Grand Duke
\n
The
title of
Grand Duke (
Latin,
Magnus Dux;
German,
Großherzog) used in
Slavic,
Baltic and
Germanic countries, is ranked in honour below
King but higher than a sovereign
Duke (
Herzog) or
Prince (
Fürst). The feminine form is
Grand Duchess. A Grand Duke's territory is called a
Grand Duchy.
The term probably originated in
Germany, where it was used to refer to the rulers of medieval
Russian states.
The title
Magnus Dux or Grand Duke was used by the
Jagiello rulers of
Lithuania, who also became kings of
Poland and was later found among the titles used by kings of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. 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. The Polish kings of the Swedish
Vasa dynasty also used the grand ducal title for their non-Polish territory. 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 Duchy in
Transylvania in
1765.
Further, Grand Duke is the translated form of the title
Megas Doux, infrequently used in the
Byzantine Empire during the Palaeologian dynasty (
1259-
1453).
Russian Grand Dukes
\n"Grand Duke" is the traditional translation of the title Velikii Kniaz, which from the 11th century was at first the title of the leading Ruthenian Prince (in Kyiv), then of several Russian princes. From 1328 the Velikii Kniaz of Muscovy appeared as the Grand Duke for "all of Russia" until Ivan IV of Russia in 1547 was crowned as Tsar. Thereafter the title was given to sons and grandsons (through male lines) of the Tsars and Emperors of Russia. The daughters and paternal granddaughters of Russian Emperors, as well as the consorts of Russian Grand Dukes, were generally called "Grand Duchesses" in English.
A more accurate translation of the Russian title would be Great Prince - especially in the pre-Petrine era - but the term is neither standard nor widely used in English. In German, however, a Russian Grand Duke was known as a Großfürst, and in Latin as Magnus Princeps.
Styles
\nMost often, a reigning Grand Duke or Duchess was styled Royal Highness. Other members of the families differed in style. Junior members of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg are also Royal Highnesses; however, this derives from their status as cadet members of the dethroned royal house of Bourbon-Parma and not from the Grand Ducal title.
In Hesse-Darmstadt and Baden, however, junior members of the dynasty bore the style of Grand Ducal Highness (Großherzogliche Hoheit). For instance, prior to her marriage, Empress Alexandra of Russia was known as "Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Alix of Hesse and the Rhine" (Ihre Großherzogliche Hoheit Alix Prinzessin von Hessen bei Rhein).
A Russian Grand Duke or Grand Duchess was an Imperial Highness.
Related topics
\n* Fürst\n* Nobility\n* Ranks of nobility and peerage\n* Titles of nobility\nCategory:Titles
