Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part Three: Noble Blood)

While the nobility is, as a social status and class, everywhere in Europe long ago abolished, the descendants of noble families still exist and use their old titles.

It is calculated that in Germany there are 40,000 people who belong to noble families. It is interesting that in Germany all noble families are shared on ancient nobility (the ones whose noble families existed before 1400) and the new nobility (created after 1400). These families are also shared as high nobility (the ones who had their place in the parliament of the Holy Roman Empire) and the lower nobility.

It should be stressed, however, that noble families are not in any way, special and separate part of the population. Modern studies have "democratized" genealogy, in the sense that it showed that, when looking at a long period of time (several tens of generations), the nobility is practically closely related to other populations and that the notion of "noble blood" is only myth, invented to impose and maintain class and social differences. During the Middle Ages, in some countries, many younger branches of the royal family have melted into the middle nobility, and often in the coming generations because of impoverishment they connected their selves through marriage to wealthier civil families. The process was also and reversed.

The difference between the nobles and the others is just the fact that only the family of nobles was able to preserve records of their ancestors (but only selected ones) for a longer time period, so that their genealogies are the only ones available and they can keep track of the change of generations throughout the centuries.


To return to Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part One: From Cesar to Emperor), click HERE.

To return to Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part Two: Seven Modern Kingdoms), click HERE.

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Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part Two: Seven Modern Kingdoms)

In the Byzantium, the ruler carried the title vasileos and avtokrator, which means emperor and autocrat. Lower titles were the despot (in the beginning it was the title of Crown Prince), then sevastokrator and then Cesar (i.e. Caesar).

Although, theoretically, the Empire was supposed to be "universal", that is, there could exist only one, in Europe, since the Middle Ages until today, besides the Byzantine Empire, several other empires were also declared. In the year 800, the Western Roman Empire was renewed, under the name the Holy Roman Empire of the German people (the first Reich). Emperor was chosen by seven electors, but the title usually remained in the same family and was passed on from father to son. Habsburg family held this title for four centuries, until its abolition, in 1806, when the Emperor Franz II of Habsburg-Lorraine proclaimed himself as Franz I, Emperor of Austria.

In the 19th century several new "empires" emerged: 1804 in France (Emperor Napoleon I), 1871 in Germany (Prussian King Wilhelm II was proclaimed as German Emperor - this is the second Reich). British Queen Victoria's was proclaimed as Empress of India in 1877. For a short time in the 19th century there were even and emperors of Brazil (Portuguese kings), and Mexico. After the First World War, all three European "empires" (German, Austria-Hungarian and the Russian) disappeared.

Lower than the imperial title was King (in Latin - rex). In Europe today, mainly in the north, there exist seven hereditary kingdoms, while there has been a lot more of them - especially in eastern and southern Europe. The title of king could be granted only by a pope (or emperor).

Below the title of King comes Duke (in Latin - dux). In Europe today there is still the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, once part of the Holy Roman Empire. The title of Grand Duke or Archduke was given to members of the imperial family of Austria and Russia (Habsburg, Romanov).

Lower than the Duke title, but high in the hierarchy of the nobility, is the French title Marquis, which in Germany can be compared to different names, such as the Margrave, Landgrave, Count Palatine (elector) and First (prince - the ruler of a certain area).

Next in line is the title of Count (Comte in France or in England, Earl). This word pulls the origin from the Latin word comes, which was the position of servers, escorts on the court of Roman emperor. In the early Middle Ages, in some countries, like France, counts were extremely powerful feudal lords, equal to dukes, and sometimes even kings. Over time, this title was granted too often and it lost some of its former prestige, although today it still marks the high nobility.

Below the Count is Viscount (i.e. viceroy, or lower count). Finally we have the title of Baron, and then Baronet (knights in Germany) whose holders are considered as lower nobility.

 

In Europe today there are ten countries which have hereditary monarchy, of which seven are kingdoms, one is grand duchy, and two are principalities:

-    United Kingdom (the ruler is Queen Elizabeth II of Windsor)
-    Belgium (King Albert II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)
-    Denmark (Queen Margrethe II of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)
-    Sweden (King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden)
-    Spain (King Juan Carlos I of Borbon)
-    Norway (King Harald V of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg)
-    Netherlands (Queen Beatrix of Orange-Nassau)
-    Luxembourg (Grand Duke Henri II de Bourbon)
-    Monaco (Prince Albert II Grimaldi)
-    Liechtenstein (Prince Hans Adam II)



To read Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part Three: Noble Blood), click HERE.

To return to Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part One: From Cesar to Emperor), click HERE.

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Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part One: From Cesar to Emperor)

Modern studies have democratized the science of genealogy, showing that, when viewed in a long time, the nobility in Europe is closely related to other populations. "Blue blood" is just a myth invented to maintain class distinctions.

At the time of the Roman Republic, there were three groups of people: the patricians, the so-called knights and plebeians (common people). The term nobilis (noble) could be obtained only if you were descendant of consuls, that is, the top officials. With the collapse of the Roman Empire (476) and the emergence of the barbarian countries in Europe, gradually, new feudal nobility was created.

In Europe today there is practically no noble family (with the exception of Georgia), whose origin can be determined objectively for the period before 9th and 10th century.

Feudal nobles emerged as great medieval possessors of the land, members of the warrior class (knights) who, because of their merit to the ruler, received individual titles and privileges. In reality, more often they took individual titles and privileges by themselves.

To read Who is a nobleman in Europe? (Part Two: Seven Modern Kingdoms), click HERE.

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