Doucepers

In the Romances of Charlemagne, the Doucepers ("chief peers") or Douzepers ("dozen peers") are the twelve paladins personally attached to Charlemagne's court. They are the bravest of his knights and provide his personal bodyguard. The term was employed by Edmund Spenser as well, in his "Faerie Queene", III, x., where the knight Bragadochio is said to be a "doughty Doucepere."