Définir et élaborer l’étiquette

Back at the head of his dukedoms in 1698, Duke Leopold of Lorraine wishes to revive the old Court of Nancy. Soon confronted with quarrels of precedence, the Duke has to develop a policy of precedence which he named “etiquette” in the two autograph documents we can still refer to nowadays. These two documents put into words the Duke’s thoughts about the “etiquette” and clearly summarize the way he considers his own role as far as the regulation of the social relationships between the courtiers are concerned and the way he develops his own glorification. Through them we can understand the linguistic, semantic and historical dimensions of the word “etiquette”, a word Leopold soon abandoned, preferring then the word “ceremonial”. We can also analyze the French and Germanic influences which may have led to the use of that word. These two notes also show how useful the Duke considered this “etiquette”, which was for him a way of putting in order a confused court more than a mere symbolic way of self-glorification. Finally they give us the opportunity to observe the process of the “etiquette” and “ceremonial” development, particularly in between two different cultural periods.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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