The peerage of France consists of the great officers, direct vassals of the Crown of France, with the title peer of France. They represent the primitive constituents of elective monarchy, before the succession became hereditary in the House of Capet.
Primitive peers
They were probably, at the time of the Frankish monarchy, the great princes and vassals who were called to choose a successor to king among the eligible princes to the crown.
Since 1180, they were responsible for ensuring the succession and were involved in the ceremony of coronation where each represents a symbolic function of the nomination.
Azure a bend argent double cottised potent counter-potent or.[1]
Bears the King's war banner
The Count of Toulouse (province returned to the royal domain in 1229 and 1271),
Gules a cross cleché, voided and pommety of twelve pieces or.[1]
Carries the royal spurs
Later peerages
Peerages created in the 13th century
In 1297, Philip IV of France created three new peerages, to replace some of the lay peerages which had merged into the crown (Normandy and Toulouse; while Champagne was held by Philip IV's wife, Joan I of Navarre). All three new peerages were created for nobles of Capetian descent.
Figure
Peer and blazon
Grantee
The Duke of Brittany, peerage in 1297 (duchy returned to royal domain in 1547),
Chequy or and azure a bordure gules and a canton ermine.
Peerages created in the 14th century were for princes of the royal blood, most of which were for the Valois princes. One was created for the Count of Flanders.
Quarterly in I and IV gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, an emerald proper, in II and III azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony argent and gules.
Quarterly, in I and IV azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure compony argent and gules, II sable a lion rampant or armed and langued gules and III argent a lion rampant gules armed, langued and crowned or.
Quarterly in I and IV gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, charged with an emerald proper, in II and III azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony argent and gules, a bordure argent.
Quarterly: in I and IV azure three fleurs de lys or, a bordure gules charged with eight buckles or; in II and III or, a fess chequy argent and azure (Stuart) a cottice gules.
Quarterly: in I, gules, chains or, in orle, in cross and in saltire; in II, or, three pallets gules; in III, or, two cows, horned, collared and belled azure; in IV, seme-de-lys or, a bend compony argent and gules; overall or two lions passant guardant gules, armed and langued Azure.
Per fess, 1 per pale gules an escutcheon argent an escarbuncle or, 2 or a fess chequy argent and gules, and azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure compony argent and gules.
Quarterly or three pallets gules and or two cows gules horned, collared and belled azure. Inescutcheon or, two lions passant gules armed and langued azure.
Per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules, 5 azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent. Overall a label gules.
Quarterly, in I and IV per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules, 5 per pale azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent overall a label and a bordure gules; and in II and III azure three fleurs de lys or and a bendlet couped gules.
Per two pallets and per fess: 1, gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, an emerald proper; in 2, quarterly in 1 and 4 azure three fleurs de lys or and in 2 and 3 gules; in 3, or four pallets gules; in 4, quarterly in 1 and 4 or three pallets gules, in 2 and 3 or two cows gules, horned, collared and belled azure, passant in pale; in 5, azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony argent and gules; and in 6, per saltire 1 and 3 or four pallets gules, 2 gules a castle or port and windows azure and 4 argent a lion gules armed, langued and crowned or; inescutcheon or two lions passant guardant gules, armed and langued azure, in pale.
Per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules 5 per pale azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent overall a label Azure.
Quarterly: in 1 and 4, per pale: a. barry or and vert (Crussol); b. or three chevrons sable (Levis); in 2 and 3, quarterly, azure three mullets or, in pale (Gourdon), and or three bends gules (Genouillac). Overall gules three bends or (Uzès).[4]
Quarterly, in 1 and 4: per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules 5 per pale azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent overall a label gules; in 2 and 3 quarterly in 1 and 4 Azure, an eagle argent, beaked, langued and crowned or and in 2 and 3 Azure, three fleurs de lys or, a bordure indented gules and or.
Quarterly in 1 and 4 paly or and azure of six pieces, a chief gules charged with three hydras of seven heads also or and in 2 and 3 azure a lion argent a bordure gules charged with fleurs de lys or.
Per pale argent a walnut eradicated vert and gules, a cross or, couped, voided, cleché and pommety of twelve pieces; a chief gules charged with a cross potent argent; overall below the chief, azure a bell argent clapper sable (de Bellegarde).[7]
Per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules 5 per pale azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent overall a label and a bordure gules.
Quarterly; 1 argent, a cross patty gules between four eagles sable displayed and affronty; Overall, Quarterly, 1 and 4 barry or and sable, 2 and 3 gules a lion argent tail forked, armed and langued or, crowned and collared of the same, a bendlet couped; 2 d’Alençon; 3 de Bourgogne; 4 de Clèves charged in fess point de La Marck; Overall d’Albret d’Orval.
Quarterly: in I and IV, gules nine mascles or, 3,3,3 (de Rohan); in II, gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, an emerald proper (de Navarre); in III, azure three fleurs de lys or, a bend compony argent and gules (d'Evreux modern); overall, argent, a biscione in pale azure, crowned or, devouring a child carnation, fesswise, arms extended (de Visconti).[9]
Quarterly: in I, gules three bends or; in II, or three chevrons gules; in III, gules three mullets or; IV, argent a lion gules armed and langued or; overall, chequy or and gules.[10]
Quarterly: in I and IV, gules nine mascles or, 3,3,3 (de Rohan); in II, gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, an emerald proper (de Navarre); in III, azure three fleurs de lys or, a bend compony argent and gules (d'Evreux modern); overall, argent, a biscione in pale azure, crowned or, devouring a child carnation, fesswise, arms extended (de Visconti).[9]
Quarterly: 1 and 4, or, a chevron gules, between three eagles Azure, beaked and membered gules (La Trémoille); 2 or seme-de-lys azure a franc-canton gules (Thouars), and 3, or lozengy gules (Craon), inescutcheon gules two lions passant guardant or.[10]
Quarterly, in 1 and 4: per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules 5 per pale azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent overall a label gules; in 2 and 3 quarterly in 1 and 4 azure, an eagle argent, beaked, langued and crowned or and in 2 and 3 Azure, three fleurs de lys or, a bordure indented gules and or.
Quarterly: I and IV, azure three fleurs de lys or differenced by a label of three points argent and a bendlet sinister couped of the same (d'Orléans-Longueville modern); II and III, azure three fleurs de lys or a bendlet couped gules (de Bourbon modern).[13]
Quarterly: in I, quarterly in 1 and 4, gules a castle or port and windows azure (Castille), in 2 and 3 argent a lion purpure armed, langued and crowned or (León); in II, quarterly in 1 and 4, gules chains or in orle, in cross and in saltire, an emerald proper (Navarre), in 2 and 3 per saltire or four pallets gules (Aragon) and argent an eagle sable (Hohenstaufen-Sicily); in III quarterly in 1 and 4 azure three fleurs de lys or and in 2 and 3 gules (Albret); in IV per pale in a, azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony argent and gules (Evreux), in b, per pale argent a walnut eradicated vert and gules, a cross or, couped, voided, cleché and pommety of twelve pieces; a chief gules charged with a cross potent argent (Nogaret); overall, quarterly in 1 and 4 or three pallets gules (Foix) in 2 and 3 or two cows gules, horned, collared and belled Azure, passant in pale (Béarn).[15]
Quarterly: in 1 and 4, or, a lion gules, crowned of the same (Albert); in 2 and 3, Azure, two wolves affronty argent (Segur). Overall gules a mace or, a chief of the same, charged with a gonfanon gules (Sarras.)[18]
Quarterly in 1 azure a lion or crowned of the same (Saint-Lary) in 2 or four pallets gules (de la Barthe) in 3 gules a vase or (Orbessan) in 4 azure three flames argent issuant from the base (Termes) Overall azure a bell argent clapper sable (Algoursan).[20]
Quarterly I quarterly Castile and Leon, II quarterly Navarre and Aragon-Sicily, III quarterly France and gules (Albret), IV per pale Evreux and per pale argent a walnut tree vert, gules a cross cleché, voided and pommety or, and a chief gules, charged with a cross potent argent (de Nogaret). Inescutcheon quarterly Foix and Bearn.
Quarterly: I and IV, or, a lion gules, armed, langued and crowned azure (d'Albert); II and III, gules two olive branches argent, set like a crown, crossing in chief and in base, a chief chequy argent and azure (d'Ailly).[23]
The Duke of Chevreuse, duchy-peerage created in 1612, registered 1627,
Quarterly: in I and in IV per fess and per three pallets, 1 barry gules and argent, 2 azure seme-de-lys or and a label gules, 3 argent a cross potent or, between four crosslets of the same, 4 or four pallets gules 5 per pale azure seme-de-lys or and a bordure gules, 6 azure a lion contourny or, armed, langued and crowned gules, 7 or a lion sable armed and langued gules, 8 azure crusilly or and two bars or. Inescutcheon or a bend gules charged with three alerions argent overall a label gules; in II and in III quarterly 1 and 4, per pale gules, an escarbuncle or, inescutcheon argent and or a fess chequy gules and argent of three tiers and 2 and 3 azure three fleurs of lys or a bordure compony argent and gules.
Per fess and per three pallets, I quarterly Castile and Leon; II Aragon; III Navarre; IV per saltire Aragon and Hohenstaufen-Sicily; V, barry of six sable and or, a crancelin vert (Saxony); VI or; VII quarterly 1 and 4, azure a fess or between three lion heads caboshed guardant and 2 and 3, argent on a bend gules cottised sable three vols argent; VIII quarterly Foix and Bearn. Inescutcheon, per pale, argent a walnut tree vert; b. gules a cross cleché, voided and pommety or, and a chief gules, charged with a cross potent argent (de Nogaret).[24]
Quarterly: 1 and 4 or two maces sable in saltire and tied gules; 2 and 3, grand-quarterly in I and IV azure three fleurs of lys or, a label and a bendlet couped brochant argent (d'Orléans-Longueville), in II and III quarterly azure three fleurs of lys or between a bendlet couped (de Bourbon).
Quarterly: in 1 and 4, sable, a cross argent, ch. of five escallops gules (Rouvroy); in 2 and 3, chequy or and Azure, a chief Azure, ch. three fleurs-de-lis or (Vermandois)[26].
Quarterly, in 1 and 4, per pale, a, chequy or and Azure, a chief Azure, charged with three fleurs-de-lis or (de Vermandois), b, sable, a cross argent charged with five escallops gules (de Rouvroy); in 2 and 3 or a fess gules (Havesquerke-Rasse); Overall lozengy argent and gules, a chief argent (la Vacquerie)[29].
The Duke of Gramont, duchy-peerage created in 1648, registered 1663,
Quarterly: I and IV, gules three bars wavy or; II and III, gules three bars gemel argent: overall Quarterly, 1, or a lion Azure, armed and langued gules;, gules three arrows argent positioned in pale, darts basewise; 3, or a greyhound rampant gules, harnessed sable, a bordure sable platy; 4, argent a chief indented Azure.
Per fess and per three pallets, eight quarters: in 1 gules a crescent vair (de Maure) in 2 azure three fleurs-de-lis or a bendlet couped gules (Bourbon) in 3 gules nine mascles or (Rohan) in 4 barry argent and azure of six pieces three chevrons gules brochants overall the first écimé (La Rochefoucault) in 5 argent a biscione azure crowned or devouring a child gules (Milan) in 6 gules chains of Navarre or (Navarre) in 7 gules a pallet vair (d'Escars) in 8 ermine plain (Bretagne). Overall barry wavy of six pieces argent and gules (Rochechouart).[37]
Quarterly in 1 and 4, argent a cross engrailed gules charged with five escallops or (Liancourt); in 2 and 3, argent a fess bendy or and gules (Pons).[40]
Quarterly in 1 azure a bend argent, between two dragons (Baillet); in 2 or, a chief gules charged in quarter with an escutcheon of Montmorency, of which the first quartier is charged with a mullet sable (Aunoy); in 3 de Montmorency: in 4 argent a chief gules and a lion azure armed, langued and crowned or (Vendôme ancient) and Overall de Potier which is azure three hands dexter or in franc-quartier chequy or and Azure.
Quarterly: 1, argent a chevron gules between 7 martlets sable, 4 in chief and 3 in base (d'Aumont); 2, gules, a cross fleurdelisée or, between twelve billets of the same (de Villequier); 3, quarterly: a and d, or three chalbots gules (de Chabot); b, argent, a lion gules, forked tail in saltire, armed, langued and crowned or (de Luxembourg); c, gules a mullet of sixteen rays argent (des Baux); 4, barry undy argent and gules of 6 pieces (de Rochechouart); overall gules, a chief chequy azure and argent of two tiers (de Rochebaron)[43].
Quarterly, in I gules a lion or armed and langued Azure, in II barry or and sable of six pieces, in III argent a fess gules, in IV or a lion sable, on an escutcheon azure a cross or between eighteen billets of the same, five and five in chief positioned in saltire, four and four in base positioned two and two brochant overall.[45]
The Duke of Albret, duchy-peerage created in 1651, registered 1665,
Quarterly 1 and 4 azure seme-de-lys or, a tower argent, 2 or three torteaux, 3 or four bends gules. Inescutcheon per pale or a gonfanon gules fringed vert and gules a fess argent.
Quarterly: in I, per pale, a or, a fess chequy argent and gules of three tiers (de La Marck), b, Azure, an escutcheon argent bordered or, between eight crosslets or in orle, 3, 2 and 3 (de Brézé); in II, per pale, a, argent three fess gules, b, Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, a bendlet couped gules (de Bourbon); III, per pale, a, azure crusilly crosslets in foot fitchy or, a lion argent brochant (de Commercy), b, paly or and gules; IV, per pale, a, quarterly fusilly bendwise argent and Azure, and sable, a lion or (du Palatinat), b, azure seven plates, a chief or (de Poitiers-Valentinois); overall, argent, two pallets sable (de Harlay).
The Duke of Fitz-James, duchy-peerage created in 1710, extinct de jure in 1967
Quarterly: in I and IV quarterly azure three fleurs de lys or (de France) and gules three lions passant guardant or (England); in II or, a lion gules, in double tressure flory and counter-flory of the same (Scotland); in III Azure, a harp or, stringed argent (Ireland); a bordure compony of twelve pieces azure a fleur-de-lys or and gules a lion passant or.
The Duke of Antin, duchy-peerage created in 1711, extinct in 1757
Per fess: I, per four pallets, 1, argent, a lion gules, within an orle of seven escutcheons gules a fess or; 2, azure a lion or armed and langued gules; 3, azure a bell argent, clapper sable; 4, azure three flames argent issuant from base; 5, argent, three bars wavy azure (Pardaillan); II, per three pallets, 1, gules a jug or; 2, or three pallets gules; 3, or a key sable palewise, on its dexter three tourteaux; 4, barry undy argent and gules (de Rochechouart); overall, or a castle gules, masoned sable, triple-towered, surmounted by three Moor heads sable headbands argent (de la vicomté de Castillon).[49]
Gules two olive branches argent, set like a crown, crossing in chief and in base, a chief chequy argent and azure (d'Ailly), an escutcheon or, a lion gules, armed, langued and crowned azure (d'Albert).
The Duke of Fleury, duchy-peerage created in 1736, extinct de jure in 1815
Quarterly: in 1, argent, a bouquet of three roses gules, stalked and leaved vert, 1 and 2 (Rosset); in 2, gules, a lion or (Lasset); in 3, quarterly argent and sable (Vissec de Latude); in 4, Azure, three rooks or (Rocozel). Overall azure three roses or (Fleury).[50]
The Duke of La Vauguyon, duchy-peerage created in 1758, extinct de jure in 1837
Quarterly: in 1, per pale: a. argent a saltire gules (Stuer); b. or four cotices gules (Caussade); in 2 and 3, Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, and on a bend couped gules, three lions argent (Bourbon-Carency); in 4, gules, a pallet vair and a bordure engrailed argent (Pérusse des Cars-Carency). Overall argent three leaves of holly vert (Quélen).[52].
Azure a cross or, between of eighteen billets of the same, five each at the chief, set 2, 1 and 2, and four each canton of the base, set 2 and 2 (de Choiseul)[53].
or
Azure, a cross or, between twenty billets of the same, five at each canton, 2, 1 and 2 (de Choiseul), Overall an escutcheon or, a cross moline gules (Stainville). Supports: two lions[54].
or
Quarterly: in 1 and 4, Azure, a cross or, between twenty billets of the same, five at each canton, 2, 1 and 2 (de Choiseul); in 2 and 3, or, a cross moline gules (de Stainville). Supports: two lions[54].
Quarterly, in I and IV azure a cross or, between eighteen billets of the same, five at each canton of the chief, set 2, 1 and 2, and four at each canton of the base, set 2 and 2 (de Choiseul); in II and III, gules a lion crowned or.[55]
^Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot du Plessis (1604-1675), duchess of Aiguillon, niece of Richelieu, daughter of René de Vignerot, seigneur de Pontcourlay and de Glenay and de Françoise du Plessis, sister of the cardinal.
^Honoré II Grimaldi (1597-1662), Seigneur de Monaco (1604-1612), Prince of Monaco (1612-1662), Peer of France, Duke of Valentinois, Marquis des Baux, Comte de Carlades