Grand Duke

Western Grand Dukes

(See also Grand Duchy)

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The proper term of Grand Duke was a later invention, probably originating in Western Europe, to denote a particularly mighty duke, as the title Duke has until the end of Middle Ages been inflated to belong to rulers of relatively small fiefs (such as a city state or a district), instead of the big provinces it once was attached to.

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One of the first examples was the semi-official use of Grand Duke meaning the later Dukes of Burgundy, i.e in 15th century, when they ruled a portion of East France as well as all the Netherlands. Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (ruler 1419-67) assumed the style and title Grand Duke of the West in 1435, having recently consolidated duchies of Brabant and Limbourg as well as Holland, Zeeland, Friesland, Hainaut and Namur under his possession. His son and successor Charles the Reckless (ruler 1467-77) continued to use the same style.

Related Topics:
Burgundy - 15th century - Philip III, Duke of Burgundy - Charles the Reckless

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Apparently the first monarch ever officially titled Grand Duke was the Medici sovereigns of Tuscany beginning from the late 16th century. This official title was granted by Pope Pius V in 1569, but the lands in question apparently belonged under the vassalage of the Holy Roman Empire.

Related Topics:
Medici - Tuscany - 16th century - Pope - Pius V - 1569 - Holy Roman Empire

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Napoleon used to award that title extensively: during his era, several of his allies were allowed to assume the title of Grand Duke, usually at the same time as their inherited fiefs were enlarged by additional lands obtained thanks to being Napoleon's allies. His conquerors, for example the Congress of Vienna, consented to yet more uses of the title. Thus, the 19th century saw a new group of monarchs titled Grand Duke all around Central Europe. A list of such is available at Grand Duchy.

Related Topics:
Napoleon - Congress of Vienna - 19th century - Grand Duchy

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At the same century, the courtesy use of translated Grand Duke, Russia, expanded because of births of several male dynasts, instead of the earlier precarious situations when Russia barely had only one or two to succeed.

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The term can be said to originate in Germany, in a sense that a ruler in the then Germany's western borders was the first to be called so, and that it was a German overlord, the Holy Roman Emperor, whose vassal (however, an Italian) was first granted the official title, however, by the Pope.

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The German language (which has separate word for royal prince and for sovereign prince), calls the Grand Princes of Lithuania, Russian states and other Eastern European higher princes, as well as the later Russian dynasts, with the term Grossfürst, not with Grossherzog.

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The title Magnus Dux or Grand Duke (Didysis kunigaikštis in Lithuanian) is said to have been used by the rulers of Lithuania, and after Jagiello also became kings of Poland and was later found among the titles used by kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Polish kings of the Swedish Vasa dynasty also used the grand-princely title for their non-Polish territory.

Related Topics:
Lithuania - Jagiello - Poland - Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Vasa

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In 1582 king John III of Sweden added Grand Duke of Finland to the subsidiary titles of the Swedish kings, however without any factual consequences, Finland already being a part of the Swedish realm.

Related Topics:
1582 - John III of Sweden - Grand Duke of Finland - Finland

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After the Russian conquests, it continued to be used by the Russian Emperor in his role as ruler of Lithuania (1793-1918) and of autonomous Finland (1809-1917) as well. The Holy Roman Empire ruling house of Habsburg instituted a similar Grand Principality in Transylvania in 1765.

Related Topics:
Lithuania - 1793 - 1918 - Autonomous Finland - 1809 - 1917 - Holy Roman Empire - Habsburg - Grand Principality - Transylvania - 1765

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Further, Grand Duke is the translated form of the title Megas Doux, used in the Byzantine Empire during the Palaeologian dynasty (1259-1453).

Related Topics:
Megas Doux - Byzantine Empire - Palaeologian dynasty - 1259 - 1453

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