False titles of nobility
Encyclopedia
False titles of nobility are supposed titles of nobility that have been fabricated and are not recognised by any government
and were not so recognised in the past, even in countries in which titles of nobility once existed or still exist. They have received an increasing amount of press attention, as the number of schemes that attempt to sell these titles has increased. False titles are also sometimes connected to self-styled orders
of chivalry.
title as such a transaction would be in breach of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act, 1925
. Only titles from the semi-extinct feudal system may legally be sold.
The British embassy in the United States
in regard to sales of titles of peerage
warns that "the sale of British titles is prohibited."
encompasses the titles of Baron
, Viscount
, Earl
, Marquess
and Duke
. No peerage titles are capable of being bought or sold. Many are known by the designation "Lord" and in Scotland the lowest rank of the peerage is "Lord of Parliament
" rather than "Baron".
s are hereditary knight
s and are thus known by the prefix "Sir" with the suffix "Bt." or "Bart." after their name. Baronetcies cannot be purchased.
s are people who have been knighted and are thus entitled to the prefix of "Sir". This title cannot be bought or sold.
, until the Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Act of 2000, the transfer of such a prescriptive barony required some interest in land, specifically the caput baronium (the seat of the barony). Since the Act, the titles stand on their own and transference by sale without land is legal. Transfer of such legitimate Scottish feudal baronies can therefore convey a legitimate title to the new owner, and these therefore are not "false titles of nobility."
The Scottish feudal baron is addressed as The Much Honoured. The Scottish Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms
has ruled that a Scottish feudal baron is the equal of a Continental baron who is the chief of his family (in some European nations all males take the title but only the head or chief of the family has a superior rank).
In showing that Scottish feudal baronies are titles of nobility, reference may be made, amongst others, to Lyon Court in the Petition of Maclean of Ardgour for a Birthbrieve by Interlocutor dated 26 February 1943 which "Finds and Declares that the Minor Barons of Scotland are, and have both in this Nobiliary Court, and in the Court of Session, been recognised as "titled" nobility, and that the estait of the Baronage (The Barones Minores) is of the ancient Feudal Nobility of Scotland".
is a member of the gentry
and is a title in Scotland. In the non-peerage
table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron
and above an Esquire
. Though translated as Lord
and signifying the same, Laird is not a title of nobility
. The 'title' of Laird is a 'corporeal hereditament' (an inheritable property that has an explicit tie to the physical land), i.e. the title can not be held in gross
, and cannot be bought and sold without selling the physical land. The title does not entitle the owner to sit in the House of Lords
and is the Scottish equivalent to an English squire
in that it is not a noble title, more a courtesy title meaning landowner with no other rights assigned to it. However, a Laird possessing a Coat of Arms
registered in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
is a member of Scotland's minor nobility. Such an individual can be recognised as a Laird, if not a Chief or Chieftain, or descendant of one of these, by the formal recognition of a territorial designation
as a part of their name by the Lord Lyon
. The Lord Lyon is the ultimate arbiter as to determining entitlement to a territorial designation, and his right of discretion in recognising these, and their status as a name, dignity or title, have been confirmed in the Scottish courts.
is a feudal title of ownership and is legally capable of sale. The owner of a Lordship of the Manor is known as [personal name], Lord/Lady of the Manor of [place name], sometimes shortened to Lord or Lady of [place name]. Owning a title of Lord of the Manor does not by itself replace the title of Mr, Mrs, or Miss, although under English common law a person may chose to be known by any name they see fit as long as it is not done to "commit fraud or evade an obligation."
There are three elements to a Manor, the first is Lordship of the manor, the second is Manorial land and the third element is the Manorial rights. The three elements may exist separately or be combined, the first element being the title may be held in moieties
and may not be subdivided, this is prohibited by the Statute of Quia Emptores
preventing subinfeudation
whereas the second and third elements can be subdivided.
In many cases the title Lord of the Manor may no longer have any land or rights and in such cases the title is known as an ‘incorporeal hereditament’. Before the Land Registration Act 2002 it was possible to volunteer to register lordship titles, most did not seek to register. Since 13 October 2003 it has not been possible to apply for first registration of a title of a manor, however dealings in previously registered titles remain subject to compulsory registration with HM Land Registry. A frequent criticism of the lordships sold at auction is that the statutory declaration
is relied upon as a substitute for missing historical deeds and transfer documents which would, in some cases, demonstrate that the manor in question either no longer exists, can no longer be identified definitively, or is not available for sale.
According to John Martin Robinson
, Maltravers Herald Extraordinary
and co-author of The Oxford Guide to Heraldry, "Lordship of this or that manor is no more a title than Landlord of The Dog and Duck". However, the journal Justice of the Peace & Local Government Law advises that the position is unclear as to whether a Lordship of the Manor is a title of honour or a dignity as this is yet to be tested by the courts.
There have been cases where manors have been sold and by accident the seller has parted with rights to unregistered land in England and Wales.
on websites like Ebay
, sell Scottish Lairdships along with small plots of land. The Court of the Lord Lyon
considers these particular titles to be meaningless because is impossible to have numerous “Lairds” of a single Estate at the same time, as has been advertised by these companies. According to Richard Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford
, these sellers have an income of $2,918,520 per acre of poor land, which could probably be purchased for about $100. W.R.B. Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore has doubts about such companies' claims of conservation of nature, as there are not independent proofs of it. Some of these sellers enclose with the deed
a coat of arms
, which is not authorised by the Lord Lyon, and it is unlawful in Scotland to use or display any arms unauthorised by the Lord Lyon.
However, Sealand titles also openly state that they are merely certificates given out by Prince Roy of Sealand in recognition of the purchaser's financial contribution. The UK government claims sovereignty of the waters where Sealand lies, which itself is an abandoned UK sea fort.
is aware of this scam and will place an official observation in the individual's passport stating that the purported title is a name rather than the person's title. In essence, such an individual becomes Mr. Sir John Smith or Mr. Lord John Smith, for example, as their title has in fact not changed at all.
.
, Austria
, and the many parts of Germany
that once had sovereign nobles. One advantage of assuming such a title, is that, contrary to the situation involving the British nobility, there is usually no longer any official arbitrator who can or will judge between two separate claimants to such a title. In some such countries, titles may nevertheless be protected by an appropriate law, such as France, or by an extension of copyright law, as in Portugal
.
Outside monarchies, a distinction should be drawn between a legitimate historical title which is no longer recognised under a successor state (such as republic) but borne by lawful heirs, as opposed to an invented or falsely-attributed title of nobility claimed by somebody without any historic basis for his pretensions. The difference is that while the former is simply unrecognised, the latter is false.
, where titles of nobility have not been officially recognised since 1948, and where nobility by feudal tenure was abolished in most regions during the years immediately prior to 1820, an adoptive child cannot succeed to his adoptive parent's title, and no legal act can serve to renounce a hereditary title. Claims to sell titles of nobility linked to ownership of a certain estate or castle are based on equally misguided misconceptions. It should be noted, however, that no Italian publication or record, not even the Consulta Araldica's official registry (the Libro d'Oro now retained at the Archivio Centrale dello Stato at Rome-EUR), is a truly complete record of Italy's nobles and armigers.
A number of legitimate titles recognised in the pre-unitary Italian states (Two Sicilies, Tuscany, Parma, Modena, Papal State), as well as the Republic of San Marino, were not recognised in the Kingdom of Italy
between 1860 and 1948. In most cases these were small baronies, minor lordships (signorie) or untitled ennoblements (patrizi and nobili). In connection with this, some Sicilian titles could devolve to female heiresses in the absence of close male kin, and in a few instances there are claimants (in female lines) in Spain as well as Italy, the former looking to Two Sicilies (pre 1860) legislation and the latter citing Italian (post 1860) law. Most of the parallel claims (usually by Spanish citizens) were made after 1948, when the Consulta Araldica
(Italy's heraldic authority) was suspended by the Italian constitution, which abolished recognition of titles of nobility.
of chivalry) to others in exchange for payment, gifts or donations. An example of someone who received a false title from the above Prinz Karl Friedrich von Deutschland is a young man from Canada who received the title His Excellency Graf von Bretzenheim in April 2007. This Prinz Karl Friedrich von Deutschland also maintains an elaborate collection of web sites that attempt to create the illusion of legitimacy for his assumed title. Many of these websites that support the illusion of legitimacy for false titles also have aliases under additional domain names.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and were not so recognised in the past, even in countries in which titles of nobility once existed or still exist. They have received an increasing amount of press attention, as the number of schemes that attempt to sell these titles has increased. False titles are also sometimes connected to self-styled orders
Self-styled orders
Pseudo-chivalric orders or self-styled orders are organizations which falsely claim to be chivalric orders. Most self-styled orders arose in or after the mid-eighteenth century and many have been created in the present day, though most are short-lived and endure no more than a few decades.A...
of chivalry.
British titles
It is impossible to purchase a British peeragePeerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
title as such a transaction would be in breach of the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act, 1925
Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925
The Honours Act 1925 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that makes the sale of peerages or any other honours illegal...
. Only titles from the semi-extinct feudal system may legally be sold.
The British embassy in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in regard to sales of titles of peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
warns that "the sale of British titles is prohibited."
Peerages
The British peeragePeerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
encompasses the titles of Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
, Viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
, Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
, Marquess
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
and Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
. No peerage titles are capable of being bought or sold. Many are known by the designation "Lord" and in Scotland the lowest rank of the peerage is "Lord of Parliament
Lord of Parliament
A Lord of Parliament was the lowest rank of nobility automatically entitled to attend sessions of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. Post-Union, it is a member of the lowest rank of the Peerage of Scotland, ranking below a viscount...
" rather than "Baron".
Baronetcies
BaronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
s are hereditary knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s and are thus known by the prefix "Sir" with the suffix "Bt." or "Bart." after their name. Baronetcies cannot be purchased.
Knighthoods
KnightKnight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s are people who have been knighted and are thus entitled to the prefix of "Sir". This title cannot be bought or sold.
Scottish feudal baronies
In ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, until the Abolition of Feudal Tenure (Scotland) Act of 2000, the transfer of such a prescriptive barony required some interest in land, specifically the caput baronium (the seat of the barony). Since the Act, the titles stand on their own and transference by sale without land is legal. Transfer of such legitimate Scottish feudal baronies can therefore convey a legitimate title to the new owner, and these therefore are not "false titles of nobility."
The Scottish feudal baron is addressed as The Much Honoured. The Scottish Court of the Lord Lyon King of Arms
Court of the Lord Lyon
The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...
has ruled that a Scottish feudal baron is the equal of a Continental baron who is the chief of his family (in some European nations all males take the title but only the head or chief of the family has a superior rank).
In showing that Scottish feudal baronies are titles of nobility, reference may be made, amongst others, to Lyon Court in the Petition of Maclean of Ardgour for a Birthbrieve by Interlocutor dated 26 February 1943 which "Finds and Declares that the Minor Barons of Scotland are, and have both in this Nobiliary Court, and in the Court of Session, been recognised as "titled" nobility, and that the estait of the Baronage (The Barones Minores) is of the ancient Feudal Nobility of Scotland".
Lairdships
A LairdLaird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
is a member of the gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
and is a title in Scotland. In the non-peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
and above an Esquire
Esquire
Esquire is a term of West European origin . Depending on the country, the term has different meanings...
. Though translated as Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
and signifying the same, Laird is not a title of nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. The 'title' of Laird is a 'corporeal hereditament' (an inheritable property that has an explicit tie to the physical land), i.e. the title can not be held in gross
Hereditary in gross
An office, not being held by serjeanty, or attached to some particular office or title, is said to be "in gross".Such offices are inherited in the same manner as a barony by writ: by sons in order of birth, and then by daughters...
, and cannot be bought and sold without selling the physical land. The title does not entitle the owner to sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and is the Scottish equivalent to an English squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
in that it is not a noble title, more a courtesy title meaning landowner with no other rights assigned to it. However, a Laird possessing a Coat of Arms
Scottish heraldry
Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.-Executive:...
registered in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland
The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland was established by Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1672. The register is held at the Court of the Lord Lyon and contains every grant of arms since that date. Bearings that are not matriculated in the Register may not be used in Scotland...
is a member of Scotland's minor nobility. Such an individual can be recognised as a Laird, if not a Chief or Chieftain, or descendant of one of these, by the formal recognition of a territorial designation
Territorial designation
A territorial designation follows modern peerage titles, linking them to a specific place or places. It is also an integral part of all baronetcies...
as a part of their name by the Lord Lyon
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
. The Lord Lyon is the ultimate arbiter as to determining entitlement to a territorial designation, and his right of discretion in recognising these, and their status as a name, dignity or title, have been confirmed in the Scottish courts.
Manorial lordships
The title Lord of the manorLord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
is a feudal title of ownership and is legally capable of sale. The owner of a Lordship of the Manor is known as [personal name], Lord/Lady of the Manor of [place name], sometimes shortened to Lord or Lady of [place name]. Owning a title of Lord of the Manor does not by itself replace the title of Mr, Mrs, or Miss, although under English common law a person may chose to be known by any name they see fit as long as it is not done to "commit fraud or evade an obligation."
There are three elements to a Manor, the first is Lordship of the manor, the second is Manorial land and the third element is the Manorial rights. The three elements may exist separately or be combined, the first element being the title may be held in moieties
Moiety title
Moiety title is legal term describing a portion other than a whole of ownership of property. The word derives from Old French moitié meaning "half" , from Latin medietas "middle", from medius....
and may not be subdivided, this is prohibited by the Statute of Quia Emptores
Quia Emptores
Quia Emptores of 1290 was a statute passed by Edward I of England that prevented tenants from alienating their lands to others by subinfeudation, instead requiring all tenants wishing to alienate their land to do so by substitution...
preventing subinfeudation
Subinfeudation
In English law, subinfeudation is the practice by which tenants, holding land under the king or other superior lord, carved out new and distinct tenures in their turn by sub-letting or alienating a part of their lands....
whereas the second and third elements can be subdivided.
In many cases the title Lord of the Manor may no longer have any land or rights and in such cases the title is known as an ‘incorporeal hereditament’. Before the Land Registration Act 2002 it was possible to volunteer to register lordship titles, most did not seek to register. Since 13 October 2003 it has not been possible to apply for first registration of a title of a manor, however dealings in previously registered titles remain subject to compulsory registration with HM Land Registry. A frequent criticism of the lordships sold at auction is that the statutory declaration
Statutory declaration
A statutory declaration is a legal document defined under the law of certain Commonwealth nations. It is similar to a statement made under oath, however, it is not sworn....
is relied upon as a substitute for missing historical deeds and transfer documents which would, in some cases, demonstrate that the manor in question either no longer exists, can no longer be identified definitively, or is not available for sale.
According to John Martin Robinson
John Martin Robinson
John Martin Robinson, FSA is a British architectural historian and officer of arms.He was born in Preston, Lancashire and educated at the Benedictine school at Fort Augustus, the University of St Andrews and matriculated to Oriel College, Oxford University for his DPhil in 1970...
, Maltravers Herald Extraordinary
Maltravers Herald Extraordinary
Maltravers Herald of Arms Extraordinary is a current officer of arms extraordinary in England. As such, Maltravers is a royal herald, but is not a member of the College of Arms in London. The present office was created in 1887 by the Earl Marshal, who was also the Duke of Norfolk and Baron...
and co-author of The Oxford Guide to Heraldry, "Lordship of this or that manor is no more a title than Landlord of The Dog and Duck". However, the journal Justice of the Peace & Local Government Law advises that the position is unclear as to whether a Lordship of the Manor is a title of honour or a dignity as this is yet to be tested by the courts.
There have been cases where manors have been sold and by accident the seller has parted with rights to unregistered land in England and Wales.
Fake Lairdships
Several websites, and internet vendorsOnline auction business model
The online auction business model is one in which participants bid for products and services over the Internet. The functionality of buying and selling in an auction format is made possible through auction software which regulates the various processes involved.Several types of online auctions are...
on websites like Ebay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
, sell Scottish Lairdships along with small plots of land. The Court of the Lord Lyon
Court of the Lord Lyon
The Court of the Lord Lyon, also known as the Lyon Court, is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. Like the College of Arms in England it maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of...
considers these particular titles to be meaningless because is impossible to have numerous “Lairds” of a single Estate at the same time, as has been advertised by these companies. According to Richard Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford
Richard Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford
Richard Thomas Orlando Bridgeman, 7th Earl of Bradford is a British peer.-Biography:Richard Bradford is the son of Gerald Bridgeman, 6th Earl of Bradford and Mary Willoughby Montgomery. He was educated at St...
, these sellers have an income of $2,918,520 per acre of poor land, which could probably be purchased for about $100. W.R.B. Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore has doubts about such companies' claims of conservation of nature, as there are not independent proofs of it. Some of these sellers enclose with the deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, which is not authorised by the Lord Lyon, and it is unlawful in Scotland to use or display any arms unauthorised by the Lord Lyon.
The Principality of Sealand
In recent years, the government of The Principality of Sealand has been putting up titles for purchase by foreigners on its website. There is a large debate over the legitimacy of these titles. Among the points made by those opposed to this practice are that purchased titles are recognized under international law, and that The Principality of Sealand is not currently recognized by any nation.However, Sealand titles also openly state that they are merely certificates given out by Prince Roy of Sealand in recognition of the purchaser's financial contribution. The UK government claims sovereignty of the waters where Sealand lies, which itself is an abandoned UK sea fort.
Changes of name
Some companies purport to sell unsuspecting individuals a title when in fact they do no more than offer them the facility to change their name. Such an individual adopts the purported title, e.g. "Sir" or "Lord", as a forename rather than receiving any formal title. The Identity and Passport ServiceIdentity and Passport Service
The Identity & Passport Service is an executive agency of the Home Office in the United Kingdom and became operational on 1 April 2006, succeeding the UK Passport Agency, after the passing of the Identity Cards Act 2006...
is aware of this scam and will place an official observation in the individual's passport stating that the purported title is a name rather than the person's title. In essence, such an individual becomes Mr. Sir John Smith or Mr. Lord John Smith, for example, as their title has in fact not changed at all.
Fake manorial lordships
Some companies claim to be selling manorial lordships when in fact they are actually selling nothing more than a trademark. For this reason, careful legal advice should be sought before entering into any transaction purporting to be selling a lordship of a manorLord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
.
Continental European titles
Many who choose to invent false titles of nobility take advantage of the pool of formerly genuine titles of nobility that derive from a time when a country, now a republic, was once a monarchy; for example FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and the many parts of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
that once had sovereign nobles. One advantage of assuming such a title, is that, contrary to the situation involving the British nobility, there is usually no longer any official arbitrator who can or will judge between two separate claimants to such a title. In some such countries, titles may nevertheless be protected by an appropriate law, such as France, or by an extension of copyright law, as in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Outside monarchies, a distinction should be drawn between a legitimate historical title which is no longer recognised under a successor state (such as republic) but borne by lawful heirs, as opposed to an invented or falsely-attributed title of nobility claimed by somebody without any historic basis for his pretensions. The difference is that while the former is simply unrecognised, the latter is false.
Italy
Some vendors of fake titles claim to arrange for the customer to acquire an Italian title based on adoption or even through notarial acts ceding the titles to the customer. In ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where titles of nobility have not been officially recognised since 1948, and where nobility by feudal tenure was abolished in most regions during the years immediately prior to 1820, an adoptive child cannot succeed to his adoptive parent's title, and no legal act can serve to renounce a hereditary title. Claims to sell titles of nobility linked to ownership of a certain estate or castle are based on equally misguided misconceptions. It should be noted, however, that no Italian publication or record, not even the Consulta Araldica's official registry (the Libro d'Oro now retained at the Archivio Centrale dello Stato at Rome-EUR), is a truly complete record of Italy's nobles and armigers.
A number of legitimate titles recognised in the pre-unitary Italian states (Two Sicilies, Tuscany, Parma, Modena, Papal State), as well as the Republic of San Marino, were not recognised in the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
between 1860 and 1948. In most cases these were small baronies, minor lordships (signorie) or untitled ennoblements (patrizi and nobili). In connection with this, some Sicilian titles could devolve to female heiresses in the absence of close male kin, and in a few instances there are claimants (in female lines) in Spain as well as Italy, the former looking to Two Sicilies (pre 1860) legislation and the latter citing Italian (post 1860) law. Most of the parallel claims (usually by Spanish citizens) were made after 1948, when the Consulta Araldica
Consulta Araldica
The Consulta Araldica was a college instituted by royal decree on 10 October 1869 to advise the Italian government on noble titles, coats of arms and related matters. It was part of the Ministry of the Interior...
(Italy's heraldic authority) was suspended by the Italian constitution, which abolished recognition of titles of nobility.
Self-styled titles
Not uncommonly someone makes up a false title that does not even purport to belong to an existing nation. A notable example of this sort is that of a one self-styled His Imperial and Royal Highness Prinz Karl Friedrich von Deutschland. He is a man living in the United Kingdom who claims to hold the title of Prince and heir to the imperial throne of the Holy Roman Empire. Those who do this may then grant other false titles or honors (usually membership in a false or self-styled orderSelf-styled orders
Pseudo-chivalric orders or self-styled orders are organizations which falsely claim to be chivalric orders. Most self-styled orders arose in or after the mid-eighteenth century and many have been created in the present day, though most are short-lived and endure no more than a few decades.A...
of chivalry) to others in exchange for payment, gifts or donations. An example of someone who received a false title from the above Prinz Karl Friedrich von Deutschland is a young man from Canada who received the title His Excellency Graf von Bretzenheim in April 2007. This Prinz Karl Friedrich von Deutschland also maintains an elaborate collection of web sites that attempt to create the illusion of legitimacy for his assumed title. Many of these websites that support the illusion of legitimacy for false titles also have aliases under additional domain names.
See also
- TitleTitleA title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
- Honorary titleHonorary titleHonorary title may refer to:*Honorary title , primarily exists in Britain as well as some universities and colleges in the United States and Canada*Title of honor, as an award in recognition of their merits...
- TitlesHereditary TitleHereditary titles, in a general sense, are titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families....
- Use of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writingUse of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writingThe use of honorifics and styles differs greatly among publications in both journalism and academia. The differences are based on tradition, practical concerns , and cultural norms...
- HonorificHonorificAn honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
- Style (manner of address)Style (manner of address)A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
- Royal and noble stylesRoyal and noble stylesStyles represent the fashion by which monarchs and noblemen are properly addressed. Throughout history, many different styles were used, with little standardization...
- Forms of address in the United KingdomForms of Address in the United KingdomForms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.Several terms have been abbreviated in the table below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in parentheses.-Abbreviations:*His/Her Majesty: HM...
- Self-styled ordersSelf-styled ordersPseudo-chivalric orders or self-styled orders are organizations which falsely claim to be chivalric orders. Most self-styled orders arose in or after the mid-eighteenth century and many have been created in the present day, though most are short-lived and endure no more than a few decades.A...
- MonarchyMonarchyA monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
- NobilityNobilityNobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
- PeeragePeerageThe Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
- Royal and noble ranksRoyal and noble ranksTraditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and between geographic regions , the following is a reasonably comprehensive list that provides information on both general ranks and specific differences.-...
- Great Officer of StateGreat Officer of StateIn the United Kingdom, the Great Officers of State are traditional Crown ministers, who either inherit their positions or are appointed to exercise certain largely ceremonial functions. Separate Great Officers exist for England and Scotland, and formerly for Ireland...
- AristocracyAristocracyAristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
External links
- Fake Scots Titles
- Fake Titles written by Richard 7th Earl of Bradford
- The International Commission on Nobility and Royalty
- The International Commission for Orders of Chivalry
- The International Commission and Association on Nobility, Patron: Crown Prince Leka of Albania
- Warning List, Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta
- List of fake Orders of Knighthood, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- French law addressing false Orders of Chivalry
- Statement and list of false Orders, published by the Holy See
- Fantasy Royalty, Almanach de la Cour
- Baronage Press Are You Being Conned?