Interesting. Does the “knight-captainship” have any practical meaning beyond social boasting? Does a “knight-captain” have rights beyond that of the common citizen, such as a guaranteed income, immunity from arrest, right to carry a firearm, an actual legal rank of “Captain” in the armed services, right to legislate new local laws on your property, or other things of that nature?
It seems that the OP is actually asking if there are any legal benefits in todays world for members of a noble family who don’t have any great wealth or political power, or if there are significant assets anywhere being held in trust for the aforementioned families.
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This would be interesting. It was my understanding that British nobility have been almost completely emasculated of power - they don’t even have the right to sit in the House of Lords anymore. Are there any countries that today grant significant substantive legal rights to people just because they are noble, or are nobles today primarily important because of their wealth and social connections? For example, are there any countries where nobles have the legal right to tax their commoner neighbors, practice professions without a license, possess weapons forbidden to the common folk, or act as an LEO, legislator, or judge? It would be interesting if a person could walk into a government office and show paperwork indicating that they are the legitimate heir to some forgotten noble title and then the officials start bowing and asking you whether or not you want your 5 loyal knights to swear fealty to you today or next week and oh we’ll knock this elementary school down so you can build your family’s manor again.
Titles of nobility in Spain grant no legal rights of any kind. According to Wikipedia, in 2009, there were in Spain 2874 titles of nobility in Spain owned by 2205 persons.
All titles of nobility in Spain are of a personal nature and there are no titles of nobility which attach to any real estate.
AFAIK there is no such thing as a “knight-captainship” legally recognised in Spain. I suppose it may be a customary style somewhere like “Lord of the Manor” but you can call yourself that in the USA or Russia with the same effect (i.e.: none).
For succession and/or rehabilitation of a title of nobility the pretender needs to prove family relation by blood or by marriage to the last holder. Requests are made to and granted by the Ministry of Justice and signed by the King (as all laws are).
See Spanish nobility - Wikipedia & Títulos reales y nobiliarios de España - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre for more details.
While that’s the general rule, there is the possibility that an English title obtained by writ goes into abeyance when the holder of the title dies leaving only female descendants. They each have a claim to the title, so no one can claim it. But if enough of the claimants die out without heirs, a claimant may emerge who can call the title out of abeyance.
The longest case of abeyance on record is the title Baron Grey of Codnor, which went into abeyance in 1496, when Baron Grey died, survived by his three aunts. The title stayed in abeyance until 1989, when it was called out of abeyance in favour of a descendant of one of the three aunts - an abeyance of 493 years.
Well David Cameron is decended from an illegitimate branch of the Royal Family who became commoners in the social scense. However, Cameron was always from a privileged background and it could be argued that his family never had political power anyway.
Bertrand Russell was the Grandson of a former PM. The Queen Mothers family counted the Boleyns as ancestors.