Count palatine

Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.

Importance of a Count Palatine in Medieval Europe

Comes palatinus

This Latin title is the original, but also pre-feudal: it originated as a Roman Comes, which was a non-hereditary court title of high rank, the specific part palatinus being the adjective derived from palatium ('palace').

But after the fall of Rome, a new feudal type of title, also known simply as palatinus, started developing. The Frankish kings of the Merovingian dynasty (reigned 480-750) employed a high official, the comes palatinus, who at first assisted the king in his judicial duties and at a later date discharged many of these himself. Other counts palatine were employed on military and administrative work.

In Visigothic Spain, the Officium Palatinum consisted of a number of men with the title of count that managed the various departments of the royal household. The Comes Cubiculariorum oversaw the chamberlains, the Comes Scanciorun directed the cup-bearers, the Comes Stabulorum directed the equerries in charge of the stables, etc. The Ostrogothic kings that ruled in Italy also maintained palatine counts with titles such as Comes Patrimonium, who was in charge of the patrimonial or private real estate of the king, and others.

Count Palatine (Imperial)

The Imperial Count Palatine (Palatin, Comes palatinus Caesareus, Kaiserlicher Hofpfalzgraf) was a title revived by Emperor Charles IV which was based upon the former position of a Count Palatine in the royal court.

In some cases where parties willingly submitted their petitions to them, the imperial count palatine possessed jurisdictional authority (comitiva) to settle the matter. Such cases included: the legitimation of children born out of wedlock, confirming that a minor had come of age, certifying adoptions, attesting documents such as wills etc., certain royal pardons, and the authorization of patents of nobility, coats of arms, academic honors, the appointment of notaries as well as the bestowal of poet laureate status.

While the emperor appointed imperial counts palatine for individual territories, from time to time the territorial princes themselves would bestow this honor with comitiva major (the so-called "Großes Palatinat"), that is with the power to transact these enactments on their own initiative.