The courtesy title, the customary title ( French titre de courtoisie , English courtesy title ) - the aristocracy of some countries has a personal title used as the main way of naming the heirs of titled nobles (elder sons and grandchildren). Unlike the titled aristocracy in a number of other countries (Russia, Germany, Poland), in France, Great Britain and Spain, the title holder is not any representative of the clan, but only its head. Since it is assumed that subsequently the title will be inherited by his sons (grandchildren), they informally also use the title, but, as a rule, of a more “junior” rank.
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France
The then nobility was not like today's random nobles, trying to create a downward hierarchy of titles: after all, the son of the Marquis is not yet a count, the son of the Viscount is not a baron, just as the son of a general cannot be a colonel by birth. But the petty vanity of our day is delighted by such an invention.
In France, the sons of holders of a number of titles traditionally used the father’s secondary title: for example, the son of the Duke de Larochefoucault was called “Prince de Marsillac” during the life of his father, the son of Prince Conde - “Duke de Bourbon”, the Duke of Orleans - “Duke of Chartres”, etc. In the latter case, since the father wore two equivalent titles (ducal), the main one was the one whose creation had occurred earlier (the creation of the Duke of Orleans in 1344, the creation of the Duke of Chartres - in the 16th century). If there was no secondary title, then sons and grandchildren could use the title to a rank lower than their father’s with the same main part - the son of the duke was titled the Marquis (but more often - the count), the son of the count - the viscount. The practice of courtesy titles is maintained by the nobles in the French Republic (where the titles are officially recognized by the courts) even after the final fall of the monarchy in 1870.
UK
In the UK, courtesy titles are used by children and older (male) peer grandchildren.
For peers who have a title no lower than the count, the courtesy of the eldest sons and elder grandchildren is repeated by one of the younger “subordinate titles” , but is used without the definite article the . The sons and grandsons of peers, even using the courtesy titles “count”, “viscount”, “marquis”, are considered commoners and can only be elected to the House of Commons .
For example, the Duke of Norfolk has secondary titles Earl of Arundel and Baron Maltravers. Moreover, he is called by the main title - “Duke of Norfolk”. The eldest son of the Duke of Norfolk is titled Earl of Arundel during his father’s life, and his eldest son, the eldest grandson of the Duke, may be called “Lord Maltravers.” At the same time, he himself is not, on a general basis, a peer (unless he has been given a different title by a monarch in person) and does not have the right to membership in the House of Lords . In the usual case, Earl Arundel would receive a seat in the House of Lords only after the death of his father and the transfer to him of the main title of the Duke of Norfolk.
The choice of a particular courtesy title from several secondary titles is dictated by family tradition. It can change when a family receives new higher titles or suppresses senior lines that have been assigned certain minor titles (the younger line after suppressing the older one inherits only a set of titles that had a common ancestor). As a secondary name, a title is selected whose name does not coincide with the oldest title; if the names of the minor titles coincide (for example, if the “Duke of Westminster” is at the same time “Count of Westminster”), a construction of the form “lord + surname” (without a name, similar to titling barons ) can be used as a courtesy title.
If the genus does not have a secondary title, fictitious designations or the “Lord + Last Name” construction are used. The Earls of Oxford from the de Vere clan used the courtesy title, “Viscount Balbeck,” although the family was not assigned such a title.
As a courtesy title for the younger sons of the dukes and marquises, the title Lord in front of the first and last name (“Lord Randolph Churchill ”) is used. The younger sons of the counts and all the sons of the Viscounts and Barons are simply referred to as Honourable. The surname may be omitted for brevity, but the name may not: so, you can turn to Lord Randolph Churchill: “Lord Randolph”, but not “Lord Churchill”. In this case, the official title of the spouse is "Lady Randolph Churchill" or simply "Lady Randolph".
The unmarried daughters of dukes, marquises and counts are titled ladies in front of their first and last name ("Lady Diana Spencer "); this title does not give their husbands rights of peerage and is not inherited. The unmarried daughters of the Viscounts and Barons are called the "Honorable". These titles are preserved in marriage, if the husband does not have his own title; but the maiden name is replaced by the name of the husband.
See also
- List of Courtesy Titles in British and Irish Peer
Literature
- Montague-Smith, P. (editor). (1979). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage