duchesses
High-ranking noblewomen
Duchesses is the plural of duchess, a woman holding the rank of duke in her own right or one who is married to a duke.
In the traditional European nobility system, duchess ranks just below princess.
The word appears in formal contexts discussing royalty and aristocracy, as well as in historical fiction.
The duchesses arrived separately for the coronation ceremony.
Informally, duchess can be a playful or ironic term of address for a woman perceived as acting imperiously.
System of noble ranks
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- nobilityTitled ruling class
- titlesNames of creative works
- lineageDescent from progenitors
ancestry · highborn · blueblood · gentry · patrician · gentlefolk · hereditary · baronetcy
Monarch's official residence
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
- monarchyRule by crowned sovereign
- throneCeremonial chair for sovereigns
- coronationCeremony installing a sovereign
tiara · queen · princess · consort · royalty · court · lady-in-waiting · regalia
Elegant in movement
- refinedPurified or cultured
- sophisticatedWorldly and cultured
- poisedCalm and controlled
- cultivatedImproved through nurture
tasteful · dignified · fashionable · gowns · coiffure · jewels · finery · couture
Landed aristocratic residence
- estateProperty and grounds
- mansionLarge, stately home
- castleFortified medieval residence
- chateauFrench country mansion
grounds · landholdings · inheritance · patrimony · dowry · seat · parkland · servants
Elevated rank or renown
- distinctionNotable difference or honor
- statusOne's relative position
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
- rankPosition in hierarchy
influence · authority · privilege · deference · veneration · gravitas · decorum · bearing
Of 19th-century Britain
- elizabethanOf the Virgin Queen's reign
- regencySubstitute monarch's authority
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
heritage · portraiture · tapestry · annals · chronicles
peerage
System of noble ranks
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- nobilityTitled ruling class
- titlesNames of creative works
lineage · ancestry · highborn · blueblood · gentry · patrician · gentlefolk · hereditary · baronetcy · noblesse
palace
Monarch's official residence
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
- monarchyRule by crowned sovereign
- throneCeremonial chair for sovereigns
coronation · tiara · queen · princess · consort · royalty · court · lady-in-waiting · regalia · sovereign
graceful
Elegant in movement
- refinedPurified or cultured
- sophisticatedWorldly and cultured
- poisedCalm and controlled
cultivated · tasteful · dignified · fashionable · gowns · coiffure · jewels · finery · couture · attire
manor
Landed aristocratic residence
chateau · grounds · landholdings · inheritance · patrimony · dowry · seat · parkland · servants · household
eminence
Elevated rank or renown
- distinctionNotable difference or honor
- statusOne's relative position
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
rank · influence · authority · privilege · deference · veneration · gravitas · decorum · bearing · poise
victorian
Of 19th-century Britain
- elizabethanOf the Virgin Queen's reign
- regencySubstitute monarch's authority
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
dynasty · heritage · portraiture · tapestry · annals · chronicles
- historical figureshistorical figures, leaders, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Joan of Arc
- royaltyking, queen, prince, princess, kings
- authorityleaders, ruler, rulers, monarch, bosses
- historical romanceVictorian romance, medieval romance, period drama, love stories, romantic plots
- medieval courtkings, lord, queens, lady, queen
- nobilityking, queen, prince, princess, baron
- grand duchessRoyal woman's high title
- grand duchessesFemale royals of highest rank
- duchess potatoesPiped, baked mashed preparation