If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. It's free and a great way to keep up to date. Thanks for visiting!
When reading romance novels about English gentry and nobility I always wonder about the rankings. I know diddlysquat about this subject, mostly because I am American. I decided to do some digging to see if I could sort the matter out. Luckily there are a lot of resources on the matter.
The first thing I was determined to find out was the order of the rankings. I always thought an Earl was as noble as a Duke or fairly similar. An Earl is far less substantial than you might think. In fact they seem to be quite plentiful; perhaps that is why so many romance novels include an Earl. A Marquis, on the other hand was more substantial than I gave credit. For some reason, I always assumed it was on similar footing as a Viscount. Whoops– social faux pas, anyone?
The order of rank is as follows:
- Duke/Duchess
- Marquis (alternative spelling: Marquess)/Marchioness
- Earl/Countess
- Viscount/Viscountess
- Baron/Baroness
Baronets and Knights are not peers. A baronet is a hereditary knight. The title of Sir goes down through the generations. His wife is referred to as Lady.
The rarest rank of nobility is the Duke with his dukedom, making Barons by their rank far more abundant.
About the only thing I got right was the order of the Viscounts and Barons.
Did you know there were several peerages?
The isles of Britain and Ireland had in total five different peerages. Those of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom! No wonder the country has so many names in history! Also, a noble man could belong to more than one peerage!
Labels of Address (loosely):
This doesn’t include salutations of correspondence. The first bit is how to do the introduction on the different levels of nobility followed by how to address them in formal speech.
- Duke/Duchess: His Grace/Her Grace (insert title); His Grace/Her Grace
- Marquis/Marchioness: Most Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
- Earl/Countess: Right Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
- Viscount/Viscountess: Right Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
- Baron/Baroness: Right Honorable (insert title); Lord/Lady
Originally posted 2008-08-07 05:39:59. Republished by Old Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Review: Seduction by Amanda Quick This lovely little book was a quick and delightful read. I was sad to finish it because it meant that I would have to let the leads Julian Ravenwood and Sophy Dorring go their own way. The novel starts out... - Review: A Taste of Temptation by Amelia Grey Amelia Grey spins a sweet love story of ghosts, trapped marriages, thievery, and near misses. A Taste of Temptation is a pretty quick read. The book is wonderful to sit down with and read on a rainy afternoon, which is...
- Book Review: Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer is loosely based on the premise of Pride and Prejudice. I would not go so far as to say it's a retelling of the classic tale, but there are elements of this Regency romance that...
- Book Review: The Scottish Companion by Karen Ranney So how do you rate a romance novel where the romance part was exceptional but the side story was wholly unnecessary? Once again I’ve managed to pick up a story where the author seems to think that it’s a good...
-
Get into Bed with Amelia Grey (Author Interview) Hi and welcome to another fun and fabulous interview at Love Romance Passion! Today I have the opportunity to introduce readers to Amelia Grey, a multiple award winning romance author. Her latest book is A Duke to Die For and...
Related Websites -
Lord Jahza - Fire (World Premiere) For a while now I have been trying to rank Nigerian MC’s but at the moment there’s not many that can stand shoulder to shoulder with this Texas based Nigerian lyricist called Lord Jahza.... -
Federer and Nadal Coming Closer to a Rematch Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both now only two wins away from the first rematch that the two will have had since the Wimbledon match that was held about half a year ago. The two are now entering into... -
The Passing Of A True American Hero: Ed Freeman (I'm not sure where the photo originated. Please let me know so I can give the photographer credit) I didn't see it in my local paper, the Kitsap Sun (much to my chagrin and dismay!) but today I received an... - Athlete Profile: Elena Dementieva Elena Dementieva was the star of the ASB Classic. The world's number four player, the 5' 11" tennis star was the highest ranked player to have ever played in the Auckland match. Marina Erakovic of New Zealand saw the mistake...
Categories:
About, Barons and Baronets, Counts, Marquis, Viscounts, Dukes and Earls, England, Historical Romance, Knight, Regency
Tags:
0 comments ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment