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Social Design - Titles & Forms of Address

General Titles & Forms of Address

Emperor / Empress

Address - Your Majesty; Your Royal Majesty; My Lord or My Lady; Emperor <Name> or Empress <Name>

An emperor or empress rules an empire, which usually consists of other countries under their rule.

King / Queen

Address - Your Majesty; Your Royal Majesty; My Lord or My Lady; My King or My Queen; King <Name> or Queen <Name>

A king or queen rules a country, mosty commonly by inherited succession.
In some cases, a Kikng or queen may only inherit the title of king or queen.
A man who marries the hereditary queen is sometimes referred to as a "Prince Consort."

Prince / Princess

Address - Your Highness; Your Royal Highness; My Lord or My Lady; Prince <Name> or Princess <Name>

Typically a prince or a princess is the son or daughter of ruler.
The oldest son is sometimes referred to as the "Crown-Prince" since they are first in line to inherit the royal crown.
Sometimes the ruler of a country in the form of a principality.

Prince Consort / Princess Consort

Address - Your Highness; My Lord or My Lady; Prince <Name> or Princess <Name>

A Prince Consort or Princess Consort is married to a ruling king or queen, normally when the original king or queen has died.

Regent

Address - Regent; if they possess another inherited title, this is can also be used (ex: Duke).

Regents rule in the place of the crowned monarch under certain conditions, such as if he or she is too young, and sometimes if incapable of ruling due to infirmity.

Grand Duke / Grand Duchess

Address - My Lord or My Lady; Your Grace; Grand Duke <Name> or Grand Duchess <Name>

This title is usually reserved for either a ruling monarch, descendants of a former ruling monarch, or even more rarely used in the stead of "Prince" or "Princess" for the children of a king or queen.

Duke / Duchess

Address - Your Grace; Duke <Name> or Duchess <Name>

This title is usually for nobility which holds lands within a principality or kingdom or the hereditary ruler of a duchy.

Margrave / Margravine

Address - My Lord or My Lady; Lord <Name> or Lady <Name>; Margrave <Name> or Margravine <Name>

They may also be called a "Marquess" or "Marchioness."
This title is equivalent in rank to Duke / Duchess, but holds lands in the "marches," or border lands, in a kingdom.
Because conflict on borders is more frequent than inland, margraves and margravines had broad power in their territory.

Earl / Landgrave / Count / Countess

Address - My Lord or My Lady; Earl <Name>, Landgrave <Name>, Count <Name>, or Countess <Name>

These titles are roughly equivalent to each other.
Since there is no feminine form of "Earl," the title "Countess" is used for its female counterparts.

Viscount / Viscountess

Address - My Lord or My Lady; Lord <Name> or Lady <Name>; Viscount <Name> or Viscountess <Name>

This title is bestowed, not inherited. It is not as important as a count, but is more important than a baron or baroness.

Baron / Baroness

Address - Baron <Name> or Baroness <Name>

Baronet / Baronetess

Address - Baronet <Name> or Baronetess <Name>

Knight / Dame

Address - Sir <Name> or Lady <Name>

This title is bestowed by a king or a queen, historically on someone who has trained their whole life to be a knight (and his wife by proxy), while in modern times knighthoods are typically given to men and women of great renown or achievement.

Reeve

Address - ?

This term is usually defined as the head of a village or of a town council.

Squire

Address - ?

Historically, a squire was a young man of noble birth in service to a knight in order to train to become a knight himself.
A squire may be a man of high social standing, owning and living on a rural estate, and especially being the chief landowner in such an area.

Yeoman

Address - No official address, but typically "good sir" or "good lady" is used for strangers, especially those with property.

A peasant who holds lands in his or her own right.

Peasant

Address - No official address.

A peasant was anyone not of nobility and without significant property to their name.
Peasants are collectively referred to as "the commons" or "commoners."

Serf

Address - No official address.

A serf was lower than a peasant as they are bound to the land. Serfs are virtually slaves to the landowner and changes hand with the property when the owner sells the land. They then serve the new master of the land.
There is an old tradition that says a serf can free him- or herself by running away, usually to a city, for a year and a day. If they can remain hidden for that long, they have earned their freedom to be a common peasant.

Titles Specific to One or Few Realms

Pope

Address - ?

The Pope is the ruler of the Holy See of Rome and the Throne of Saint Peter, more commonly known as the Vatican or Vatican City.

Tsar / Czar / Tsarina / Czarina

Address - ?

From Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia, and Croatia, these are generally equivalent to the title of "Emperor."

Maharajah

Address - Maharajah <Name>

From Thailand, India, and Nepal, maharajah means "highest king," making it roughly equivalent to the title of "Emperor."

Rajah

Address - Rajah <Name>

This is lower than "Maharajah," and is a title essentially equivalent to "King."

Kaiser

Address - Assuming Mein Kaiser (if spoken by men) or Meine Kaiser (if spoken by women)?

This is a German title meaning "Emperor;" it comes from the Roman "Caesar."

Árd Rí

Address - ?

This is a Gaelic title for "High King."

Rí

Address - ?

This is a Gaelic title for "King."

Shahanshah

Address - ?

The "Shah of Shahs," or roughly "Emperor."

Shah

Address - ?

The title "Shah" means "King."

Khakhan

Address - ?

The "Khan of Khans," or roughly "Emperor."

Khan

Address - ?

The title of "Khan" means "King."

Padishah / Sultan / Hunkar

Address - ?

Turkish and Ottoman ruling titles.

Caliph

Address - ?

The ruler of a caliphate and the Islamic successor to Muhammad.

Spacius Adicus

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