Aristocracy and Social Class
Since its beginnings in the dim and forgotten past Amber has had a thriving aristocracy. While Oberon might have privately disagreed with the term peer he did at some point create various levels of nobility based on the benefit the Crown realized from the lordships it created. Some have thrived since the founding of Amber, such as the Dukedom of Chantris, while others have declined, like the Dukedom of Karm. Still others have presumably been forgotten. Originally, Dukedoms and lands were awarded to the great lords who were able to provide significant military force to the Crown. Similarly, the great merchants who brought significant wealth and trade to Amber were made Counts. Somewhere in between the two there exist a handful of Earldoms. Barons are lesser lords who may owe allegiance to either the Crown or to a Duke. The lowest level of aristocracy is that of Baronet. Baronets are typically descended from those who at some point provided a great personal service to the Crown.
Below the true aristocracy, Knights are still counted among the nobility. Knights can be created by the Crown, Princes, or Dukes. Knighthood is not typically inheritable.
As a class, priests and other clergy do not typically wield political or military power in Amber. This may have been different Amber's past, but for at least several hundred years there have been formal restrictions on the power and wealth that religious establishments can wield in Amber. Certain clergy may still wield significant social influence, but in general the native population of Amber believes more in the power of the Crown than in any deity or philosophy.
Merchants serve a vital function in Amber's economy and the Crown is keenly aware of that fact. The merchant class and the wage laborers they employ enjoy great social and economic freedom but wield little direct political influence. Merchants who amass a high level of wealth may be inducted into the nobility if they earn the backing of the Crown or another a noble patron. It is conceivable that lesser members of the nobility might marry scions of the merchant class. Farmers who own their own land are considered members of the merchant class.
The Navy and Military also enjoy a level of prestige in Amber. Traditionally the Navy has held greater prestige, though the importance of the military in the Patternfall War resulted in at least a slight elevation in the prestige of the Army. Military officers may be scions of the nobility or commoners, while the enlisted ranks are typically only drawn from commoners. Excellence in military or naval service is typically the fastest path to Knighthood.
Tenant farmers, foresters, hunters, servants and other vassals are all considered free folk in Amber. Serfdom has not existed in recent memory, and the slave trade has always been illegal in Amber. All are free to become wage laborers, to join the military, or to amass their own personal wealth and attempt ascension into the merchant class. Visitors to Amber who bring slaves with them to Amber will find that the Crown will do little to help them recover any slaves who choose to escape while in Amber's territory.
No distinction is typically made between immigrants and native-born people in Amber. Visitors and immigrants with abnormal physical characteristics (e.g. green hair, pointed ears, purple eyes, fur) still draw attention, but a greater diversity of physical characteristics has been a fact of life in Amber ever since Eric's rule.