The five titles of the
Next in order of precedence for titles of nobility is Earl, which comes from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon eorl, which means military leader, or man of noble birth or rank. The correct form of address is 'Lord So-and-So'.
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.
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, but lower than a viscount or count.
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 younger sons of a duke or marquess have the courtesy style of "Lord" before their forename and surname. The younger sons of an earl, and all sons of a viscount or baron and daughters of a viscount or baron have the courtesy style of "The Hon" before their forename and surname.
According to The Telegraph, he was set to be Duke of Cambridge, but declined because of a character named Lord Wessex in Shakespeare in Love. "He liked the sound of it and asked the Queen if he could have that instead,” a royal courtier told the newspaper in 2010. Now, Prince William has the title of Duke of Cambridge.
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.
An Earl is the third highest grade of the peerage. A wife of an Earl is styled Countess. In Speech. -Formally addressed as 'Lord Courtesy' and 'Lady Courtesy'.
While both duchesses and princesses are royalty, and princesses technically outrank duchesses, the relationship between the two titles is not always clearly defined. Princesses are usually the daughters or granddaughters of a king or queen.
Traditionally, as governed by law and custom, Sir is used for men who are knights and belong to certain orders of chivalry, as well as later applied to baronets and other offices. As the female equivalent for knighthood is damehood, the suo jure female equivalent term is typically Dame.
Unlike the title of Princess, Duchess is never used before a first name (i.e., "Duchess Catherine"). Instead, the correct usage is Catherine, Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. However, the Princess title is of higher rank and therefore will be primarily used.
Slightly less swanky than a dukeship, earl titles are passed down from father to son and countess titles are acquired through marriage. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, is the only prince with an earl title. He also took on his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's station after his passing.
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 oldest title in the British peerage system is the Earl of Arundel, which has been in existence since 1138. The current holder is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, the 18th Duke of Norfolk.
During the 19th century, many of the smaller German and Italian states were ruled by dukes or grand dukes. But at present, with the exception of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, there are no dukes ruling as monarchs.
Alexander Montagu, who is living at a $20-a-night youth hostel in Vancouver and dating a former stripper, told the Vancouver Sun he is the heir to a $2-billion trust, 52nd in line to the British throne and second cousin to Diana, Princess of Wales.
The five titles of the peerage, in descending order of precedence, or rank, are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron.
In the context of royalty, the word duke most commonly refers to the sovereign ruler of a small state in Continental Europe called a duchy. In the British monarchy, duke is the highest hereditary title outside of prince, princess, king, or queen.
The holders of the dukedoms are royal, not the titles themselves. They are titles created and bestowed on legitimate sons and male-line grandsons of the British monarch, usually upon reaching their majority or marriage.
Do Prince Harry and Meghan Still Have Royal Titles? Yes. Prince Harry and Meghan are still the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titles conferred by Queen Elizabeth on their 2018 wedding day.
Following the death of Prince Philip in 2021, Edward took over many of his responsibilities, including the development of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The title will be held by Edward for the rest of his life and will also remain the Earl of Forfar, but will use the Duke of Edinburgh as it is the more senior title.
Unlike the Earl of Wessex title, the Duke of Edinburgh title is not hereditary – therefore, in the same way that Edward didn't automatically receive this when his father passed away, neither will James.