we are the youth of the nation: Royal Hierarchy

EMPIRE

Emperor/Empress, Kaiser/Kaiserin, Tsar/Tsarina: rules over everyone

KINGDOM

High King/High Queen, Maharajah, Pharaoh: rules over other kings

King/Queen, Sultan/Sultana, Shah/Shahbanu, Raja/Rani, Rex: rules over everything (Europe) or leader of a large area or province (ancient Egypt, Persia, India)

Crown Prince/Crown Princess, Emir/Emira, Dauphin: also called the heir apparent, next in line for the throne

Prince/Princess: other children of the imperial or royal family

ARCHDUCHY

Archduke/Archduchess: ruler of an archduchy

DUCHY/DUKEDOM

Duke/Duchess: ruler of a duchy; highest rank under the royal family; While some duchies have their own lineage, members of the royal/imperial family can also be dukes (ex. Queen Elizabeth II is the Duke of Normandy)

MARQUESSATE, MARGRAVIATE, OR MARCH

Marquess, Margrave, Marquis/Marchioness: the ruler of a marquessate, margraviate, or march

COUNTY

Count, Earl/Countess: ruler of a county; known as an earl in England, but their wives are still countesses

VISCOUNTY

Viscount/viscountess: ruler of a viscounty; rank below counts/earls

BARONY

Baron/baroness: ruler of a barony

OTHER

Baronet: British title ranking below baron and above knight

Seigneur/Knight of the Manor: rules a small local fief

Knight: basic rank; used to denote someone who owned land and fought on behalf of their overlord

Baron/baroness (Scotland only): ranks below a knight and above a laird; hereditary position

Laird (Scotland only): ranks below a Scottish baron and above an esquire; landowner’s title

Esquire: indicates someone who attends or is apprenticed to a knight

Gentleman: the lowest rank of gentry; owns a small manor or plot of land