Noble titles in France: description, history and hierarchy

On the territory of France from the Middle Ages and until 1871 there was a unified system, according to which the feudal lords were divided into several categories. Noble titles and their hierarchy are of great interest today. And this is not surprising, since representatives of the aristocracy and their offspring are constantly the object of close attention of the press along with the stars of show business and well-known politicians.

Hierarchy

The head of the medieval French state was the king. On the next level of the hierarchical ladder there were suzerains - dukes and large graphs, who were the supreme rulers of a particular area. At the same time, their power in the lands was almost equal to the royal one. Next came the owners of domains, beneficiaries or allotments issued for the service, and fiefs granted for service and inherited. These noblemen had different titles. It is interesting that any feudal lord could be a suzerain, a domain owner and a beneficiary at the same time.

Le Roi (King)

As already mentioned, this is the highest aristocratic title of medieval France. In different periods, its owners were endowed with more or less power. The highest power of the French kings possessed in the era of absolutism, especially during the reign of Louis the Fourteenth.

Le Duce (Duke)

This is the highest not crowned title in the French kingdom, which was translated into Russian as "duke". It is believed that he originally designated the leader of the tribe and originated in the days of the Carolingians, when the French, Italians and Germans were subjects of one king. During the formation and expansion of the Frankish state, the German dukes became officials of the king, they were subordinated to graphs - rulers of individual regions.

Le Marquis (marquises)

These noble titles in France arose under Charles the Great. Their name comes from the name of the border administrative unit - the brand. This is due to the fact that the Marquis was a royal governor in the region.

Le Comte (Earl)

This was the name of the royal servant, who had the authority to manage a certain territory and exercise the functions of the judiciary. He was the next after the Marquis in the hierarchy of noble titles and almost alone, except for some questions, ruled his county. By the way, from the word comte there was a name "komtur", denoting the post in the spiritual and knightly orders.

Le Vicomte (Viscount)

Noble titles in France were inherited. In different epochs for this different rules acted. For example, the title of viscount, which in the early period was designated as the deputy count, was later worn by younger male heirs of the marquises and counts, as well as their descendants.

Le Baron (Baron)

Noble titles in France were quite numerous. Their hierarchy included the step of the baron. So called the feudal lords possessing their own domain, who, being vassals directly to the king, themselves were sovereigns of their own subjects. In France, this title was one of the most common.

Le Chevalier (Chevalier)

Noble titles in France were among those representatives of this class who did not have their own domains. It was they who joined the ranks of the army and constituted the greater part of chivalry. The very word "Chevalier" means a heavily armed rider. In the countries of Western Europe , knight initiation originally meant taking up military service for his suzerain. For loyalty the Chevalier received from the master hereditary fief and life-long benefices.

Monsieur De

The youngest noble title in France of the old order is equier (ecuy). They designated the squire, and in literal translation, it meant "dressing." In addition, the so-called personally independent noble children, who had no opportunity to outfit and equip themselves. The service of the squire was the only opportunity for the Chevalier to win the right to own a fief or benefice. However, part of the squires for one reason or another did not achieve what was desired and remained simply Monsieur de (name). Over time, this estate merged with the Chevalier.

Inheritance of title

In France in the Middle Ages, the primogeniture was placed at the forefront. This meant that the title was inherited by the eldest son of its owner. In this case, daughters born before the appearance of a boy in the family were deprived of this right.

While his father was alive, the son received the so-called courtesy title lower in rank than the parent's. For example, the heir to the duke became a marquis. At the same time, when the position of a particular nobleman in the hierarchy of the French aristocracy was considered, the title of father was taken as the basis for determining his place. In other words, the count, who is the son of a duke, was above the "colleague" whose father was the marquis.

Usually the higher aristocracy had several titles that remained in the family, so sometimes their offspring had to change them with the death of their older relatives. For example, if after the death of the grandfather the son became a duke, then the grandson occupied his count's seat.

Women's titles

The nobility title in France and England was usually passed through the male line. As for women, they became their owners in two ways. The first option is marriage, and the second is the receipt from the father. In the latter case, it was again a question of courtesy, which did not give the lady any privileges. It's a different matter when a woman becomes, for example, a duchess as a result of a marriage with the duke. This meant that she was at the same level of hierarchy as her husband, and bypassed everyone, including male representatives, who followed him. In addition, for example, from the two marquises below was the one whose husband had the courtesy title, and did not inherit it after the death of the parent.

At the same time in France, the Salic law of succession to the throne, according to which women unconditionally could not inherit family titles, was in effect. The daughter of the duke did not become a duchess, even if his father did not have male heirs.

The most famous aristocratic houses of France

• House of Montmorency.

The genus is known from the 10th century and gave France 6 constables, 12 marshals, a cardinal, several admirals, as well as masters of various noble orders and numerous famous statesmen.

The first in the family, who received the ducal title, in 1551 became Anne de Montmorency.

• House of d'Albre.

This house reached the very top of the hierarchical ladder, becoming the royal one in Navarre. In addition, one of its representatives (John d'Albret) married the Duke of Wendome. In this marriage the future king was born first of Navarre, and then of France Henry the Fourth.

• House of Artois.

The county with such a name in the Middle Ages has repeatedly become the apple of discord. In addition, it was one of the few, the inheritance of which went contrary to the law of salinity. Later the county became part of Burgundy. In 1482, the title with the lands went to the Habsburgs. However, already in 1659 it returned to the French protectorate and became the nominal county. At the same time, its owners received the title of peer of France, and later one of the representatives of this kind became King of France Charles the Ninth.

• The princes of Conde.

This younger branch of the royal dynasty of France played an important role in the social and political life of the kingdom until their disappearance in 1830. Throughout its history, this genus has repeatedly claimed the throne and participated in various conspiracies.

• The Lusignan family.

Rod is known for spreading his influence far beyond France. Its representatives from the 12th century as a result of dynastic marriages became rulers of Cyprus and Jerusalem, and in the 13th century became the kings of the Cilician Armenian kingdom and the Antiochian principality. Thanks to them, the hierarchy of titles of nobility in France partially passed to these states.

• House of Valois-Anjou.

Representatives of the clan were the kings of Naples and one of the branches of the ancient dynasty of the Capetians. In 1328, their representative Philippe Six entered the throne of France. He received it not as an inheritance, but because of the absence of male heirs from his cousin - the King of France. The dynasty ruled over 2 centuries, until the throne passed to Henry the Fourth.

Now you know how many steps of the hierarchical ladder shared a common aristocrat and one who held the highest aristocratic title of France, England or other Western European states. Today, many of their offspring, who inherited only a big name, live like ordinary people and only occasionally remember their ancestors who gave them blue blood.