Viscount (title of nobility)

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Heraldic crown of rank of a Viscount
Crown of rank of the 6th Viscount Clifden , which he wore at the coronation of Edward VII in 1900

Viscount (/ ˈvaɪkaʊnt /) is a British title of nobility that corresponds to the French Viscount . The title is the fourth highest nobility rank within the peerage and ranks between the earl and the baron . The feminine form of Viscount is "Viscountess".

Etymologically, the term is derived from the old French viscomte ( modern French : vicomte ), which in turn is derived from the Middle Latin vicecomes , and means something like "vice-count", d. H. Deputy of the Count. In France, the office of Viscomte was initially associated with the tasks of jurisdiction, administration and economic use of the count's domain. From the 10th century onwards, the office became partly hereditary, was gradually combined with direct power through a fiefdom and eventually developed into a nobility. The office was widespread in the 11th century in the Duchy of Normandy . As part of the Norman conquest of England , the Normans also brought the official title to England and initially used it as a synonym for the non-noble office of sheriff, which was widespread there and essentially synonymous . In German-speaking countries, the office corresponds to that of burgrave , which has never developed into a nobility.

The title of Viscount was only introduced as a peer title in the Kingdom of England on January 12, 1440, when King Henry VI. of England John Beaumont, 6th Baron Beaumont, made Viscount Beaumont . In the Kingdom of Ireland the title Viscount Gormanston was first created on August 7, 1478 , in the Kingdom of Scotland the title Viscount of Fentoun was created for the first time on March 18, 1606 . The oldest still existing Viscount title is the aforementioned Viscount Gormanston . A woman was first granted a Viscountess title in 1623 when Elizabeth Finch was raised to Viscountess Maidstone .

Over all peerages ( Peerage of England , Scotland , Ireland , Great Britain and the United Kingdom ) around 800 Viscount titles have been awarded in the course of history, of which around 308 still exist today. Most of these Viscount titles are subordinate to higher titles. Viscount titles are often awarded together with earl titles and used as a courtesy title by the heir apparent of the respective earl, for example in the last two awards of a viscount title on February 24, 1984 to Harold Macmillan as Earl of Stockton and Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden , and on April 19 , 1984 . June 1999 to Prince Edward as Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn .

Today the Viscount title is purely a professional distinction without any special official functions. Viscounts are styled with the addition “ The Right Honorable ” and addressed as “My Lord” ( adressed ). The crown of rank of a Viscount was granted by King James I and consists of a golden browband, which is set with sixteen silver balls (so-called "pearls"). The hat and lining, when worn, are the same as those of the other peers. The parliamentary coat is scarlet and has two and a half ermine trimmings.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Peerage: Beaumont at Leigh Rayment's Peerage
  2. Peerage: Gormanston at Leigh Rayment's Peerage
  3. Peerage: Fentoun at Leigh Rayment's Peerage
  4. Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of the peerage, baronetage, and knightage, Privy Council, and order of preference . Burke's Peerage Ltd., London 1949, p. Xli f.
  5. Thomas Macall Fallow: Crown and Coronet . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . Volume 7, London 1911, p. 518.

literature

Web links

Commons : Viscounts in the Peerage of England  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Viscounts in the Peerage of Scotland  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Viscounts in the Peerage of Great Britain  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Commons : Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom  - Collection of images, videos and audio files