Valorian Peerage

**Valorian peerage** was an institution that existed from 1942 to 1976, consisting of various ranks of nobility instituted under the reign of Michael I, and upheld during the reign of his successor, Michael II.

No Valorian noble ranks were hereditary, meaning all nobility had to be created by the sovereign (and could be revoked by the same at any time). Because of this, the vast majority of Valorian noblemen who held the same title were not in any way related.

## Hierarchy

In order of precedence, the ranks of Valorian peerage generally were:

1. Prince/Princess
2. Duke/Duchess
3. Marquis/Marquise
4. Baron/Baroness

A few exceptions to these ranks existed, as Valorian nobility focused more on the dominion related to the title rather than the rank itself. For instance, the Marquis de Montréal or Baron of New Haven were generally regarded to be above most dukedoms, despite having lower noble ranks. In the same vein, the Duke of Anticosti was not regarded as an important title, despite the title of "duke" being generally higher among the ranks.

Much of the hierarchy of Valorian nobility was also determined based on the amount of direct political power the title held. Some marquises and barons had vast influence over their dominions, making such titles far more prestigious than dukedoms with little to no real power over their lands.

This fluid ranking was very often confirmed by Michael I and Michael II, who granted more political power to certain marquises and barons, or set such noblemen ahead of higher-ranked ones in various orders of precedence.

The sovereignship itself was not technically a rank of peerage, although the sovereign could create themselves a peerage rank. Michael II created himself Duke of Inner Valoria from 1958 to 1966, and Duke of Outer Valoria from 1960 to 1966, the only two instances of the sovereign creating a peerage for themselves.

## Style & Full Titles

All Valorian peers' styles followed a general template, which was sometimes altered by demand of the sovereign.

* Kings Michael I and Michael II used the style: "His Highest and Most Excellent Majesty, [name], of Valoria." The full style was shortened to simply "His Majesty" by King Nicholas upon his accession to the throne
* Princes <>
* Official style for dukes, marquises, and barons followed a specific template: "The [number] Lord [rank] [chosen name], of [dominion]." For example, the 1st Duke of Boston (then Crown-Prince Michael) would be styled as "The 1st Lord Duke Michael, of Boston."

## Roles & Responsibilities

Valorian peers' responsibilities varied enormously, ranging from officially having no powers or duties, to exercising vast direct political influence over their dominions. The Marquis de Moncton, for example, held near-plenary authority over the government of its city, effectively serving out the present-day roles of the mayor and city council combined. Others, such as the Baron of Vermont, held no influence over their dominion, and sometimes did not even live in their dominion (the 2nd and 3rd Barons of Vermont lived in Boston their entire lives).

All peers, except barons, had a right to a vote in the Council of Noblemen, Valoria's upper legislature during the absolute monarchy. Each title had one vote. This meant those with multiple titles could vote more than once. Both Michael I and Michael II took advantage of this by granting their children numerous noble titles, augmenting their amount of influence in the Council. During the reign of Michael II, his eldest son Prince Michael held twenty-four dukedoms representing various neighborhoods in Boston, and Crown Prince Nicholas held sixteen.

## International Recognition

Because Valorian peerage was such a volatile institution (due to its spontaneous creation, the sovereign's complete authority over its membership, lack of hereditary status, and fluidity of rank precedence and prestige), and Valoria in general had a negative perception during the absolute monarchy, most noble titles were not recognized by other nations and royal families. Only the sovereign and their immediate family were accepted as royals by the international community, as this select group comprised the head of state and their closest family. Even these people were shunned by most other royal families, who saw them as fake royalty.