''Jure matris'' (''iure matris'') is a
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
phrase meaning "by right of his mother" or "in right of his mother".
It is commonly encountered in the law of
inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
when a noble title or other right passes from mother to son. It is also used in the context of monarchy in cases where a woman holds a title in her own right but grants exercise of the power to her son. In many cultures it was common for the husband of a titled woman to
exercise power on her behalf, and sometimes after his death she allowed their son and heir the same privilege during her lifetime.
Notable ''jure matris'' rulers
*
Baldwin III of Jerusalem was ''jure matris''
King of Jerusalem
The king or queen of Jerusalem was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, a Crusader state founded in Jerusalem by the Latin Church, Latin Catholic leaders of the First Crusade, when the city was Siege of Jerusalem (1099), conquered in ...
from 1143 to 1153 through his mother
Melisende.
[*]
*
Richard the Lionheart and his brother
John were ''jure matris''
Dukes of Aquitaine from 1189 to 1199 and 1199 to 1204 respectively through their mother
Eleanor
Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It was the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages">Provençal dialect ...
, who was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right.
*
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...
, was
King of Castile through his mother
Joanna
Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from . Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne.
The earliest recorded occurrence of th ...
from 1516 to 1555 (Joanna was actually effectively kept imprisoned for insanity and powerless).
*
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II (13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 18 August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 29 November 1780 until his death. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I, ...
, was
Archduke of Austria from 1765 to 1780 through his mother
Maria Theresa.
See also
* ''
Jure uxoris
''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...
''
*
List of Latin phrases
This is a list of Wikipedia articles of Latin phrases and their translation into English.
To view all phrases on a single, lengthy document, see: List of Latin phrases (full).
Lists of pages
* List of Latin phrases (A)
* List of Latin phrases ( ...
*
List of queens regnant
*
Primogeniture
Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn Legitimacy (family law), legitimate child to inheritance, inherit all or most of their parent's estate (law), estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some childre ...
* ''
Suo jure''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jure matris
Nobility
Latin legal terminology
Genealogy
Inheritance