Main Page: Titles of European hereditary rulers


As a rule, in superscriptions, territorial names were grouped by title, and the title groups were sorted according to the hierarchy: kingdoms followed by duchies, counties placed after duchies, untitled lordships were at the end.

The titles of the Austrian rulers in the 16th-18th centuries:

The Roman Emperor;

King in Germany, of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia;

Archduke of Austria;

Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Luxemburg, Württemberg, the Upper & Lower Silesia;

Prince of Swabia;

Margrave of the Holy Roman Empire, of Burgau, Moravia, the Upper & Lower Lusatia;

Princely Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Ferrette, Kyburg, Gorizia;

Landgrave of Alsace;

Lord of the Wendish March, Pordenone, Salins;

 

 

The titles the Dukes of Nemours in the 15th century:

Duke of Nemours;

Count of Pardiac, Castres, Beaufort;

Viscount of Châtellerault, Martigues, Murat;

Baron of Ferté-Bernard, Sablé;

Lord of Leuze, Condé;

 

 

There were always exceptions. When a territory had a special importance it could be placed before the names associated with a higher rank in the hierarchy of titles. For example, the superscription of documents issued by the Margraves of Brandenburg in the 18th century, shows such exceptions. The Margraviate of Brandenburg was placed before the duchies because it was associated with the dignity of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. Orange was placed separately from other principalities because of its sovereign status. The Burgraviate of Nuremberg was placed before the principalities because it had the Princely rank and was the first possession of the Brandenburg branch of the Hohenzollern House. As the Margraviate of the Veere and Flushing (Vlissingen) was under the full sovereignty of the Province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, it was placed after the counties.

The titles the Electors of Brandenburg in the 18th century:

King in Prussia;
Margrave of Brandenburg;
The Holy Roman Empire Arch-Chamberlain and Elector;
Sovereign Prince of Orange;
Duke in of Magdeburg, Kleve, J?lich, Berg, Szczecin, Pomerania, the Kashubians, the Wends, in Silesia of Krosno;
Burgrave of Nuremberg;
Prince of Halberstadt, Minden, Kamien;
Count of Hohenzollern, the Mark, Ravensberg, Lingen, M?rs, Buren, Leerdam;
Margrave of the Veere, Flushing;
Lord of Ravenstein, the Lands of Lauenburg, Bytow, Arlay, Breda;

Hosted by uCoz