Suo jure

Last updated

Suo jure is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especially in England, a man rarely derives any style or title from his wife (an example is Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick from his wife's heritage) although this is seen in other countries when a woman is the last heir of her line. It can be used for a male when such male was initially a 'co-lord' with his father or other family member and upon the death of such family member became the sole ruler or holder of the title "in his own right" (alone).

Contents

It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility or honorary titles, e.g. Lady Mayoress, and especially in cases where a woman holds a title through her own bloodline or accomplishments rather than through her marriage.

An empress or queen who reigns suo jure is referred to as an "empress regnant" or "queen regnant", those terms often being contrasted with empress consort or queen consort: "empress" and "queen" are, however, often used alone to refer to either a regnant or consort, the distinction being indicated by context.

Examples of suo jure titles

State portrait of Maria Theresa, which depicts her as the "first lady of Europe" in a precious dress of Brabant bobbin lace. To her right are Hungary's Crown of Saint Stephen, Bohemia's Crown of Saint Wenceslas and the Austrian Archducal hat as symbols of her suo jure reigns. The portrait is in the centre of the Hall of Ceremonies in Schonbrunn Palace (by Martin van Meytens, c. 1752) Maria Theresia im Spitzenbesetzten Kleid.jpg
State portrait of Maria Theresa, which depicts her as the "first lady of Europe" in a precious dress of Brabant bobbin lace. To her right are Hungary's Crown of Saint Stephen, Bohemia's Crown of Saint Wenceslas and the Austrian Archducal hat as symbols of her suo jure reigns. The portrait is in the centre of the Hall of Ceremonies in Schönbrunn Palace (by Martin van Meytens, c. 1752)

See also

Related Research Articles

The order of precedence in the United Kingdom is the sequential hierarchy for Peers of the Realm, officers of state, senior members of the clergy, holders of the various Orders of Chivalry, and is mostly determined, but not limited to, birth order, place in the line of succession, or distance from the reigning monarch. The order of precedence can also be applied to other persons in the three legal jurisdictions within the United Kingdom:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Willoughby de Eresby</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Willoughby de Eresby is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1313 for Robert de Willoughby. Since 1983, the title has been held by Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountbatten family</span> European dynasty

The Mountbatten family is a British dynasty that originated as a British branch of the German princely Battenberg family. The name was adopted on 14 July 1917, three days before the British royal family changed its name from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Windsor", by members of the Battenberg family residing in the United Kingdom, due to rising anti-German sentiment among the British public during World War I. The name is a direct Anglicisation of the German Battenberg, or Batten mountain, the name of a small town in Hesse. The titles of count and later prince of Battenberg had been granted in the mid-19th century to a morganatic branch of the House of Hesse-Darmstadt, itself a cadet branch of the House of Hesse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma</span> 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma

Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Baroness Brabourne,, was a British peeress and a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the elder daughter of Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and of heiress Edwina Ashley. She was the elder sister of Lady Pamela Hicks, a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the last surviving baptismal sponsor to King Charles III. She was a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Kings and their female consorts, as well as queens regnant, are usually styled Majesty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal</span> Mistress to King George I of Great Britain

Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, Duchess of Munster was a longtime mistress to King George I of Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Greenwich</span> Peerage of the United Kingdom

Baron Greenwich was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that has been created twice in British history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen regnant</span> Female monarch who rules a country in her own right

A queen regnant is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns suo jure over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning king; or a queen regent, who is the guardian of a child monarch and rules pro tempore in the child's stead or instead of her husband who is absent from the realm, be it de jure in sharing power or de facto in ruling alone. A queen regnant is sometimes called a woman king. A princess regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over a principality; an empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over an empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk</span>

Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, known as Lord Charles Brandon until shortly before his death, was the son of the 1st Duke of Suffolk and the suo jure 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby.

A substantive title is a title of nobility or royalty acquired either by individual grant or by inheritance. It is to be distinguished from a title shared among cadets, borne as a courtesy title by a peer's relatives, or acquired through marriage.

Clementina Elizabeth Drummond-Willoughby, 24th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby was a suo jure British baroness. She was the daughter of Peter Robert Drummond-Burrell, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby and Sarah Clementina, née Drummond. On the death of her brother, Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby, in 1871, the Barony of Willoughby de Eresby fell into abeyance between her sister, Charlotte, and her. On 13 November 1871, the abeyance of the barony was terminated in her favour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady of the Bedchamber</span> Personal attendant on a British queen or princess

Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would give instructions to the women of the bedchamber on what their queen wished them to do, or may carry out those duties herself.

Jure uxoris describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title suo jure. Similarly, the husband of an heiress could become the legal possessor of her lands. For example, married women in England and Wales were legally incapable of owning real estate until the Married Women's Property Act 1882.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duchess of Brabant (by marriage)</span>

The Duchess of Brabant refers to a woman married to the Duke of Brabant. But this was only as of 1840 when it was revived as an honorific title for the Crown Prince of the newly created Kingdom of Belgium. There have been only three royal duchesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset</span> English heiress

Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset and suo jureBaroness Percy was an English courtier.

Lady Alice Fiennes was the eldest daughter and co-heiress of Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh, and Alice Neville. Alice was born at the ancestral castle of Ravensworth. She married Sir John Fiennes, the son of Sir Richard Fiennes and Joan Dacre, 7th Baroness Dacre. Alice was a first cousin of Queen consort Anne Neville and a great-aunt of Queen consort Catherine Parr.

Alice Neville, Baroness FitzHugh or Lady Alice FitzHugh, was the wife of Henry FitzHugh, 5th Baron FitzHugh. She is best known for being the great-grandmother of queen consort Catherine Parr and her siblings, Anne and William, as well as one of the sisters of Warwick the 'Kingmaker'. Her family was one of the oldest and most powerful families of the North. They had a long-standing tradition of military service and a reputation for seeking power at the cost of the loyalty to the crown as was demonstrated by her brother, the Earl of Warwick.

Nancy Jane Marie Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, is an English peer and member of the Astor family. She is a 14 holder of the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, which is exercised by the 7th Baron Carrington.

References

  1. "Hall of Ceremonies".
  2. Sambrook, James (January 2008). "Godolphin, Henrietta, suo jure duchess of Marlborough (1681–1733)" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/92329 . Retrieved 2012-05-18.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. The Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile 1980, Article 45 (a).
  4. Chile offers Pinochet new immunity Archived 26 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine , BBC , 25 March 2000