Episode 31 - Feudalism

You probably have heard of Prince William and his wife Kate. You might have heard of their official titles, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Or William’s dad, Prince Charles. He’s the Prince of Wales. Have you ever wondered where these titles come from? I mean, William and Kate don’t own the city of Cambridge or anything, do they? Is Prince Charles in charge of Wales in some way? I mean, the British territory of Wales, not the sea-dwelling mammal. He’s definitely not in charge of those. Where do these titles, and other titles like Duke, Viscount, Baron, Marquis, Earl, Lord, and Count, actually come from? They come from Feudalism, that’s where they come from. But where does feudalism come from, you may well ask. It’s a good question, and definitely important in the Medieval period, because feudalism basically describes the entire economic, political, religious, and social fabric of most of Europe during the Middle Ages, and into the modern world.