Royal and noble ranks


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Ranks of Nobility
Coronet of an earl
Emperor & Empress
King & Queen
Archduke & Archduchess
Grand Duke & Grand Duchess
Duke & Duchess
Prince & Princess
Infante & Infanta
Marquess & Marchioness
Marquis & Marquise
Margrave & Margravine
Count & Countess
Earl & Countess
Viscount & Viscountess
Baron & Baroness
Baronet & Baronetess
Nobile, Edler von, panek
Ritter, Erfridder
Hereditary Knight
Black Knight, White Knight, Green Knight
Knight & Dame
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Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is 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.

Contents

Ranks and Titles

Sovereign

See also Monarch

  • generally used titles
  • specific to one or a few realms
    • Pope ( also "Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church and Vicar of Christ"); the Pope is also the absolute ruler of the sovereign state The Vatican City
    • Tsar (or Czar) in Serbian, Bulgarian, Russian, and Croatian, derives from Caesar, i.e. Emperor; meant to claim the imperial dignity in its Russian and Bulgarian usages
    • Maharajah, in India, Nepal, (et cetera) "Maha" a prefix meaning highest, and "Rajah" meaning king, hence "highest king", Emperor
    • Shahanshah, Shah of Shahs, hence Emperor
    • Khakhan, Khan of Khans, hence Emperor
    • Padishah, Sultan, Hunkar a Turkish(ottoman) title, rules[1] a sultanate
    • Emir, an Arabic title, rules an emirate
    • Caliph, ruling a caliphate is an Islamic title indicating the successor to Muhammad, who is both a religious and a secular leader
    • Rajah, In India, Nepal,(et cetera), title used for denoting the ruler of a kingdom
    • Shah, in Iran (Persia), referring to the Shahanshah (Emperor)
    • Khan (Mongol, or Turkic) rules a khanate (mainly Central Asian, but also existed in Mongol/Turkic territory in Russia, Ukraine, the Crimea, the Middle East centered around present-day Iran, and parts of India)
    • Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in Malaysia for the King, mean "He who is made great lord"
    • Tunku or Tengku, in Malaysia for princes and princesses of the nine states with Royal Families
    • High King, used in Gaelic and Hellenic culture to designate one who ruled over lesser kings
    • Archduke, before 1806 the title of the ruler of the archduchy of Austria

Sovereign or Noble

Several ranks were widely used (for more than a thousand years in Europe alone) for both sovereign rulers and non-sovereigns. Additional knowledge about the territory (and period in history) is required to know whether the rank holder was a sovereign or non-sovereign. However joint precedence among rank holders often greatly depended on wether a rank holder was sovereign, whether of the same rank or not. This situation was most widely exemplified by the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) in Europe. Almost all of the following ranks were commonly both sovereign and non-sovereign within the HRE. Outside of the HRE the most common sovereign rank of these below was that of Prince. Within the HRE those holding the following ranks who were also sovereigns had (enjoyed) what was known as an immediate relationship with the Emperor. Those holding non-severeign ranks held only a mediate relationship (meaning that the civil hierarchy upwards was mediated by one or more intermediaries between the rank holder and the Emperor).

    • Grand Duke, ruling[1] a grand duchy
    • Grand Prince, a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities.
    • Archduke, ruling an archduchy; was generally only a sovereign rank when used by the rulers of Austria; it was also used by the Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire for members of the imperial family; it was also used for those ruling some Habsburg territories such as those that became the modern BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) nations
    • Duke, rules[1] a duchy[2], also for junior members of ducal and some grand ducal families
    • Prince, Prinz in German; junior members of a royal, ducal or princely family (the title of Fürst for heads of princely families and sometimes all members, e.g. Wrede)
      • In particular Crown Prince, Kronprinz in German, was reserved for the heir apparent of an emperor or king
    • Infante, title of the cadet members of the royal families of Portugal and Spain
    • Elector, Kurfürst in German, a rank for those who voted for the Holy Roman Emperor, usually sovereign of a state (e.g. the Margrave of Brandenburg, an elector, called the Elector of Brandenburg)
    • Marquess, Margrave, or Marquis was the ruler¹ of a marquessate, margraviate, or march
    • Landgrave, a German title, ruler of a landgraviate
    • Count, theoretically the ruler of a county; known as an Earl in modern Britain
    • Viscount (vice-count), theoretically the ruler of a viscounty or viscountcy
    • Freiherr, holder of an allodial barony – these are "higher" level of barons[citation needed]
    • Baron, theoretically the ruler of a barony – some barons in some countries may have been "free barons" (liber baro) and as such, regarded (themselves) as higher barons

Regarding the titles of duke and prince: in Germany, a sovereign duke (Herzog) outranks a sovereign prince (Fürst), but a royal cadet prince (Prinz) outranks a cadet duke of a ducal or grand ducal family. In the German nobility as well, being created a duke was a higher honour than being created a prince. The issue of a duke were sometimes styled as dukes or as princes; princely issue were styled as princes. In particular, the heir apparent to a certain title would usually append the prefix Erb- (hereditary) to their respective title, e.g. Erbherzog, Erbprinz, Erbgraf, Erbherr etc, to distinguish from their junior siblings.

Aristocratic

    • Baronet is a hereditary title ranking below Baron but above Knight
    • Nobile (aristocracy) is an Italian title of nobility ranking between that of a baron and a knight (equivalent of Baronet)
    • Dominus (title) Dominus was the Latin title of the feudal, superior and mesne, lords, and also an ecclesiastical and academical title (Equivalent of Lord)
    • Vidame, a minor French aristocrat
    • Fidalgo or Hidalgo, a minor Portuguese and Spanish aristocrat (respectively; from filho d'algo = filho d'alguém = son of someone [noble])
    • Seigneur or Knight of the Manor rules a smaller local fief
    • Knight is the basic rank of the aristocratic system
    • Jonkheer a title for prestigious Dutch families that never received a title, instead a new title was invented. Though these titles have no claim to a territory, city, or province in the Netherlands, they are basically claiming a good family name. A woman who holds this title is called a Jonkvrouw, though the wife of a Jonkheer is a Mevrouw or sometimes Freule, which could also be used by daughters of the same.
    • Esquire is a rank of gentry originally derived from Squire and indicating the status of an attendant to a knight or an apprentice knight; it ranked below Knight but above Gentleman[3]

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 is 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 rank higher than the regular nobility. Among the regular nobility, those whose titles derive from the Holy Roman Empire rank 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.[4]

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.

General chart of "translations" between languages

Below is a comparative table of corresponding royal and noble titles in various European countries. Quite often, a Latin 3rd declension noun formed a distinctive feminine title by adding -issa to its base, but usually the 3rd declension noun was used for both male and female nobles, except for Imperator and Rex. 3rd declension nouns are italicized in this chart. See Royal and noble styles to learn how to address holders of these titles properly.

English French Italian Spanish German Dutch Norwegian Swedish Czech Slovak Finnish[5] Polish[6] Russian Danish Greek Portuguese[7] Slovene Welsh Latin[8] Turkish Maltese
Emperor,
Empress		 Empereur,
Imperatrice		 Imperatore,
Imperatrice		 Emperador,
Emperatriz		 Kaiser,
Kaiserin		 Keizer,
Keizerin		 Keiser,
Keiserinne		 Kejsare,
Kejsarinna		 Císař,
Císařovna		 Cisár,
Cisárovná		 Keisari,
Keisarinna (or Keisaritar, obsolete)		 Cesarz,
Cesarzowa		 Imperator/Tsar,
Imperatritsa/Tsaritsa		 Kejser,
Kejserinde		 Aftokrator,
Aftokratira		 Imperador,
Imperatriz		 Cesar,
Cesarica		 Ymerawdwr,
Ymerodres		 Imperator/Caesar,
Imperatrix/Caesarina		 İmparator,
İmparatoriçe		 Imperatur,
Imperatriċi
King,
Queen		 Roi,
Reine		 Re,
Regina		 Rey,
Reina		 König,
Königin		 Koning,
Koningin		 Konge,
Dronning		 Kung,
Drottning		 Král,
Královna		 Kráľ,
Kráľovná		 Kuningas,
Kuningatar		 Król,
Królowa		 Koról,
Koroléva		 Konge
Dronning		 Vasilefs,
Vasilissa		 Rei,
Rainha		 Kralj,
Kraljica		 Brenin,
Brenhines		 Rex,
Regina		 Kral,
Kraliçe		 Re,
Reġina
Grand Duke/Grand Prince,
Grand Duchess/Grand Princess		 Grand Duc,
Grande Duchesse		 Granduca,
Granduchessa		 Gran Duque,
Gran Duquesa		 Großherzog/Großfürst,
Großherzogin/Großfürstin		 Groothertog,
Groothertogin		 Storhertug,
Storhertuginne		 Storfurste,
Storfurstinna		 Velkovévoda,
Velkovévodkyně		 Veľkovojvoda,
Veľkovojvodkyňa		 Suuriruhtinas,
Suuriruhtinatar		 Wielki Książę,
Wielka Księżna		 Velikiy Knyaz,
Velikaya Kniagina		 Storhertug,
Storhertuginde		 Megas Doux, Megali Doukissa Grão-Duque,
Grã-Duquesa		 Veliki vojvoda,
Velika vojvodinja		 Archddug,
Archdduges		 Magnus Dux/ Magnus Princeps,
magna ducissa, magna principissa		 Grandük,
Grandüşes		 Gran Duka,
Gran Dukessa
Archduke,
Archduchess		 Archiduc, Archiduchesse Arciduca,
Arciduchessa		 Archiduque,
Archiduquesa		 Erzherzog,
Erzherzogin		 Aartshertog,
Aartshertogin 		 Erkehertug,
Erkehertuginne		 Ärkehertig,
ärkehertiginna		 Arcivévoda,
Arcivévodkyně		 Arcivojvoda,
Arcivojvodkyňa		 Arkkiherttua,
Arkkiherttuatar		 Arcyksiążę
Arcyksiężna		 Ertsgertsog,
Ertsgertsoginya		 Ærke Hertug,
Ærke Hertuginde		 Archidoux, Archidoukissa Arquiduque,
Arquiduquesa;		 Nadvojvoda,
Nadvojvodinja		 Archddug,
Archdduges		 Archidux,
archiducissa		 Arşidük,
Arşidüşes		 Arċiduka,
Arċidukessa
(Prince)-Elector,
Electress		 Prince-électeur,
Princesse-électrice		 Principe Elettore,
Principessa Elettrice		 Príncipe Elector,
Princesa Electora;		 Kurfürst,
Kurfürstin		 Keurvorst,
Keurvorstin		 Kurfyrste,
Kurfyrstinne		 Kurfurste
Kurfurstinna		 Kurfiřt
 Kurfirst/Knieža voliteľ/Knieža volič
 Vaaliruhtinas,
Vaaliruhtinatar		 Książę Elektor,
Księżna Elektorowa		 Kurfyurst,
Kurfyurstina		 Kurfyrste,
Kurfystinde		 Pringkips-Eklektor
Pringkipissa-Eklektorissa		 Príncipe-Eleitor,
Princesa-Eleitora;		 Volilni knez,
Volilna kneginja		   Princeps Elector Veliaht Prens,
Veliaht Prenses		 Prinċep Elettur,
Prinċipessa Elettriċi
Prince[9],
Princess		 Prince[9],
Princesse		 Principe[9],
Principessa		 Príncipe[9],
Princesa		 Prinz/Fürst,
Prinzessin/Fürstin[10]		 Prins/Vorst,
Prinses/Vorstin		 Prins/Fyrste,
Prinsesse/fyrstinne		 Prins/Furste,
Prinsessa/Furstinna[11]		 Kníže,
Kněžna10		 Knieža,
Kňažná		 Prinssi/Ruhtinas,
Prinsessa/Ruhtinatar[11]		 Książę,
Księżna		 Kniaz/Gertsog,
Kniagina/Gertsoginya[12]		 Prins/Fyrste
Prinsesse/Fyrstinde		 Pringkips
Pringkipissa		 Príncipe,
Princesa		 Knez,
Kneginja		 Tywysog,
Tywysoges		 Princeps,
principissa		 Prens,
Prenses		 Prinċep,
Prinċipessa
Duke,
Duchess		 Duc,
Duchesse		 Duca,
Duchessa		 Duque,
Duquesa		 Herzog,
Herzogin		 Hertog,
Hertogin		 Hertug,
Hertuginne		 Hertig,
hertiginna		 Vévoda,
Vévodkyně		 Vojovda,
Vojvodkyňa		 Herttua,
Herttuatar		 Diuk (Książę),
(Księżna)		 Hertug
Hertuginde		 Doukas/archon
Doux/archontissa		 Duque,
Duquesa		 Vojvoda,
Vojvodinja		 Dug,
Duges		 Dux,
ducissa		 Dük,
Düşes		 Duka,
Dukessa
Marquess/Margrave,
Marchioness/Margravine		 Marquis,
Marquise		 Marchese,
Marchesa		 Marqués,
Marquesa		 Markgraf[13],
Markgräfin		 Markies/Markgraaf,
Markiezin/Markgravin		 Marki,
Markise		 Markis/markgreve,
markisinna/markgrevinna[11]		 Markýz/Markrabě[14] Markíz,
Markíza		 Markiisi/rajakreivi,
Markiisitar/rajakreivitär		 Markiz/Margrabia,
Markiza/Margrabina		 Markiz,
Markiza,
Boyar,
Boyarina[12]		 Markis,
Markise		 Markissios,
Markissia		 Marquês,
Marquesa		 Markiz,
Markiza		 Marcwis/Ardalydd,
Ardalyddes		 Marchio,
marchionissa		 Marki,
Markiz		 Markiż,
Markiża
Earl / Count,
Countess		 Comte,
Comtesse		 Conte,
Contessa		 Conde,
Condesa		 Graf,
Gräfin		 Graaf,
Gravin		 Jarl / Greve,
Grevinne		 Greve,
Grevinna		 Hrabě,
Hraběnka		 Gróf,
Grófka		 Kreivi/(brit:)jaarli,
Kreivitär[11]		 Hrabia,
Hrabina		 Graf,
Grafinya[12]		 Greve
Grevinde, Komtesse		 Komis,
Komissa		 Conde,
Condessa[15]		 Grof,
Grofica		 Iarll/Cownt,
Iarlles/Cowntes		 Comes,
comitissa		 Kont,
Kontes		 Konti,
Kontessa
Viscount,
Viscountess		 Vicomte,
Vicomtesse		 Visconte,
Viscontessa		 Vizconde,
Vizcondesa		 Vizegraf,
Vizegräfin		 Burggraaf,
Burggravin		 Vikomte,
Visegrevinne		 Vicegreve,
vicegrevinna		 Vikomt Vikomt,
Vikontesa		 Varakreivi,
Varakreivitär		 Wicehrabia,
Wicehrabina		 Vikont,
Vikontessa		 Vicegreve,
Vicegrevinde/Vicekomtesse		 Ypokomis, Ypokomissa Visconde,
Viscondessa		 Vikont,
Vikontinja		 Iarll,
Iarlles		 Vicecomes,
vicecomitissa		 Vikont,
Vikontes		 Viskonti,
Viskontessa
Baron,
Baroness		 Baron,
Baronne		 Barone,
Baronessa		 Barón,
Baronesa		 Baron, Herr,
Baronin, Frau		 Baron,
Barones(se)		 Baron,
Baronesse		 Baron, Herre,
Baronessa, Fru		 Baron,
Baronka		 Barón,
Barónka		 Paroni, Herra,
Paronitar, Rouva/ Herratar[11]		 Baron,
Baronowa		 Baron,
Baronessa		 Baron,
Baronesse		 Varonos,
Varoni		 Barão,
Baronesa		 Baron,
Baronica		 Barwn,
Barwnes		 Baro,
baronissa		 Baron,
Barones		 Baruni,
Barunessa
Baronet[16]
Baronetess		 Baronnet Nobile / Nob., Baronetto Baronet Edler,
Edle		 Erfridder     Baronet   Baronetti, "Herra" (=fiefholder),
Herratar		 Baronet Baronet Baronet,
Baronetesse		 Baronetos, Baroneta Baronete,
Baronetesa;		 Baronet,
Baronetinja		 Barwnig,
Barwniges		   Baronet,
Baronetes		 Barunett
Knight[17] Chevalier Cavaliere Caballero Ritter Ridder Ridder Riddare/ Frälseman,
Fru[11]		 Rytíř Rytier Aatelinen/Ritari[11]
style of wife: Rouva		 Rycerz/ Kawaler Rytsar Ridder Hippotis Cavaleiro Vitez Marchog Eques Şövalye Kavallier

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e 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. ^ 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, should be considered nobles ranking above marquess.
  3. ^ The meaning of the title Esquire became (and is now) quite diffuse and may indicate anything from no aristocratic status, to some official government civil appointment, or (more historically) the son of a knight or noble who had no other title above just Gentleman.
  4. ^ Austrian law on noble titles
  5. ^ Finland accorded the noble ranks of Ruhtinas, Kreivi, Vapaaherra and Aatelinen. The titles Suurherttua, Arkkiherttua, Vaaliruhtinas, Prinssi, Markiisi, Jaarli, Varakreivi, Paroni, and Baronetti were not granted in Finland, though they are used of foreign titleholders. Keisari, Kuningas, Suuriruhtinas, Prinssi, and Herttua have been used as official titles of members of the dynasties that ruled Finland, though not granted as titles of nobility. Some feudally-based privileges in landowning, connected to nobily related lordship, existed into the nineteenth century; and fiefs were common in the late medieval and early modern eras. The title Ritari was not commonly used except in the context of knightly orders. The lowest, untitled level of hereditary nobility was that of the "Aatelinen" (i.e. "noble").
  6. ^ In keeping with the principle of equality among noblemen, no noble titles (with few exceptions) below that of prince were allowed in Poland. The titles in italics are simply Polish translations of western titles which were granted to some Polish nobles by foreign monarchs, especially after the partitions. Instead of heraditory titles, the Polish nobility developed and used a set of titles based on offices held. See "szlachta" for more info on Polish nobility.
  7. ^ Portuguese titles in italic are not used in Portugal
  8. ^ Latin titles are for etymological comparisons. They do not accurately reflect their medieval counterparts.
  9. ^ a b c d "Prince" (Prinz in German, Prins in Swedish, Prinssi in Finnish, "Principe" in Spanish) can also be a title of junior members of royal houses. In the British system, for example, prince is not a rank of nobility but a title held exclusively by members of the royal family.
  10. ^ In central Europe, the title of Fürst or kníže (e.g. Fürst von Liechtenstein) ranks below the title of a duke (e.g. Duke of Brunswick). The title of Vizegraf was not used in German-speaking countries, and the titles of Ritter and Edler were not commonly used.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g No noble titles were granted after 1906 when the unicameral legislatures (Eduskunta, Riksdag) were established, removing the constitutional status of the so-called First Estate, though noble ranks were granted in Finland until 1917 (there, the lowest, untitled level of hereditary nobility was "Aatelinen", or "noble"; it was in essence a rank, not a title).
  12. ^ a b c For domestic Russian nobility, only the titles Kniaz and Boyar were used before the 18th century, when Graf was added.
  13. ^ In the German system by rank approximately equal to Landgraf and Pfalzgraf.
  14. ^ The title Markýz was not used in Bohemia and thus referred only to foreign nobility, while the title Markrabě (the same as the German Markgraf) is connected only to a few historical territories (including the former marches on the borders of the Holy Roman Empire, or Moravia).
  15. ^ In Portugal, a baron or viscount who was a "grandee of the kingdom" (Portuguese: Grandes do Reino) was called a "baron with grandness" (Portuguese: Barão com Grandeza) or "viscount with grandness" (Portuguese: Visconde com Grandeza); each of these grandees was ranked as equal to a count.
  16. ^ Does not confer nobility in the British system.
  17. ^ Non-hereditary. Does not confer nobility in the British system. See also squire and esquire

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