The Peerage of France (French: Pairie de France) was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. It was abolished in 1789 during the French Revolution, but it reappeared after the Revolution. In 1830, hereditary peerage was abolished, but life-time peerage continued to exist until it was definitively abolished in 1848. The nobility (la noblesse) in France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and prerogatives (the first official list of these prerogatives was established relatively late, under Louis XI of France after 1440), including exemption from paying the taille (except for non... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a pivotal period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. ... 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (French: Pair de France) was held by the greatest and highest-ranking members of the French nobility. In that respect the French peerage was very different from the British peerage (to whom the term Barons, their lowest class, was applied in its generic sense), because the vast majority of French nobles of ranks from Baron to Duke were not Peers.^[1] The title of Peer of France was an extraordinary honour granted only to very few dukes or counts (including princes of the French church). The Peerage is a system of titles of United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ...

The French peerage was also imported into the Holy Land during the Crusades (see below). Terra Sancta sive Palæstina with Israelite tribal allotments shown. ... The Crusades were a series of military campaigns conducted in the name of Christendom[1] and usually sanctioned by the Pope. ...

The words "pair" and "pairie"

The French word pairie is the equivalent of the English peerage, in the sense of an individual title carrying the rank of Pair ('peer' in English), which derives from the Latin par 'equal', and signifies the members of an exclusive body of noblemen and prelates, considered to be the highest social order -not taking in account the dynasty- and even in a sense the 'equals' (though subjects and vassals) of the Monarch as he is seen as their primus inter pares. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office. ...

The main uses of the word refer to two historical traditions in the French kingdom, before and after Napoleon I's Premier Empire. The word also exists in a crusader imitation. Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from...

There is also an etymological theory that the (French and later English) word baron, via the Latin form baro, would also derive from the Latin par, which would fit its early sense, not as a title below comital ranks but used for the whole peerage. Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ...

Feudal period and Ancien Régime

In the Middle Ages, the dignity of peerage was conferred by the French king on certain of his preeminent vassals, both clerics and laymen. Louis VII (1137–80) is thought by some historians as the creator of the French peerage system.^[2] Peerage was attached to a specific episcopal see (in the case of the episcopal peerages) or a fief. Peerages attached to fiefs were transmissable or inheritable with the fief, and these fiefs are often designated as pairie-duché for duchies and pairie-comté for countships. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Look up vassal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Louis VII the Younger (French: Louis VII le Jeune) (1120 – September 18, 1180) was King of France from 1137 to 1180. ... A see (from the Latin word sedem, meaning seat) is the throne (cathedra) of a bishop. ... Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud or fee, consisted of heritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a vassal knights service (usually fealty, military service, and security). ...

By 1216 there were nine peers: the Archbishop of Reims (who had the distinction of crowning the king), the bishops of Langres, Beauvais, Châlons, and Noyon, the dukes of Normandy, Burgundy, and Guyenne (Aquitaine), and the count of Champagne. The presence of Normandy – held by the English crown by Angevin heritage – was theoretical, since in French eyes it had been forfeited to the crown in 1202. A few years later (before 1228) three peers were added to make the total 12: the Bishop of Laon and the counts of Flanders and Toulouse. The six prelates (all prince-(arch) bishops) took precedence over the six lay vassals. Events Prince Louis of France, the future King Louis VIII, invades England in the First Barons War Henry III becomes King of England. ... The Archdiocese of Reims was founded (as a diocese) around 250 by St. ... A mitre is used as a symbol of the bishops ministry. ... Categories: France geography stubs | Communes of Haute-Marne ... The Bishop of Beauvais-Noyons-Senlis is a suffragan of the Archbishop of Reims. ... Chalons or Châlons is the name or part of the name of several communes in France: Châlons, in the Isère département Châlons-en-Champagne, formerly Châlons-sur-Marne, in the Marne département Chalon-sur-Saône, in the Saône-et-Loire d... Noyon is a small but historic French city in the Oise département, Picardie, on the Oise Canal, approximately 60 miles north of Paris. ... The Duke of Normandy is a title held (or claimed) by various Norman, English, French and British rulers from the 10th century. ... The Duchy of Burgundy, today Bourgogne, has its origin in the small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Balds kingdom of West Franks. ... The persons who held the title of Duke of Aquitaine (French: Duc dAquitaine}, which became part of France in 1449 but was an independent duchy before that date, with the years they held it, were: // Kings and Dukes of Aquitaine Edward III claimed the title of King of France... The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne, France from 1022 to 1314. ... // Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ... Events The Sixth Crusade is launched by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, after delays due to sickness and an excommunication from Pope Gregory IX. Conrad IV of Germany becomes titular King of Jerusalem, with Frederick II as regent. ... Laon is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Aisne département. ... The counts of Flanders ruled over the county of Flanders from the 9th century. ... After the Visigothic Kings of Aquitaine (409 - 508), the Merovingian kings were kings and dukes in Aquitaine and dukes of Toulouse. ...

These twelve peerages are known as the "ancient peerage" (pairie ancienne), and the number twelve is sometimes said to have been chosen to mirror the 12 paladins (sometimes called pares "equals, i.e. peers") of Charlemagne in the Chanson de geste (parallels may also be seen with mythical Knights of the Table Round under King Arthur). So popular was this notion, that for a long time people thought peerage had originated in the reign of Charlemagne, who was considered the model king and shining example for knighthood and nobility. A paladin (alternatively paladine, also spelled palatine, or Latin palatinus, -i) is any of diverse officials found in numerous countries of medieval and early modern Europe. ... A portrait of Charlemagne by Albrecht Dürer that was painted several centuries after Charlemagnes death. ... The chansons de geste, Old French for songs of heroic deeds, are the epic poetry that appears at the dawn of French literature. ...

The dozen pairs played a role in the royal "sacre" (consecration), during liturgy of the coronation of the king (attested to as early as 1179), symbolically upholding his crown, and each original peer had a specific role, often with an attribute. This paralleled the arch-offices attached to the electorates, the even more prestigious (and powerful) first college in the Holy Roman Empire, the other heir of Charlemagne's Frankish empire. The twelve original peers were divided in two classes (6 clerical peers hierarchically above the 6 lay peers), which were themselves divided in two (3 dukes above 3 counts): In politics, an electorate is the group of people entitled to vote in an election. ... The Holy Roman Empire and from the 16th century on also The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation was a political conglomeration of lands in Central Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period. ...

• the archbishop-duke (French archevêque-duc) of Reims (anoints, crowns)
• the bishop-duke (évêque-duc) of Laon (bears the Sainte Ampoule containing the sacred ointment)
• the bishop-duke of Langres (the only of the five suffragans not in the Reims province, which includes the rich, northern Champagne and Picardy regions; bears the sceptre)
• the bishop-count (évêque-comte) of Beauvais (bears the royal mantle)
• the bishop-count of Châlons (bears the royal ring)
• the bishop-count of Noyon (bears the belt)
• the duke of Burgundy (Bourgogne in French; bears the crown and fastens the belt; established as dean of the lay peers)
• the duke of Normandy (Normandie; holds the first square banner)
• the duke of Aquitain (Aquitaine, or after its refouding Guyenne; holds the second square banner)
• the count of Toulouse (carries the spurs)
• the count of Flandres (carries the sword)
• the count of Champagne (holds the royal standard)

Early in the 13th century Normandy was absorbed by the French crown, and later in the 13th century two more of the lay peerages were absorbed by the crown, so that in 1297 three new peerages were created (Artois, Anjou and Bretagne) to compensate for the three peerages that had disappeared. Thus, beginning in 1297 the practice started of creating new peerages by letters patent, specifying the fief to which the peerage was attached, and the conditions under which the fief could be transmitted (e.g. only male heirs) for princes of the blood who held an apanage – by 1328 all apanagists would be peers. Reims (English traditionally Rheims) (pronounced in French) is a city of northern France, 144 km (89 miles) east-northeast of Paris. ... Laon is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Aisne département. ... Categories: France geography stubs | Communes of Haute-Marne ... Beauvais is a town and commune of northern France, préfecture (capital) of the Oise département. ... Chalons or Châlons is the name or part of the name of several communes in France: Châlons, in the Isère département Châlons-en-Champagne, formerly Châlons-sur-Marne, in the Marne département Chalon-sur-Saône, in the Saône-et-Loire d... Noyon is a small but historic French city in the Oise département, Picardie, on the Oise Canal, approximately 60 miles north of Paris. ... The Duchy of Burgundy, today Bourgogne, has its origin in the small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Balds kingdom of West Franks. ... The Duke of Normandy is a title held (or claimed) by various Norman, English, French and British rulers from the 10th century. ... The Duke of Aquitaine (French: Duc dAquitaine} ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of the Frankish and later the French Kings. ... After the Visigothic Kings of Aquitaine (409 - 508), the Merovingian kings were kings and dukes in Aquitaine and dukes of Toulouse. ... The counts of Flanders ruled over the county of Flanders from the 9th century. ... The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne, France from 1022 to 1314. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Events 8 January - Monaco gains independence. ... Artois is a former province of northern France. ... Anjou is a former county (c. ... Location Administration Capital Rennes Regional President Jean-Yves Le Drian (PS) (since 2004) Départements Côtes-dArmor Ille-et-Vilaine Morbihan Finistère Arrondissements 15 Cantons 201 Communes 1,268 Statistics Land area1 27,209 km² Population (Ranked 7th)  - January 1, 2005 est. ... Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an office, a right, monopoly, title, or status to someone or some entity such as... The system of appanage has greatly influenced the territorial construction of France and explains the flag of many provinces of France. ...

The number of lay peerages increased over time from seven in 1297 to 26 in 1400, 21 in 1505, 24 in 1588. By 1789, there were 43, including five held by princes of the blood (Orléans, Condé, Bourbon, Enghien, Conti), a legitimized prince (Penthièvre), and 37 other peers, ranking from Uzès (duchy created in 1572) to Aubigny (created in 1787). One family could hold several peerages; the minimum age was 25. The majority of new peerages created up until the fifteenth century were for royal princes, while new peerages from the sixteenth century on were increasingly created for non royals. After 1569 no more countships were made into peers, and peerage was exclusively given to duchies (duc et pair); occasionally the Parlement refused to register the "lettres patentes" conferring peerage on them. Uzès is a picturesque town and commune in the Gard département, Languedoc, France, located about 15 miles north-northeast of Nîmes. ...

Apart from the coronation of French kings, the privileges of peers were largely matters of precedence, the titles Monseigneur, Votre Grandeur and the address mon cousin ("my cousin", suggesting parentage to the royal family, or at least equivalence) by the King, and a priviligium fori (judicial proceedings concerning the peers and their pairie-fiefs were exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Court of Peers). Members of the peerage had the right to sit in a "lit de justice" (a formal preceding) and speak before the Parlement of Paris, and they were also given high positions in the court, and a few minor privileges such as entering the courtyards of royal castles in their carriages. Monseigneur is an honorific in the French language. ... In France under the Ancien Régime, the Bed of Justice (Lit de justice) was a particular formal session of the Parlement of Paris, under the presidency of the king, for the compulsory registration of the royal edicts. ... Parlements (pronounced in French) in ancien régime France — contrary to what their name would suggest to the modern reader — were not democratic or political institutions, but law courts . ...

While many lay peerages became extinguished over time, as explained above, the ecclesiastical peerages, on the other hand, were "immortal", and only a seventh one was created before the French Revolution, taking precedence behind the six original ones, being created in 1690 for the archbishop of Paris (after centuries as a mere suffraganage), styled as second archevêque-duc for he held the duchy of Saint-Cloud.

The expression pair was also sometimes used for groups of nobles within a French fief, e.g. the Prince-bishop of Cambrai, who held the countship of Cambrésis, was the overlord of its twelve pairs. These peers however did not benefit from the royal privileges listed above.

Revolutionary and Napoleonic period

The original peerage of the French realm, like other feudal titles of nobility, was abolished during the French Revolution, on the night of August 4, 1789, the Night of the Abolition of Feudalism. The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a pivotal period in the history of French, European and Western civilization. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The French Revolution was a period in the history of France covering the years 1789 to 1799, in which republicans overthrew the Bourbon monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church perforce underwent radical restructuring. ...

Napoleon I Bonaparte (Emperor of the French since 1804) 'reinvented' the functions of the anciennes pairies, so to speak, as he created in 1806 the exclusive duchés grand-fiefs (in chief of politically insignificant estates in non-annexed parts of Italy) in 1806 and first recreated the honorary functions at (his own) imperial coronation, but now vested in Great officers, not attached to fiefs. Napoleon I of France, by Jacques-Louis David. ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...

He later reinstituted French noble titles in 1808, but did not create a system of peerages comparable to the United Kingdom. He would on paper create a House of Peers on his return from Elba in 1815), but since he had to abdicate again after 100 days (Cent jours), this remained without effect.

The Chamber of Peers

The French peerage was recreated by the Charter of 1814 with the Bourbon Restoration, albeit on a different basis than before 1789. A new Chamber of Peers (French: Chambre des pairs) was created, on the model of the British House of Lords. The French Charter of 1814 was a constitution granted by King Louis XVIII of France shortly after his restoration. ... Following the ousting of Napoleon I of France in 1814, the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

This chamber acted as a Upper House, like the House of Lords in the United Kingdom. Members of the Chamber of Peers were appointed by the king, without limit on their numbers, starting with 154, including all surviving pre-Revolution lay peerages (except the British-held duchy of Aubigny) and (only) three ecclesiastical peerages: Reims, Langres and Châlon. Thirteen peers, however, were also prelates. Peerage was for life or hereditary, granted at the king's will. Male members of the royal family and descendants in male line of previous kings (princes du sang) were members by birth (pairs-nés), but needed explicit permission from the king to sit at each session of the Chamber of Peers. An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. ... Ducs dAubigny have had their origins in Aubigny-sur-Nère from the 15th century, which was an important honour throughout the Auld Alliance and Ancien Régime. ... Look up prelate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

At first it comprised only hereditary peers, but following the July Revolution of 1830, it became a body to which one was appointed for life. In 1848, following the Revolution of 1848, the Chamber of Peers was disbanded and the Peerage of France was definitely abolished. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Panthéon, Paris|Panthéon]] behind), Paris, June 1848. ...

Crusader pairs

In the kingdom of Jerusalem, the only crusader state ranking as equal in title to such kingdoms as France (where most of its knight originated from) and England, there also was a peerage on the French model, using French language. Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ... The Crusader states, c. ...

See also

• French nobility
• List of French peerages

The nobility (la noblesse) in France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period had specific legal and financial rights and prerogatives (the first official list of these prerogatives was established relatively late, under Louis XI of France after 1440), including exemption from paying the taille (except for non... For an explanation of the French peerage, see the article Peerage of France. ...

Sources and references

• Heraldica.org on the French peerages by François Velde
• Richard A. Jackson, "Peers of France and Princes of the Blood", French Historial Studies, volume 7, number 1 (Spring 1971), pp. 27–46
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

--- Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...