title.

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

Note: Who is in a higher position, the "in her own right" baroness or the baron's wife? After all, the title of the former belongs directly to her, 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).

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.

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.

Whenever we watch historical English films or read books about the life of the English, we are constantly faced with all kinds of sirs, lords, princes, dukes and other titles. It is rather difficult to understand the purpose of all these appeals to certain segments of the population from books or films. We will try to consider what titles are in England, what is their hierarchy, how they are obtained and whether it is possible to transfer the title by inheritance, etc.

Peerage in England

Peerage is a system of nobility in England. All Englishmen who hold the title are called peers. All other people who do not have any rank are considered commoners. The main difference between peers and other people is that the title of nobility in England gives certain privileges, and these privileges differ among peers of different ranks.

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

The peerage of England is all titled Englishmen, the title of which was created by the Queens and Kings of England before 1707 (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 is a title of nobility of the English, located between the duke and the earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories (from the French "mark" or border area). In addition to the marquises themselves, this title is awarded to the eldest son of the duke and the daughter of the duke.

Earl (Earl) and Countess (used from 800-1000). Earls - members of the English nobility, who previously owned and managed their own lands - counties, tried cases in provincial courts on behalf of the King, collected fines and taxes from the local population. Counties were also honored: the eldest son of the Marquis, the daughter of the Marquis and the youngest son of the Duke.

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

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

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

All other Englishmen 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 any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's name, then rank and title, without using the definite article "the" before 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.

A little boring to start with.


True, it will be a little boring, I'll tell you about the history of the peerage, the variety of titles, their receipt, features and privileges. Well, at the end, a little humor, in my opinion.

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:
- Peerage of England - these are all titled Englishmen, the title of which was created by the Queens and Kings of England before 1707 (signing of the Unification Act).
- Peerage of Scotland - 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 - Almost 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 - let's plunge into a boring history.
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 are inheritable.
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 (they began to assign this title in 1337). Duke is the highest rank of noble English title after King and Queen. Dukes usually rule the Duchy. Dukes are the second rank of princes after the princes of the royal family.
- Marquis and Marquis (first assigned in 1385). Marquis is a title of nobility of the English, located between the duke and the earl. It comes from the designation of the boundaries of certain territories. 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). 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). 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 the dukes, the address "Your Grace" is used, as for the duchess, or the address of the duke-duchess is used together with the use of the title. 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.
Former wives of peers of any rank are addressed as follows: the woman's name, then rank and title.


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.
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,
- right not to be subject to civil arrest(it has only been used twice since 1945). (I was looking, I was looking for who it was and what kind of cases, but I did not find it, if you know, poke it, I wonder. We have this, in my opinion, a personal acquaintance with someone or relatives in good positions, although you can sit in the State Duma :))))

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.

There are a couple of reliable and proven ways to get a title.

1. By inheritance. If you suspect that your ancestors were real aristocrats, start looking for your roots. In Russia, this issue is dealt with by the Russian Genealogical Federation, in Italy - by the International Commission for the Study of Orders of Knighthood, in France - by the International Genealogical Academy. First, find old photographs of your grandparents and great-grandfathers. Maybe one of them will appear in the photograph in the uniform of the general-in-chief? Or, perhaps, your great-grandmother graduated from the Smolny Institute? Who knows, what if your ancestors were the Yusupov princes or the Duke of Marlborough? Or is your grandmother a seamstress of Nikolai himself?

2. According to merit. In ancient times, monarchs conferred the title of nobility for military service. In our time, members of the Beatles received the Order of the British Empire in 1965 for their valuable contribution to culture.


This fact was greatly outraged by the British aristocrats, who did not want to put up with this circumstance and returned their orders to the Crown. However, the scandal soon faded away, and the title of nobility was also awarded to Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Elizabeth Taylor.

British aristocrats took this news without criticism.

In March 1997 the Queen awarded McCartney the knight title. After she touched her gleaming sword to the musician who knelt in front of her, the vocalist and bass player, nicknamed McCa, became Sir Paul. Henceforth, he is addressed in this way. The newly minted sir then admitted that he constantly thought about the first ceremony at Buckingham Palace and about his Beatle friends:
- I thought they were standing behind my back. And they rejoice. After all, the Queen honored me primarily for my participation in our group.
Sir Paul dedicated this title to the Beatles.

Now this Order is handed out almost to the right and to the left, but there are also worthy pies in my opinion:

By the way, in 2003 David Bowie refused become a knight.

3. Buy. For a few hundred dollars, you can purchase parchment on which your surname will be displayed, which almost goes back to the Rurikovichs. If you want a more powerful diploma, for 5-10 thousand dollars you can buy a document that is almost identical to the documents of Art. 19. He, of course, will not be the original, but you can hang it in the living room and show it to naive guests. In Scotland for sale the Glencarne estate, which is divided into small plots of 30 pounds. Everyone can buy not only this site, but also receive a title of nobility as a bonus. Many aristocrats claim that such sale of titles has no legal effect, but the estate is being sold very quickly.

In my opinion, this is a chance for Meghan Markle's relatives to clean up their reputation.

THE MOST RELIABLE WAY!

"Ladder" of titles

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

Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace

Dukes - Your Grace, Duke / Duchess

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

Elder sons of dukes

Daughters of dukes

Counts - Milord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)

Elder sons of the marquis

Daughters of the Marquis

Younger sons of dukes

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

The eldest sons of the earls

Younger sons of the marquis

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

Elder sons of the Viscounts

Younger sons of the earls

The eldest sons of the barons

Younger sons of the Viscounts

Younger sons of the barons

Baronets - Sir

The eldest sons of the younger sons of the peers

Elder sons of the baronets

Younger sons of the baronets

Sons

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

The eldest son of a duke, marquis or count receives the "title of courtesy" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which continued to "remain in the family"). Usually this is the next highest title (for example, the heir to the duke - the marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the titleholder was determined by the title of their father, not by their "title of courtesy."

The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl, or viscount follows immediately the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles")

Thus, the heir to the duke always stands right behind the marquis, even if his "title of courtesy" is only a count.

The younger sons of dukes and marquis are lords.

Women

In the vast majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, the title could have belonged to a woman, if transfer through the female line was allowed for this title. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are "courtesy titles" and do not entitle the holder to the privileges of the title holder. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; 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.

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 a "courtesy title" of marquis, see the Sons section). So, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, always stands below the marquis as such).

Women are the holders of the title "by right".

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

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

2. The woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right"). In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike men, holders of the title, the woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords, as well as to hold positions associated with this title.

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

Note: Who is in a higher position, the "in her own right" baroness or the baron's wife? After all, the title of the former belongs directly to her, 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

Maharaja

Elected:

Caliph among the Kharijites

Titles of nobility:

Boyarin

Chevalier

Kazoku - Japanese title system

Monarchs

The emperor(Latin imperator - sovereign) - the title of the monarch, head of state (empire). Since the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character. Since the time of the 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 name of the title in the official languages ​​of these countries does not come from the Latin imperator.
Today, only the Emperor of Japan has this title in the world.

King(Latin rex, French roi, English king, German Konig) - the title of monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elected, the head of the kingdom.

Korole? Va is the female ruler of the kingdom or the consort of the king.

Tsar(from tsar, tsar, lat. caesar, greek. k ????? - one of the Slavic titles of the monarch, usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor.

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

A prince is the son of a tsar or tsarina (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of tsarevich was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum khan of Siberia had the title of tsarevich of Siberia.

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 principe, from Latin princeps - the first) - one of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. The Russian word "prince" means direct descendants of monarchs, as well as, by special decree, other members royal family

Duc - Duchess

The prince (German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans is a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; 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 the duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.

Earl - Countess

Count (from German Graf; Latin comes (literally: "satellite"), French comte, English earl or count) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title originated in the 4th century in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his 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 in the Middle Ages of the governor in some possession of the count (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. became so strong that they became independent and owned certain estates (Beaumont, Poitiers, and others) and began to merge with the title B. At present, this title in France and 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 - (there is no female version of the title) - although this is a hereditary title, in fact, baronets do not belong to peers (titled aristocracy) and do not have seats in the House of Lords.

Note: All others fall under the definition of "commoner", i.e. not titled (including Knight, Esquire, Gentleman)

Comment: In the vast majority of cases, the title belongs to a man. In rare cases, a woman may hold the title herself. Thus, the Duchess, 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.

At different times in England, titles were created:

until 1707 - peers of England, Scotland and Ireland

1701-1801 - peers of Great Britain and Ireland

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

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

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

Originally, this title was used to designate 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 the Anglo-Saxon. Hlaford, literally - the keeper, protector of bread), 1) originally in medieval England in a general meaning - the feudal landowner (lord manora, landlord) and seigneur his vassals, in a more special sense - a large feudal lord, the direct holder of the king - the baron. Gradually, the title of L. became the collective title of the English high nobility (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons), which is received (since the 14th century) by the peers of the kingdom, who make up the upper house of the British parliament, the House of Lords. The title of L. is transmitted through the male line and seniority, but it can also be bestowed with 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. Performs mainly the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints judges in the counties, heads the 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 15th and 17th centuries, an integral part of the title of L. protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen in England, for example, regents to a minor king. In 1653–58, the title of L. Protector was also borne by O. Cromwell.

——————

The emperor

Kaiser | King | King | Tsar | Basilevs

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

——————

Titled nobility

——————

Infant | Prince | Jarl / Earl | Count palatine

Marquis | Margrave | Count | Landgrave | Despot | Ban

Viscount | Burggrave | Species

Baron | Baronet

——————

Untitled nobility.