Royal ranking,?

Question

i under stand kings and queens, but i do not understand dukes,barrons, duchess, and so forth. can some one help me understand who is the highest to the lowest.

Answer 1

It goes like this (highest to lowest; male title is first, female title is second):

King, and Queen (highest)

Prince, and Princess

Duke, and Duchess

Marquess (pronounced Mar-KESS), and Marchioness (Mar-shee-o-NESS)

Earl or Count, and Countess

Viscount (pronounced VY-count), and Viscountess (VY-countess)

Baron, and Baroness

Hope this helps!

~Countess of Riothamus

Answer 2

To understand an answer to this question, you must recognize that each nation has its own system.  The continent is different from the British system and on the continent, especially for the (defunct) German states, hierarchies vary.

Answer 3

I'm not completely sure I just know how some of the titles work. Like the Queen would be Her Majesty. The closets to her and near the crown are Your Royal Highness, as you go further it becomes Your Highness. Further down I'm not completely sure. But I don't think you have to be born a duke and I think someone can also have more then one title. Because Queen Elizabeth the II's consort is the Duke of Edinburgh and an HRH.

Answer 4

I can explain it for you. But,first,you need to understand that there are Royals and there are the Aristocracy.Royals can also be royal versions of an aristocratic title;royals are always higher in precedence than non-royal aristocracy.And to further complicate things,an aristocratic royal can bear more than one title,as  a non-royal aristocrat can(more on that later).

Order of Precedence from highest ranking down:

King/Queen Regent

Queen/Prince Consort

Heir Apparent or Heir Presumptive Prince or Princess

younger Prince/Princess

Royal Duke/Duchess

Royal Marquess/Marchioness

Royal Earl/Countess

Royal Viscount/Viscountess

Royal Baron/Baroness

Non Royal Aristocracy: Peerage(Can be elected into the House of Lords in Parliament)

Duke/Duchess

Marquess/Marchioness

Earl/Countess

Viscount/Viscountess

Baron/Baroness

non-peerage(Cannot be elected into The House of Lords)

baronet/baronetess

And keep in mind that a royal and an aristocrat often bear more than one title.

A prime example of this is Charles,Prince of Wales.Not only is he heir presumptive to the throne,a royal prince,he is Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick and Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland.

Generally,the more titles a family holds,the more service done  for sovereign and country in the past.