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Lord of the Realm
Former Swedish honorary title / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lord of the Realm (Swedish: En av rikets herrar, lit.ā'one of the lords of the realm') was a title of honour introduced by Gustavus III, King of Sweden shortly after his coup and the newly passed constitution.[1][2] The title was granted by the King and was first received by Frederick William, Prince von Hessenstein on 15 January 1773 by letter.[3] One of the most famous title holders was Hans Axel, Count von Fersen, the supposed lover and confidant of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France.
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The title was not hereditary nor assigned with any function or appointment at the Royal Court or in public life. It was simply meant as a great honour bestowed upon deserving individuals after years of accomplished service to the King and Country.[citation needed] The title holder was styled "Excellency" and ranked equal to Privy Councillors.[4] They also had the right to wear the Privy Councillor's robes. On 10 January 1868, the title was officially defunct.[3]