Recently, I was honored with the very obscure and ancient German title of Kurfürst (Prince-Elector) and Markgraf (Margrave) by HRH Ludwig, the Grand Duke of the even more obscure Grand Duchy of Pomerania and Livonia. The title itself is derived from a small province of the Holy Roman Empire which today exists only on paper.
The title is hereditary and will pass to my eldest child upon my death. As a high-ranking imperial title, it comes with a number of extra honorary appointments. I have also been granted the titles and ranks of:
- Grand Admiral of Pomerania and Livonia
- Grand Admiral of Pomerania and Livonia
- Field Marshall of Pomerania and Livonia
- Knight of the Sacred and Military Order of Merit of Pomerania and Livonia.
Each of these ranks, titles, and honors comes with its own letter patent on parchment, and the knighthood comes with a "jewel"; a neck medal of the blue & gold Medal of Merit of Livonia, known as the "Livonian Blue Max".
The old Blue Max ("Pour Le Mérite") was a German imperial award (famously held by Baron von Richthofen, the Red Baron). Though phased out in Prussian Germany after the First World War, Pomerania and Livonia has retained the right to award this historic award. The original medal was emblazoned with an "F" for Frederick, but the current Livonian Blue Max is emblazoned with an "L" for HRH Ludwig.
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