Titles of the highest nobility in the Russian Empire. Titles of nobility in France: description, history and hierarchy
Few people know, unfortunately, that the knightly title sir can only precede the first name (and never the surname). That is, you can say Sir Alec Guinness or Sir Alec, but Sir Guinness - by no means.
With the title of lord, the situation is almost the opposite, but not always.
The highest English nobility, the peerage, has five degrees: duke (duke), marquis (marquess, in contrast to the French title marquis), earl (earl, by no means count - this is the title of the European continental aristocracy; although the wife the English count will still be countess), viscount (viscount) and baron (baron).
The lower, baronial title, as a rule, is assigned to new, life members of the House of Lords, who receive the nobility for services to the state. In any case, this title is omitted in circulation and ceremonial, and the title of lord is used instead, which may only precede the title title. The name of the title is not a surname, but may coincide with it (Lord Byron). Instead of the full title of Baron Olivier of Brighton, it would be correct to say Lord Olivier. The name in these cases always precedes the title: Alfred, Lord Tennyson, or George Gordon, Lord Byron.
The titles of marquess, earl and viscount are also omitted in informal contexts and replaced with lord (e.g. Lord Salisbury instead of Marquess of Salisbury - note that with the title of lord the preposition of disappears). These titles, however, are necessarily recited in full in the ceremonial. The name of the title, if it does not match the family name, is territorial, for example Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon, and then it would be correct to say Lord Avon (in this case, both the name and the surname precede the title).
The title of duke is never replaced by the title of lord.
There are, however, so-called courtesy titles, which do not have a legal basis, among which there is also the title of lord. In this traditional system, the eldest son of a duke holds the title of marquis; the eldest son of the marquis - the title of earl; the eldest son of the count - the title of viscount. The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords, but in this case the title precedes the name: Lord Peter Wimsey. All daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls have the title of lady that precedes the name: Lady Jane or Lady Jane Seymour. However, if a woman receives the title of lady through her husband, then it can only precede the surname: Joan Plowright, according to etiquette, should be called Lady Olivier, but not Lady Joan.
The sons and daughters of viscounts and barons, and the younger sons of earls, are called the Honourable. There is also the title of Right Honorable, which serves as a kind of free addition to the titles of earl, viscount and baron, and also comes before the title of lord for the younger sons of dukes and marquesses. The title of marquess is preceded in ceremonial by the title of Most Honorable.
update. The origin of the titles varies greatly. Barons appeared immediately after the Norman Conquest, but originally this word meant a vassal knight, primarily a royal one. By the thirteenth century there was already a division into greater and lesser barons; the first and became the owners of the corresponding title.
The first English Viscount was John, Lord Beaumont in 1440.
The title of earl (earl) is Anglo-Saxon, and originally meant the manager of a certain large territory. William the Conqueror tried to replace it with the title of count, but to no avail.
The first English marquis was the favorite of Richard II, Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who received the title of Marquess of Dublin in 1385.
The first English duke, the Duke of Cornwall, was Edward III's eldest son, Edward the "Black Prince", in 1338. Prior to that, he was the Earl of Cornwall.
The title of knight (knight), which gives its owner the right to polite treatment sir, is personal and not inherited. This is the lowest title of nobility: knights are not part of the peerage (peerage). Few people know that this title has various degrees.
The lowest degree of knighthood is called knight bachelor (knight bachelor). Historically, these were, as a rule, young knights who were not part of any of the knightly orders and did not have the right to unfurl their own banner.
The second degree is called knight banneret (knight-standard-bearer). To this degree, a knight was made on the battlefield for outstanding courage, tearing off the "tongues" of his flag (pennon), which thus turned into a banner. After the reign of Elizabeth I, this knighthood almost ceased to exist. The last knight-bearer was in 1642, Colonel John Smith, who recaptured the royal standard of Charles I from the enemy at the battle of Edgehill.
The title of baronet (baronet) was originally also a degree of knighthood (knight baronet), but did not take root in this capacity. Read more about baronets below.
The highest degree of knighthood is the members of the orders of chivalry, of which there are nine in England. Chief among them is The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded by Edward III around 1348. Other orders, in order of preference:
Order of the Thistle (The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, 1687);
Order of St. Patrick (The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, 1788, actually no longer exists);
Order of the Bath (The Most Honorable Order of the Bath, 1399, restored in 1715);
The Order of the Star of India (The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, 1861, awarded until 1947);
Order of St. Michael and St. George (The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, 1818);
Order of the Indian Empire (The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, 1877, awarded until 1947);
Order of Queen Victoria (The Royal Victorian Order, 1896);
Order of the British Empire (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1917).
The situation is further complicated by the fact that some orders have three or five degrees, and each degree has its own abbreviated name, which is traditionally placed after the owner's surname. As an example, I will name the degrees of the Order of the Bath: Knight / Dame Grand Cross (abbreviated as G.C.B. - Grand Cross of the Bath); Knight/Dame Commander of the Bath (K.C.B. or D.C.B.) and Companion of the Bath (C.B.) In this case, regardless of the number of degrees in the order, only the first two are knightly.
As I already wrote, the knightly title of sir can only appear before the name of the knight, and for his wife the title of lady - only before the surname (unless she is the owner of the hereditary title of courtesy, in which case the lady will precede her name).
The title of baronet, as already mentioned, arose originally as one of the degrees of knighthood. The title was created 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 knightly. However, its owner has the right to address sir, and to distinguish baronets from knights, the letters Bt are placed after their name: Sir Percival Glyde, Bt. He is not a baronet and a peer, but this title is hereditary.
The concept of esquire (esquire) means in the narrow sense of an untitled nobleman, and in the broad sense is actually equivalent to the title of courtesy mister. However, Esq is by no means a title, and always follows only the surname, usually in documents and letters: Sherlock Holmes, Esq.
The informal title of squire (squire) historically meant a knightly squire, but since the end of the 16th century, relatively large landowners who were informal "first persons" in a particular rural area began to be called that. At the same time, the squire could be either a titled aristocrat or an untitled landowner.
"Ladder" of titles
At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace
The Dukes - Your Grace The Duke/Duchess
Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Dukes' daughters
Counts - My Lord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of marquesses
Daughters of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Barons - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of viscounts
Younger sons of barons
Baronets - Sir
Elder sons of younger sons of peers
Elder sons of baronets
Younger sons of baronets
sons
The eldest son of the holder of the title is his direct heir.
The eldest son of a duke, marquis or earl receives a "courtesy title" - the eldest from the list of titles held by the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which "remained in the family"). Usually this is the next most senior title (for example, the heir to the duke - marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the holder of the title was determined by the title of their father, and not by their "title of courtesy".
The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl or viscount comes immediately after the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles")
Thus, the heir to a duke is always immediately next to the marquis, even if his "courtesy title" is only an earl.
The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords.
Women
In the overwhelming majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could be held by a woman if that title could be passed down through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are courtesy titles and do not give the holder the right to the privileges due to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; a marquise by marrying a marquis; etc.
In the general hierarchy, the wife occupies a place determined by the title of her husband. We can say that she is standing on the same rung of the stairs as her husband, right behind him.
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" marquis, see section Sons). So, the former always take more high 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 keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right"). In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike male holders of a title, a woman did not receive, along with this title, the right to sit in the House of Lords, as well as to hold positions associated with this title.
If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive a title (both in the first and in the second case).
Note: Who occupies a higher position, the baroness "in her own right" or the wife of the baron? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, a woman's position is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).
widows
In the literature, in relation to the widows of titled aristocrats, one can often find a kind of prefix to the title - Dowager, i.e. Dowager. Can every widow be called a "Widowmaker"? No.
Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called the Dowager Countess of Chatham if the following conditions are simultaneously met:
1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)
2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).
In all other cases, she is Mary, Countess of Chatham (Mary, Countess of Chatham, that is, the name + title of her late husband). For example, if she is the widow of a count, but the widow of her husband's father is still alive. Or if, after the death of her husband, his nephew became a count.
If the current title holder is not yet married, then the previous title holder's widow continues to be called the Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current title holder marries and a new Countess of Chatham appears.
How is the position of a widow in society determined? “By her late husband's title. Thus, the widow of the 4th Earl of Chatham is higher in position than the wife of the 5th Earl of Chatham. Moreover, the age of women does not play any role here.
If a widow marries again, her position is determined by the position of her new husband.
daughters
The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.
The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.
Ruler titles
Inherited:
prince
Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)
King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infante
Emperor
Maharaja
Elected:
Caliph of the Kharijites
boyar
Chevalier
Kazoku - Japanese title system
Monarchs
Emperor(lat. imperator - sovereign) - the title of the monarch, head of state (empire). From the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character. From the time of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), the Roman Empire was almost always headed by two emperors with the titles of Augustus (their co-rulers bore the title of Caesars).
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), despite the fact that the name of the title in the state languages of these countries does not come from the Latin imperator.
To date, only the Emperor of Japan has this title in the world.
King(lat. rex, fr. roi, eng. king, germ. Konig) - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom.
Queen?va - the female ruler of the kingdom or the wife of the 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 allegorical speech to denote primacy, dominance: "the lion is the king of beasts."
A queen is a queen or the wife of a king.
Tsarevich - the son of a king or queen (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of prince was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum Khan of Siberia had the title of princes of Siberia.
Tsesarevich - male heir, full title Tsesarevich Heir, informally abbreviated in Russia to Heir (from capital letter) and rarely up to Tsesarevich.
Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.
A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.
Titled nobility:
Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish 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 is a military leader elected by the tribal nobility; V Western Europe, in the period of the early Middle Ages - a tribal prince, and in the period of feudal fragmentation - a large territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military hierarchy.
Marquis (Marquess) - Marquise (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, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.
Count (Earl) — Countess (Countess)
Count (from German Graf; Latin comes (literally: "companion"), French comte, English earl or count) is a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title arose in the 4th century in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his district-county had judicial, administrative and military power. By decree of Charles II the Bald (Capitulary of Kersey, 877), the position and possessions of the count became hereditary.
The English earl (OE eorl) originally denoted the highest official, but from the time of the Norman kings it turned into an honorary title.
During the period of feudal fragmentation - the feudal lord of the county, then (with the elimination of feudal fragmentation) the title of the highest nobility (a woman - a countess). As a title, it formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Viscount (Viscount) - Viscountess (Viscountess)
Viscount - (fr. Vicornte, English Viscount, Italian. Visconte, Spanish. Vicecomte) - this was the name of the governor in some possession of the count in the Middle Ages (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. so intensified that they became independent and owned certain destinies (Beaumont, Poitiers, etc.) began to be combined with the title of V. At present, this title in France and England occupies a middle place between a count and a baron. The eldest son of the count usually bears the title of V.
Baron (Baron) - Baroness (Baroness)
Baron (from late Latin baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - a man, a man), in Western Europe a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (a woman - a baroness). The title of B. in England (where it remains to this day) is lower than the title of viscount, occupying last place in the hierarchy of titles of the higher nobility (in a broader sense, all English higher nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords, belong to the B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than that of a count. In the Russian Empire, the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German higher nobility of the Baltic states.
Baronet (Baronet) - (there is no female version of the title) - although this is a hereditary title, but in fact the 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 herself hold the title. Thus, duchess, marquise, countess, viscountess, baroness - in the vast majority of cases, these are "courtesy titles"
There is a hierarchy within a title based on when the title was created and whether the title is English, Scottish or Irish.
English titles are higher than Scottish titles, and Scottish titles are higher than Irish titles. For all that, at a higher level are more "old" titles.
Comment: of English, Scottish and Irish titles.
IN different time titles created in England:
before 1707 - peers of England, Scotland and Ireland
1701-1801 - Peerage of Great Britain and Ireland
after 1801 - peers of the United Kingdom (and Ireland).
Thus an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title of the same time; but higher than the Earl of Great Britain with a title created after 1707
Lord(Eng. Lord - lord, master, lord) - a title of nobility in Great Britain.
Initially, this title was used to refer to all those belonging to the class of feudal landowners. In this sense, the lord (fr. seigneur ("seigneur")) opposed the peasants who lived on his lands and owed him loyalty and feudal duties. Later, a narrower meaning appeared - the holder of lands directly from the king, in contrast to the knights (gentry in England, lairds in Scotland), who owned lands belonging to other nobles. Thus the title of lordship became collective for the five ranks of the peerage (duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron).
With the emergence of parliaments in England and Scotland in the 13th century, the lords received the right to directly participate in parliament, and in England a separate, upper house of lords of parliament was formed. Nobles with the title of lord sat in the House of Lords by birthright, while other feudal lords had to elect their representatives to the House of Commons by counties.
In a narrower sense, the title of lord was usually used as equivalent to the title of baron, the lowest in the peerage system. This is especially true in Scotland, where the title of baron was not common. The granting of the title of lord by the Scottish kings to the nobles gave them the opportunity to take a direct part in the country's parliament, and often was not associated with the appearance of land holdings by such persons on the right of holding from the king. Thus the title of Lords of Parliament arose in Scotland.
Only the king had the right to assign the title of lord to a nobleman. This title was inherited through the male line and in accordance with the principle of primogeniture. However, the title of lord was also used by the children of nobles of higher ranks (dukes, marquis, viscounts). In this sense, the wearing of this title did not require special sanction from the monarch.
Lord, this is not a title - this is an appeal to the nobility, eg Lord Stone.
Lord (lord, in the original meaning - the owner, the head of the house, family, from the Anglo-Saxon hlaford, literally - the keeper, protector of bread), 1) originally in medieval England in a general sense - a feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord) and seigneur of his vassals, in a more special sense - a large feudal lord, the direct holder of the king - a baron. Gradually, the title of L. became the collective title of the English high nobility (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons), which was 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 can also be granted by the crown (on the recommendation of the prime minister). Since the 19th century complains (“for special merits”) not only to large landowners, as was customary earlier, but also to representatives of big capital, as well as to some figures in science, culture, and others. Since 1958, the appointment by the monarch of a part of the members of the L. chamber has been introduced, and the appointed L. sit in the chamber for life, their title is not inherited. In 1963, hereditary L. received the right to abdicate the title. 2) An integral part of the official title of some of the highest and local officials of Great Britain, for example, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mayor and others. The Lord Chancellor, Supreme L. of Great Britain, is one of the oldest public offices (established in the 11th century); in modern Great Britain, the L. Chancellor is a member of the government and a representative of the House of Lords. Performs mainly the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints judges in the counties, heads the Supreme Court, is the custodian of the large state seal. Lord Mayor - the title of the head of local government in London (in the City area) and a number of others, preserved from the Middle Ages major cities(Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and others). 3) In the 15th-17th centuries component the title of L. protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen of England, for example, regents under the minor king. From 1653 to 1658 O. Cromwell also held the title of L. Protector.
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Emperor
Kaiser | King | King | King | Basileus
Grand Duke| Grand Duke | Duke | Elector | Archduke | prince
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Titled nobility
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Infant | Prince | Jarl/Earl | Count Palatinate
Marquis | Margrave | Count | Landgrave| Despot | Ban
Viscount | Burggraf | Vidam
Baron | Baronet
——————
untitled nobility.
Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky"
But first, let's deal with the very concept of "nobility". "What is nobility? - wrote A.S. Pushkin. “The hereditary estate of the people is higher, that is, awarded with great advantages regarding property and private freedom.”
The emergence of the nobility in Russia
The word "noble" literally means "a man from the prince's court", or "court".
In Russia, the nobility arose in the 12th century. as the lowest part of the military service class, which constituted the court of a prince or a major boyar.
The "Code of Laws of the Russian Empire" says that belonging to the nobility " there is a consequence that flows from the quality and virtue of the men who ruled in antiquity, who distinguished themselves by merit, by which, turning the very service into merit, they acquired a noble name for their offspring. Noble means all those who are born from noble ancestors, or who are granted this dignity by monarchs.
Rise of the nobility
From the 14th century nobles began to receive land for diligent service. So there was a class of landowners - landowners. Later they were allowed to buy land.
The Sudebnik of 1497 limited the right of peasants to move and thereby strengthened the position of the nobles.
In February 1549, the first Zemsky Sobor. Ivan IV (the Terrible) delivered a speech there. The tsar took a course towards building a centralized monarchy (autocracy) based on the nobility, which meant fighting the old (boyar) aristocracy. He accused the boyars of abuse of power and called on everyone to work together to strengthen the unity of the Russian state.
G. Sedov "Ivan the Terrible and Malyuta Skuratov"
In 1550 chosen thousand Moscow nobles (1071 people) was placed within 60-70 km around Moscow.
In the middle of the XVI century. the Kazan Khanate was annexed, and the estates were evicted from the oprichnina region, which was declared the property of the tsar. The vacated lands were distributed to the nobles under the condition of service.
In the 80s of the XVI century. introduced reserved summers(the period during which in some regions of the Russian state a peasant exit was prohibited on the autumn St. George's Day, provided for in the Sudebnik of 1497. Protected years began to be introduced by the government of Ivan IV (the Terrible) from 1581.
The "Cathedral Code" of 1649 secured the right of the nobles to eternal possession and an indefinite search for fugitive peasants.
But Peter I began a decisive struggle with the old boyar aristocracy, making the nobles his support. In 1722 he introduced Table of ranks.
Monument to Peter I in Voronezh
The table of ranks replaced the principle of generosity with the principle of personal service. The table of ranks influenced the official routine and the historical fate of the nobility.
The only regulator of service was personal length of service; "Paternal honor", the breed has lost all meaning in this regard. Under Peter I, the rank of the lower XIV class in military service gave the right to hereditary nobility. Civil service in the rank up to VIII class gave only personal nobility, and the right to hereditary nobility began with the rank of VIII class. “For this reason, we do not allow anyone any rank,” wrote Peter, “until they show us and the fatherland no services.”
The table of ranks was subjected to numerous changes, but in general it existed until 1917.
After Peter I, the nobles receive one privilege after another. Catherine II actually freed the nobles from compulsory service while maintaining serfdom for the peasants, which created a real gulf between the nobles and the people. The pressure of the nobles on the peasantry and their anger became one of the reasons for the Pugachev uprising.
The apogee of the power of the Russian nobility was the receipt of "noble liberty" - a letter of Catherine II, which freed the nobles from compulsory service. But with this began the decline of the nobility, which gradually turned into an "idle class", and the slow ruin of the lower nobility. And after the peasant reform of 1861, the economic position of the nobility weakened even more.
By the beginning of the XX century. the hereditary nobility, "the first pillar of the throne" and "one of the most reliable instruments of the government", is gradually losing its economic and administrative dominance.
titles of nobility
In Muscovite Rus' there was only one aristocratic title - "prince". He came from the word "prince" and meant that his ancestors once ruled any part of Russia. Not only Russians possessed this title - grants to princes and foreigners who converted to Orthodoxy were allowed.
Foreign titles in Russia appeared under Peter I: "baron" and "count". There is the following explanation for this: in the territories annexed by Peter there were already people with such titles, and these titles were also worn by foreigners whom Peter attracted to Russia. But the title "count" was first burdened with the words "Holy Roman Empire", i.e. this title was assigned at the request of the Russian monarch by the German emperor. In January 1776, Catherine II intercedes with the "Roman Emperor" Grigory Orlov " give the Roman Empire princely dignity, for which the post».
Golovin (1701) and Menshikov (1702) become the first counts of the Holy Roman Empire in Russia, and under Catherine II, four of her favorites receive the titles of princes of the Holy Roman Empire: Orlov, Potemkin, Bezborodko and Zubov. But the assignment of such titles ceases in 1796.
Title "Count"
Count's heraldic crown
Graph(German graph) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title originated in the 4th century. in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries.
During the period of feudal fragmentation graph- feudal lord of the county, then becomes the title of the highest nobility. Woman - countess. As a title, it still formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.
Sheremetiev became the first Russian count in 1706.
Boris Petrovich Sheremetiev (1652-1719)
Russian commander of time Northern war, diplomat, one of the first Russian field marshals.
Born in an old boyar family Sheremetevs.
In 1681 he commanded troops against the Tatars. He proved himself in the military and diplomatic fields. In 1686 he participated in the conclusion " Eternal peace» with the Commonwealth, and then was sent to Warsaw to ratify the concluded peace.
Protected Russia from the Crimean raids. In 1695, he participated in the first Azov campaign of Peter I.
In 1697-1699. visited Poland, Austria, Italy, the island of Malta, carrying out diplomatic missions of Peter I. During the Northern War of 1700-1721. he proved to be a cautious and talented commander who earned the trust of Peter I. In 1701 he inflicted a defeat on the Swedes, from which they were “for a long time unreasonable and not corrected”, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and granted the rank of Field Marshal. Subsequently, he won several victories over the Swedes.
In 1705-1706. Sheremetyev suppressed the rebellion of the archers in Astrakhan, for which he was the first in Russia to be awarded the title of count.
IN last years he expressed a desire to be tonsured as a monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but the tsar did not allow this, just as he did not allow the execution of Sheremetyev’s will to bury him in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra: Peter I ordered Sheremetev to be buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, forcing even a dead associate to serve the state.
At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were over 300 count families. Count's title in Soviet Russia was liquidated by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.
Title "Baron"
English baronial crown
Baron(from late lat. baro with the original meaning "man, man"). In medieval feudal Western Europe, a large sovereign nobleman and feudal lord, later just an honorary title of nobility. Woman - baroness. The title of baron in England is preserved to this day and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount. In Germany, this title was below the count.
In the Russian Empire, the title of baron was introduced by Peter I, the first to receive it in 1710 was P.P. Shafirov. Then A. I. Osterman (1721), A. G., N. G. and S. G. Stroganovs (1722), A.-E. Stambken (1726). The families of the barons were divided into Russian, Baltic and foreign.
Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov (1669-1739)
Diplomat of the time of Peter the Great, Vice-Chancellor. Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (1719). In 1701-1722. actually supervised the Russian post. In 1723 he was sentenced to death on charges of abuse, but after Peter's death he was able to return to diplomatic activity.
He came from a family of Polish Jews who settled in Smolensk and converted to Orthodoxy. He began his service as an interpreter in 1691 in the same embassy office where his father also served. Accompanying Peter the Great during his travels and campaigns, he took part in the conclusion of an agreement with the Polish king August II (1701) and with the ambassadors of the seven-grad prince Rakoczi. In 1709 he became a Privy Councilor and was promoted to Vice-Chancellor. In 1711, he concluded the Prut peace treaty with the Turks and himself, together with Count M. B. Sheremetev, remained a hostage to them. He concluded agreements with Denmark, Prussia, France on the preservation of peace in Europe.
In 1723, Shafirov quarreled with the powerful prince A. D. Menshikov and the chief prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev, convicting them of embezzlement. In response, he himself was accused of embezzlement and sentenced to death, which Peter I replaced with exile to Siberia, but on the way there he allowed him to stop "to live" in Nizhny Novgorod"under strong guard."
Empress Catherine I, upon her accession to the throne, returned Shafirov from exile, restored him to the baronial title, conferred the rank of real state councilor, made him president of the College of Commerce and entrusted the compilation of the history of Peter the Great.
The barons enjoyed the right to appeal "your honor"(like untitled nobles) or "Mr. Baron".
At the end of the XIX century. in Russia there were about 240 baronial families (including extinct ones), mainly representatives of the Baltic (Baltic) nobility. The title was abolished by the Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 11, 1917.
Baron P.N. Wrangel
Title "prince"
prince- the head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (specific prince) in the 9th-16th centuries. among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy. Later became the highest title of nobility, equivalent to a prince or duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe(of the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in the North - king.
In Russia Grand Duke(or princess) - a noble title of members of the royal family. Princess also called the prince's wife, knyazhych(among the Slavs) - the son of a prince, princess- The daughter of a prince.
Y. Pantyukhin "Prince Alexander Nevsky" ("For the Russian Land!")
Princely power, at first most often elective, gradually becomes hereditary (Rurikovich in Rus', Gediminoviches and Jagiellons in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Piasts in Poland, etc.). With the formation of a centralized state, the appanage princes gradually became part of the grand ducal (since 1547 - royal) court in the Moscow principality. in Russia until the 18th century. the title of prince was only generic. From the beginning of the XVIII century. the title of prince also began to be complained by the tsar to the highest dignitaries for special merits (the first prince granted was A. D. Menshikov).
Russian princes
Before Peter I, there were 47 princely families in Russia, some of which originated from Rurik. Princely titles were divided into "His Excellency" And "his lordship" which was considered higher.
Until 1797, new princely families did not appear, with the exception of Menshikov, granted in 1707 the title of Prince of Izhora.
Under Paul I, this title began to be awarded, and the annexation of Georgia literally “blew up” the Russian nobility - 86 clans recognized the princely title.
By the end of the XIX century. in the Russian Empire there were 250 princely families, 40 of which were descended from Rurik or Gediminas. 56% of the princely families in the empire were Georgian.
In addition, there were about 30 Tatar, Kalmyk and Mordovian princes; the status of these princes was considered below the baronial.
Did you know?
Portrait of A.V. Suvorov. Unknown artist of the 19th century.
Did you know that Alexander 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 of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and prince of royal blood (with the title "cousin of the king"), holder of all Russian orders of his time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.
Hierarchy of nobilityI'm in Lately I’m all lost in the Goodgame Empire online strategy, where you can get a title for military merit (I’m already a margrave x), here, and this hierarchy is attached there, I decided to find out more.
From bottom to top:
1) Knight - a political hereditary class of untitled or lower nobility. A free, but, due to lack of property, incapable of performing horse service, a person could, as a vassal, receive beneficiaries or a piece of quitrent land. The allotment of quitrent land pursued economic goals, the distribution of beneficiaries - military. One way or another, the owner of the lands - the feudal lords, had the right to nominate his candidacy for knighthood, giving a more noble oath of allegiance.
The initiation most often took place on the holidays of Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost - the solemn consecration of the sword, golden spurs and "strike".
The knight must be "m. i. l. e. s.", i.e. magnanimus (generous), ingenuus (free-born), largifluus (generous), egregius (valorous), strenuus (warlike). The knightly oath (votum professionis) is required to listen to mass daily, to protect churches and clergy from robbers, to protect widows and orphans, to avoid an unjust environment and unclean earnings, to save an innocent go to a duel, attend tournaments only for military exercises, respectfully serve the emperor in worldly affairs , not to alienate imperial fiefs, to live impeccably before the Lord and people.
Otherwise, there was also a procedure for depriving the knight of dignity, usually ending with the transfer of the former knight into the hands of the executioner x) The ceremony took place on the scaffold, on which the knight’s shield was hung upside down (always with a personal coat of arms depicted on it), and was accompanied by the singing of prayers for the dead chorus of a dozen priests. During the ceremony, after each sung psalm, a knight in full dress was removed from any part of the knight's vestments (not only armor was removed, but also, for example, spurs, which were an attribute of knightly dignity). After full exposure and another funeral psalm, the knight's personal emblem was broken into three parts (along with the shield on which it is depicted). After that, they sang the 109th psalm of King David, consisting of a set of curses, under the last words of which the herald (and sometimes the king himself) poured cold water on the former knight, symbolizing purification.
Then the former knight was lowered from the scaffold with the help of a gallows, the loop of which was passed under the armpits. The former knight, under the hooting of the crowd, was led to the church, where a real funeral service was performed on him, after which he was handed over to the executioner, if he was not prepared for a different punishment by sentence that did not require the services of an executioner (if the knight was relatively lucky, then everything could be limited to the deprivation of knighthood). After the execution of the sentence, the heralds publicly declared the children (or other heirs) “vile, deprived of rank, not having the right to bear arms and appear and participate in games and tournaments, at court and at royal meetings, under pain of being stripped naked and carved with rods, like the villains and those born of an ignoble father." If the knight was impeccable and successful in battle, he could be endowed with new possessions and titles.
2) Chevalier - not much better than a knight, practically a synonym - a French name, except that he is 100% nobleman.
3) Baron - an honorary title of nobility, it is a large possessing nobleman and feudal seigneur, a direct vassal of the king with the right of limited criminal and civil judicial jurisdiction in his fiefs, and at his discretion appointed judges, prosecutors and judicial officials. This title was assigned to members of such knightly families who, having no ownership rights, used fiefs directly from the king.
4) Count - the title of the highest nobility, a royal official with judicial, administrative and military power. The West German word was used to translate the Latin comes "companion", which in the Middle Ages received the meaning "companion of the king."
5) Margrave - he is Marquis. An official subordinate to the king, endowed with broad administrative, military and judicial powers in the brand - a district located in the border region and containing various kinds of possessions, consisting of both state and private property. Provided protection from foreign invaders.
6) Count Palatinate or Count-Palatine - in the Early Middle Ages, the count-manager of the palatine (palace) during the absence of the ruling monarch in it, also a royal official who headed the royal court, and representative-deputy of the king. The palatines, who replaced the emperor in their district, had power in their possessions that exceeded the power of ordinary counts.
7) Landgrave - the title of a count who enjoyed the highest jurisdiction in his possessions and was not subordinate to a duke or prince. Originally, a landgrave was a royal or imperial officer who had possessions transferred directly to the fief by the emperor. At the same time, landgraves were not subordinate to either dukes, or counts, or bishops. This was done in order to weaken the power of the powerful dukes.
8) Duke - among the ancient Germans - a military leader, elected by the tribal nobility; in Western Europe during early medieval, - a tribal prince, and during the period of feudal fragmentation - a large territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military hierarchy. The German dukes were turned into officials of the king, to whom the rulers of individual regions, the counts, were subordinate. In France, with the elimination of feudal disunity and the establishment of the absolutism of royal power, the word "duke" began to denote the highest noble title, often members of the royal family and related families. In late European history, the title of duke is usually reserved for members of royal families. In addition to the ducal titles of sovereign monarchs and titles of allodial (feudal) origin, there are ducal titles of nobility granted by monarchs to their subjects under the royal prerogative.
9) Prince - the head of a separate political entity (specific prince). the highest title of nobility, depending on the 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 Northern - king. The term "prince" is used to convey Western European titles descending from princeps and Fürst, also sometimes dux (usually duke). Initially, the prince was a tribal leader who headed the organs of military democracy.
10) Elector "prince-elector", from Kur - "choice, election" and Fürst - "prince"; tracing paper lat. principes electores imperii) - in the Holy Roman Empire - an imperial prince, to whom the right to elect an emperor was assigned from the 13th century.
The emergence of the institution of electors was connected, first of all, with the peculiarities of the political development of feudal Germany, with the formation of territorial principalities there, the long-term consolidation of political fragmentation and the weakening of central power.
11) Grand Duke - the title of the head of an independent state. Approximately corresponds to the European title "Prince of the Blood".
12) Grand Duke - the title of independent sovereigns, standing, according to international law, between kings and dukes; they were given the title "Royal Highness".
13) Archduke - a title used exclusively by members of the Austrian royal house of Habsburg. In the hierarchy of German titles of the Middle Ages and modern times, the archduke is higher than the duke, but lower than the elector and king. The title of Archduke was first recognized by Emperor Frederick III of the House of Habsburg. Around 1458 he bestowed this title on his younger brother Albrecht VI, and in 1477 on Sigismund of Tyrol. After 1482, the title of archduke began to be used by the son and heir of Frederick III, Maximilian I, the future emperor. Similar at one point to the use of the titles prince or prince in other royal houses of Europe.
14) King - König - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom. In Europe, until 1533, the title of king was bestowed by the Pope, which was de facto recognized by Orthodox monarchs. The only representatives of the East Slavic statehood who officially bore the title of king were Daniil of Galicia and his descendants - who received the right to the royal title from Pope Innocent IV.
Based on Wikipedia
The courageous and somewhat romanticized image of a knight in most people is associated with the Middle Ages. After all, as you know, "chivalry as a military and landowning class arose among the Franks in connection with the transition in the VIII century from the people's foot army to the horse army of vassals. Being influenced by the church and poetry, it developed the moral and aesthetic ideal of a warrior, and in the era crusades, under the influence of the spiritual and knightly orders that arose at that time, closed into a hereditary aristocracy. The strengthening of state power, the preponderance of infantry over cavalry, the invention of firearms and the creation of a permanent army by the end of the Middle Ages turned feudal chivalry into a political class of untitled nobility.
Then knighting in medieval Latin texts was denoted by the words "put on a military belt." Everyone could be a knight at that time. At first, knighthood was given, according to the German tradition, at 12, 15, 19 years old, 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, the modern world also has its knights.
According to the British system of awards for personal gallantry, achievement or service to the United Kingdom, the following is expected:
Honors- to recognize the virtues in terms of achievement and service;
Medals- to recognize bravery, long and/or valuable service, and/or good behaviour; A
Award badges usually given for specific achievements.
Well, knights today exist in cavalier orders like the Order of the Garter (1348) or the Order of the Knights of Honor (1917) and in a class known as knight bachelors. Although, unlike the knights of the British orders, the knights bachelors are not given special letters after the name, indicating belonging to a particular knightly order, the knight bachelor is entitled to the title of sir.
Let's talk about them. As you know, not only subjects of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but foreign citizens can receive an honorary title. Of the famous non-British honor to be a British knight awarded, in particular, the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, singer Placido Doming oh movie director Steven Spielberg, scientist and historian Simon Wiesenthal, also known as the "Nazi hunter".
Of the citizens of Great Britain, actors Sean Connery and Roger Moore (who played James Bond), singers Sting (Gordon Sumner), Paul McCartney, Elton John and many others are considered honorary knights.
Back in 1992, the right to the prefix "sir" received a wonderful composer 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 of the famous Beatle - after all, back in the mid-sixties, each of the "Liverpool Four" received the Order of the British Empire. But John Lennon later returned his order in protest of Britain's support for the US military action in Vietnam.
In the same 1997, another king of British music was knighted - Elton John.
And, having been included in the lists of alleged knights more than once, he was finally initiated into them in 2003, on his 60th birthday, another talented and legendary British musician - Mick Jagger. The solemn atmosphere obliges to solemn outfits, but the vocalist of the rock band The Rolling The Stones showed up wearing a long leather coat, a red scarf and black sneakers, drawing widespread 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. Yes, March 26, 2015 Joan Collins She became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The awards ceremony was hosted by Prince Charles.
A year earlier, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Angelina Jolie the title of cavalry lady and the Order of St. Michael and St. George for humanitarian work. October 10, 2014.
For his contribution to cinema in 2000 he became a knight Sean Connery. After he was knighted, the newspapers came out with headlines: "My name is Sean, Sir Sean," as 007's famous greeting was paraphrased.
By the way, the famous Russian actor Vasily Livanov, known even to children for the role of Sherlock Holmes, was also awarded the title of knight in 2006 precisely for an unforgettable recreation of this literary image.
It would take a long time to list the personalities who deserved and were awarded the honorary title of knight with their talent and diligence. 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 Alex Ferguson.
