Position is Everything

Versailles was famous for its strict and complicated hierarchy. Position was everything because your title also decided what privileges you were entitled to. These are the titles a nobleman at Versailles could hold:

• Duc: a man in possession of a duchy
• Prince: not necessarily the son of the King but was also rewarded to the eldest son of influential duke-peers. It should be stated that the title of Prince does not give the same rights as the rank of Prince.
• Marquis: possessing a marquessate but was often assumed as a courtesy title
• Comte: possessing a country or self-assumed
• Vicomte: possessing a vis-country or self-assumed
• Baron: possessing a barony or self-assumed
• Chevalier: normally a nobleman with no other title who belongs to an order of chivalry
• Sire: a gentleman associated with a distinguished family

To make it even more complicated for outsiders to understand, there were ranks within the main titles - and they were of equally great importance.

• Fils de France: son of the King
• Petit-fils de France: grand-son of the King
• Prince du Sang: princes of the blood - a remote (legitimate) son of a King of France
• Prince légitimé: legitimized son of the King but the actual rank depended on the King's favour
• Prince étranger: princes of foreign royal houses
• Écuyer: most untitled nobles
• Gentilhomme: a gentleman