Cryria: Difference between revisions

The Cryrian nobility encompasses both hereditary peers and anointed knights. The Kingdom's aristocracy has played a fundamental role throughout its history, but has seen its official powers vastly curtailed. after theThe Absolute Era andeffectively ended the Constitutionexistence of semi-independent fiefdoms and private armies which had previously defined the Kingdom. Reforms in 1929 further reduced the power the aristocracy could wield inside the Riksdag and many of the social attachments around the nobility such as required forms of address soon fell out of use as well. Even so the nobility continues to be a recognized class in Cryria, and has at times been criticized for maintaining a ''de facto'' caste system through a combination of inherited wealth and political connections. Indeed, over a third of land in Cryria is still thought to be owned by the aristocracy, often as parts of centuries-old holdings. Powerful [[Egendom|Egendomar]] also often are held by aristocratic families. The Drifting Throne has the sole authority in both making and unmaking members of the nobility and in granting or withdrawing seats in the Första Kammaren.

The nobility can be divided into four groups - The High Nobility, Count and Countesses, Barons and Baronesses, and Knights of the Realm. Some titles also exist outside this categorization. For example, King Albert bestowed the title of Lord Protector of the Realm on his common-born Prime Minister Rikard Östberg, reportedly after noting the disrespect Östberg faced from powerful aristocrats within the Riksdag. This action effectively forced other aristocrats to address Östberg as an equal in terms of rank, and the practice of granting Prime Ministers the title of Lord Protector for the duration of their terms continues to this day.