Queen With Elizabeth’s death, the names of other members of the British royal family, who attracted attention at the funeral ceremonies following the death of the monarch, also came to light.
They all have a title before their name and each has a meaning. When it comes to those who carry the blood of the royal family and the successors to the throne, the main ones are the prince and princess – the heirs of the king or queen.
This is the case of Prince Charles, who now assumes the throne as king and is also known as the ‘Duke of Edinburgh’, a title of nobility.
All these titles are stated on the official website of the British royal family and represent the power each holds, which varies according to certain rules: it can be a degree of affiliation to a king or queen, a piece of land ruled, or even an honor given to someone who has done great service.
In order of importance and power in the UK, other titles are broken down in the following order:
Duke / Duchess
It is the title with the greatest powers after the king/queen. Like other attractions, it was created in the 5th century after the fall of the Roman Empire and the start of the reigns that followed it.
In practice, since some kingdoms were so large, it was necessary to divide the responsibilities of regions. Thus, it was the Duke who had the function of ruling most of the kingdom’s lands.
This is also the highest title a non-royal person can hold. The appointment is usually made between military commanders, their sons or relatives of the king.
Marquise/Marquise
This is the second most important title in royalty and is considered a man/woman highly trusted by the king for the rule of some territories. In the past, people with this title had civil and military power in the region they ruled.
Count / Countess
Third in the hierarchy of titles, a count responsible for administering a province of the kingdom was also a number that could advise the king on various matters, even collect taxes and command wars.
This is a title that practically no longer exists among monarchs around the world, but some famous names among the British royalty are Edward Antony Richard Louis, Earl of Wessex; and Princess Diana’s brother and World War II. ‘Earl of Spencer’ Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, Elizabeth’s godson.
Viscount / Viscountess
The title was given to who could replace the count, so much so that the name ‘assistant count’ was born as a result. Administratively, they could dominate smaller, village-sized regions.
A very famous viscount in England is Viscount Althorp, who was always Earl Spencer’s eldest son and heir. The current Viscount Althorp is Princess Diana’s nephew, Louis Frederick John Spencer.
Baron/Baroness
In the past, these were usually the men who held the lowest power in the royal hierarchy because they commanded farms or farms-sized territories. Yet they had to be respected and treated like royalty.
A well-known person in Brazil was Irineu Evangelista de Souza, the son of farmers and ‘Barão de Mauá’, who received the title in the 19th century by Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro 2.
Mauá was a pioneer in Brazil’s industrialization and was responsible for the construction of major projects such as the first railway built in the country, the Estrada de Ferro Mauá, and the installation of gas-powered street lighting in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
other titles
King/Queen consort
These are people who marry into royalty but cannot run for the throne. That’s the case for Camilla Parker Bowles, the current wife of Charles III, who will officially become the king’s wife. In this case, she takes the title of Queen Consort of the United Kingdom.
King
It is a title that can be associated with others, such as Duke or Count. It could even be a courtesy to the son of an important member of the royal family. A lord is equivalent to a ‘Dom’ as Brazil had the 1st and 2nd ‘Dom Pedro’.
In the old days, a lord was still a person of high military rank or of great trust in the king, as was the case with Counts. In the United Kingdom, members of the upper house of the British parliament are called lords.
The feminine is the lord lady, the most famous being Princess Diana or ‘Lady Di’.
Dear
It is the equivalent of ‘Sir’, but in its actual state. In the past, it was the title given to someone considered honorable within a military career, but is now given by the king/queen to someone who is not noble but is known for great deeds in society.
Whoever takes this title has ‘Sir’ in front of their name, most famously ‘Sir’ Paul McCartney, ‘Sir’ Mick Jagg and ‘Sir Elton John’.
source: Noticias
