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From: "Pierre Aronax" <>
Subject: Re: Sixteen Quarters Of Nobility
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 22:19:12 +0100
References: <9PkPb.468$p07.14815@eagle.america.net> <400e6743$0$14347$79c14f64@nan-newsreader-01.noos.net> <d51b1746.0401230807.35f66ff7@posting.google.com> <4011704d$0$3768$79c14f64@nan-newsreader-03.noos.net> <9yeQb.657$p07.20235@eagle.america.net>


"D. Spencer Hines" <> a ecrit dans le message de
news:9yeQb.657$...
> "Exact: France today does not recognize nobility as such. But the
> Republic still recognize titles of nobility."
>
> Pierre
> ----------
>
> Please explain the differences, Pierre.

All members of the families belonging to nobility were nobles: nobility was
abolished in 1789, restored in 1814, abolished again in 1848, restored again
in 1852, never abolished since. So one can consider from a certain point of
view that nobility still exists in France. Nevertheless, French tribunals
have ruled that nobility is not a distinction that has any meaning in
contemporary French, and so one must probably admits that nobility, even if
it is not abolished, is now obsolete.



On the other end, titles [of nobility] (prince, duke, count, viscount,
baron) were used (at least legally, if not socialy) only by senior member of
a family (or of a branch of a family). They were abolished in 1789, restored
in 1808, abolished again in 1848, restored again in 1852, never abolished
since. They enjoy legal recognition: heirs of title conferred by previous
French sovereign can enjoy same in legal papers and have the right (but not
the obligation) to register them. Tribunals are still competent to rule
about conflict relating to titles.



So, titles of nobility are still a legal matter, but nobility, de facto, is
no more.



Social use of titles is much less coherent than is transmission of actual
legal titles (so that, if you meet some day a French marquis, you must know
that he is probably at the most baron and perhaps nothing at all except
noble in the obsolete sense of the word). The head of State can still
authorise the use of foreign titles (and do it at least one time in the last
half century). But that is an other question.



Pierre


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