Grandees

(Grandes), the higher nobility in medieval Spain, both clerical and secular (as opposed to the main body of the nobility, hidalgo and caballero); from the 16th century to the 20th grandee was a title of nobility. From the 13th century (when they are first mentioned) grandees occupied high state positions and enjoyed great privileges. They were free of taxes and had the right to defend their “liberty” to the extent of declaring war on the king and transferring their allegiance to another lord. With the flourishing of absolutism in the 15th century grandees were transformed into court nobility. The title grandee was abolished in 1931 with the liquidation of the monarchy.