British Titles and Orders of Precedence | Edwardian Promenade Subscribe to the newsletter and get Edwardian-themed news delivered straight to your inbox! British Titles and Orders of Precedence The British title and its order of precedence is the most baffling, yet simple concept on the planet. Children of nobility and those who wished to become a part of it had the following concepts drilled into their heads from birth. Since neither of us are lords or ladies, we generally have to muddle along in hope of getting it right. Below you’ll find the order of precedence directly from a book of heraldry published in 1910. Things have obviously changed since then, but this was the rule of thumb for harried hostesses throughout the 19th century. TITLES Duke: The highest rank and title in the British peerage, first introduced by Edward III in 1337 when he created the Black Prince the first English duke. A Duke is “Most Noble”; he is styled “My Lord Duke” and “Your Grace” and all his younger sons are “Lords” and all his daughters “Ladies” with the prefix “Right Honorable”.

The coronet of a duke is a circlet, heightened with eight conventional strawberry leaves, and encloses a velvet cap. Marquess/Marquis: The second order of the British peerage, in rank next to that of the Duke. Introduced in 1387 by Richard II. A Marquess is “Most Honorable”; he is styled “My Lord Marquess” all his younger sons are “Lords” and his daughters “Ladies”; his eldest sons bears his father’s “second title”. The coronet is a golden circlet heightened by four strawberry leaves and as many pearls, arranged alternately. Earl: In Latin, “Comes” in French “Comte” or “Count.” Before 1337, the highest, and now the third degree of rank and dignity in the British peerage.

An earl is “Right Honorable”; he is styled “My Lord”, the eldest son bears his father’s “second title,” generally that of Viscount; his other sons are “Honorable” but all his daughters are “Ladies.” The circlet of an Earl’s coronet has eight lofty rays of gold rising from the circlet, each of which supports a large pearl, while between each pair of these rays is a golden strawberry leaf. Viscount: The fourth degree of rank and dignity in the British peerage. Introduced by Henry VI in 1440. A Viscount is a “Right Honorable” and is styled “My Lord.” All his sons and daughters are “Honorable.” The coronet has a row of sixteen small pearls set on the circlet. Baron: The lowest rank in the British peerage. A Baron is “Right Honorable” and is styled “My Lord”. The coronet is a golden circlet topped by six large pearls. An Irish baron has no coronet.

All children of a Baron are “Honorable.” Baronet: A hereditary rank, lower than the peerage, instituted in 1612 by James I, who fixed the precedence of baronets before all Knights, those of the Order of the Garter alone excepted. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE The Younger sons of the Sovereign The Grandsons of the Sovereign The Brothers of the Sovereign The Uncles The Lord President of the Council The Lord Privy Seal The following Great Officers of the State precede all Peers of their own Degree–that is, if Dukes, they precede all other Dukes; if Earls, all other Earls, etcetera. The Lord Great Chamberlain The Lord Steward of the Royal Household The Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household The Master of the Horse The Peers of each Degree take Precedence in their own Degree, according to their Patents of Creation. Dukes (a) of England, (b) of Scotland, (c) of Great Britain, (d) of Ireland, (e) of the United Kingdom and, if created since the Union of Ireland.

Marquesses (vide Dukes) Bishops of (a) London, (b) Durham, and (c) Winchester Bishops, according to Seniority of Consecration Barons (vide Dukes) The Speaker of the House of Commons Commissioners of Great Seal The (a) Treasurer and the (b) Comptroller of the Royal Household Vice-Chamberlain of the Household The Secretaries of States, when not Peers Eldest sons of viscounts Knights of the Garter, Thistle and St. Patrick, not being Peers Privy Councillors The Chancellor of the Exchequer The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The Lord Chief Justice The Master of the Rolls Lord Justices of Appeal and the President of Probate Court Judges of High Court Sons of Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (Life Peers) Baronets Knights of the Grand Cross of the Bath Knights Grand Commanders of the Star of India Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St.

George Knights Grand Commanders of Indian Empire Knights Grand Cross of Victorian Order Knights Commanders of the various Orders (in the same order of progression) Knights Bachelors Companions of the various Orders Members of Fourth Class of Victorian Order Companions of Distinguished Service Order Eldest sons of the Younger sons of Peers Eldest sons of Baronets Members of Fifth Class of Victorian Order Baronets’ Younger sons Knights Younger sons Esquires: Including the Eldest sons of the sons of Viscounts and Barons, the eldest sons of all the younger sons of Peers and their eldest sons in perpetual Succession, the younger sons of Baronets, the sons of knights, the eldest son of the eldest son of a Knight in perpetual succession, persons holding the King’s Commission, or who may be styled “Esquire” by the King in any Official Document Gentlemen The precedence of WOMEN is determined, before marriage, by the Rank and Dignity, but not by the Office, of their father. All the unmarried sisters in any family have the same degree, which is the degree that their eldest Brother holds (or would hold) amongst men.

Thus: Of the sons of an earl, the eldest alone has an honorary title of nobility and is styled “My Lord,” while all the Daughters of an Earl have a similar honorary Title and are styled “My Lady.” ORDER OF PRECEDENCE Other Daughters of the Sovereign, according to birth Wives of Sovereign’s Sons, according to seniority of their Husbands Granddaughters of the Sovereign Wives of Sovereign’s Grandsons, according to seniority of their Husbands Wives of the Sovereign’s Brothers Nieces of the Sovereign Wives of the Sovereign’s Nephews Wives of the Sovereign’s Uncles Other Princesses of the Blood Royal Duchesses Wives of eldest sons of Dukes Daughters of Dukes Wives of eldest sons of Marquises Daughters of Marquises Wives of younger sons of Dukes Viscountesses Wives of eldest sons of Earls Daughters of Earls Wives of younger sons of Marquises Baronesses Wives of oldest sons of Viscounts Daughters of Viscounts Wives of younger sons of Earls Wives of eldest sons of Barons Daughters of Ваrons Maids of Honour to the Queen Wives of younger

 sons of Viscounts Wives of younger sons of Barons Wives of Baronets Wives of Knights of the Garter Wives of Knights of the Thistle and St.

Patrick Wives of Knights Grand Crosses of the Bath, Knights Grand Commander of the Star of India, Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George, Grand Commanders of the Indian Empire, Commanders of the Bath, Commanders of the Star of India, Commanders of St. Michael and St. George, and Knights Commanders of the Indian Empire Ladies of the Crown of India Wives of Knights Bachelors Wives of Companions of the Bath Wives of Companions of the Star of India Wives of Companions of St. Michael and St. George Wives of Companions of the Indian Empire Wives of eldest sons of younger sons of Рееrs Daughters of younger sons of Peers Wives of eldest sons of Baronets Daughters of Baronets Wives of eldest sous of Knights of the Garter Daughters of Knights of the Garter Wives of eldest sons of Knights Grand Cross of the Bath Daughters of Knights Grand Cross of the Bath Wives of eldest sons of Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George Daughters of Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St.

George Wives of eldest sons of Knights Commanders of the Bath Daughters of Knights Commanders of the Bath Wives of eldest sons of Knights Commanders of St. Michael and St. George Wives of eldest sons of Knights Bachelor Daughters of Knights Bachelors Wives of younger sons of the younger son of Peers Wives of younger sons of Baronets Wives of Esquires of the Sovereign’s Body Wives of Gentlemen of Privy Chamber Wives of Esquires of Knight of the Bath Wives of Esquires by creation Wives of Esquires by office Wives of younger sons of Knights Grand Cross of the Bath Wives of younger sons of Knights Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George Wives of younger sons of Knights Commander of the Bath Wives of younger sons of Knights Commanders of St. Michael and St. George Wives of younger wins of Knights Bachelor Wives of Serjeants-at-Law and Queen’s Counsel Wives of Gentlemen entitled to bear arms By marriage, women share the dignities and precedence of their husbands, but the strictly official dignity of a husband is not imparted to a wife (except in India) in the case of the Archbishops and Bishops or holders of other offices.

The dignities which ladies have by birth or by right of inheritance, are not imparted by marriage to their husbands, nor does marriage with an inferior in dignity in any way affect the precedence that a lady may enjoy by birth, inheritance or creation–both her own precedence and that of her husband may remain as before their marriage, unless the husband be a peer. To whatever precedence she may be entitled by birth, the wife of a peer always takes her rank, and therefore takes her actual precedence from her husband. The widow of a peer, so long as she remains a widow, retains the rank she enjoyed whilst married, but should she contract a second marriage, her precedence then is determined either by the rank of her second husband, or by the rank that was her own by birth and which she enjoyed before her first marriage. The wife of the eldest son of any degree precedes all her husband’s sisters and also all other ladies having the same degree of rank with them. A peeress by marriage who is also a peerage in her own right signs first her husband’s title, adding her own afterwards: The Countess of Yarborough is Marcia Yarborough, Cauconberg and Conyers.

The daughter of a peer if married to another peer takes the precedence of her husband and relinquishes her own, but she retains it if she marries a commoner, and one of the anomalies of the English scale of precedence is to be found in the following circumstances: if the two elder daughters of a duke were to marry an Earl and a Baron respectively, whilst the youngest daughter were to run away with the footman, she would, nevertheless, rank as the daughter of a Duke above her sisters ranking as wives of an Earl and a Baron. Search EP Search for: Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Join 606 other subscribers Hereditary Peerages Hereditary Peerages Most peerages are hereditary, meaning that they pass on from father to son, or to another heir. (25) (Some peerages are created only for life , and cannot be inherited. (26) ) They cannot be willed or bequeathed; how a peerage is disposed is determined by the terms of the original creation of the peerage. A peerage passes from father to son, but sometimes a peer dies without a son to succeed him.

For example, the 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790-1858) never married. When that happens, go back one generation, to the peer's father, in this case the 5th Duke (1748-1811), and trace the next eldest male direct lineal descendant. In this case, that would be 5th Duke's other sons, if he had any. He didn't (at least, not a legitimate one), so we go back one more generation, to the 4th Duke (1720-1764). The 4th Duke had at least two sons: William, who succeeded him as 5th Duke, and Lord George Cavendish (1754-1834). Lord George died during the 6th Duke's lifetime, but if he had survived him, he would have become the next duke. However, he left a son, Mr. William Cavendish (1783-1812), who also died before the 6th Duke, but left one son, Mr. William Cavendish (1808-1891).

This man became the 7th Duke of Devonshire. But if Lord George's line had died out, then the dukedom could be traced back up to three more generations, all the way to the 1st Duke, and descend through the eldest of his other sons who had surviving legitimate male issue. If there was no legitimate surviving male descendant, then the title of Duke of Devonshire would become "extinct." However, if there was a legitimate surviving male descendant of his father, the 3rd Earl of Devonshire, then that person would inherit the earldom. In this way distant cousins can sometimes inherit lesser titles while the highest peerage dies out. What's most important to remember is that if a man inherits a peerage, it is because he is the eldest surviving legitimate male who can trace a direct (father to son) lineage back to an earlier holder of the peerage. In other words, he doesn't inherit because he was the brother or the cousin or the uncle of his predecessor, but because his own father, or grandfather, or great-grandfather, or great-great-grandfather, etc., was an earlier holder of the peerage.

["Eldest" in this context doesn't mean that he happens to be the oldest of several different living men who can trace a direct line back to an earlier holder of the peerage, but rather that his line is the eldest, i.e., eldest son of eldest son; all other lines senior to his have died out.] There are three types of peerages. The first, and most ancient, is a peerage held by writ, which is a direct summons by the Monarch to attend the Parliament; the second is Letters Patent, which institutionalized the writ and ensured successors of the right to attend Parliament; the third is by tenure (a pre-Parliamentary barony by tenure -- now considered non-existent). (27) Peerages by writ are almost all baronies, because none of the other titles were invented then (except earls, which then were exclusively sons or cousins of the sovereign). (28) The ones which survive are naturally the most ancient titles. A writ entitled the peerage to pass to the "heirs general," not the "heirs male" as specified in almost all Letters Patent peerages.

(29) (For more about how women can inherit ancient peerages by writ, see the section on Peeresses .) Occasionally, a peerage created by letters patent allowed a special remedy so that the peerage could pass to a brother or even a daughter if the new peer had no male heir. (30) A famous example of this is the 1st Duke of Marlborough , whose dukedom was inherited by his eldest daughter. The following explanations of attainder and extinction were contributed by John Hopfner: There are two ways that a peerage can end, or become "extinct." The first is "by attainder," which is what results when the sovereign gets really, really upset with a peer, and revokes his peerage: this happens for offenses such as unsuccessful rebellion against the crown. An example is the Duke of Suffolk, whose peerage was attainted because he placed his daughter, Lady Jane Grey, on the throne as Queen in 1553 (and of course he lost his head as well as his peerage).

(31) Sometimes the descendant of an attainted peer, or the peer himself, manages to win back the favor of the crown and have his peerage restored, as did the Dukes of Norfolk. The 3rd Duke was attainted (and his eldest son was beheaded) in 1547 but restored in 1553; his grandson became the 4th Duke. The 4th Duke was beheaded by Elizabeth for plotting to marry Mary, Queen of Scots (as his fourth wife -- he had already buried three heiresses); the 4th Duke's great-great grandson was restored as the 5th Duke by Charles II in 1660. (32) The second way a peerage can become extinct is indirectly, when the current title-holder dies, and there is no heir who can trace a direct descent from the first peer and is eligible to inherit it according to the terms of the original creation. So if the King makes you Lord Elorr by letters patent that restrict descent to legitimate male heirs, but you have no such heir who still is alive when you die, then your title dies with you.

Or if you pass your title to your only son, who in turn has no sons of his own, then the title becomes extinct when your son dies. It becomes extinct because there is no lawful male heir of your son (the current holder of the title) or of you (the original grantee) to inherit. A surprising number of noble titles have become extinct in exactly this way, within three generations of the original creation. When a peerage becomes extinct, it reverts to the crown, and the crown can, if it so chooses, bestow the title anew on a member of a different family (either another branch of the original clan, or a totally different and unconnected family). This would be a new creation, requiring new letters patent, and would set up another opportunity for the peerage to either continue in the new line or become extinct again. Royal Titles Even the peerages bestowed by the monarch upon his or her own children are hereditary. (33) (It is worth noting that although they are born princes, the Queen's sons must be elevated to become dukes. (34) ) There are currently two Dukes of the Blood Royal who are first cousins to the Queen, descended from George V.

They are Prince George, Duke of Kent and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (George's younger brother has no extraneous titles and is known simply as Prince Michael of Kent). (35) George III's sons were created as follows: Nov 1784, Prince Frederick (2nd son of George III) created Duke of York and Albany; May 1789, Prince William Henry (3rd son) created Duke of Clarence; Apr 1799, Prince Edward (4th son) created Duke of Kent and Strathearn, Earl of Dublin; Apr 1799, Prince Ernest Augustus (George III's brother) created Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, Earl of Armagh; Nov 1801, Prince Adolphus Frederick (7th son), created Duke of Cambridge; Nov 1801, Prince Augustus Frederick (6th son), created Duke of Sussex. The title Duke of Gloucester was held by George III's brother William Henry (created before 1762), and was passed on to his son, who died without issue (and was later revived by George V for his son Henry, as noted above).

The title Duke of York was also held by another of George III's brothers, Edward Augustus, and the Duke of Cumberland by his brother Henry Frederick, both of whom died without issue. (36) The Princess Royal is a lifetime title (i.e., not hereditary), bestowed only upon the eldest daughter of the Sovereign, but entirely at the Sovereign's discretion. The Queen created Princess Anne the Princess Royal in 1990. (37) Prince Philip was born a Prince of Greece and Denmark. However, that is not why he is called "Prince" today. He renounced his royal title when he became a British citizen in 1947 and took his family's British-adopted surname of Mountbatten. Then, "[t]he engagement of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten to Princess Elizabeth was announced in July 1947 and the marriage took place in Westminster Abbey on 20 November. Shortly before the wedding, the bridegroom was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich with the style of His Royal Highness and appointed a Knight of the Garter by the King." (38) I am pretty sure that it is his "style" of H.R.H.

which allows him to be called "Prince." The Queen's grandchildren, like all children of peers, take their titles from their fathers. Her grandchildren by her sons are princes and princesses. (39) But her grandchildren by her daughter -- and also the children of her sister, who are the grandchildren of George VI -- are not princes or princesses, but merely whatever titles are derived from the ranks of their fathers, and the fact that their mothers were daughters of monarchs ir irrelevant. In Princess Margaret's case, the Queen created her husband an earl, thus indirectly allowing her [the Queen's] nieces and nephews the titles and precedence of the children of an earl. But they don't derive any titular benefits by virtue of being a king's grandchildren. In Princess Anne's case, her children have no titles at all -- both because Anne has refused the titles her mother wished to bestow upon them, and because their father -- otherwise the source of their courtesy titles -- was a plain Mr.

They haven't been stripped of or denounced any titles, but the Queen will have to create new titles for them if they are to rise above the level of "Mr." and "Miss." Any hypothetical titles they would have by virtue of birth still derive only from their father's rank, not their mother's, even though she is the daughter of a reigning monarch! (Surely both Princess Anne's and Princess Margaret's children must take precedence above all others not more closely related to the monarch -- but my 1818 Peerage book's Table of Precedence does not include Sisters of the King, or Children of Sisters of the King, or Granddaughters of the King! Anyone with a definitive answer regarding the precedence of the Queen's nieces, nephews, and grandchildren by her daughter, please write to me!) There is more about royal titles in the section on dowagers . On to Life Peerages If you dispute a fact from these pages, please contact me , and if you can, provide a contradicting source. These pages are a work in progress and I expect them to change in the future, although what I present today is as accurate as I can make it.

Royal Titles Kingdoms and Monarchs of the World Emperor Comes from the Latin, "imperator," which was originally a military title. Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as "imperator." Augustus Caesar assumed the title and all subsequent Roman and Byzantine leaders. In Europe, Charlemagne became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800. Various countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, Ethiopia, and India, have used the title "emperor." In 1804 Napoleon was named emperor in 1804. Except for the phrase "Emperor of India," which was added to the British Monarch's title in 1877 and used until India became independent, Britain has not used the term. King, Queen The monarch outranks everyone else. In England, which generally gives precedent to males, the Queen nonetheless outranks her husband since she inherited the title. Queen Elizabeth's husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Men who are commoners, such as Antony Armstrong-Jones, who married Princess Margaret, typically receive a title as a courtesy. Armstrong-Jones was made the Earl of Snowdon.

Prince, Princess In England, a prince or princess are often children of the monarch, and therefore royalty, as opposed to nobility, but those holding the title can vary in rank. In France, a duke, or "duc" outranks a prince. In Russia and Austria, the title archduke is an indication of royal blood, and is used instead of prince. Duke, Duchess Originally all English dukes were of royal blood. When sons of kings came of age they were typically given the title duke. Now a duke is the highest of the five degrees of English nobility. Other noble titles, indicating one is a member of the hereditary peerage, are: marquess, earl (in France and elsewhere on the continent, "comte" or count), viscount, and baron. A baronet is not included among the peerage, but the title can be inherited. Below a baronet, is a knight, which is a title of honor rather aristocracy. While the hereditary rights of the British aristocracy have diminished over time, peers still retain the right to vote in the House Lords, the upper house of Parliament.

While titles can be inherited, the Life Peerages Act of 1958 permitted the creation of non-hereditary lifetime titles, whose holders, but not descendants, are entitled to vote in the House of Lords. ARISTOCRACY IN ENGLAND, Nobility, Peers, Peeresses, and other People Nobility Terms: duchy, dukedom, ducal. The Latin dux was a military title that might roughly translate to "field marshal". The historical kernel of in the stories of King Arthur probably refers to a dux bellorum in charge of the forces holding off the barbarian onslaught in early post-Roman Britain. The English kings introduced the French ducal structure into the British system, and it was initially a mostly royal title (as all new creations during the 20th century). In France especially after 1600, however, as well as in Britain, it has evolved into a mostly non-royal title. A duchy (or grand duchy) is the territory ruled by a duke (or grand duke) or the lands (and/or incomes) specifically attached to the ducal title. A dukedom is the title itself.

In the UK, there are properly only two duchies, those of Lancaster and Cornwall; these are essentially corporations holding properties that provide income for the Queen (who is "Duke" of Lancaster), and the Prince of Wales (who is also the Duke of Cornwall); as only these two dukedoms carry such special "attachments" with the title, duchies are thus a royal preserve. "Duke" is normally a very exalted title; however, when equating the dignity of some dukes, some insight is needed. For example, Ferdinand of the Two Sicilies created dukes in Naples almost by the gross, and these titles cannot be considered equal to dukes in the British or other continental systems. Terms: marquessate, margravate. This title glosses to "march lord", i.e. a noble in charge of the marches (the border regions) of a realm in distinction to other lords in more-settled lands. These were essentially warlords with broad powers and in this context, may be thought of as a "palatine" title. In earlier times, it was a rare title; it was later revived as a grade between count and duke.

As a senior title (about two-thirds of British dukes are also marquesses), it is not that common the United Kingdom, at least when compared to other countries (especially France where "petit marquis" was a term of derision). Terms: earldom, comital, countly. "Earl" is related to Old Norse "jarl", and is equivalent to "count", which itself comes from the Latin comes. This in turn is related to the English word "county", which pretty much explains what a count was: the principal figure of the county. William I of England regarded the Anglo-Saxon "earl" as a synonym for "count", and while this was not correct, it was a practical equivalency. Old English lacked a feminine and thus the French term was adopted for an earl's wife as well as for women who hold earldoms in their own right. Some will maintain that a British earl outranks any continental count. Compared to some other systems, especially those that incorporated the results of the often slapdash practices of older systems (e.g., Italy), there are proportionally fewer British earls than counts. Terms: viscountcy or viscounty.

This title is mostly confined to the United Kingdom and France, though it appears rarely in Italy and elsewhere. This is the leftover title, what the king bestowed on someone who was not important enough to merit being made a count. It's a rather late innovation. It originated in France, as the count's deputy, i.e, the "vice-count". Terms: barony, baronial, baronage. Barons were originally (in Britain) those who held their lands directly from the king. Not all British nobles have baronies and many viscounts, for example, do not. (--Louis Epstein) The majority of the nobility in Britain are just plain barons. In the UK, life peers are always barons or baronesses. Once, a baron was an important noble, especially before the Renaissance. It was the barons who brought King John to heel at Runnymede, and "robber-baron" has entered English as the term for one of the lords who collected "tolls" from Rhine river-traffic.

In olden times, when there was little differentiation in degree or rank between neighboring nobles, "baron" could signify any noble, large or small, a meaning with some currency today on the continent, roughly equivalent in meaning to "peer" or "lord" in the UK. The status of barons varies. It can be a very high title or something of little consequence. It is definitely a noble title, however, and needs to be clearly distinguished from "baronet". Terms: baronetcy, baronetage. This may be thought of as a hereditary knighthood. For convenience, it may also be thought of as a noble title, though there are those who would disagree, at least as used in the British system. A baronet is certainly not a peer; in the United Kingdom, baronets are not entitled to a seat in the House of Lords (unless, of course, they additionally hold a peerage). Since we have been using the British system to classify titles, these are placed here at the end, somewhere between-and-after the British sense of Baronet-as-a-knight and Baronet-as-petty-noble.

Britain Magazine | The official magazine of Visit Britain | Best of British History, Royal Family,Travel and Culture - British peerage Latest issue British peerage Duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron – which is the most highly ranked, where did the titles come from, and who are the ancestors of today’s peers? House of Lords © Alamy In the English nobility the oldest title is that of earl, dating back to Anglo-Saxon times. The ealdormen, later earls, were provincial governors appointed by the king – important and powerful people who oversaw their own regions and sat in judgement in provincial courts. They collected taxes on behalf of the king, and in return received a ‘third penny’, one-third of the money they collected. In wartime they led the king’s armies. Power struggles and intrigue were rife, however, and these earls were both support and threat to the monarch. Godwin, Earl of Wessex (an area then covering roughly the southernmost third of England), was one of the most dominant figures in the country.

During the power struggle following the death of King Cnut in 1035, it was Godwin who helped to decide the outcome by capturing or betraying Alfred Ætheling when he came to lay claim to the throne. Prince Alfred died shortly after at Ely. Later, Godwin’s son, who succeeded him as Earl of Wessex, became King Harold II. After King William I ‘the Conqueror’ took the throne he tried to rule England using the traditional Anglo-Saxon system of a few large earldoms, but it proved unworkable. New earls of smaller territories were created, such as those of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire; their power was deliberately limited in the same manner of Norman counts across the Channel. Before long shires became known as ‘counties’ and the earls no longer made judicial decisions. William I was more successful in promoting the feudal system in England, and his was a harsh rule. Under this system, which declared that all land was owned by the king, he announced ‘baron’ as a rank to mark out those men who had pledged their personal loyalty to him.

He granted them parcels of land ‘in chief of the king’, that is with the king as their immediate overlord, in return for performing an annual military service and attending the King’s Council. Alnwick Castle © Alamy At first all of these noblemen bore the title of baron, which is the one point that unites all members of the ancient baronage as peers or equals of one another. But before long the greater barons were parcelling out some of their land and manors amongst their followers in return for oaths of loyalty and military service. By the middle of the 12th century the practice had arisen of sending to each greater baron a personal summons demanding his attendance at the King’s Council, which evolved into the Parliament and later into the House of Lords. The Magna Carta of 1215 stated that the lesser barons of each county would receive a single summons as a group through the Sheriff, and they would elect representatives to attend on behalf of that group. These representatives developed into the Knights of the Shire, who themselves formed the precursor of the House of Commons.

Thus there appeared a definite distinction, which eventually had the effect of restricting to the greater barons alone the privileges and duties of peerage. Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376) © Alamy In 1337 Edward III created the first English dukedom by naming his eldest son, Edward, as Duke of Cornwall. Popularly known as ‘the Black Prince’ for the black battle armour he wore, he died one year before his father, becoming the first English Prince of Wales not to become king. Further dukedoms were created, mostly for the Plantagenet descendants of King Edward III. By the end of the 15th century 32 dukedoms had been created, of which only three survive: Cornwall, Lancaster, and Norfolk. The first two of these are also duchies: the Duchy of Cornwall is reserved as a title and source of income for the eldest son of the sovereign, and the Duchy of Lancaster is now held by the sovereign to fund his or her Privy Purse.

Following on from Edward III, King Richard II, son of the Black Prince, introduced the rank of Marquess in 1385, a version of the German ‘Margrave’. Perhaps the best-known of the marquesses today is Lord Bath, whose family seat is at Longleat in Wiltshire. Meanwhile, the title of viscount, originally a sheriff of a county and thus a deputy of a count or earl, was first used as a peer in 1440. Despite the best efforts of the Crown to prevent any subject from becoming over-mighty, several great landed families grew to increasing prominence. Their castles dominated the local surroundings and they were able to raise what were in effect private armies from their lands. The Percy family built Alnwick Castle (of present-day Hogwarts fame), the Cliffords Skipton Castle, the Beauchamps Warwick Castle, the Fitzalans Arundel Castle, the Berkeleys Berkeley Castle, and the Vernons Haddon Hall, all of which still stand and bear testament to the power of these medieval magnates. However the bloody feud between the Houses of Lancaster and York, known as the Wars of the Roses, proved fateful for many noble families.

After each battle the peers and their heirs who had fought on the losing side were comprehensively slaughtered. Hastings, 1066 © Alamy The Tudor period proved better for the English peerage. The enclosure by landlords of open fields and commons saw many ordinary labourers thrown off crop-growing land in favour of turning it to far more lucrative sheep rearing. Families such as the Spencers of Althorp in Northamptonshire, created Barons Spencer in 1603, profited from this, and the family rose to wealth and prominence. The late Princess Diana has been the most famous among their modern day descendants. Through the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII appropriated vast amounts of property, which he and his successor, Edward VI, could use to reward their favourites, the ‘new men’ of the Tudor court. For example, Sir John Russell was created Baron Russell in 1539: between 1540 and 1552 he obtained substantial grants from the Crown of properties formerly belonging to Tavistock, Woburn, St Albans, and Thorney Abbeys, and a certain convent in Long Acre, Middlesex.

He was created Earl of Bedford in 1550, and his descendants became Dukes of Bedford in 1694; they still live at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire. Other ‘court’ families did equally well out of the redistribution of monastic property. The Percys were able to build a southern home for themselves at Syon Abbey, near London, and the Cecil family, descendants of Queen Elizabeth I’s adviser Lord Burghley, split into two branches: the Earls of Exeter, later Marquesses of Exeter, lived at Burghley House near Stamford, Lincolnshire, and the Earls of Salisbury, later Marquesses of Salisbury, created the wonder that is Hatfield House just north of London. Both Scotland and Ireland each had their own peerages, completely distinct from the peerage of England and from each other. As the English peerage developed from the Anglo-Saxon ealdormen, so the Scottish peerage developed from the ‘mormaers’ or regional chiefs. Hatfield House @VisitBritain The first Scottish dukedom, Rothesay, was created in 1398 and has always been held by the eldest son of the sovereign.

There were no further creations in the Peerage of Scotland following the 1707 Act of Union. Between 1707 and 1963 the Scottish peers elected 16 representative peers to sit in the House of Lords at Westminster for one parliament. Under the Peerage Act 1963 all Scottish peers were given a seat in the House of Lords as of right. Both before and after the Union with Great Britain in 1801, Irish peerages were often used as a way of creating titles that did not grant a seat in the English House of Lords and so allowed the grantee (such as Clive of India) to sit in the House of Commons. As a consequence, many Irish peers had little or no connection to Ireland, and indeed the names of some Irish peerages refer to places in Great Britain (for example, the Earldoms of Mexborough and Ranfurly). Our present Queen’s coronation in 1953 was the last time, outside the annual State Opening of Parliament, that the peerage gathered en masse. But people were becoming increasingly uneasy about the automatic right of peers to sit in the Upper House.

Life peers, appointed by the government for life rather than on a hereditary basis (and not passed on to their children) were created by The Life Peerages Act of 1958. It was hoped that life peers would have some particular expertise that would be valuable to the House, and The Queen formally appoints them on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Warwick Castle © VisitBritain The process of change continued with the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed the centuries-old automatic right of every hereditary peer to sit in the House of Lords. Instead the remaining hereditary peers elect 90 of their number to sit in the House of Lords for life. The act granted the Duke of Norfolk, as hereditary Earl Marshal, and the Marquess of Cholmondeley, as hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain, seats in the House as well. The ranking of peers (in descending order duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron) has been fixed since Tudor times – and there is no easy explanation as to why they rank as they do, other than that the hierarchy evolved over centuries.

The courtesy titles allowed to the children of peers are a little confusing: younger sons of dukes and marquesses may put ‘Lord’ before their Christian name, daughters of dukes, marquesses and earls may put ‘Lady’, and the sons of earls and any child of a viscount or baron may put ‘Hon.’ (short for ‘the Honourable’). It is a moot point whether peers still have an important role in 21st-century Britain. Certainly a life peerage is a fitting cap to a life of public service for many individuals, but one advantage of the mostly abandoned hereditary system as regards the House of Lords is that it ensured a spread of age and experience there. One thing is certain though, the young royal peers (although they don’t sit in the House of Lords) are only growing in popularity, ensuring new generations of the British nobility and delighting fans around the world. Royal Titles Who's Who in a Monarchy A look at the aristocratic pecking order by David Johnson Emperor Comes from the Latin, "imperator," which was originally a military title.

Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as "imperator." Augustus Caesar assumed the title and all subsequent Roman and Byzantine leaders. In Europe, Charlemagne became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800. Various countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, Ethiopia, and India, have used the title "emperor." In 1804 Napoleon was named emperor in 1804. Except for the phrase "Emperor of India," which was added to the British Monarch's title in 1877 and used until India became independent, Britain has not used the term. King, Queen The monarch outranks everyone else. In England, which generally gives precedent to males, the Queen nonetheless outranks her husband since she inherited the title. Queen Elizabeth's husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Men who are commoners, such as Antony Armstrong-Jones, who married Princess Margaret, typically receive a title as a courtesy. Armstrong-Jones was made the Earl of Snowdon. Prince, Princess In England, a prince or princess are often children of the monarch, and therefore royalty, as opposed to nobility, but those holding the title can vary in rank.

In France, a duke, or "duc" outranks a prince. In Russia and Austria, the title archduke is an indication of royal blood, and is used instead of prince. Duke, Duchess Originally all English dukes were of royal blood. When sons of kings came of age they were typically given the title duke. Now a duke is the highest of the five degrees of English nobility. Other noble titles, indicating one is a member of the hereditary peerage, are: marquess, earl (in France and elsewhere on the continent, "comte" or count), viscount, and baron. A baronet is not included among the peerage, but the title can be inherited. Below a baronet, is a knight, which is a title of honor rather aristocracy. While the hereditary rights of the British aristocracy have diminished over time, peers still retain the right to vote in the House Lords, the upper house of Parliament. While titles can be inherited, the Life Peerages Act of 1958 permitted the creation of non-hereditary lifetime titles, whose holders, but not descendants, are entitled to vote in the House of Lords.

Order of English Noble Titles King, Queen Peerage Basics Peerage Basics For a quick intro, see John Hopfner's brief primer on titles . A peer of the realm is one who holds one (or more of five possible) title(s) of nobility and the estate(s) bestowed upon him or his direct ancestor by the monarch. Although other members of his family might be addressed by "Lord This" and "Lady That," none of them are peers; their titles are all courtesy titles , including his wife's (although she is usually called a "peeress") (1) . A duke or duchess is addressed as "Your Grace" by social inferiors, and as "Duke" or "Duchess" by social equals (1a) (unfortunately I have not been able to discover what exactly "social equal" means). All other peers and peeresses are called by "Lord" or "Lady" prefixed to the title, for example, Lord Spencer or Lady Thatcher. The five titles, in descending order of precedence, or rank, are: Marquess (or, in the French and Scottish spelling, Marquis) Earl Baronets and Knights are not peers.

As you'd expect from the ranking, dukes have always been the rarest British noble title. There have never been more than 40 non-royal dukedoms in being at any one time, and ordinarily there have been fewer than that. Today there are about 25 of them. (3) Barons, being the lowest rank of nobility, have usually been the most numerous of the five degrees. The next most numerous dignity has usually been that of Earl; Marquesses and Viscounts have always been comparatively less numerous, though not so rare as the dukes. In 1818, however, there were more earls than barons. There were 25 non-royal dukes, 31 marquesses, 212 earls, 69 viscounts, and 193 barons. These numbers include 21 peeresses in their own right : six countesses and 15 baronesses, but they do not include subsidiary titles (i.e., only the highest-ranking title held by the peer is counted). (4) Only a peer may be said to hold a title "in his/her own right." All other titles are courtesy titles (6) .

There are five types of peerages in Great Britain: peers of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom (7) . This makes a great difference in precedence , and in some cases, privilege . The higher the rank, the more likely it is that the peer holds several peerages , which may be distributed throughout the five peerages, depending upon their dates of creation. Historically, retired prime ministers have been granted a peerage, traditionally an earldom, and then serve in the House of Lords (8) . (Some of them had peerages before they became prime minister, so they would have been elevated.) Churchill was offered, and turned down, the Dukedom of Dover (9) . Anthony Eden was created Earl of Avon, (10) but he had no heirs. (11) Harold MacMillan was offered an earldom, but declined; (12) but later, on his 90th birthday, he was created Earl of Stockton. (13) Margaret Thatcher was granted a life peerage as a baroness.

(14) Women were not allowed a seat in the House of Lords, even if they held a peerage in their own right , until the 1963 Peerage Act granted them that right. (15) Nonetheless, before then they held all of the other privileges which attended their specific peerage, although often if the peerage carried with it some special office, the office would be fulfilled by the peeress's husband. (16) In addition, wives of peers enjoyed many of the privileges of peers, including a trial in the House of Lords rather than by jury. (17) The Most Stingy Monarch award goes to Elizabeth I, who created only eight peerages in the 54 years of her reign.

(18) James I invented the baronetcy , a hereditary knighthood (a "Sir" rather than a Lord, and not a peer), which he sold blatantly to fund his Irish wars; (19) Victoria used the baronetcy to reward persons (often those engaged in Trade) who deserved recognition but should not be cluttering up the House of Lords; in the Georgian era, Irish peerages were most often granted to Englishmen with no connection to Ireland, for much the same reason. (20) In our century, creation of titles has had less to do with the monarch and more to do with the prime minister. Some blatantly sold titles; others passed them out as a reward for serving the Party rather than the country. (21) More than half -- 125 -- of the hereditary baronies existent today were created during this century, most between the end of World War II and 1964, after which the government apparently abandoned hereditary peerages almost altogether in favor of the life peerages which may be created under the 1958 Act. A baronetcy is a dignity that passes down from generation to generation within a family, like a peerage.

But a baronet is not a peer; he does not sit in the House of Lords or enjoy the privileges of peers . (22) In the Table of Precedence , a baronet is below barons and above knights. (23) A baronet's style would be, for example, Sir Adolphus Ware of Rufford, Bart. This is distinct from a peer, who would be styled "Adolphus, Lord Sale" (if a baron, viscount, earl, or marquess) or "His Grace, the Duke of Sale." (24) (It is similar to the style of a knight, but unlike a knighthood can be inherited. I need a source on the knighthood.) Baronets and knights are not lords and are never addressed as "my lord"; however, their wives are called "Lady" prefixed to their surnames only, and can be called "my lady." (24a) There is always a distinction between the name of the peerage and the surname.

For almost all peerages above viscounts, they are different, but of course it's very easy to get them confused, especially since there are several exceptions: Peerage type Peerage Ranks | The Servants Hierarchy For Kuroshitsuji [ Black Butler ] The Servants Hierarchy For Kuroshitsuji [ Black Butler ] Peerage Ranks Decker4Life The peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles which is constituted by the ranks of British nobility. The term peerage is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of noble titles, and individually to refer to a specific title. The holder of a peerage is termed a peer. There are in fact five Peerages rather than one; The Peerage of England — all titles created by the Kings and Queens of England before the Act of union in 1707. The Peerage of Scotland — all titles created by the Kings and Queens of Scotland before 1707. The Peerage of Ireland — titles created for the Kingdom of Ireland before the Act of union 1801, and some titles created later.

The Peerage of Great Britain — titles created for the Kingdom of Great Birtian between 1707 and 1801. The Peerage of the United Kingdom — most titles created since 1801. Peers are of five ranks, in descending order of hierarchy; Duke & Duchess; A British nobleman / noblewoman holding the highest hereditary title outside the royal family, ranking immediately below a prince and above a marquis; a member of the highest rank of the British peerage. Marquess & Marchioness A nobleman ranking between a duke and an earl. The Marchioness is the wife of the Marquess also she is a woman that holds her own right equivalent to that of a Marquess. Earl & Countess A British nobleman is a rank below that of marquis and above that of Viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an Earl is a Countess a woman holding in her own right holds the rank equivalent to that of a Earl if their intitled to it. Viscount & Viscountess A nobleman next below an Earl and above a Baron. A Viscount could also be the son or younger brother to a Earl.

The wife or female equivalent is called a Viscountess holding her own right to the rank equivalent to a Viscount. Baron & Baroness A member of the lowest grade of nobility. The wife of a Baron is called a Baroness she does hold her own right to the rank equivalent to a Baron.

Question: What is the highest hereditary title in the British peerage?
Answer: Duke