The five titles of the
Barons were the lowest rank of nobility and were granted small parcels of land. Earls were the next highest rank and were responsible for larger territories. Dukes were the highest rank of nobility and were responsible for the largest territories, known as duchies.
peerage, Body of peers or titled nobility in Britain. The five ranks of British nobility, in descending order, are duke, marquess, earl (see count), viscount, and baron. Until 1999, peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords and exempted from jury duty. Titles may be hereditary or granted for life.
Baron or Baroness
This is the lowest rank of British nobility, and the most prevalent, with over hereditary baronies. However, like viscountcies, many of these titles are subsidiary titles of higher-ranked noblemen or noblewomen, or courtesy titles used by their heirs.
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked below princes and grand dukes.
Earl, baron, count, viscount, and marquis
There are more royal titles than just prince and duke. Let's look at some others and define what each one means. marquis: A nobleman who is the rank right below duke.
Lord is used as a generic term to denote members of the peerage. Five ranks of peer exist in the United Kingdom: in descending order these are duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. The appellation "Lord" is used most often by barons, who are rarely addressed by their formal and legal title of "Baron".
The daughters of a duke, marquess or earl have the courtesy title of "Lady" before their forename and surname.
The duke's son would be a marquess and the grandson would be an earl. Only eldest sons or their eldest sons could bear courtesy titles.
Sir is used to address a man who has the rank of baronet or knight; the higher nobles are referred to as Lord. Lady is used when referring to women who hold certain titles: marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness. It can also be used of the wife of a lower-ranking noble, such as a baron, baronet, or knight.
Can a member relinquish their peerage? A life peerage cannot be relinquished. However, the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 enables a life peer to resign from being a member of the House. There are also limited circumstances where hereditary peerages can be 'disclaimed'.
lord, in the British Isles, a general title for a prince or sovereign or for a feudal superior (especially a feudal tenant who holds directly from the king, i.e., a baron). In the United Kingdom the title today denotes a peer of the realm, whether or not he sits in Parliament as a member of the House of Lords.
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics.
In the United Kingdom, the order of titles in nobility is as follows: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron, Baronet, and Knight.
You'd start with the king and/or queen, even though technically they were an emperor or empress. Queen Victoria was crowned Empress of India in 1877. Underneath them, you have your princes and/or princesses, those who are offspring of the king and queen. Underneath that, the ranks follow in this order: Duke/Duchess.
If the daughter of a duke marries a peer, she takes his title. If she marries the eldest son of a peer, she takes his title, but in the case of the heir of an earl or lesser peer, she may choose to keep her own title until her husband inherits.
The highest grade is duke/duchess, followed by marquess/marchioness, earl/countess, viscount/viscountess and baron/baroness. Dukes and duchesses are addressed with their actual title, but all other ranks of the peerage have the appellation Lord or Lady. Non hereditary life peers are also addressed as Lord or Lady.
In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of earl never developed; instead, countess is used.
The five titles of the peerage, in descending order of precedence, or rank, are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron.
Most of the time, a prince outranks a duke in the peerage system. If you define “higher ranking” by “proximity to the throne,” a crown prince is higher. He is next in line to be king, while a duke is not in line for the throne.
In the order of precedence in the United Kingdom, non-royal dukes without state offices or positions generally take precedence before all other nobility, in order of date of creation, but after royalty and certain officers of state.
The monarch is the highest-ranking individual in a monarchy and holds ultimate authority over the kingdom. Below the monarch are the various nobles, including dukes, earls, viscounts, barons, and knights. Dukes are the highest-ranking nobles, followed by earls, viscounts, and barons.
princess. noun. a female member of a royal family, especially one whose parent or grandparent is the king or queen.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Kings, queens, earls, dukes, barons—the titles of members of the British royal family are organized through a hierarchy, which establishes the role of each noble along with their responsibility as representatives of the crown at events.