Legal Definitions - vice-comitissa

The term vice-comitissa is a historical Latin designation for a viscountess. It refers to a woman who holds the noble title of viscountess, either in her own right (meaning she inherited it) or through marriage to a man who is a viscount. In the traditional hierarchy of the peerage, a viscountess ranks above a baroness and below a countess.

• Example 1 (Inheritance): Upon the passing of her father, Lord Ashworth, who held the title of Viscount of Ashworth, Lady Beatrice, being his eldest daughter and having no brothers, inherited the peerage in her own right. She was subsequently known as the Viscountess of Ashworth, or historically, the vice-comitissa.

  Explanation: This illustrates a woman holding the title of viscountess independently, through direct inheritance, which is one way a vice-comitissa acquires her status.

• Example 2 (Marriage): When Mr. Edward Sterling, who was the hereditary Viscount of Sterling, married Ms. Sophia Hayes, she immediately assumed the title of Viscountess Sterling. In historical contexts, she would have been recognized as a vice-comitissa due to her marriage to a viscount.

  Explanation: This demonstrates the other primary way a woman becomes a vice-comitissa – by marrying a man who holds the title of viscount, thereby sharing his noble rank and becoming his female counterpart in the peerage.

• Example 3 (Official Usage): During the formal proceedings of a 16th-century royal court, a document detailing the attendance of various nobles listed "The Right Honourable Vice-Comitissa of Greystone" among the distinguished ladies present. This formal address specifically referred to the wife of the Viscount of Greystone.

  Explanation: This example highlights the historical and formal application of the term "vice-comitissa" itself, showing how it was used in official records to denote a viscountess, particularly one who gained the title through marriage to a viscount.