appanages

Appanage is a term used in monarchies to denote a grant of land, revenues, or offices given by a sovereign to a member of the royal family, typically a younger son. The purpose is to provide for the maintenance and status of the recipient while preserving the integrity and unity of the realm; an appanage is not a grant of sovereignty, and it usually remains under the crown's ultimate authority.

Legal status and structure: An appanage could consist of rights to specific lands, designated revenues, or offices. It could be hereditary within a junior branch but was subject to reversion or reallocation by the crown, especially if the holder died without issue or if the crown needed to reassert central control.

Historical France: The term is most closely associated with medieval and early modern France, where kings granted appanages to younger sons to ensure their livelihood while avoiding disputes over succession. Common examples included duchies or counties granted to lines such as Orléans or Berry; these domains could function for a time as semi-autonomous but remained subordinate to the crown and were often absorbed back into the royal domain when required.

Decline and legacy: The growth of centralized state power reduced the use of appanages. By the 17th and 18th centuries, many appanages had been consolidated into the crown, and the practice diminished. In broader use, appanage can also refer to any provision or endowment supplied to a member of a ruling family.