- "Duchess" redirects here. For the Beanie Baby, see Beanie Babies 2.0
A duke is a noble person, historically of highest rank below the king or queen, and usually controls a duchy or a Dukedom. A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. The title comes from the Latin Dux Bellorum, which had the sense of "military commander" and was employed by both the Germanic peoples themselves and by the Roman authors covering them to refer to their war leaders. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Dux (plural duces) is Latin for leader (from the verb ducere, 'to lead' and could refer to anyone who commanded troops such The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC
In the Middle Ages the title signified first among the Germanic monarchies. Germanic monarchy, also called barbarian monarchy, was a monarchical systemof government which was predominant among the Germanic tribes of Late Antiquity Dukes were the rulers of the provinces and the superiors of the counts in the cities and later, in the feudal monarchies, the highest-ranking peers of the king. A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed There were, however, variants of these meanings and there were even sovereign princes employing ducal titles.
In the Modern Age it has become a nominal rank without an actual principality. The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also modern times) is the period of history that followed the Middle Ages between c It is still the highest titular peerage in France, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest
A woman who holds in her own right the title to such duchy or dukedom, or is the wife of a duke, is normally styled duchess. However, Queen Elizabeth II is known as Duke of Normandy in the Channel Islands and Duke of Lancaster in Lancashire. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Duke of Normandy is a Title held or claimed by various Norman, French, English and British rulers from the 10th century until the The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea
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History
Roman Empire
- See also: dux
Originally, dux was a title given to a leader of a single military expedition or army and holding no other power than that which he exercised over his soldiers. Dux (plural duces) is Latin for leader (from the verb ducere, 'to lead' and could refer to anyone who commanded troops such The designation, first applied to barbarian tribal leaders, became a formal Roman title in the Roman Empire over time. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Upon the separation of the civil and military functions in the fourth century, the dux became commander of all the troops contained in a military territory, often corresponding to one or more provinces; this Roman rank was below the similar comes rei militaris. In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin provincia, pl provinciae) was the basic and until the Tetrarchy (circa The French Solar Energy Authority ( Commissariat à l'Energie Solaire, ComES) a public Scientific and industrial entity was set up in To avoid the connotations of the modern "dukes," Roman and post-Roman military leaders are usually styled with the Latin title, e. g. , Artorius Dux Bellorum[1] rather than a translate the title to duke. King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders
Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages following the collapse of Roman power in Western Europe, the title was still employed in the Germanic kingdoms, most often to the rulers of the old Roman provinces.
Visigoths
They retained the Roman divisions of their kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula and it seems that dukes ruled over these. They were the highest magnates in the land and, together with the bishops, elected the king, usually from their own file. They were the military commanders and in this capacity often acted independently of the king, especially in the last days of the kingdom.
The army was structured decimally with the highest unit, the thiufa, probably corresponding to about one thousand people from each civitas, city district. The thiufa was the highest division of the Visigothic army in Hispania. The cities were commanded by the counts, who were in turn responsible to the dukes, who called up the thiufae when need be.
Lombards
When the Lombards entered Italy, the Latin chroniclers called their war leaders duces in the old fashion. The Lombards ( Latin Langobardi, whence the alternative names Langobards and Longobards) were a Germanic people originally from These leaders eventually became the provincial rulers, each with a recognized seat of government. Though nominally loyal to the king, the concept of kingship was new to the Lombards and the dukes were highly independent, especially in central and southern Italy, where the Duke of Spoleto and the Duke of Benevento were de facto sovereigns. The dukes of Spoleto were rulers of Spoleto and most of Central Italy outside the Papal States during the Early and High Middle Ages This is as list of the Dukes and Princes of Benevento (see Duchy of Benevento) it is one of Wikipedia 's Lists of Incumbents. In 575, when Cleph died, a period known as the Rule of the Dukes, in which the dukes governed without a king, commenced. Events By Place Europe The Kingdom of East Anglia is founded by the Angle groups "North Folk" and "South Cleph (also Clef, Clepho, or Kleph; in Italian, Clefi) was king of the Lombards from 572 or 573 to 574 or 575 The Rule of the Dukes was an Interregnum in the Lombard Kingdom of Italy (574/5&ndash584/5 during which Italy was ruled by the Lombard Dukes It lasted only a decade before the disunited magnates, in order to defend the kingdom from external attacks, elected a new king and even diminished their own duchies to provide him with a handsome royal demesne. In the Feudal system demesne (also spelled desmesne pronounced /dəmeɪn/ or /dəmiːn/; via Old French demeine from Latin dominium) was all the land
The Lombard kings were usually drawn from the dukes when the title was not hereditary. The dukes tried to make their own offices hereditary. Beneath them in the internal structure were the counts and gastalds, a uniquely Lombard title initially referring to judicial functions, similar to a count's, in provincial regions. A gastald ( Latin gastaldus or castaldus, Italian gastaldo or guastaldo) was a Lombard official in charge of
Franks
The Franks employed dukes as the governors of Roman provinces, though they also led military expeditions far away from their duchies. The dukes were the highest ranking officials in the realm, were more typically Franks than the counts (who were often Gallo-Romans), and formed the class from which the kings' generals were drawn in times of war. The dukes gathered every May with the king to converse on policy for the upcoming year, the so-called Mayfield.
In Burgundy and Provence, the titles of patrician and prefect were commonly employed in preference to duke, probably for historical reasons relating to the greater Romanization of those provinces. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Provence ( Provençal Occitan: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm is a region of southeastern France The term " patrician " originally referred to a group of elite families in Ancient Rome, including both their natural and Prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere: "make in front" i The titles, however, were basically equivalent.
In late Merovingian Gaul, the mayors of the palace of the Arnulfing clan began to use the title dux et princeps Francorum: "duke and prince of the Franks. The Merovingians (also Merovings) were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region (known as Francia in Latin Mayor of the Palace was an early medieval Title and Office, also called Majordomo, from the Latin title Maior domus ("superior The Pippinids or Arnulfings are the members of a family of Frankish nobles whose select scions served as Mayor of the Palace, de facto rulers of the Frankish kingdoms " In this title, "duke" implied supreme military control of the entire nation (Francorum, the Franks) and it was thus used until the end of the Carolingian dynasty in France in 987. The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Events By Place Europe Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, is crowned King of France.
Stem duchies
See Stem duchy
England
Anglo-Saxon times
The highest political division beneath that of kingdom among the Anglo-Saxons was the ealdormanry and, while the title ealdor person was replaced by the Danish eorl (later earl) over time, the first ealdor people were referred to as duces in the chronicles. Stem duchies (from the German Stammesherzogtum, literally "tribal duchy" were associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south An ealdorman (modern Alderman) was the prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire from 900 to the time of the Danes. Danish ( d̥ænsɡ̊ is one of the North Germanic languages (also called Scandinavian languages a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Earl was the Anglo-Saxon form and jarl the Scandinavian form of a title meaning " Chieftain " and referring especially to chieftains Thus, in Anglo-Saxon England, where the Roman political divisions were largely abandoned, the grade of duke was retained as supreme territorial magnate after the king.
Late medieval times
The Black Prince was created Duke of Cornwall in 1337. Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, KG (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376 popularly known as The Black Prince, was the eldest son of King Edward The Dukedom of Cornwall was the first Dukedom created in the Peerage of England. He was the first proper Duke to be created by a King of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland To celebrate this event six new Earls were created. Earl was the Anglo-Saxon form and jarl the Scandinavian form of a title meaning " Chieftain " and referring especially to chieftains In the Patent creating the new Earl of Salisbury, on 16 March 1337, the King refers also to this higher Honour as: "willing more securely to establish the Royal sceptre as well as by the addition of new honours as by the restoration of old ones, and to augment the number of nobles by whose counsels our realm may be directed in doubtful, and by whose suffrages be supported in adverse circumstances, have advanced our most dear first begotten Edward (whom in the prerogative of honour as is meet, we have caused to have precedence of others) to be Duke of Cornwall, over which awhile ago Dukes for a long time successively sided as chief rulers. Earl of Salisbury is a title in the that has been created several times in British history . . "
The Modern Age
In the 19th century, the sovereign dukes of Parma and Modena in Italy, and of Anhalt, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Nassau, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen and Saxe-Altenburg in Germany survived Napoleon's reorganization. Parma is a City in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna near Modena famous for its Architecture and the fine countryside around it Modena (ˈmɔːdena Mòdna in Modenese dialect is a city and a Comune ( Municipality) on the south side of the Po valley, in the Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Anhalt is a historical County (after 1806 Duchy) in central Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe Brunswick-Lüneburg (Braunschweig-Lüneburg also Brunswick-Lunenburg was a historical ducal state during the period from the Late Middle Ages through the Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha served as the name of the two German duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha in The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin Dynasty Saxe-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.
Since the unification of Italy in 1870 and the end of monarchy in Germany in 1918, there have no longer been any reigning dukes in Europe; Luxembourg is ruled by a grand duke, a higher title, just below King. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A reign is a period of time a person serves as a Monarch or Pope. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by A grand duchy is a territory whose Head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.
In the United Kingdom, the inherited position of a duke along with its dignities, privileges, and rights is a dukedom. This page lists all Dukedoms extant extinct dormant abeyant or forfeit in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland However, the title of duke has never been associated with independent rule in the British Isles: they hold dukedoms, not duchies. Dukes in the United Kingdom are addressed as 'Your Grace' and referred to as 'His Grace'. Currently, there are twenty-seven dukedoms in the Peerage of England, Peerage of Scotland, Peerage of Great Britain, Peerage of Ireland and Peerage of the United Kingdom, held by twenty-four different people (see List of Dukes in order of precedence). The Peerage of England comprises all Peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant Peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those peers created by British monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most Peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801 when This is a list of present Dukes in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Equivalents in other European languages
Royal dukes
Various royal houses traditionally awarded (mainly) dukedoms to the sons and in some cases, the daughters, of their respective Sovereigns; others include at least one dukedom in a wider list of similarly granted titles, nominal dukedoms without any actual authority, often even without an estate. Many languages have equivalents of Duke. The second term is the female form meaning duchess Celtic languages Irish Such titles are still conferred on royal princes or princesses in the current European monarchies of Belgium, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Other historical cases occurred for example in Denmark, Finland (as Sweden, in personal union) and France, Portugal and some former colonial possessions such as Brazil and Haiti.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, ducal titles which have been given within the royal family include Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence, Duke of York, Duke of Gloucester, Duke of Bedford, Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Cambridge, Duke of Rothesay, Duke of Albany, Duke of Ross, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Kent, Duke of Sussex, and Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. In the United Kingdom, duke is the highest-ranking Hereditary title in the British peerage. The Dukedom of Cornwall was the first Dukedom created in the Peerage of England. There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries Duke of Clarence is a title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the English and British Royal families. For the nursery rhyme see The Grand Old Duke of York. The title Duke of York is a title of Nobility in the British Peerage Duke of Gloucester (ˈdjuːk əv ˈglɒstə is a British royal title (after Gloucester) often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch The titles of Earl or Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) were created several times in Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British royal family named after the county of Cumberland. Duke of Cambridge is a title (named after the city of Cambridge, England occasionally conferred upon junior members of the British royal family Duke of Albany is a Peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the younger sons in the Scottish, and later the British Royal family, particularly The title Duke of Ross has been created twice in the Peerage of Scotland, both times for younger sons of the King of Scotland. The Duke of Edinburgh is a Dukedom associated with Edinburgh, Scotland. Duke of Kent is a title which has been created various times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth Duke of Sussex is a peerage title that was conferred to the sixth son of George III. The title Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was granted by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son Prince Arthur
- List of Dukes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
- List of dukes in the peerages of the British Isles
Belgium
In Belgium, the title of Duke of Brabant (historically the most prestigious in the Low Countries, and containing the federal capital Brussels), if still vacant, has been awarded preferentially to the eldest son and heir presumptive of the King, other male dynasts receiving various lower historical titles (much older than Belgium, and in principle never fallen to the Belgian crown), such as Count of Flanders (king Leopold III's so-titled brother held the title when he became the realm's temporary head of state as Prince-regent) and Prince of Liège (a secularised version of the historical Prince-bishopric; e. This is a list of Dukes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. This is a list of present Dukes in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184 The title " Duke of Brabant " was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is An heir presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne peerage or other hereditary honor but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an Heir apparent For the station on the Docklands Light Railway, see Prince Regent DLR station. A Prince-Bishop is a Bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more Secular principalities usually pre-existent titles of nobility g. the present king Albert II until he succeeded his older brother Baudouin I)
Denmark
Denmark's kings gave appanages in their twin-duchies of Schleswig-Holstein (now three-fourths of them is part of Germany, but then the Holstein half of it was part of HRE in personal union with Denmark proper) to younger sons and/or their male-line descendants, with a specific though not sovereign title of Duke, e. Baudouin I (Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave or Dutch: Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Marie Gustaaf ( 7 September 1930 – is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is g. Duke of Gottorp, Duke of Sonderburg, Duke of Augustenborg, Duke of Franzhagen, Duke of Beck, Duke of Glucksburg and Duke of Norburg. See also History of Schleswig-Holstein, List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein Holstein-Gottorp or Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp is the historiographical Duke of Augustenborg was a title conferred by the King of Denmark to the head of a certain younger branch of the House of Oldenburg ( Danish, Oldenborg Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (in Danish: Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Lyksborg) from Glücksburg in northernmost Germany
Iberian peninsula
When the Christian Reconquista, sweeping the Moors from the former Caliphate of Cordoba and its taifa-remnants, transformed the territory of former Suevic and Visigothic realms into Catholic feudal principalities, none of these war lords was exactly styled Duke, a few (as Portugal itself) started as Count (even if the title of Dux was sometimes added), but soon all politically relevant princes were to use the royal style of King. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Reconquista (a Spanish and Portuguese word for "Reconquest" Arabic: الاسترداد, "Recapturing" was a period The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The Caliphate of Córdoba (Arabic خلافة قرطبة ruled the Iberian peninsula ( Al-Andalus) and North Africa from the city of A taifa (from طائفة ṭā'ifa, plural طوائف ṭawā'if) in the history of Iberia was an independent Muslim -ruled principality The Suebi or Suevi (from Proto-Germanic * swēbaz based on the Proto-Germanic root * swē- meaning "one's own" The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. In the territory that is now Portugal, during the Reconquista of Iberia from the Moors, there were two distinct creations of Counties of Portugal A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin Dux (plural duces) is Latin for leader (from the verb ducere, 'to lead' and could refer to anyone who commanded troops such
Portugal
Spain
Spanish infantes and infantas were usually given a dukedom upon marriage. There is a total of 28 dukedoms in Portugal. In the majority of cases the title of Duke was attributed to members of high Nobility, usually relatives of the There were many Dukes in Spain. Spain No duchies are true politically important principalities but many domanial or purely titular ones This title is nowadays not hereditary but carries a Grandeza de España. Grandee is a word either to render in English the Iberic high aristocratic title 'Grande' used by the Spanish Portuguese and Brazilian peerage or by analogy to refer to other The current royal duchesses are: HRH the Duchess of Badajoz (Infanta Maria del Pilar), HRH the Duchess of Soria (Infanta Margarita) (although she inherited the title of Duchess of Hernani from her cousin and is second holder of that title), HRH the Duchess of Lugo (Infanta Elena) and HRH the Duchess of Palma de Mallorca (Infanta Cristina). The Infanta Doña Pilar of Spain Duchess of Badajoz (Doña María del Pilar Alfonsa Juana Victoria Luisa Ignaciade Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias The Infanta Doña Margarita of Spain 2nd Duchess of Hernani Duchess of Soria ( Doña de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias) (born March 6, Education She studied Basic Education at the University College ESCUNI of Madrid, graduating in 1986 with a speciality in English Philology Birth Doña Cristina was born in Madrid and was baptized at the Palacio de La Zarzuela by the Archbishop of Madrid
In Spain many dukes hold the court rank of Grande, i. e. Grandee of the realm, which had precedence over all other feudatories. Grandee is a word either to render in English the Iberic high aristocratic title 'Grande' used by the Spanish Portuguese and Brazilian peerage or by analogy to refer to other
Finland and Sweden
Sweden had a history of making sons of its Kings real ruling princes of vast duchies, but this ceased in 1622. In Sweden, Duke ( hertig) is considered a royal title and is only given to members of the Royal House (currently Bernadotte) A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Title-wise, however, all Swedish princes since 1772, and princesses since 1980, are given a dukedom for life. Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Currently, there is one duke and three duchesses. The territorial designations of these dukedoms refer to four of the Provinces of Sweden. The provinces of Sweden, Landskap, are historical geographical and cultural regions
Key parts of Finland were sometimes under a Duke of Finland during the Swedish reign. Duke of Finland (in Finnish Suomen herttua; Swedish hertig av Finland) was an occasional medieval title granted as a Tertiogeniture
France and other former monarchies
See appanage (mainly for the French kingdom) and the list in the geographical section below, which also treats special ducal titles in orders or national significance. An apanage or appanage is the grant of an estate titles offices or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign who under the system of
France
The highest precedence in the realm, attached to a feudal territory, was given to the twelve original pairies, which also had a traditional function in the royal coronation, comparable to the German imperial archoffices. The title of Duke was the highest title in the nobility of France under the monarchy The French word pairie is the equivalent of the English word Peerage, in the sense of an individual title carrying the rank of Pair ('peer' in English which derives Half of them were ducal: three ecclesiastical (the six prelates all ranked above the six secular peers of the realm) and three temporal, each time above three counts of the same social estate: The Prince-Bishops with ducal territories among them were:
- The Archbishop of Reims, styled archevêque-duc pair de France (in Champagne; who crown and anoint the king, traditionally in his cathedral)
- Two suffragan bishops, styled evêque-duc pair de France :
Later, the Archbishop of Paris was given the title of duc de Saint-Cloud with the dignity of peerage, but it was debated if he was an ecclesiastical peer or merely a bishop holding a lay peerage. A Prince-Bishop is a Bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more Secular principalities usually pre-existent titles of nobility A suffragan bishop is a Bishop subordinate to a Metropolitan bishop or Diocesan bishop. Laon (lɑ̃ is a city and commune in Picardie in northern France, préfecture (capital} of the Aisne department Langres is a town and commune of eastern France. It is a subprefecture of the Haute-Marne departement, in the Champagne-Ardenne The title of Duke of Saint-Cloud was created in 1674, although it was not registered in the Parlement until 1690, to be held by the archbishops of
The secular dukes in the peerage of the realm were, again in order of precedence:
- the duc de Bourgogne, i. e. Duke of Burgundy (known as Grand duc; not a separate title at that time; just a description of the wealth and real clout of the 15th century Dukes, cousins of the Kings of France) (bears the crown, fastens the belt)
- Duke of Normandy or duc de Normandie (holds the first square banner)
- Duke of Aquitaine or duc d'Aquitaine or - de Guyenne (holds the second square banner)
It should be noted what the theory of the participation of the peers in the coronation was laid down in the late XIIIth century, when some of the peerage (the duchy of Normandy and the county of Toulouse) had already been merged in the crown. Duke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which Duke of Normandy is a Title held or claimed by various Norman, French, English and British rulers from the 10th century until the The Duke of Aquitaine ( French: Duc d'Aquitaine) ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of the Frankish and later the
At the end of this same century, the King erected some counties into duchies, a practice what went increasing till the Revolution. Many of this duchies were also peerages (the so-called 'new peerages').
Italy, Germany and Austria
In Italy, Germany and Austria the title of "duke" ("duca" in Italian, and "Herzog" in German) was quite common. There used to be many Dukes in Italy Germany and Austria, although these countries are now republics and no longer have aristocracies As the Holy Roman Empire was until its dissolution a feudal structure, most of its Dukes were actually reigning in their lands. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in As the titles from the HRE were taken over after its dissolution, or in Italy after their territories became independant of the Empire, both countries also had a share of fully souvereign dukes. Also, in Germany in many ducial family ever agnate would bear the ducial title of the family as a courtesy title. A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of Nobility used by children former wives and other close relatives of a peer.
In Italy some important souvereign ducal families were the Visconti and the Sforza, who ruled Milan; the Medici of Florence, the Farnese of Parma and Piacenza; the Cybo-Malaspina of Massa; the Gonzaga of Mantua; the Este of Modena and Ferrara. Visconti was the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. The Duchy of Milan was a state in northern Italy from 1394 to 1797 Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany For the town in Italy with the same name see Farnese (VT. The Farnese family was an influential family in Renaissance Italy. The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III 's illegitimate son Massa is a town and comune in Tuscany, Italy, the administrative centre of the Province of Massa-Carrara. The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708. The Duchy of Mantua was a Duchy in Lombardy, Northern Italy, subject to the Holy Roman Empire. "Este" redirects here For the city see Este Italy. For Tolkien's fictional character see Estë. The Duchy of Modena (in full the Duchies of Modena and Reggio) was a small Italian state that existed from 1452 to The Duchy of Ferrara is a former sovereign state of northern Italy
In Germany, important ducial families were the Wittelsbachs in Bavaria, the Welfs in Hannover, the ducial family of Cleves, the Wettins in Saxony (with its Ernestine branch divided into several duchies), the Württembergs, the Mecklenburgs and finally of course also the Habsburgs in Austria as "Archdukes". The Wittelsbach family is a European Royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 See also Elder House of Welf The House of Welf (or House of Guelph) is a European Dynasty that has included many German and British The Electorate of Hanover (or more formally the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg; Kurfürstentum Hannover Kurfürstentum Braunschweig-Lüneburg became the ninth Electorate The Duchy of Cleves (Herzogtum Kleve was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany (part of North Rhine-Westphalia) and the Netherlands The House of Wettin was a dynasty of German Counts Dukes prince-electors (Kurfürsten and kings that ruled the area of today's The Free State of Saxony (Freistaat Sachsen ˈzaksən Swobodny Stat Sakska is the easternmost federal state of Germany. The Ernestine duchies, also called the Saxon duchies (although also the Albertine Appanage duchies of Weissenfels, Merseburg and Zeitz This is a list of the rulers of the German state of Württemberg, originally a county and eventually a kingdom until the ruling dynasty was overthrown The Grand Ducal House of Mecklenburg is a North German Dynasty of West Slavic origin that ruled until 1918. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich In the German Confederation the Nassaus, the Ascanians of Anhalt, the Welf branch of Brunswick and the Ernestine lines of the Saxon Duchies were the souvereign ducial families. The House of Nassau is a diversified dynasty in Europe It is named after the German lordship associated with the castle of Nassau, which is today located in the The House of Ascania (Askanier was a Dynasty of German rulers Anhalt is a historical County (after 1806 Duchy) in central Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe Brunswick (Braunschweig was a historical state in Germany. Originally the territory of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the Holy Roman Empire, it was established
Elsewhere in Europe
Nordic countries
- In Denmark, the longest-surviving duchy being Schleswig, i. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe e Sonderjylland (part of which later was transferred to Germany), its southern neighbour Holstein in personal union with the Danish crown was always a German principality; ultimately both ended up joint as the German federation's Bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein. Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular is the northernmost of the 16 ''Bundesländer'' in Germany. The former English name was Sleswick-Holsatia the Danish name is
- duchies of Laland, Halland, Jutland, Reval, and Osilia. is one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish on the western coast of Sweden. This article is about the region of Denmark. For the World War I naval battle see Battle of Jutland. Saaremaa is the largest Island belonging to Estonia, measuring 2673 km².
- In Sweden, medieval duchies of Finland, Södermanland, Skåne, and Halland, and in modern times almost every province. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. Scania ( in Swedish and Danish) is a geographical region on the southernmost tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, a traditional province ( is one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish on the western coast of Sweden.
Hungary
In the Kingdom of Hungary no ducal principalities existed but duchies were often formed for members of the dynasty as appanage. The Kingdom of Hungary (short form Hungary) was a considerable state in Central Europe that existed from 1001 to 1918 then from 1919 to 1946 An apanage or appanage is the grant of an estate titles offices or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign who under the system of During the rule of the Árpád dinasty dukes held territorial powers, some of them even minted coins, but later this title became more often nominal. The Árpáds or Arpads (Árpádok Arpadovići Арпадовићи ArpádovciArpatlar was the ruling Dynasty of the federation of the Magyar tribes These duchies usually were
- the Duchy of Nitra
- the Duchy of Bihar
- the Duchy of Slavonia, or whole Slavonia (consisted to be Slavonia and Croatia). Not to be confused with Slovenia, a nearby country Slavonia ( Croatian, Serbian: Slavonija, Cyrillic script Not to be confused with Slovenia, a nearby country Slavonia ( Croatian, Serbian: Slavonija, Cyrillic script Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between
- the Duchy of Transylvania (consisted of the voivodship of Transylvania and some other counties)
In the Jagellonian era (1490-1526) only two dukes did not belong to the royal dynasty: John Corvin (the illegitimate son of Matthias Corvinus) and Lőrinc Újlaki (whose father was the king of Bosnia), while both bore the title as royal dukes. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian This article concerns both historical and contemporary voivodeships in various countries János Corvinus, or John Corvin, (1473 &ndash 1504 was the Illegitimate son of Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary, and one Barbara supposed Matthias Corvinus ( Matthias the Just; February 23 1443 &ndash April 6 1490) was King of Hungary and Historically and geographically the Region known as Bosnia (natively Bosna; Cyrillic: Босна lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging
After the Battle of Mohács the Habsburg kings rewarded Hungarian aristocrats (like the Esterházys) with princely titles, but they created these titles as Holy Roman Emperors, not as kings of Hungary. The Battle of Mohács (mohácsi csata or mohácsi vész/Bane of Mohács; Schlacht bei Mohács Mohačka bitka Мохачка битка/Mohačka bitka Bitka pri Moháči
Greece
As the Catholic crusaders overran orthodox parts of the Byzantine empire, they installed several crusader states, some of which were of ducal rank:
- duchy of Athens, to which duchy of Neopatras (in Thessaly) was later linked
- the Aegean insular duchy of Naxos, more officially "Duchy of the Archipelago"
- duchy of Negroponte, i. The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European Crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, The Duchy of Neopatria or Neopatras was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the The Duchy of the Archipelago (Ducato dell'arcipelago Δουκάτον Αρχιπελάγους) or also Duchy of Naxos (Ducato di Nasso Δουκάτον Νάξου e. the Aegean island of Euboia. For the mythological figure see Euboea (mythology Euboea ( Modern Greek, Εύβοια - Évia &mdash
Byzantines had used the title Dux, still a military office for them, also territory-specifically: Dux of Dyrrhachium, Dux of Thrakesion.
Palaiologos emperors, living under much more feudalized necessities, granted fiefs to some westerners: Duke of Leucadia, Duke of Lemnos. The Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( Greek: Παλαιολόγος pl
Sometimes in Italy and other Western countries, the later Byzantine appanages were translated as duchies: Peloponnese, Mistra, Mesembria, Selymbria and Thessalonike. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Mystras (also Mistra, Mystra and Mistras Greek: Μυστράς Μυζηθράς Mizithras or Myzithras in the Silivri is a district of Istanbul along the Sea of Marmara in Turkey, used mainly as holiday and weekend homes for residents of the city However, as these had Greek holders, they were titled Archon ('magistrate') or Despotes (rather Prince of the blood). Archon (Gr ἄρχων pl ἄρχοντες is a Greek word that means "ruler" frequently used as the title of a specific public office Despot (from δεσπότης despotēs; plural δέσποτες despotes; feminine δέσποινα despoina; in Bulgarian and Serbian
After Greece's post-Ottoman independence as kingdom of the Hellenes, the style of Duke of Sparta was instituted as primogeniture for the royal heir, diadochos, the crown prince of Greece. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors
Slavic countries
Generally, confusion reigns whether to translate the usual petty ruler titles, knyaz/ knez/ ksiaze etc. as Prince (analogous to the German Fürst) or as Duke;
- in splintered Poland, also in (later ethnically German parts of) Silesia (later within the HRE), petty principalities generally ruled by branches of the earlier Polish Piast dynasty are regarded as duchies in translated titulary. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Piast dynasty is the name used since the 17th century for Polish Royal Dynasty that ruled Poland from its beginnings as Duchy ruled by Mieszko Examples of such: Kujavia, Masovia, Sandomir, Greater Poland, Kalisz and Silesia (Lower Silesia and Upper Silesia), as well as various minor duchies, often short-lived and/or in personal union or merger, named after their capitals, mainly in the regions known as Little Poland and Greater Poland, including (there are often also important Latin and/or German forms) Cracow, Opole, Ratibor, Legnica, Zator, Leczyca and Sieradz. Masovia or Mazovia (Mazowsze is a geographic and historic region situated in eastern Poland 's Masovian Plain. Sandomierz (Sandomir Sandomiria is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25714 inhabitants ( 2006) Greater Poland or Great Poland, Polish Wielkopolska (Großpolen Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland Kalisz is a City in central Poland with 109800 inhabitants (1995 Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people Little Poland may refer to Lesser Poland (Polish Małopolska) a historical region of southern Poland Lesser Poland Voivodeship Greater Poland or Great Poland, Polish Wielkopolska (Großpolen Latin: Polonia Maior) is a historical region of west-central Poland Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Opole (Oppeln is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River (Odra Legnica (Liegnitz is a City on the Kaczawa river in Lower Silesia in south-western Poland. Zator is an old town (pop 3779 in 2006) in southern Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship (since 1999 previously in Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship Łęczyca (in full The Royal Town of Łęczyca, Polish: Królewskie Miasto Łęczyca; other names Lenczyk, Lentschütz Sieradz (Latin Syradia) is a town on the Warta river in central Poland with 44326 inhabitants (2004
- In Pomerelia and Pomerania (inhabited by the Kashubians, different Slavic people from the Poles proper), branches of native ruling dynasties were usually recognized as dukes, quite similarly to the pattern in Poland. Pomerelia (Pommerellen is a historical region in northern Poland.
- in Russia, before the imperial unification from Muscovy; sometimes even as vassal, tributary to a Tartar Khan; later, in Peter the Great's autocratic empire, the russification gertsog was used as the Russian rendering of the German ducal title Herzog, especially as (the last) part of the full official style of the Russian Emperor: Gertsog Shlesvig-Golstinskiy, Stormarnskiy, Ditmarsenskiy i Oldenburgskiy i prochaya, i prochaya, i prochaya "Duke of Schleswig-Holstein [see above], Stormarn, Dithmarschen and Oldenburg, and of other lands", in chief of German and Danish territories to which the Tsar was dynastically linked. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Великое княжество Московское was a medieval Russian polity centered on Moscow between 1340 and Stormarn is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise the districts of Segeberg and Ostholstein Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. ||-||-||-||} Oldenburg ( Low German: Ollnborg) is an Independent City in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Netherlands
After Belgium and the Netherlands separated in 1830, the title of duke didn't occur in the Netherlands anymore. There is, however, one exception; the title Hertog van Limburg (Duke of Limburg) still exists. This title, however, is an exclusive title for the head of state (the monarch, i. e. the king or queen of the Netherlands).
Post-colonial non-European states
Brazilian empire
In this former Portuguese kingdom, after separation ruled by a branch of the Portuguese royal dynasty (House of Bragança), only three dukedoms were created, being its highest ranks for non-members of the imperial dynasty. The United Kingdom of Portugal Brazil and the Algarves was a monarchy consisting of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarve. History Dukes Afonso, Count of Barcelos, was an illegitimate son of King João I of Portugal. Two of these titles were for relatives of D. Peter I: an illegitimate daughter and a brother-in-law who received the title when married with D. Pedro I (ˈpedɾuin Brazilian Portuguese and in European Portuguese; English: Peter of Alcantara Francis Anthony John Charles Xavier of Paula Auguste Charles Eugène Napoléon de Beauharnais 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg ( 9 December, 1810 - 28 March, 1835) was the first Prince Peter's daughter D. Mary II. Maria II ( April 4, 1819 &ndash November 15, 1853) was Queen of Portugal from 1826 to 1853 The third, to the most important Brazilian military man, de Lima e Silva, was the only duke created during the reign of D. Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias ( IPA: /kaˈʃiɐs/ or /kaˈʃiɐʃ/ ( August 25, 1803 &ndash May 7, 1880 The Empire of Brazil was a political entity that comprised present-day Brazil under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and his son Pedro II. Peter II. Pedro II, (ˈpedɾu seˈgũdu December 2, 1825 December 5, 1891) was the second and last Emperor of Brazil. A fourth title was created for another illegitimate daughter of D. Peter I, but she died before receiving the title (and so it is often disconsidered). None of these titles were hereditary, just like every other title in the Brazilian nobility system.
Haiti
The royal Christophe dynasty created eight hereditary dukedoms, in rank directly below the nominal princes. Henri Christophe ( October 6, 1767 – October 8, 1820) became a career officer and general in the military forces that became the Haïtian Army
Equivalents
Like other major Western noble titles, Duke is sometimes used to render certain titles in non-western languages with their own traditions, even though they are as a rule etymologically and often historically unrelated and thus hard to compare, which are considered roughly equivalent, especially in hierarchic aristocracies such as feudal Japan, useful as an indication of relative rank. Some titles of nobility outside Europe may be considered as equivalents of Duke.
References
Sources
- Lewis, Archibald R. "The Dukes in the Regnum Francorum, A.D. 550-751." Speculum, Vol. 51, No 3 (July 1976), pp 381–410.
- Hodgkin, Thomas. For the British physician his uncle with the same name see Thomas Hodgkin. Italy and her Invaders. Clarendon Press: 1895.
- Thompson, E. A. The Goths in Spain. Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1969.
- Stenton, Sir Frank M. Anglo-Saxon England Third Edition. Sir Frank Merry Stenton (1880 &ndash 15 September 1967 was a noted 20th century historian of Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford University Press: 1971.
See also
- List of Dukes in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
- List of dukes in the peerages of the British Isles
- Duchy of Amalfi
- Duchy of Gaeta
- Duchy of Naples
- Archduke
Dictionary
duke
-noun
- The male ruler of a duchy (compare duchess).
- A high title of nobility; the male holder of a dukedom.
- Grand duke.
- (slang, usually in plural dukes) A fist.
Duke
-proper noun
- The title of a duke.
- A male given name; mostly U.S. and rather rare.
- A private university in North Carolina.
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