Grandee
Encyclopedia
Grandee is the word used to render in English
the Iberic high aristocratic title
Grande (literally "Great"), used by the Spanish
nobility
; Portuguese
nobility
, and Brazilian
nobility
.
It can refer to other people of a somewhat comparable, exalted position, roughly synonymous with magnate
; a formal upper level of the nobility
(especially when it carried the right to a parliamentary seat
). By extension the term can refer informally to any important person of high status
, particularly a wealth
y, land owning, long-time resident in an area.
The term is often used in the United Kingdom
to refer to older members of the Conservative Party
.
The dignity of grandee ("grand one") was apparently originally assumed by the most important nobles, to distinguish them from the mass of the ricoshombres (wealthy men) of the Hidalgo
, as a 'grand' señor (lord
) of the realm. It was, as John Selden
pointed out, not a general term denoting a class, but 'an additional individual dignity not only to all Dukes, but to some Marquesses and Condes also'. The titles, including and above count
, were seldom given or passed hereditarily in Castile
or Aragon
until late in the Middle Ages
—in contrast to more developed forms of feudalism in France or other parts of Europe—and remained more of a royal official's post until the 14th century. Being a grandee formerly implied certain privileges, notably that of the ancient uses of remaining covered or seated in the presence of royalty. The later grandees had also certain more important rights: e.g., freedom from taxation; immunity from arrest—save at the King's express command—as they were the major justice officers in their regions; and even, in certain cases, the right to renounce their allegiance and to make war on the king.
In the late 1470s, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I
were the first to break the grandee power of the territorial nobles. In the 16th century, limitations on the number of grandees were first established by King Charles I
(later Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor), who reserved to the crown the right to bestow the title of grandee.
The Grandes de España (Grandees of Spain) were further divided into three classes:
All grandees were addressed by the king as mi Primo (my cousin), whereas ordinary nobles were only qualified as mi Pariente (my kinsman).
The rank of grandee was abolished under the Napoleonic king Joseph Bonaparte
, but was revived in 1834, when by Estatuto real
grandees were given precedence in the Spanish Chamber of Peers.
Nowadays grandees of all three ranks are deemed to share the status 'of the first class'. The designation is purely titular, implying neither privilege nor power. An individual is a grandee if he holds a Grandeza de España (grandeeship), regardless of possession of a title of nobility. Normally each grandeza is granted along with a title, although this was not always the case. Furthermore, a Grandeza de España is normally awarded along with every ducal
title.
A grandee of any rank outranks a non-grandee (except official members of the Spanish Royal Family
), even if that non-grandee possesses a hereditary title (titulo) of a higher grade than that of the grandee. Thus, a baron
-grandee would outrank a non-grandee marquis
, making the grandeza an official hereditary rank rather than a title of nobility. Children of an infante of Spain, traditionally members of the royal family, since 1987 are entitled to the rank and style
of a grandee, but are not grandees unless a title with a grandeza attached is conferred upon them by the sovereign.
Some of the best-known titles of grandees of Spain are the Duke of Alba, Duke of Medinaceli
, Duke of Villahermosa, Duke of Osuna, Duke of Infantado, Duke of Alburquerque, Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo
, Duke of Nájera, Duke of Frías and Duke of Medina Sidonia; the Marquis of Aguilar de Campoo, Marquis of Astorga, Marquis of Santillana, and Marquis of Los Vélez; the Count of Benavente, Count of Lerín, Count of Olivares, Count of Oñate, and Count of Lemos.
Grandees and their consorts are entitled to the style of 'Most Excellent Lord/Lady' or 'His/Her Excellency' and are addressed as Primo (Cousin) by the king.
Viscounts ennobled with grandeeship used an Earl's coronet in their coat of arms, and Barons ennobled with grandeeship bore a coat of arms surmounted by a Viscount's coronet.
The order of precedence in Brazilian nobility was as follows, after the members of the Imperial Family: Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts with grandeeship, Viscounts without grandeeship, Barons with grandeeship, Barons without grandeeship.
In Brazil, grandeeship, as well as the peerage itself, was hereditary.
Grandees were allowed to keep their heads covered in the presence of the king or the emperor; only to be arrested by permission of the monarch (in Portugal); and allowed display their coat of arms by the front door of the home, on vehicles, or at the grave. The system was extinguished by the abolition of monarchy in each country, although it remained in use by Portuguese aristocracy.
, senior officers from the landed gentry
, in the New Model Army
, who opposed the Levellers
, were informally termed the Grandees.
After the defeat of the King Charles I of England
in the civil war
, there were a series of debates and confrontations between the Levellers
, whose members were known as 'Agitators', and the 'Grandees' such as Sir Thomas Fairfax
, Oliver Cromwell
and Henry Ireton
, who opposed the Agitators' more radical proposals
. The disagreements were aired publicly at the Putney Debates
, which started in late October 1647 and lasted for several weeks.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
the Iberic high aristocratic title
Royal and noble ranks
Traditional 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.-...
Grande (literally "Great"), used by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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...
; Portuguese
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...
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...
, and Brazilian
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
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...
.
It can refer to other people of a somewhat comparable, exalted position, roughly synonymous with magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
; a formal upper level of the 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...
(especially when it carried the right to a parliamentary seat
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
). By extension the term can refer informally to any important person of high status
Social status
In sociology or anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society . It may also refer to a rank or position that one holds in a group, for example son or daughter, playmate, pupil, etc....
, particularly a wealth
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
y, land owning, long-time resident in an area.
The term is often used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to refer to older members of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Spain
Spanish nobles are classified either as Grandes de España (or simply, 'grandees'), or as Títulos del Reino (titled nobles).The dignity of grandee ("grand one") was apparently originally assumed by the most important nobles, to distinguish them from the mass of the ricoshombres (wealthy men) of the Hidalgo
Hidalgo (Spanish nobility)
A hidalgo or fidalgo is a member of the Spanish and Portuguese nobility. In popular usage it has come to mean the non-titled nobility. Hidalgos were exempt from paying taxes, but did not necessarily own real property...
, as a 'grand' señor (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'...
) of the realm. It was, as John Selden
John Selden
John Selden was an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law...
pointed out, not a general term denoting a class, but 'an additional individual dignity not only to all Dukes, but to some Marquesses and Condes also'. The titles, including and above count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
, were seldom given or passed hereditarily in Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
or Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
until late in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
—in contrast to more developed forms of feudalism in France or other parts of Europe—and remained more of a royal official's post until the 14th century. Being a grandee formerly implied certain privileges, notably that of the ancient uses of remaining covered or seated in the presence of royalty. The later grandees had also certain more important rights: e.g., freedom from taxation; immunity from arrest—save at the King's express command—as they were the major justice officers in their regions; and even, in certain cases, the right to renounce their allegiance and to make war on the king.
In the late 1470s, King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
were the first to break the grandee power of the territorial nobles. In the 16th century, limitations on the number of grandees were first established by King Charles I
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
(later Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor), who reserved to the crown the right to bestow the title of grandee.
The Grandes de España (Grandees of Spain) were further divided into three classes:
- (1) those who spoke to the king and received his reply with their heads covered.
- (2) those who addressed the king uncovered, but put on their hats to hear his answer.
- (3) those who awaited the permission of the king before covering themselves.
All grandees were addressed by the king as mi Primo (my cousin), whereas ordinary nobles were only qualified as mi Pariente (my kinsman).
The rank of grandee was abolished under the Napoleonic king Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
, but was revived in 1834, when by Estatuto real
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
grandees were given precedence in the Spanish Chamber of Peers.
Nowadays grandees of all three ranks are deemed to share the status 'of the first class'. The designation is purely titular, implying neither privilege nor power. An individual is a grandee if he holds a Grandeza de España (grandeeship), regardless of possession of a title of nobility. Normally each grandeza is granted along with a title, although this was not always the case. Furthermore, a Grandeza de España is normally awarded along with every ducal
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
title.
A grandee of any rank outranks a non-grandee (except official members of the Spanish Royal Family
Spanish Royal Family
The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the current king, Juan Carlos, his spouse, Queen Sofia of Spain and their direct descendants. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Borbón...
), even if that non-grandee possesses a hereditary title (titulo) of a higher grade than that of the grandee. Thus, 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"...
-grandee would outrank a non-grandee marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
, making the grandeza an official hereditary rank rather than a title of nobility. Children of an infante of Spain, traditionally members of the royal family, since 1987 are entitled to the rank and style
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...
of a grandee, but are not grandees unless a title with a grandeza attached is conferred upon them by the sovereign.
Some of the best-known titles of grandees of Spain are the Duke of Alba, Duke of Medinaceli
Duke of Medinaceli
Duke of Medinaceli is a Spanish noble title given to Luis de la Cerda y de la Vega on 31 October 1479, by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon when the old title of Count of Medinaceli, awarded to his grandfather, Bernal de Foix, in 1368, whereby was transformed...
, Duke of Villahermosa, Duke of Osuna, Duke of Infantado, Duke of Alburquerque, Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo
Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo
Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo is a hereditary title in the Spanish nobility held by a line of descendants of Emperor Moctezuma II, the ninth Tlatoani, or ruler, of Tenochtitlan. Since 1766 the title has been attached to a Grandeza de España, or a place in the Spanish peerage — the highest honor...
, Duke of Nájera, Duke of Frías and Duke of Medina Sidonia; the Marquis of Aguilar de Campoo, Marquis of Astorga, Marquis of Santillana, and Marquis of Los Vélez; the Count of Benavente, Count of Lerín, Count of Olivares, Count of Oñate, and Count of Lemos.
Grandees and their consorts are entitled to the style of 'Most Excellent Lord/Lady' or 'His/Her Excellency' and are addressed as Primo (Cousin) by the king.
Portugal and Brazil
Both Portuguese and Brazilian peerages formerly also used the term Grande ("grandee"), to designate a higher rank of noblemen. In Brazil, for instance, Dukes, Marquesses and Earls were automatically deemed Grandes do Império ("Grandees of the Empire", or in a literal translation "Great Ones of the Empire"), as were the Archbishops and Bishops. Viscounts and Barons could be ennobled with or without grandeza ("grandeeship", literally "greatness").Viscounts ennobled with grandeeship used an Earl's coronet in their coat of arms, and Barons ennobled with grandeeship bore a coat of arms surmounted by a Viscount's coronet.
The order of precedence in Brazilian nobility was as follows, after the members of the Imperial Family: Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts with grandeeship, Viscounts without grandeeship, Barons with grandeeship, Barons without grandeeship.
In Brazil, grandeeship, as well as the peerage itself, was hereditary.
Grandees were allowed to keep their heads covered in the presence of the king or the emperor; only to be arrested by permission of the monarch (in Portugal); and allowed display their coat of arms by the front door of the home, on vehicles, or at the grave. The system was extinguished by the abolition of monarchy in each country, although it remained in use by Portuguese aristocracy.
New Model Army
In the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, senior officers from the landed gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
, in the New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
, who opposed the Levellers
Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". They came to prominence at the end of the First...
, were informally termed the Grandees.
After the defeat of the King Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in the civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, there were a series of debates and confrontations between the Levellers
Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". They came to prominence at the end of the First...
, whose members were known as 'Agitators', and the 'Grandees' such as Sir Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
, Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and Henry Ireton
Henry Ireton
Henry Ireton was an English general in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. He was the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell.-Early life:...
, who opposed the Agitators' more radical proposals
Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". They came to prominence at the end of the First...
. The disagreements were aired publicly at the Putney Debates
Putney Debates
The Putney Debates were a series of discussions between members of the New Model Army – a number of the participants being Levellers – concerning the makeup of a new constitution for England....
, which started in late October 1647 and lasted for several weeks.