Grandees of Spain ( es, Grandes de España) are the highest-ranking members of the

Spanish nobility Spanish nobles are persons who possess the legal status of hereditary nobility according to the laws and traditions of the Spanish monarchy and historically also those who held personal nobility as bestowed by one of the three highest orders of ...

. They comprise nobles who hold the most important historical landed titles in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

or its

former colonies A former is an object, such as a template, gauge or cutting die, which is used to form something such as a boat's hull. Typically, a former gives shape to a structure that may have complex curvature. A former may become an integral part of the ...

. Many such

hereditary title Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are nobility titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families. Though both monarchs and nobles usually inherit their titles, the mechanisms often ...

s are held by heads of families, having been acquired via strategic marriages between landed families. All Grandees, of which there were originally three ranks, are now deemed to be of equal status (''i.e. "of the first class"''); this

designation Designation may refer to: * Designation (law), the process of determining an incumbent's successor * Professional certification * Designation (landmarks), an official classification determined by a government agency or historical society * Design ...

is nowadays

titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bish ...

, conveying neither power nor legal privileges. A grandeza (

Grandeeship Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they h ...

) can be held regardless of possession of a

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

of nobility, however each ''grandeza'' was normally (although not always) granted in conjunction with a noble title. With the exception of Fernandina, grandezas have been granted with all Spanish ducal titles. Grandees, their consorts and first-born heirs are entitled to the

honorific prefix An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

of "

The Most Excellent The Most Excellent ( Spanish: ''Excelentísimo Señor'' (male) or ''Excelentísima Señora'' (female), literally "Most Excellent Sir/Madam") is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in Spain and certain Spanish-speaki ...

" ( (male), abbreviated ''Excmo. Sr.'', or (female), abbreviated ''Excma. Sra.''). In written form, their names are followed by the post-nominals GE.Soler Salcedo, Juan Miguel: Nobleza española, p. 150
/ref> The following is an incomplete list of extant Spanish noble titles that are held in conjunction with a Grandeeship:

Dukedoms

Marquessates

Countships

Viscountcies

Baronies

Lordships

Individual

There are 7 non-title attached Grandeeships that are individual. These are still hereditary and transmissible just like regular titles.

Royal Grandees

There are also 25 non-title attached Grandeeships that correspond to the offspring of Infantes of Spain. These are not hereditary or transmissible.

References

Bibliography

External links

Diputación de la Grandeza de España
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grandes de Espana (Current) Lists of Spanish nobility