Peerage in Fiannria

The Fiannan/Culfran nobility and royalty were a status group of northern Levantia within modern day Fiannria originating in medieval Levantia who enjoyed certain privileges under the laws and customs of the Holy Levantine Empire and the historical United Kingdom of the Culfras and the Subsequent League of the Culfras. However many of those privileges disappeared with the establishment of the Fiannan Commonwealth and were entirely removed as a recognized social class in the aftermath of the Levantine Civil War, however, were allowed to keep their former hereditary titles in name that could be passed on to offspring, along with any landowners that maintained lands following the Levantine Civil War, they, however, they have no legal or civil privileges or immunities today.

Culfran Nobility

In the region of modern Fiannria, nobility and titles pertaining to it were bestowed and recognized by popes, emperors, kings, and lesser ruling royalty. Tied to these titles were property, legal and civil privileges and immunities and at some points of almost autonomous sovereignty over those lands over the centuries. Between the period before the founding of the Holy Levantine Empire until the founding of the Commonwealth at the turn of the 19th century, countless noble houses rose and fell, and even among their noble status held various levels of prestige between the ancient nobility (those that existed prior to 1350), the Patent nobility, those who received patent of their noble rank to proove their aristocratic roots, high nobility, those who at a point ruled a soveriegn state within the Holy Levantine Empire prior to the founding of the United Kingdom of Culfras and also lower nobility or gentry.

Nobility after the Founding of the Commonwealth

In the aftermath of the Fiannan Revolution and the Brother’s War in the early 19th century, a decision needed to be made for the existence of the nobles of what was once the Culfras. This period of conflict included a large mediatisation across the new state, however, plenty of nobles held land still and Fiannria legally remained a part of the Holy Levantine Empire. In a compromise between the Empire, the Commonwealth, and the nobles both religious and secular, was made. While the electorship of Bridhavn would be conferred to the President, the Culfran nobility’s legal titles, status, and privileges within the Empire would not be abolished. While within Culfra, a stipend was promised and the titles and their lands would not be abolished, their legal privileges would be. Officially turning the nobles within Culfras to more like glorified landowners. Political machinations by Republican/Liberal governments would target through taxation and legal measures to inhibit the estates of the former nobles. This led to surviving nobles turning to the business world or marrying into other Levantine nobility or to diamond heirs (children of wealthy businessmen) in order to survive by inheriting that wealth and shares in those businesses.

The National Trust of the Commonwealth

In 1900, Count Richard Von Stahlburg, Father Gregor O’Neil, and Saoirse Myles founded the Commonwealth National Trust for the Preservation of Places of Historic Interest and Natural Beauty, a charity and membership organization for the heritage conservation of Fiannria. It was given statutory powers and recognized alongside the founding of the Fiannan National Parks in 1904. Historically, the land was acquired by gift, public subscription, and appeal. It also established a unique agreement to incentivize former Culfran nobles to become members of the trust and gift the land to the Trust, by signing an agreement of historic residence, a former Culfran noble family would give over ownership of their lands in exchange, they could continue residing on their estates which would be preserved and managed and a portion of the property be made open to the public and would still receive direct property income for their donated land while they still lived there. They would also become members of the trust. Through this method, many historic sites, homes, and castles have been preserved and opened to the public but also providing a means of survival and maintenance of dignity for the former nobility.

Post Levantine Civil War Nobility to Modern Day

After the end of the Levantine Civil War and the dissolution of the HLE, those privileges previously enjoyed by remaining members of the HLE disappeared overnight. Reeling from the end of the HLE and the aftermath of the Northern Front many of the nobles saw themselves suddenly impoverished and without a formal title. For an extensive period of time, the government of Fiannria ignored and avoided what to do with the status of the former nobility now that the Empire was gone. As part of the solution was the Cort de Antics as it expanded beyond just Derian affairs to create an amenable solution between the former nobles and the Fiannan government. The final agreement was that the Fiannan government would continue to recognize the property still owned by any of the remaining landed nobility that had not already been given to the National Trust, and would permit the passage of former hereditary titles as part of the surname of former nobles and offspring as well would make a final reparation payment for their service to the Culfras and Fiannria but would no longer provide stipend via the Fiannan government alone. This in fact Pushed nobles to marry into with Derian families and other nobles elsewhere to receive stipends through the LU and live among their kind in the borough of Ardriville, or live as everyday citizens and landowners of Fiannria. Many former Culfran nobles have doubled their ancestral homes into museums, tourist sites, vacation rentals, and event spaces to celebrate the past of their country and bloodline.