The pages of any English novel about bygone days are full of "sirs", "lords", "princes" and "counts", although these persons made up only a small layer of the whole English society - the English nobility. In this social stratum, everyone was subordinated to a rigid hierarchy that needed to be known and respected so as not to be at the center of the scandal.
Title systems
The system of noble ranks in the UK was called "peerage." The whole society is divided into "peers" and "everyone else." Peers are the English who have a title, and other people (without high ranks) are considered commoners by default. Most of the English aristocracy also belonged to "everyone else, " because peers are nobility.
All honors for the British aristocracy in accordance with the title come from the sovereign, who is called the source of honor. This is the head of state, the head of the Catholic Church or a dynasty that previously ruled, but was overthrown by force, who have the exclusive right to appropriate titles to other persons. In the United Kingdom, such a source of honor is the king or queen.
The list of English titles is fundamentally different from the continental ones. The English unspoken tradition considers a commoner any person who is not a peer, a sovereign and does not have a title. In England (but not in Scotland, where the legal system is as close to continental as possible), peer family members can be considered commoners, although, from the point of view of law and common sense, they still belong to the younger nobility. That is, not the whole family is ranked among the nobility, as in the continental and Scottish traditions, but individuals.
Components of peerage
English titles apply to all created by the kings and queens of England until 1707, when the Unification Act was passed. The peerdom of Scotland (all titles until 1707), the peerry of Ireland (before 1800, and additionally some later titles), the peer of Great Britain (all titles created between 1701 and 1801) stand out separately. Most of the English titles created after 1801 relate to peery of the United Kingdom.
After the conclusion of the Unification Act with Scotland, an agreement appeared, according to which all Scottish peers got the opportunity to sit in the House of Lords and elect sixteen representatives. Elections ceased in 1963, when all peers were given the right to sit in parliament. The same situation happened with Ireland: since 1801, Ireland was allowed to have twenty-nine representatives, but the elections were canceled in 1922.
History reference
Modern English titles lead the story from the conquest of England by the illegitimate William the Conqueror, one of Europe's largest politicians of the eleventh century. He divided the country into “manors” (lands), the owners of which were called barons. Those who owned many lands at once called the "great barons." Sheriffs convened smaller barons to the royal councils; larger ones were invited individually by the sovereign.
In the middle of the thirteenth century, the younger barons ceased to convene, and the large formed a government body, which was the forerunner of the House of Lords. The crown was inherited, so it would be normal for seats in the House of Lords to be inherited. So by the beginning of the fourteenth century, the inheritance rights of holders of English titles had expanded significantly.
Lifelong peers were often created earlier, but such a measure was not introduced by law only in 1876, when the Act of Appeal Jurisdiction was adopted. The baron and counts date back to feudal times, perhaps even to the era of the Anglo-Saxons. The ranks of the Marquis and the Duke were first introduced in the fourteenth century; the Viscounts appeared in the fifteenth.
Title creation time hierarchy
Throughout the existing hierarchy, the old ranks are considered higher. The title is also decisive. English titles are considered higher, followed by Scottish and Irish. So, an Irish count with a title created before 1707 is lower than an English count. The Irish Earl will be higher in title than the Earl of Great Britain with a title awarded after 1707.
Royals and monarch
At the top is the family of the ruling monarch, in which there is a hierarchy of its own. The ruling monarch and a group of his close relatives enter the British royal family directly. Family members are the queen, his spouse, the widowed spouse of the monarch, the children and grandchildren of the king or queen on the male line, the spouses or widowed spouses of the heirs of the king or queen on the male line.
Today's Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain has ruled for more than half a century. She became queen on February 6, 1952. On this day, the twenty-five-year-old daughter of George VI, upset, but not losing her composure in public, ascended the throne. The full title of the Queen of England consists of twenty-three words. After ascending the throne, the spouses Elizabeth II and Philip were awarded the titles of Her and His Royal Majesty, Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Hierarchy of titles by importance
Further, the English titles in order are as follows:
- Duke and Duchess. This title began to be awarded in 1337. The word "duke" comes from the Latin "leader." This is the highest noble title after the monarch. The dukes rule the duchies and make up the second rank after the princes of the family of the ruling monarch.
- Marquise and Marquise. Titles were first awarded in 1385. The marquise in the hierarchy lies between the duke and the count. The name comes from the designation of certain territories (French “mark” means border territory). In addition to the marquises, the title is conferred on the sons and daughters of the dukes and duchesses.
- Count and Countess. Titles were used from 800-1000 years. These members of the English nobility previously ran their own counties, tried cases in the courts, and collected taxes and fines from the local population. The daughter of the Marquis, the eldest son of the Marquis, the youngest son of the Duke, was awarded their own county.
- Viscount and Viscountess. The title was first awarded in 1440. The title of “deputy count” (from Latin) was assigned to the eldest son of the count during the life of his father and the youngest sons of the marquis as a courtesy title.
- Baron and Baroness. One of the oldest titles - the first barons and baronesses appeared in 1066. The name comes from "free master" in Old German. This is the lowest rank in the hierarchy. The English title was awarded to the owners of the feudal baronies, the youngest son of the count, the sons of the Viscounts and Barons.
- Baronet. The title is inherited, but the baronet does not belong to the titled persons, does not have a female version. Baronets do not enjoy the privileges of the nobility. The title is given to the eldest children of the younger sons of various peers, the sons of baronets.
English titles in ascending order and the rules of court etiquette are known to all representatives of the nobility. The system has developed a long time ago and is still operational. English titles of the 20th century do not differ from modern ones; new titles are also not going to be introduced yet.
Appeal to the representatives of the nobility
The generally accepted appeal to the ruling monarch is the combination "Your Majesty." Dukes and duchesses are called "Your Grace" along with the use of the title. The rest of the titled persons are addressed by “lord” or “lady”, a rank appeal can be used. In the system of English titles since the 19th century, lords began to be called not only large landowners, as it was before, but also owners of significant capital. Untitled persons (including baronets) are referred to with the words “sir” or “lady”.
Titles Privileges
Earlier, the privileges of titled persons were very significant, but today there are still quite few exclusive rights. Counts, marquises, dukes, barons and others have the right to sit in parliament, to receive personal access to the ruling monarch (this right, by the way, has not been used for quite some time), and not to be arrested (the right has been used twice since 1945). All peers have special crowns that are used for meetings in the House of Lords and coronations.
