Count of Monpezat

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Coat of arms of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark
Coat of arms of Prince Joachim of Denmark

Count of Monpezat (Greve af Monpezat in Danish) is a Danish title of nobility granted on 30 April 2008 by the Queen of Denmark to her two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and their legitimate patrilineal descendants of both sexes. The title is based on the French title "Comte de Laborde de Monpezat" which was used by their father Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark.

A count and his wife bear the title greve and grevinde, respectively. Their children are titled greve (sons) and komtesse (daughters). A woman cannot pass the title to her husband or elevate her husband's status.

History of French title[]

The Laborde de Monpezat family style themselves as "comte de Laborde de Monpezat" (in English Count of Laborde of Monpezat) since somewhere late in the nineteenth century. The right to the use of that comital title is disputed; The Encyclopédie de la fausse noblesse et de la noblesse d'apparence (English: Encyclopedia of False and Seeming Nobility) states that Prince Henrik's ancestor, Jean Laborde, received royal letters patent of ennoblement in 1655, conditional on his reception as a noble in the Estates of the province of Béarn where his lands were located.[1] But this condition was never fulfilled, as the Estates refused Laborde's petitions in 1703 and again in 1707.[1] The family's surname was "Monpezat" by the time of the French Revolution, without title, until 14 July 1860, when it was changed by imperial decree to "de Laborde-Monpezat", and legally changed again on 19 May 1861 to "de Laborde de Monpezat".[2] Although the comital title has been used by the family as if it were a courtesy title, traditionally the royal court and French society accepted such titles when used by genuinely noble families.[3]

Before his marriage with queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Prince Henrik also used this French comital title. In 2008, the title "Count of Monpezat" (greve af Monpezat), was conferred by the Queen on her and Prince Henrik's both sons, this as a genuine Danish title used by all and being hereditary in male-line.[4]

List of Counts of Monpezat[]

The family tree is based on the current line of succession to the Danish throne.

Consequences[]

Should any of the Princes who are styled Count of Monpezat marry without consent of the Danish monarch, they will lose their dynastic rights but remain Count of Monpezat.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Dioudonnat, Pierre-Marie, Encyclopédie de la fausse noblesse et de la noblesse d'apparence, Paris, Sedopols, 1976–79 (2 vols), p. 208 (in French)
  2. ^ Joseph Valynseele, Les de Laborde de Monpezat et leurs alliances, Paris, chez l'Auteur, 1975 (in French)
  3. ^ Velde, François. "Nobility and Titles in France". Heraldica.org. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  4. ^ "Monpezat til Frederik og Joachim". Berlingske Tidende. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
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