Royal and noble ranks
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Traditional ranks among European royalty, peers, and nobility are rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and between geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke), the following is a fairly comprehensive list that provides information on both general ranks and specific differences.
- Royal/Monarch:
- Emperor, rules¹ an empire
- King, rules¹ a kingdom (kings of independent (sovereign) kingdoms are ranked above kings of imperial kingdoms)
- Grand Duke, ruling¹ a grand duchy
- Princely:
- Prince-elector, Kurfürst in German, electing the King
- Duke, who rules¹ a duchy
- sovereign Prince, Fürst in German, ruling¹ a Principality
- (Archduke, a unique rank used only by the Habsburgs in Austria) for princes of the imperial family
- Prince, Prinz in German, junior members of a royal or princely family
- Peers:²
- Duke³
- Marquess / Margrave, and the German Landgraf (Landgrave) and Pfalzgraf (Count Palatine), theoretically the ruler¹ of a margravate
- Count / Earl, theoretically the ruler of a county
- Viscount (vice-count) and Baron, in Britain the lowest rank of the peerage, had tax-exempted estates, and often official non-hereditary positions
- 1) Loss of sovereignty or fief does not necessarily lead to loss of title. The position in the ranking table is however accordingly adjusted. The occurrence of fiefs has changed from time to time, and from country to country. For instance, dukes in England rarely had a duchy to rule.
- 2) The term Peer is used in Britain, but the division could be argued to be of general value.
- 3) Dukes who are not actually or formerly sovereign, such as all British, French, and Spanish dukes, or who are not sons of sovereigns, as titulary dukes in many other countries, would not be considered to be of princely rank.
In Germany, the actual rank of the holder of a title is, however, dependent on not only the title as such, but on for instance the degree of sovereignty and on the rank of the lord of the title-holder. But also such matters as the age of the princely dynasty play a role (Uradel, Briefadel, altfürstliche, neufürstliche, see: German nobility). Thus, any sovereign ruler would be higher than any formerly sovereign, i.e. mediatized, family of any rank (thus, the Fürst of Waldeck, sovereign until 1918, was higher than the Duke of Arenberg, mediatized). Members of a formerly sovereign house ranked higher than the regular nobility. Among the regular nobility, those whose titles derived from the Holy Roman Empire ranked higher than those whose titles were granted by one of the German princes after 1806, no matter what title was held.
In Austria, nobility titles may no longer be used since 1918. [1] (http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/taweb-cgi/taweb?x=d&o=d&v=bnd&d=BND&i=13944)
In Germany, the constitution of the Weimar Republic in 1919 abolished nobility and all nobility titles. They are now merely part of the family name, and there is no more right to the traditional forms of address (e.g., "Hoheit" or "Durchlaucht"). The last title was conferred on 12 November 1918 to Kurt von Klefeld.
In Switzerland, nobility titles are prohibited and are not recognized as part of the family name.
Below is a comparative table of corresponding royal and noble titles in various European countries. See Royal and noble styles to learn how to properly address holders of these titles.
| English | French | Italian | Spanish | German | Dutch | Norwegian | Swedish | Finnish | Polish¹ | Russian | Danish | Greek | Portuguese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor, Empress | Empereur, Imperatrice | Imperatore, Imperatrice | Emperador, Emperatriz | Kaiser, Kaiserin | Keizer, Keizerin | Keiser, Keiserinne | Kejsare, Kejsarinna | Cesarz, Cesarzowa | Tsar, Tsaritsa | Kejser, Kejserinde | Aftokratoras, Aftokratira | Imperador, Imperatriz | |
| King, Queen | Roi, Reine | Re, Regina | Rey, Reina | König, Königin | Koning, Koningin | Kong, Dronning | Kung, Drottning | Kuningas, Kuningatar4 | Król, Królowa | Konge Dronning | Vasilias/Rigas, Vasilissa | Rei, Rainha | |
| Viceroy, Vicereine | Viceroi, Vicereine | Vicere', Viregina | Virrey, Virreina | Vizekönig, Vizekönigin | Onderkoning, Onderkoningin | Vizekong, Vizedronning | Vizekung, Vizedrottning | Vizekonge Vizedronning | Virei, Virainha | ||||
| Archduke, Archduchess | Erzherzog, Erzherzogin | Aartshertog, Aartshertogin | |||||||||||
| Grand Duke, Grand Duchess | Grand Duc, Grande Duchesse | Granduca, Granduchessa | Großherzog, Großherzogin | Groothertog, Groothertogin | Storhertug, Storhertuginne | Suuriruhtinas, Suuriruhtinatar4 | Wielki Książę, Wielka Księżna | Veliky Kniaz | N/A | Megas-Doukas | Grão-Duque, Grã-Duquesa | ||
| Duke, Duchess | Duc, Duchesse | Duca, Duchessa | Duque, Duquesa | Herzog, Herzogin | Hertog, Hertogin | Hertug, Hertuginne | Hertig | Herttua, Herttuatar4 | Książę, Księżna | Kniaz5 | Hertug Hertuginde | Doukas Doukissa | Duque, Duquesa |
| Prince², Princess | Prince², Princesse | Principe², Principessa | Príncipe², Princesa | Fürst, Fürstin | Prins, Prinses | Prins, Prinsesse | Furste4 | Ruhtinas, Ruhtinatar4 | Fyrste Fyrstinde | Prinkipas, Pringkipissa | Príncipe, Princesa | ||
| Marquess, Marchioness | Marquis, Marquise | Marchese, Marchesa | Marqués, Marquesa | Markgraf³, Markgräfin | Markies/Markgraaf, Markiezin/Markgravin | Marki | Markis4 | Markiisi4 | Markiz, Markiza | Boyar5 | Marki ? | Markpsios, Markpsia | Marquês, Marquesa |
| Earl / Count, Countess | Comte, Comtesse | Conte, Contessa | Conde, Condesa | Graf, Gräfin | Graaf, Gravin | Jarl / Greve, Grevinne | Greve | Kreivi, Kreivitär4 | Hrabia, Hrabina | Graf, Grafinia5 | Greve Grevinde | Komes, Komissa | Conde, Condessa |
| Viscount, Viscountess | Vicomte, Vicomtesse | Visconte, Viscontessa | Vizconde, Vizcondesa | Vizegraf, Vizegräfin | Burggraaf, Burggravin | Vikomte, Visegrevinne | Wicehrabia, Wicehrabina | Vicegreve Vicegrevinde | Epikomes, Epikomissa | Visconde, Viscondessa | |||
| Baron, Baroness | Baron, Baronne | Barone, Baronessa | Barón, Baronesa | Freiherr, Freifrau | Baron, Barones(se) | Baron, Baronesse | Friherre | Vapaaherra, Vapaaherratar4 | Baron, Baronowa | Baron Baronesse | Varonos, Varona | Barão, Baronesa | |
| Baronet6 | Baronnet | Baronetto | N/A | ||||||||||
| Knight6 | Chevalier | Cavaliere | Caballero | Ritter | Ridder | Ridder | Riddare4 | Ritari4 | Rycerz | Ridder | Stratiotes | Cavaleiro | |
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Related articles
- Styles and titles of peers in the United Kingdom
- Table of Ranks in the Russian Empire
- German comital titles
- Nobility, Peeragehe:תארי אצולה
de:Adelstitel pl:Tytuły szlacheckie pt:Título nobiliárquico sl:Plemiški nazivi