Count/Countess

A count or the female equivalent, a countess, is the holder of a county, a hereditary title awarded by the Crown. Counts belong to the upper nobility and would oversee a county, a swathe of land that could range from several hundred to over a thousand square miles, with some of the largest ones exceeding 2000. Lower nobility that resides over areas inside the county are typically direct vassals of the count, the main exception being that a viscount may have a baron or baronet that oversees one of the towns or villages within their demesne. A count typically acts as the direct vassal of a duke, presiding over a portion of the duchy. Like all members of the peerage, a county is hereditarily entailed. The eldest child of a count who is born in wedlock succeeds to a county upon his father/mother's death but will not be officially recognized until his name is recognized by the Crown. Counties often pass to the eldest child, though different cultures may prioritize male or female children, and a count has the right to designate a younger child heir should he feel it justified.

Methods of Address

Formally, counts are styled "The Right Honorable The Count of [County]" and countesses are styled "The Right Honorable The Countess of [County]." The spouse of a count or countess is afforded the same styling as their husband or wife. This would only be used in the context of an introduction or a letter.


Less formally, one refers to or addresses a count as "Lord [County]" and his wife as "Lady [County]." In direct address, counts and countess can also be referred to as "My Lord/Your Lordship," or "My Lady/Your Ladyship". A count/countess that outlives the rightful holder of the title becomes known as the "Dowager Lord/Lady [County]" unless the title was officially passed onto them.


Children of counts and countesses in their own right have the style "Count/Countess of [County]," and would be addressed in similar fashion to their parents. The main distinction is they would not be referred to as "the" count/countess. After the death of the father or mother, the child may continue to use this style if they are not the inheritor of the title.

Type

Nobility, Hereditary

Reports directly to

Margrave