Hello and welcome back to our weekly blog where twice a week we get a new blog article to embark on a new adventure through history.

In the last article, we took a trip down to the past and saw many aspects of Tudor culture.

In this article, we'll look into the the nobles in Tudor era and what their status and role were
 

Who are Nobles? and what does it mean to be a Noble?

To be born into a noble house in sixteenth-century Europe, was to win the lottery of life. Surrounded on every side by luxury and plenty, provided you stay on the right side of the monarch, you’re pretty much set for life. However, nothing is free and everything comes with a price, every member of a noble family was expected to sacrifice his or her inclinations to enhance the family unit's power and prestige. This might be through marriage, or, for men, risking life and limb on the battlefield.

Nobility in Britain was fluid, and people could climb up the social ladder despite their background. A person with a commoner background could easily rise to a nobility status as long as the reigning monarch grants them so.

The Tudor nobility were those whose rank placed them below the monarch but above the common people. The titles held by the Tudor nobility were hierarchical – Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.

Want to know more about titles and their roles? Well, then why don’t we get into it?
 

The Hierarchy of Nobility

The Duke: The General

Dukes are the highest rank on the ladder. The title “Duke” comes from the Latin dux, “leader”. and was originally only given, hereditarily, to young sons of Kings. The first Dukedom to be created was the title Duke of Cornwall. Usually addressed as, ” Your Grace”, informally or “Duke/Duchess” in formal settings.
The most senior Duke in the realm is known as the Premier Duke.
The title/estate is known as a Dukedom while the land ruled is known as a Duchy.

Maquess: Second in command

Marquess, a rare title introduced by King Richard II. The word Marquess comes from the French “marquis” which is a derivative of “marche” or “march”, meaning boundary.
Marquesses and marchionesses are commonly known as “Lord” or “Lady”. Despite being second after the title of “Duke” very few Marquessates have been created as the title is seen as foreign.
The title/estate is known as a Marquessate while the land ruled is known as a March. Marches only existed on the English-Welsh border and southern Wales but never had Marquesses that ruled them.

Earl: The Colonel

The title of Earl is the oldest in Britain and evolved from the Anglo-Saxon “Ealdorman” meaning a local ruler. Now the wife of an Earl or a female Earl is known as Countess. Why countess?, you ask. Well, adding ess to Earl would make it ‘Earless’, not so flattering if I’d say so myself. Similar to Marquesses, Earls and Countesses are commonly known as ” Lord” or ” Lady” and are referred to as His Lordship or Her Ladyship. Earl's ‘rule’ places in the king’s stead — which is exactly what the English term ‘earl’ (chieftain) means they tend to have more policymaking and executive authority in the local authority he is president of. Ever heard of ‘county’? Well, the estate owned by an Earl is called a county

Viscount: Lieutenant Colonel

A Viscount is an uncommon low-ranking title. They’re essentially deputies to an Earl or a Countess. Like Earls and Marquesses, Viscounts and Viscountesses are commonly known as “Lord” or “Lady.” Like the Earl, The Viscount tends to have more administrative and judicial powers

Baron: The Captain

Barons are the lowest rank of the peerage, the title ‘Baron’ was derived from the Old Germanic word “baro” or freeman. The Barons are holders of a barony. The term ‘Baron’ ultimately means ‘soldier’ or ‘mercenary’. And like many, they are referred to as ”Lord/Lady”.

Now you might be wondering, why are most nobles referred to as Lord or Lady? Why not something else?
Well, the titles Lord/Lady aren’t titles instead, they are honorifics, similar to Mr. or Mrs. All nobles from Marquesses to Barons may be referred to as Lord/Lady. Dukes however are not. The title of Duke is in the grey area between princely titles and noble titles.