Fairytale stories would often include characters of nobility we have grown to love such as a prince or a knight both of whom we have grown to love because of the special role that they possess, more often than not heroic deeds that lead to the final “and they live happily ever after”.
In real life, these characters either acquired the title of nobility by heredity, that is they were born of royal lineage, or acquired through public service, a king bestowing a knighthood title of nobility to a soldier who did exemplary achievements in war, or through promotion to senior position. Noble titles are earned through steadfast loyalty to the sitting monarch and extensive service that resulted in material and military power for the land were the monarch rules. Nobility in monarchial societies has always been regarded as a symbol of biological and racial superiority. In pre-modern societies, wealth and chivalry were the main determination of these noble titles. Persons who acquire nobility titles would pass on the privilege and rank to their descendants. Nobles, because of the pre-eminence and privileges command resources over areas that they were awarded and they have control over the land, money and labor aside from being entitled the land as property.
Some powerful noble ranks that earned distinguished nobility titles were the marquis, the prince, and the knight. The marquis earned his title of nobility through the extra powers they gain as protectors of kingdom borders. He is originally a count who had a higher rank over other counts. A prince on the other hand is the first in rank among the noble titles. He is a direct descendant and a member of the royal family and is delegated as the second in power to the highest monarchial ruler and exercised vast political and military powers. The knight on the other hand is a special title of nobility to s soldier who demonstrated superb military prowess and chivalry and who has shown extreme loyalty to the sitting monarch.
Most of the powerful nobility titles that existed in earlier times in the powerful monarchies in Europe still exist today but most of them no longer hold a strong clout, political and administrative in nature, as they were in the feudal era. They still exist as part of cultural tradition or more ceremonial in nature but these constitutional monarchies, such as the British throne, still have considerable influence on their subjects and still generate much respect and regard in the national identity. Other examples of constitutional monarchies who are descendants of the pre-modern feudalistic kingdoms in Europe are that of Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, etc. In Asia several constitutional monarchies still exist such as that of the Imperial Family of Japan, and the monarchial families of Malaysia and Thailand.
In some other counties, especially outside Europe, the same political and absolute rule is still exercised by those holding noble titles by virtue of heredity. Examples of absolute monarchies are Arab royal families like the sheiks and that of the king of Saudi Arabia and the sultan of Brunei, who hold both the political and administrative powers and own much of the country’s wealth and resources.
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