# The royal hierachy - or what comes first the Earl or the Duke?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-hierachy-or-what-comes-first-the-earl-or-the-duke/125291>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 23, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-hierachy-or-what-comes-first-the-earl-or-the-duke/125291 "2002-08-23T20:09:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-hierachy-or-what-comes-first-the-earl-or-the-duke/125291/1 "2002-08-23T20:09:55Z")

</div>

Anyone have any sites that break this down? I just want to know the order of the system - Dukes, Earls, Marquess and anything else up to King.

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-hierachy-or-what-comes-first-the-earl-or-the-duke/125291/2 "2002-08-23T20:31:16Z")

</div>

Yeah, try [this li’l page](http://www.friesian.com/rank.htm#feudal) from [my favorite website of all time.](http://www.friesian.com)

Ought to help.

Tripler  
The SDMB and this site make me feel smart.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-hierachy-or-what-comes-first-the-earl-or-the-duke/125291/3 "2002-08-23T20:47:51Z")

</div>

Of course, the real question is, what if you’re the Duke of Earl?

_Duke, Duke, Duke,  
Duke of Earl, Duke, Duke,  
Duke of Earl, Duke, Duke,  
Duke of Earl, Duke, Duke…_  
😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-royal-hierachy-or-what-comes-first-the-earl-or-the-duke/125291/4 "2002-08-23T20:57:30Z")

</div>

I should know this. Here is the basic order for British nobility: [ul][li]King/Queen [_]Prince/Princess [_]Duke/Duchess [_]Marquess/Marchioness [_]Earl/Countess [_]Viscount/Viscountess [_]Baron/Baroness[/ul] [Here’s a place](http://www.heraldica.org/topics/odegard/titlefaq.htm) with a lot of explanation of the titles.[/li]  
\*\* After waiting 20 minutes to preview this, I see that Trip has already answered. \*\*  
Jim