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Mar 14, 2022 · In the context of royalty, the word duke most commonly refers to the sovereign ruler of a small state in Continental Europe called a duchy. In the British monarchy, duke is the highest hereditary title outside of prince, princess, king, or queen. The female equivalent of duke is duchess.
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked below princes and grand dukes.
Duke is the highest rank of the peerage. The term comes from the Latin dux (leader). The title was first created in 1337 when Edward III made his eldest son, Edward the Black Prince, the duke of Cornwall. A prince in the royal line usually becomes a duke either after coming of age or upon his marriage.
Aug 1, 2023 · A duke or duchess is the highest rank outside of the royal family— though members of the royal family are given dukedoms or duchies by tradition. For example, the Duke of Cornwall is a title reserved for the heir to the throne.
Jun 28, 2019 · A duke is the highest possible rank in the peerage system. The title can either be passed down by a parent and inherited or given as a title by a king or queen.
Sep 17, 2019 · Now, when a prince gets married, he’s usually named a duke; Prince William, for example, was made the Duke of Cambridge when he married Kate Middleton in 2011, and Prince Harry was made Duke of Sussex when he married Meghan Markle last year.
Princes in the royal family typically become dukes shortly after coming of age or on their wedding day. Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, was dubbed Duke of York when he married in 1986, for example. But there are plenty of nonroyal dukes as well; in 2020, there were 24.
