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.
Ecclesiastical peers
Figure Peer and blazon Function at the Coronation The Archbishop-Duke of Reims,
Azure, seme-de-lys or, a cross argent.Anoints and crowns the King The Bishop-Duke of Laon,
Azure, seme-de-lys or, on a cross argent, a crozier gules.Source: Les Anciennes Pairies de France sur www.heraldique-europeenne.orgBears the Holy Ampulla The Bishop-Duke of Langres,
Azure, seme-de-lys or, a saltire gules.Bears the royal scepter The Bishop-Count of Beauvais,
Or, a cross between four keys gules.Bears the royal mantle The Bishop-Count of Châlons,
Azure, seme-de-lys or, a cross gules.Bears the royal ring The Bishop-Count of Noyon,
Azure, seme-de-lys or, two croziers addorsed argent.Bears the royal belt
Lay Peers
Figure Peer and blazon Function at the Coronation The Duke of Burgundy (province returned to the royal domain in 1477),
Bendy of six or and azure, à a bordure gules.Bears the royal crown, girds the sword to the King and confers the Order of chivalry The Duke of Normandy (province returned to the royal domain in 1204),
Gules, two lions passant or (armed and langued azure).Holds the first square banner The Duke of Aquitaine (province returned to the royal domain in 1453),
Gules, a lion passant or (armed and langued azure).Holds the second square banner The Count of Flanders (province ceded in 1526 by the Treaty of Madrid which was not ratified, and finally, in 1559 by the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis),
Or, a lion sable, armed and langued gules.Bears Joyeuse, the sword of the King The Count of Champagne (province returned to royal domain in 1314),
Azure a bend argent double cottised potent counter-potent or.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.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.
Since 1316: Ermine.John II, Duke of BrittanyThe Count of Anjou, peerage in 1297, extinct in 1328
Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure gules.Charles, Count of ValoisThe Count of Artois, peerage in 1297, extinct in 1526 Azure seme-de-lys or a label gules, each point charged with three castles or.Robert II, Count of Artois
Peerages created in the 14th century 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.
Figure Peer and blazon GranteeThe Count of Poitiers, county-peerage created in 1314, Azure seme-de-lys or a label compony gules and argent, or France, a label compony gules and argent.Philip the Tall, later Philip V of FranceThe Count of La Marche, county-peerage created in 1316, Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure compony gules and argent, or France, a bordure compony gules and argent.Charles the Fair, later Charles IV of FranceThe Count of Évreux, county-peerage created in 1316, Azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony argent and gules.Louis, Count of ÉvreuxThe Count of Angoulême, county-peerage created in 1317, Quarterly Evreux and Navarre.Philip III of NavarreThe Count of La Marche, county-peerage created in 1321,Louis I, Duke of BourbonThe Duke of Bourbon, duchy-peerage created in 1327, Azure seme-de-lys or a bend gules.The Count of Étampes, county-peerage created in 1327, Azure seme-de-lys or a bend compony ermine and gules.Charles of ÉtampesThe Count of Beaumont-le-Roger, county-peerage created in 1328, Azure seme-de-lys or a label gules, each point charged with three castles or.Robert III of ArtoisThe Count of Maine, county-peerage created in 1331,John the Good, later John II of FranceThe Duke of Normandy, duchy-peerage created in 1332, Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure gules.The Duke of Orléans, duchy-peerage created in 1344, Azure seme-de-lys or a label compony gules and argent, or France, a label compony gules and argent.
The holder of the fief was also: Count of Valois, county-peerage created in 1344,Philip, Duke of OrléansThe Count of Nevers, county-peerage created in 1347, Or a lion sable armed and langued gules.Louis II, Count of Flanders (1330 † 1384)The Count of Mantes, county-peerage created in 1353,Charles II of NavarreThe Count of Beaumont-le-Roger, county-peerage created in 1354, Quarterly Navarre and Evreux.The Duke of Anjou, duchy-peerage created in 1356, Azure seme-de-lys or, a bordure gules.Louis I, Duke of AnjouThe Count of Poitou, county-peerage created in 1357,John, Duke of BerryThe Count of Mâcon, county-peerage created in 1359, Azure seme-de-lys or, a bordure engrailed gules.The Count of Maine, county-peerage created in 1360, Azure seme-de-lys or, a bordure gules.Louis I, Duke of AnjouThe Duke of Berry, duchy-peerage created in 1360, Azure seme-de-lys or, a bordure engrailed gules.
The holder of the fief was also: The Duke of Auvergne, duchy-peerage created in 1360,John, Duke of BerryThe Duke of Touraine, county-peerage created in 1360, Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure compony argent and gules.Philip the BoldThe Duke of Burgundy, duchy-peerage created in 1363, Quarterly 1 and 4 azure seme-de-lys or a bordure compony argent and gules, 2 and 3 bendy of six or and azure a bordure gules.Philip the BoldThe Lord of Montpellier, barony-peerage created in 1371, Quarterly Navarre and Evreux.Charles II of NavarreThe Duke of Touraine, duchy-peerage in 1386,Louis I, Duke of OrléansThe Duke of Orléans, duchy-peerage in 1392, The holder of the fief was also: Count of Valois, duchy-peerage created in 1392,The Count of Périgord, county-peerage in 1399, Azure three fleurs de lys or, a label argent.
Peerages created in the 15th century In the fifteenth century, Charles VII began granting peerages to foreigners, to his Scottish allies in particular.
Figure Peer and blazon GranteeThe Duke of Touraine, duchy-peerage created in 1401, Azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure engrailed argent and gules.John, Duke of TouraineThe Duke of Alençon, duchy-peerage created in 1404, Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure gules charged with eight plates.Jean I, Duke of AlençonThe Count of Soissons, county-peerage created in 1404, Azure three fleurs de lys or, a label argent.
The holder of the fief was also: Lord of Coucy, barony-peerage created in 1404,Louis I, Duke of OrléansThe Duke of Nemours, duchy-peerage created in 1404, 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.Charles III of NavarreThe Count of Rethel, county-peerage in created 1405,
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.Anthony, Duke of BrabantThe Duke of Valois, duchy-peerage created in 1406, Azure three fleurs de lys or, a label argent.Louis I, Duke of OrléansThe Count of Mortagne, county-peerage created in 1407, Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure engrailed compony argent and gules.John, Duke of TouraineThe Count of Mortain, county-peerage created in 1407, 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.Peter of Navarre, son of Charles II of NavarreThe Count of Mortain, county-peerage created in 1414,Louis, Duke of GuyenneThe Duke of Berry, duchy-peerage created in 1416, Quarterly France and Dauphine.John, Duke of TouraineThe Duke of Touraine, duchy-peerage created in 1416,Charles, Duke of Touraine, later Charles VII of FranceThe Duke of Berry, duchy-peerage created in 1417, Azure seme-de-lys or a bordure engrailed compony argent and gules.The Duke of Touraine, duchy-peerage created in 1423, Argent a heart gules, on a chief azure three mullets argent.Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of DouglasThe Count of Évreux, county-peerage created in 1424, 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.John Stuart, Constable of the Army of ScotlandThe Count of Saintonge, county-peerage created in 1428, Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory counter-flory gules.James I of ScotlandThe Count of Foix, county-peerage created in 1458, 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.Gaston IV, Count of FoixThe Count of Eu, county-peerage created in 1458, Azure seme-de-lys or a label gules, each point charged with three castles or.Charles of Artois, Count of EuThe Count of Nevers, county-peerage created in 1459, Quarterly 1 and 4 azure seme-de-lys or a bordure compony argent and gules, 2 and 3 or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules.Charles I, Count of NeversThe Duke of Berry, duchy-peerage created in 1461, Azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure engrailed gules.Charles, Duke of BerryThe Count of Nevers, county-peerage created in 1464, Quarterly Valois-Burgundy and Artois.John II, Count of NeversThe Duke of Normandy, duchy-peerage created in 1465, Quarterly azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure engrailed gules and Normandy.
The holder of the fief was also: Count of Mortain, county-peerage created in 1465Charles, Duke of BerryThe Duke of Guyenne, duchy-peerage created in 1469, Quarterly azure three fleurs-de-lys or a bordure engrailed gules and Guyenne.The Count of Villefranche, county-peerage created in 1480, Quarterly 1 and 4 Aragon, 2 and 3 tierced in pale Hungary, Anjou-Sicily and Jerusalem.Frederick of NaplesThe Duke of Valois, duchy-peerage created in 1498, Azure, three fleurs-de-lys or, a label argent of three points, each point charged with a crescent gules.Francis of Angouleme, later Francis I of France
Peerages created in the 16th century
Figure Peer and blazon GranteeThe Count of Nevers, county-peerage created in 1505, 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.Engelbert, Count of NeversThe Count of Soissons, county-peerage created in 1505, Quarterly France and Brittany.
The holder of the title was also: Lord of Coucy, barony-peerage created in 1505Claude of FranceThe Duke of Nemours, duchy-peerage created in 1507, 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.Gaston of Foix, Duke of NemoursThe Duke of Angoulême, duchy-peerage created in 1515, Gules a cross argent.
The holder of the title was also: