A royal or noble court, as an instrument of government broader than a court of justice, comprises an extended household centered on a patron whose rule may govern law or be governed by it. A regent or viceroy may hold court during the minority or absence of a hereditary ruler, and even an elected head of state may develop a court-like entourage of unofficial, personally-chosen advisors and "companions", a position first raised to semi-official status in the entourage of Alexander the Great, based on Persian conventions (Fox 1973). The English and French "companion" connotes a "sharer of the bread" at table, and indeed the court is an extension of the great individual's household; wherever members of the household and bureaucrats of the administration overlap in personnel, it is sensible to speak of a "court", whether in Achaemenid Persia, Ming China, Norman Sicily, the Papacy before 1870 (see Curia) or the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A group of individuals dependent on the patronage of a great man, classically in ancient Rome, forms part of the system of "clientage" that is discussed under vassal. A court is an official, public forum which a sovereign establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ... Aphorism Critical legal studies Jurisprudence Law (principle) Legal research Legal code Natural justice Natural law Philosophy of law Religious law External links Find more information on Law by searching one of Wikipedias sibling projects: Wikibooks Wikiversity has more about this subject: School of Law The Australian Institute of Comparative... // High public office A regent, from the Latin regens who reigns is anyone who acts of head of state, especially if not the Monarch (who has higher titles). ... A viceroy is somebody who governs a country or province as a substitute for the monarch. ... The President of the Philippines meets with the President of the United States. ... Look up Entourage on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Entourage can mean: Microsoft Entourage, an email client Entourage, the topology term Entourage, the television series This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Golden Rhyton from Irans Achaemenid period. ... The Ming Dynasty (Chinese: 明朝; Pinyin: míng cháo) was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, though claims to the Ming throne (now collectively called the Southern Ming) survived until 1662. ... Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Roman Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ... Official languages Latin, German, Hungarian Established church Roman Catholic Capital & Largest City Vienna pop. ... A vassal or liege, in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of medieval Europe, is one who enters into mutual obligations with a lord, usually of military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain guarantees, which came to include the terrain held as a fief. ...

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, a true court culture can be recognized in the entourage of the Ostrogoth Theodoric the Great and in the court of Charlemagne. In the Roman East, a brilliant court continued to surround the Byzantine emperors. Tomb of Theodoric in Ravenna Theodoric the Great (454 - August 30, 526), known to the Romans as Flavius Theodoricus, was king of the East Goths, the Ostrogoths (488-526), ruler of Italy (493-526), and regent of the Visigoths (511-526). ... Charlemagne (ca. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ...

In Western Europe, consolidation of power of local magnates and of kings in fixed administrative centres from the mid-13th century led to the creation of a distinct court culture that was the centre of intellectual and artistic patronage rivalling the abbots and bishops, in addition to its role as the apex of a rudimentary political bureaucracy that rivalled the courts of counts and dukes. The dynamics of hierarchy welded the court cultures together. Abbots coat of arms The word abbot, meaning father, has been used as a Christian clerical title in various, mainly monastic, meanings. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... A hierarchy (in Greek: Ιεραρχία, it is derived from ιερός-hieros, sacred, and άρχω-arkho, rule) is a system of ranking and organizing things or people. ...

Local courts proliferated in the splintered polities of mediaeval Europe and remained in early modern times in Germany and in Italy. Such courts became known for intrigue and power politics, some also gained prominence as centres and collective patrons of art and culture. A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... The early modern period is a term used by historians to refer to the period in Western Europe and its first colonies, that spans the time between the Middle Ages and the Industrial Revolution that has created modern society. ... Sociologists usually define power as the ability to impose ones will on others, even if those others resist in some way. ... Resources ArtLex. ... Look up Culture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has news related to this article: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin...

As political executive functions generally moved to more democratic bases, noble courts have seen their function reduced once more to that of a noble household, concentrating on personal service to the household head, ceremonial and perhaps some residual politico-advisory functions. If republican zeal has banished an area's erstwhile ruling nobility, courts may survive in exile. Democracy in its ideal sense is the notion that the people should have the right to choose the government officials of their choice and those chosen should serve the people, not the interests of those who have the monetary means to bend the laws. ... The household is the basic unit of analysis in many microeconomic and government models. ... A ceremony is an activity, infused with ritual significance, performed on a certain occasion. ... In a broad definition, a republic is a state whose political organization rests on the principle that the citizens or electorate constitute the ultimate root of legitimacy and sovereignty. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Exile is a form of punishment. ...

Individual rulers differed greatly in tastes and interests, as well as in political skills and in constitutional situations. Accordingly, some founded elaborate courts based on new palaces, only to have their successors retreat to remote castles or to practical administrative centres. Personal retreats might arise far away from official court centres. The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... Neuschwanstein, Germany A castle (from the Latin castellum, diminutive of castra, a military camp, in turn the plural of castrum or watchpost), is a fort, a camp and the logical development of a fortified enclosure. ...

Etiquette and hierarchy flourish in highly-structured court settings and may leave conservative traces over generations. Etiquette is the code that governs the expectations of social behavior, the conventional norm. ... A hierarchy (in Greek: Ιεραρχία, it is derived from ιερός-hieros, sacred, and άρχω-arkho, rule) is a system of ranking and organizing things or people. ...

Court officials

Court officials or office-bearers derived their positions and retained their titles from their original duties within the courtly household. With time such duties often became archaic, but titles survived involving the ghosts of arcane duties, generally dating back to the days when a noble household had practical and mundane concerns as well as high politics and culture. Such court appointments each have their own histories. They include:

• Butler
• Chamberlain
• Chancellor
• Cofferer
• Constable
• Cup-bearer
• Dapifer
• Doorward
• Falconer
• Fool
• Gentleman of the Bedchamber
• Lady-in-waiting
• Maid of Honour
• Majordomo
• Marshal
• Panifer
• Panter or pantler
• Seneschal
• Standard bearer
• Steward
• Usher

For other uses see Butler (disambiguation) The butler is a senior servant in a large household. ... A Chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign. ... Chancellor (Latin: cancellarius), an official title used by most of the peoples whose civilization has arisen directly or indirectly out of the Roman empire. ... A Constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly that of law-enforcement. ... Falconer can refer to the following: A falconer is someone skilled in the art of Falconry. ... Lady in Waiting is an album by American southern rock band The Outlaws, released in 1976. ... The Maid of Honor (British English: bridesmaid) attends the bride at a wedding or marriage ceremony. ... A majordomo is the head (major) person of a domestic staff (domo), one who acts on behalf of a usually absent owner of a typically large residence. ... Marshal (also spelled Marshall) is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. ... In a noble court or household, the office of panter or pantler originated with the person entrusted with the supply of bread and later involved oversight over the pantry. ... A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. ... The terms steward or stewardess can refer to a number of different professional roles. ...

Former seats of courts

Because the German word hof, meaning an enclosed "court"yard, a word that can also apply to a rural farmstead with outbuildings and walling forming an enclosed perimeter, can be commonly applied in Germany to to the palatial seat where the court centered round a person of power was sited, hof or "court" can become transferred to the empty building itself. For example, though the grand residence Hampton Court on the Thames above London has been a palace, where Thomas Wolsey held court as bishop and as cardinal and where William and Mary held court, 1689–94—and though it is built round two main courts—the structure itself, however, is no longer the seat of a court in the sense of this article. The clock tower straddles the entrance between the inner and outer courts Hampton Court Palace is a former royal place on the north bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames about 12 miles (19 km) southwest and upstream of Central London, nowadays open to... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,421,328 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, PC (circa 1475 – November 29, 1530), born Thomas Wulcy in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, was an English statesman and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. ... William III of England (14 November 1650–8 March 1702; also known as William II of Scotland and William III of Orange) was a Dutch aristocrat and a Protestant Prince of Orange from his birth, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots...

As an example, ambassadors to the United Kingdom are still accredited to the Court of St. James's, and courtiers of the monarchy still have offices in St James' Palace, London. The present monarch, however, holds court at Buckingham Palace, where dignitaries are received. The Court of St Jamess is the popular name of the royal court of the United Kingdom. ... Main entrance of St. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ...

Some former seats of power:

• Alhambra
• The Forbidden City in Beijing
• Château de Versailles in France
• Sanssouci in Potsdam
• The Vatican in the Papal States
• Urbino in the Romagna

The Alhambra The Alhambra (Red Castle) (in Arabic الحمراء) is an ancient palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain, occupying a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. ... The Forbidden City or Forbidden Palace (Chinese: 紫禁城; pinyin: ; literally Purple Forbidden City), located at the exact center of the ancient city of Beijing, was the imperial palace during the mid-Ming and the Qing dynasties. ... ▶(?) (Chinese: 北京; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Pei-ching; Postal System Pinyin: Peking) is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Versailles: Louis Le Vau opened up the interior court to create the expansive entrance cour dhonneur, later copied all over Europe Monument of Louis XIV in the cour dhonneur The Château de Versailles —or simply Versailles— is a royal château, outside the gates of which... Sanssouci Sanssouci (French without cares) is the Palace and surrounding Park built in Potsdam, Germany by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. ... (This article is about the German city of Potsdam. ... The Papal States (Gli Stati della Chiesa or Stati Pontificii, States of the Church) was one of the major historical states of Italy before the boot-shaped peninsula was unified under the Piedmontese crown of Savoy (later a republic). ... Panorama of Urbino with the cathedral and the palazzo ducale Urbino is a city in the Marche in Italy, southwest of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site with a great cultural history during the Renaissance as the seat of Federico da Montefeltro. ... Emilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. ...

External link

• "Court culture: representations of intimacy": division between Hall and Chamber in late medieval noble and royal households

Further reading

• Adamson, J. The Princely Courts of Europe, 1500–1750. 1999.
• Birke, A., and R. Asch (eds.), Courts, Patronage and the Nobility at the Beginning of the Modern Period, 1450–1650. 1991.
• Dickens, A.G. (ed.), The Courts of Europe: Politics, Patronage and Royalty, 1400–1800. 1977. Emphasis on patronage.
• Elias, Norbert, The Court Society (Die höfische Gesellschaft) 1983 (in German 1969). Sociology of the court.
• Duindam, J. Myths of Power: Norbert Elias and the Early-Modern European Court 1994. Critique of Elias.
• Fox, Robin Lane, Alexander the Great. 1973. The "companions".
• bibliographies/fhs-fs-court_culture.pdf Oxford University bibliography of Early Modern courts, structure and patronage, 2002