Hereditary title

This practice was common in the Kalmar Union, and was frequently the case in the letters patent issued by King Eric of Pomerania, King Joseph Bonaparte conferred the title "Prince of Naples" and later "Prince of Spain" on his children and grandchildren in the male and female line.

Rarely, a noble title descends to the eldest child regardless of gender (although by law this has become the prevalent form of titular inheritance among the Spanish nobility).

In the French nobility, often the children and other male-line descendants of a lawful noble titleholder self-assumed the same or a lower title of nobility; while not legal, such titles were generally tolerated at court during both the ancien regime and 19th century France as titres de courtoisie.

In these circumstances, the title would in fact be held in abeyance until one of them renounced for herself and her successors in favour of the other, or the entire estate naturally descends to a single coparcener.

[6] In England and Wales, passage of a title in this fashion is effected under the rules laid down in the Law of Property Act 1925.