 The exact status of Coucy becomes obscure for nearly a century before the emergence of Lord Aubrey, Earl of Northumbria.Though the Lords of Coucy were entitled to the title of baron, they preferred the rarer "Sire".The lords of Coucy become, especially in the 13th century, one of the most powerful sub-comital magnates in western Europe and forged links with royal families, such as those of France, England, Scotland and Austria.