Pony civilization was originally feudal, developing into several mature constitutional monarchies by the Golden Age, the most notable of which was Equestria under the sovereign princesses Celestia and Luna of the Noble House of Galaxy. After the catastrophe, the situation diverged fairly rapidly and many irregular changes in de facto noble status took place during the Dark Age.

Nobility

The pony systems of feudalism, especially since the Dark Age, are somewhat different from those known to the nearly hairless bipedal ape-creatures of Earth. Under the prevailing customs of the Isle of Yore in the present day, it is the perogative of the Count of Springvale to ennoble people, but he or she does it as a matter of course on the request of any lord considered legitimate by the court in Springvale.

It should be noted that, at the time of the Catastrophe, the whole Isle of Yore was divided into three counties, the County of Springvale, the County of Docktown, and the County of Nickerby. The County of Springvale is the only one which avoided extinction in the Dark Age. (And it must be admitted that it controls only a small area directly. Although acknowledging the primacy of Springvale, the various barons in the Eastern Dusts are not vassals of the count.) Notably, there were no baronies or manors of any particular practical significance at the time. All present feudalism, with the exception mentioned above, emerged after the collapse of the Kingdom of Ponyland during the Dark Age.

The nobility of New Equestria (a constitutional monarchy, though one in which the monarch has some power) is descended from the nobility of Equestria rather than Ponyland. A number of refugees from Equestria settled there during the collapse, united by the vision and power of Bluestar the Brilliant, an archmage. However, none of the Equestrian nobles who joined Bluestar were of a higher rank than a countess. The title wizard-prince, and the subsequent proclamation of the Monarch of New Canterlot as Queen, were unilateral decisions made by the government of New Equestria. The court of Springvale does not recognize New Equestria as the successor state of Equestria, and hence does not regard these higher noble ranks as legitimate. Given the paucity of contact between New Equestria and the Dusts, this is not of great practical significance for either party to the disagreement.

Under either of these systems, nobility is usually heritable, not dependent on title. Some titles are also heritable, and the incumbent may designate any noble as her successor (although almost invariably a closer relative is chosen.) Other titles are granted by a higher noble only for the life of the grantee. The former category of titles are freely held, such that although the holder and his or her successors may still owe fealty to a particular leige, that superior does not have direct control over his vassal's succession, nor can he replace the vassal except in cases of treason or similar crimes. Not-heritable nobility is represented today only in the knights of Springvale and of New Equestria.

Title determines noble rank, the children of the Count of Springvale are not intrinsically higher ranked than those of the lady of a tiny manor. That said, higher-ranked nobles may grant their favored descendents and other relatives titles of nobility.

Pony civilization was originally matriarchal, but had firm notions of gender equity by the Golden Age. These notions were not lost during the Dark Age, and neither sex is favored in inheiritance customs. Although the first born is the most likely to succeed a noble parent, pony nobles are likely to rely on their assessment of relative aptitude in determining their successor from among their descendents.

Noble Ranks in the Dusts

Nobles are ranked according to some combination of the size of their holdings and the length and prestige of their title's history. This section applies to noble ranks in the Ponyland system of nobility, as prevails in the Dusts in the 34th Century AE.

Nobles who do not have a particular title are called 'sir' or 'dame,' or rather this is how we notionally translate the Equine title, as with the rest of the terminology used. This form of address is also used for the Knights of Springvale, who are non-heritable nobility who do not rule a domain.

Nobles who rule a manor, their jurisdiction often including one or more villages and many non-demesne farms in the dependent countryside under present-day circumstances, are styled 'lord' or 'lady.' If the noble freely holds a title, they are a 'freelord' or 'freelady,' but are usually just called 'lord' or 'lady.' This is true even if the noble owes fealty to another, so long as their title is heritable.

Nobles who have other nobles owing them fealty are mostly 'barons' and 'baronesses.' The baronies existant in the Dusts were all created in the Dark Age on the basis, eliciting fealty from other lords on the basis of their control of the irrigation system as it was developed.

There is one 'count' or 'countess' in the present day, that title being held by the Count of Springvale.

Noble Ranks in New Equestria

Nobles in New Equestria are ranked according to their title. Although nobility is heritable, i.e. the descendents of a noble are noble, the succession of titles in New Equestria is determined by the monarch on the advice of her government. No titles (except of the monarch, obviously) are freely held in New Equestria. The various districts and towns of New Equestria are all governed by appointed or elected officials, who are often but not necessarily of noble birth. Those who were not nobles by birth are nontheless entitled to a style appropriate to their position. They do not retain it after their term in the position is over, unless they had from some other source before their appointment.

As in the Dusts, nobles with no particular title and non-hereditary nobles (i.e. knights for the purposes of New Equestria) are styled 'sir' or 'dame.'

There are few feudal manors in New Equestria, and they are small and do not include dominion over a nearby village or many distant farms. Their masters are styled 'lord NAME' or 'lady NAME.'

There are currently no barons in New Equestria, although the title theoretically exists and there have been some in the past. All of the previous baronial titles went extinct, or their holders were elevated. (It is not usual under the New Equestrian system to simultaneously hold multiple noble ranks, in keeping with the perception of the ranks as being more vested in the person than in their dominion.)

There are a number of 'counts' and 'countesses' in New Equestria, and it is indeed a common rank for government officials.

New Equestria has one 'duchess', the Duchess of Solaria on the Lake. The form of address is "your grace."

New Equestria has two 'princes', the prince Daybreak and the princess Nightfall. The form of address is "your highness."

There is one queen of New Equestria, who is the constitutional monarch of that state, in New Canterlot. The form of address is "your majesty."

Magical Nobility

Some positions in the magical bureaucracy of Ponyland were historically held by non-heritable nobles ennobled as part of their investiture. An example is the ensconced archmage of the Isle of Yore. (This particular title went extinct with the death of Bluestar the Brilliant during the Dark Age.)

Archmagi are considered equivalent in rank to a count, and the form of address is "your potency." Ensconced Archmagi had jurisdiction over the practice of all lawful magic within their jurisdiction and were required to maintain a wizard's tower of commensurate stature. They have primacy among archmagi. With the extinction of the Archmagical Sconce of the Isle of Yore, the only remaining noble archmage according to the system described here is the Archmage of the Crooked Tower, Everwood Wand, who is nontheless not an ensconced archmage and has no particular jurisdiction, despite maintaining a tower and being the mistress of a magical college. Nontheless, there are several self-proclaimed archmagi in the Dusts, and it is advised that their pretensions to the title be respected for the sake of safety.