Traditional ranks among European royalty, peers, and nobility are 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. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... 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. ...

Ranks and titles

• Sovereign:
  • Pope, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church and Vicar of God; the Pope is also the absolute ruler of the sovereign state The Vatican City
  • Emperor, rules¹ an empire
  • Tsar (or Czar) in Serbian, Bulgarian, Russian, and Croatian, derives from Caesar, i.e. Emperor; although in its origins the title was meant to claim the imperial dignity, in its Russian and Bulgarian usages, at least, it has in more recent times been seen as only equivalent to King
  • Khan (Mongol, or Turkic) rules a khanate (mainly Asian, but also existed in Mongol/Turkic territory in Russia, Ukraine, and the Crimea)
  • Caliph is an Islamic title indicating the successor to Muhammad, who is both a religious and a secular leader
  • Sultan, a Turkish title, rules¹ a sultanate
  • Emir, another Islamic title, rules an emirate
  • King, rules¹ a kingdom (sovereign kings are ranked above vassal kings)
  • Maharajah, ruling a kingdom (Nepal, India et cetera)
  • Grand Prince, a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities as the title for the highest level
  • Prince, Fürst in German, ruling¹ a principality
  • Grand Duke, ruling¹ a grand duchy

• Noble⁴:
  • Prince, Prinz in German; junior members of a sovereign or formerly sovereign family
  • Prince-elector, Kurfürst in German, electing the Holy Roman Emperor
  • Infante, title of the non-heir members of the royal families of Portugal and Spain
  • Archduke, ruling an archduchy; was generally only a sovereign rank when used by the rulers of Austria; was also used by the Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire for members of the imperial family
  • Duke, who rules¹ a duchy²
  • 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 Britain
  • Viscount (vice-count), theoretically the ruler of a viscounty or viscountcy
  • Freiherr, holder of an allodial barony -- these are "higher" level of barons
  • 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

• Aristocratic:
  • Baronet is generally an inheritable knighthood; often or usually not noble but ranking below Baron and above Knight
  • Vidame, a minor French aristocrat
  • Fidalgo, a minor Portuguese aristocrat
  • Seigneur or Knight of the Manor rules a smaller local fief
  • Knight is the basic rank of the aristocratic system
  • 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 Gentleman³[1]

1) 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) Although these ranks were most often only noble ones, most of these ranks were sometimes sovereign. This was especially the case for member states of the Holy Roman Empire.

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 would be 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 ranked higher than the regular nobility. Among the regular nobility, those whose titles derived from the Holy Roman Empire ranked higher than those whose titles were granted by one of the German princes after 1806, no matter what title was held. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... In Rome, the title of Supreme Pontiff (in Latin, Pontifex Maximus), belongs to the chief religious official of the city. ... “Catholic Church” redirects here. ... In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latin vicarius) is anyone acting as a substitute or agent for a superior (compare vicarious). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant. ... Anthem Inno e Marcia Pontificale(Italian) Hymn and Pontifical March Capital (and largest city) Vatican City1 Official languages Latin2 Government Absolute elective3 monarchy  -  Sovereign Benedict XVI  -  Governor Giovanni Lajolo Independence from the Kingdom of Italy   -  Lateran Treaty 11 February 1929  Area  -  Total 0. ... An emperorrefers to Nick Herringshaw, a title, empress may only indicate the wife of an emperor (empress consort. ... This article is about the political and historical term. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. ... This article is about the title. ... For main article see: Caliphate The Caliph (pronounced khaleef in Arabic) is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, or global Islamic nation. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic monarch ruling under the terms of shariah. ... Entrance to the emirs palace in Bukhara. ... Etymologically an emirate or amirate (Arabic: إمارة Imarah, plural: إمارات Imarat) is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir (prince, governor etc. ... For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... 1. ... The title Grand Prince (Latin, Magnus Princeps; German, Großfürst, Finnish Suuriruhtinas, Swedish Storfurste, Lithuanian Didysis kunigaikÅ¡tis, Russian Великий князь Velikii kniaz) ranks in honour below Emperor and Tsar but higher than a sovereign Prince (Fürst) or Royal Prince. ... The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ... Fürst (plural Fürsten) is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince; however this translation can be misleading, since a Fürst usually ranks below a Duke. ... A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ... The title of Grand Duke (Latin, Magnus Dux; German, Großherzog, Russian, Великий князь) used in Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic countries, is ranked in honour below King but higher than a sovereign Duke (Herzog) or Prince (Fürst). ... A grand duchy is a territory whose head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess. ... The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ... The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire — German: Kurfürst (singular) Kurfürsten (plural) — were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Emperors of Germany. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... In the Spanish and former Portuguese monarchies, Infante (masc. ... Look up Archduke in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. ... A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. ... This article is about a title of nobility. ... Margrave (Latin: marchio) is the English and French form (recorded since 1551) of the German title Markgraf (from Mark march and Graf count) and certain equivalent nobiliary (princely) titles in other languages. ... Marquis has many different meanings: The French spelling of the title known in English as Marquess and Margrave. ... Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka (boundary) and refer to a border region, e. ... Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka (boundary) and refer to a border region, e. ... Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka (boundary) and refer to a border region, e. ... Landgrave (Dutch landgraaf, German Landgraf; French landgrave; Latin comes magnus, comes patriae, comes provinciae, comes terrae, comes principalis, lantgravius) was a title (mostly) used in the Holy Roman Empire and later on by its former territories, comparable to a count, who had feudal duty directly to the Holy Roman Emperor. ... A count is a nobleman in most European countries, equivalent in rank to a British earl, whose wife is also still a countess (for lack of an Anglo-Saxon term). ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... A viscount is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl (in Britain) or a count (his continental equivalent). ... British Viscount Coronet This article is about a European nobility. ... British Viscount Coronet This article is about a European nobility. ... Freiherr (German for Free Lord) is a title of lower nobility in Germany, the Baltic states and Austria-Hungary, considered equal to the title Baron. ... Various rulers or governments of Europe, of Japan bestow or recognise the title of baron. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... Various rulers or governments of Europe, of Japan bestow or recognise the title of baron. ... For the brush-footed butterfly species, see Euthalia nais. ... Vidame, a French corruption of the official Latin term vicedominus (vice-lord), was a feudal title in France. ... Fidalgo Island is an island in Skagit County, Washington, located about two hours north of Seattle by automobile. ... Seigneur means, in French, lord. The term is often used in the Medieval system of Feudalism and Manorialism where it means the possessor of a seigneurie or fief. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... This article is about the title. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Squire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gentleman (disambiguation). ... 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). ... This article is about the title. ... For other uses, see Gentleman (disambiguation). ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... “Sovereign” redirects here. ... // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... Neuschwanstein Castle. ... Mediatized (from Mediatization) refers to a formerly souvereign non-eccelesiastic principality within the Holy Roman Empire that has has lost its immediate souvereignty (Reichsunmittelbarkeit = Imperial immediacy) within the Empire and been incorporated into another realm -- an event with wide application in Germany in 1803 (Reichsdeputationshauptschluss), following Napoleons victory over... Waldeck may mean the following: Locations the County, Principality, and Free State of Waldeck or Waldeck-Pyrmont in Germany, see Waldeck (state) the City of Waldeck in Waldeck-Frankenberg District, Hesse, Germany see Waldeck, Hesse the small municipality of Waldeck in Saale-Holzland District, Thuringia, Germany see Waldeck, Thuringia A... This article is about the medieval empire. ...

In Austria, nobility titles may no longer be used since 1918. [2]

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. Anthem Das Lied der Deutschen Germany during the Weimar period, with the Free State of Prussia (in blue) as the largest state Capital Berlin Language(s) German Government Republic President  - 1918-1925 Friedrich Ebert  - 1925-1933 Paul von Hindenburg Chancellor  - 1919 Philipp Scheidemann(first)  - 1933 Kurt von Schleicher (last) Legislature... Serene Highness (acronym HSH) – His Serene Highness or Her Serene Highness. ...

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. This page will detail the various styles used by royalty and nobility in Europe, in the final form arrived at in the nineteenth century. ...

An emperorrefers to Nick Herringshaw, a title, empress may only indicate the wife of an emperor (empress consort. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Latin word imperator was a title originally roughly equivalent to commander during the period of the Roman Republic. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... A Tsaritsa (Цари́ца), also called tsarina, czarina, or czaritsa, was the title of Tsars wife or a female autocratic ruler(monarch) of Russia or Bulgaria. ... The Latin word imperator was a title originally roughly equivalent to commander during the period of the Roman Republic. ... Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. ... A silver coin of the Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter. ... Look up rex in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The title of Grand Duke (Latin, Magnus Dux; German, Großherzog, Russian, Великий князь) used in Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic countries, is ranked in honour below King but higher than a sovereign Duke (Herzog) or Prince (Fürst). ... The title Grand Prince (Latin, Magnus Princeps; German, Großfürst, Finnish Suuriruhtinas, Swedish Storfurste, Lithuanian Didysis kunigaikÅ¡tis, Russian Великий князь Velikii kniaz) ranks in honour below Emperor and Tsar but higher than a sovereign Prince (Fürst) or Royal Prince. ... Look up Archduke in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The title of Archduke ( in German Erzherzog) was invented in the Privilegium Maius, a forgery initiated by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. ... The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire — German: Kurfürst (singular) Kurfürsten (plural) — were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Emperors of Germany. ... The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire — German: Kurfürst (  listen? - singular), Kurfürsten (plural) — were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Emperors of Germany. ... The term prince, from the Latin root princeps, is used for a member of the highest ranks of the aristocracy or the nobility. ... Fürst (plural Fürsten) is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince; however this translation can be misleading, since a Fürst usually ranks below a Duke. ... Kniaz’ or knyaz (князь in Russian and Ukrainian; cneaz in Romanian fem. ... The Latin word Princeps (plural: principes) means the first. This article is devoted to a number of specific historical meanings the word took, by far the most important of which follows first. ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. ... The Misspeling of Ducks ... This article is about a title of nobility. ... MARGRAVE is the English and French form of the German title Markgraf (from mark march + Graf) and certain equivalent nobiliary (princely) titles in other languages. ... A boyar (also spelled bojar, Romanian: ) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th century through the 17th century. ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... A count is a nobleman in most European countries, equivalent in rank to a British earl, whose wife is also still a countess (for lack of an Anglo-Saxon term). ... For other uses, see Graf (disambiguation). ... Jarl may refer to: Alternative word for the peerage dignity Earl Japan Amateur Radio League, the Amateur Radio association of Japan Jarl, a Norse title Jarl Wahlström, the 12th General of The Salvation Army Category: ... Comes (genitive: comitis) is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus (compare comitatenses), especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. ... A viscount is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl (in Britain) or a count (his continental equivalent). ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... For the brush-footed butterfly species, see Euthalia nais. ... Edler (Edler von), was until 1919 a title for the lower nobility in Austria-Hungary, as well as Germany. ... Herra means Lord in Finnish, and is now generally used in Finnish as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English titles Mister and Sir and also to gentleman. Written Herra Haloinen or Hra Haloinen, the plural is herrat. ... Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud or fee, often consisted of heritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a form of allegiance, originally often to give him the means to fulfill his military duties when called upon. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... The Finnish nobility (Aateli) was historically a privileged class in Finland, deriving from its period as party of Sweden. ... Herra [herrÉ‘] means Lord in Finnish, and is now generally used in Finnish as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English titles Mister and Sir and also to gentleman. In the Finnish Defence Forces, a superior is addressed with herra followed by the rank of the superior. ... An Equestrian (Latin eques, plural equites) was a member of one of the two upper social classes in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. ... The Partitions of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Polish: Rozbiór Polski or Rozbiory Polski; Lithuanian: Lietuvos-Lenkijos padalijimai, Belarusian: Падзелы Рэчы Паспалітай) took place in the 18th century and ended the existence of the sovereign Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... Offices in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth article presents the organizational structure and administrative system of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... StanisÅ‚aw Antoni Szczuka, a Polish nobleman Szlachta ( ) was the noble class in Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the two countries that later jointly formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... Graf is a German noble title equal in rank to a count or an earl. ... The Eduskunta in Finnish, or the Riksdag in Swedish, is the parliament of Finland. ... The parliament building from outside. ... In France of the ancien régime and the age of the French Revolution, the term First Estate (Fr. ... For other uses, see Squire (disambiguation). ... This article is about the title. ... A lord is a male who has power and authority. ... 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). ...

See also

• Styles and titles of peers in the United Kingdom
• Table of Ranks in the Russian Empire
• German comital titles
• Nobility
• Peerage
• Royal and noble styles

Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below. ... Table of Ranks (Табель о рангах; Tabel o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in military, government, and court of the Imperial Russia. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... For other uses, see Graf (disambiguation). ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... This page will detail the various styles used by royalty and nobility in Europe, in the final form arrived at in the nineteenth century. ...

References

1. Hereditary titles
2. Austrian law on noble titles

External links

• Unequal and Morganatic Marriages in German Law
• Noble, Princely, Royal, and Imperial Titles
• British noble titles
• Fake titles