Henri mediatised Houses were those who were formerly reigning independant states (however small). The nobles you list, including the Ruffo di Calabria's, never were reigning sovereigns and as such are not equal. Paola equals in birthrank her sister-in-law Fabiola who also was from a noble family or the late Diana, princess of Wales. Non of them are from reigning dynasties or former reigning dynasties. Paola was only the second non-royal bride to enter the Belgian Royal family. As the national laws did not have a requirement about the rank of the intended spouse and the house laws of the Saxe-Coburg dynasty are not the strictest either she became HRH the Princess of Liège and her children are in line of succession. She is however not of equal rank to a Von Furstenberg or an Orsini.
--Previous Message-- : The mediatization of so many German families : fools us. More or less mediatization meant : that former Sovereign families kept their : status. This means that even a Count : Stolberg-Wernigerode, a Count : Castell-Rüdenhausen or a Count Van : Limburg-Stirum are "higher" than a : the Prince Ruffo di Calabria, the Duke of : Alba or the Duke of Norfolk. : : That would be a very narrow perspective. I : wrote that the marriage of Prince Albert : with Donna Paola dei principi Ruffo di : Calabria was not Ebenbürtig (in the sense of : the Almanach de Gotha) but it was no : mésalliance either. Since the family already : was of high nobility in the 13th C, it : belongs to the so called Uradel (ancient : feudal nobility). It was in any way a better : match than the one between King Baudouin and : Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, in terms of : rank and anciennity. : :