Law of 17th April 1760
Concerning the presentation of ladies of the court and those aspiring to the honor of going in the carriages of the King.
“In the future, no lady may be presented to His Majesty and no gentleman can any longer be permitted to go in the carriages, and follow there to the hunt, unless they have previously produced, before the genealogist of his orders, three titles establishing each degree of the family of the husband, like contracts of marriage, wills, division, act of guardianship, gifts, etc., for each one the affiliation will be established clearly since the year 1400. Forbids His Majesty the said genealogist to admit any of the judgments of its board and its superior courts, nor the judgments made by its various commissioners, during the various searches made of nobility of the kingdom, and not to receive any consideration that can be that of the original titles of families; and wishing by the example of his predecessor Kings, not only to give families who are from a noble race, the honor to be presented and to go in the carriages, His Majesty has also directed his genealogist not to issue any certificate when he has knowledge that nobility which we want to show makes his principle (money) in the exercise of any office of dress, and other similar offices, or by letters of ennoblement, always excepting in the latter case, those for whom such letters are to be accorded by reason of services singly rendered to the state, reserving, moreover, to except that this rule would be filled by those who supported the crown or in his house, as also by the male descendants of the knights of his orders, which will be required only to prove their connection with those who have been decorated by said orders of the King.”
Very interesting, just another way to keep tabs on loyalty to the king.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I can just see the old families scheming to keep new ones from receiving those honors, and the new ones scheming to find ways to get them.
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