no, an earl owns land, but isn't royal. a lord is royal.
that may not be right, i believe the prior answer may be backwards, i think earls are usually royal family members such as cousins that are given land, and a lord is someone who is the owner of some land
Chat with our AI personalities
From what I understand, Lord is simply a way to show respect or a title for example, Queen Elizabeth, Lord of Mann.
Earl is a ranking, lower than a duke or a marquess, but higher than a viscount and baron.
(This is an easy way to remember: Do Men Ever Visit Boston)
So, there is no 'which is higher', Lord is a formal way to address nobility and Duke is a ranking.
There are no Counts in the UK. However, the wife of an Earl is a Countess. The ranks (top to bottom) of the nobility are: Duke Marquess Earl (aka count) Viscount Baron
"Five ranks of peer exist in the United Kingdom, in descending order, these are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. The title 'Lord' is used most often by barons who are rarely addressed with any other. The style of this address is 'Lord (X)', for example, Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, is commonly known as 'Lord Tennyson'. The ranks of marquess, earl and viscounts commonly use lord as well, with viscounts using the same style as used for baron. However, marquesses and earls have a slightly different form of address where they can be called either the 'Marquess/Earl of (X)' or 'Lord (X)'. Dukes also use the style, 'Duke of (X)', but it is not acceptable to refer to them as 'Lord (X)'. Dukes are formally addressed as 'Your Grace', rather than 'My Lord'."Use the little mnemomic: "Do Men Ever Visit Boston."
No. The eldest son of an Earl usually takes on one of his father's lesser titles: for instance say the Earl of X also has the titles Viscount Y and Baron Z. The Earl's son is thus known as Viscount Y. If Viscount Y has a son in his father's lifetime, that son, the Earl's grandson becomes known as Baron Z. Note that these titles are courtesy titles, and are not official. The Earl of X's son may be known as Viscount Y, but the official Viscount Y is still the Earl himself. Note also that in some cases an Earl will not have any lesser subsidiary titles (i.e. the Earl Temple of Stowe). In such a case, the Earl's son and heir will be given a made-up title (the Earl Temple's son is known as Lord Langton, a title that does not legally exist). These same rules apply to Dukes and Marquesses, but not to Viscounts or Barons: sons of Viscounts and Barons are not entitled to courtesy titles.
They are known as the Earl and Countess
Vassalage is the relationship between the feudal lord and his vassal. Kings had higher lords as vassals, and higher lords had lower lords as vassals. The practice was called subinfeudation.