Nobility and orders of Austria-Hungary (Twilight of a New Era)

The Imperial Rescript of 1921 (On titles, orders of chivalry, medals and decorations given out by His Imperial and Royal Majesty) the reaffirms exclusive and discretional right and authority of the Emperor-King with the assistance or advise of the Council in granting titles, orders of chivalry, medals and decorations of the honors system to nobles and non-nobles. It also abolishes all special courts of justice and privileges given to the nobility and reaffirms the constitutional equality before the law of all citizens and habitants of the Federal State. This decree also creates the Council of Imperial and Royal Orders. This Council is in charge of the administration and registration of orders of chivalry, medals and decorations of the honors system, and registrar of the titles of nobility. It also arbitrates in problems of succession of noble titles and certification.

The Imperial Rescript also standardizes of the denomination of all noble titles. Regardless of the ethnicity, religion or type of demesne (historically part of the Habsburg dynasty or other nobility within the Federal State of Austria-Hungary) the titles are: The Austrian-Hungarian nobility is divided up into two categories: the higher nobility (hoher Adel), and the lower nobility (niederer Adel). To the higher nobility belonged the dukes, princes and counts, the lower nobility was made up of the rest.
 * Duke/Duchess (Herzog/Herzogin)
 * Prince/Princess (Fürst/Fürstin)
 * Count/Countess (Graf/Gräfin)
 * Baron/Baroness (Freiherr/Freifrau and Freiin)
 * Knight (Ritter) (no female version existed)
 * Edler/Edle (roughly equivalent in meaning to "Sir" or "Dame", but not a common translation)

Non-ruling members of the imperial family are given the title of Archduke/Archduchess (Erzherzog/Erzherzogin) and styled Imperial and Royal Highness (Kaiserliche und königliche Hoheit). The wife of the emperor bore the title of Empress (Kaiserin) and was styled Her Imperial Majesty. Agnates of the imperial family, who were excluded from the line of succession, were created dukes and duchesses or princes and princess and addressed as Highness (Hoheit) or Serene Highness (Durchlaucht).

The Council of Imperial and Royal Orders was also in charge of handing out the medals and administering the Royal Orders. The main Royal and Imperial orders are:
 * Order of the Golden Fleece (1430)
 * Military Order of Maria Theresa (1757)
 * Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary (1764)
 * Imperial Austrian Order of Leopold (1808)
 * Imperial Austrian Franz Joseph Order
 * Order of the Starry Cross
 * Austrian Order of the Iron Crown (1815)
 * Militär-Verdienstkreuz (Cross for Military Merit, 1849)
 * Tapferkeits Medaille (Bravery Medal, 1789)
 * Verwundetenmedaille (Wound Medal, 1918)
 * Eisernes Verdienstkreuz (Iron Cross for Merit, 1916)
 * Militär-Verdienstmedaille (Medal for Military Merit, 1890)
 * Karl-Truppenkreuz (Karl-Troops Cross, 1916)