Duchy

A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess. Historically, some duchies in Continental Europe were sovereign, while others (especially in France and Britain) were subordinate districts of a kingdom.

Traditionally, a grand duchy, such as Luxembourg, was generally independent and sovereign. Sovereign duchies were common in the Holy Roman Empire and German-speaking areas.

In France, a number of duchies existed in the medieval period. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom still holds the medieval French title of Duke of Normandy; the only lands still attached to the Duchy of Normandy are the Channel Islands although there no longer is a King of France. Important French duchies included Normandy, Burgundy, Brittany and Aquitaine.

In medieval England, the territories of Lancashire and Cornwall were made duchies, with certain powers accruing to their Dukes. The Duchy of Lancaster was created in 1351 but became merged with the Crown when, in 1399, the Duke, Henry Bolingbroke ascended the throne of England as Henry IV. The Duchy of Cornwall was created in 1337 and held successively by Dukes of Cornwall who were also heirs to the throne. These duchies today have lost their political role,^{[citation needed]} although there is an ongoing dispute over the status of Cornwall.

In more recent times, territorial duchies have become rare; most dukedoms conferred in the last few centuries have been of a purely symbolic character (see Duke). No independent duchies exist today; however, Luxembourg is an independent Grand Duchy.

• For the history of duchies as an institution, see the entry on Duke.

See also

Current or historical duchies

• Grand Duchy
• Duchies in England
• Duchy of Limburg
• Duke of Cornwall
• Duchy of Cornwall
• Cornwall
• Constitutional status of Cornwall
• Duchy of Lancaster
• Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
• United Baltic Duchy
• Duchy of Warsaw
• Duchy of Normandy
• Duchy of Burgundy
• Duchy of Aquitaine
• Duchy of Vasconia
• Duchy of Gascony
• Duchy of Brittany
• Duchy of the Franks
• Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Fictional duchies

• Duchy of Atreides from the Dune series by Frank Herbert
• Grand Duchy of Jeuno (from Final Fantasy XI)
• Duchy of Grand Fenwick
• Borogravia (from the Discworld series)
• Quirm (from the Discworld series)
• The Six Duchies(from The Farseer Trilogy and Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb)
• Zeon (from the Mobile Suit Gundam series)
• Erat (from the Belgariad series)
• Asturia (from the Belgariad series)
• Mimbre (from the Belgariad series)
• Wacune (from the Belgariad series)
• Crydee (from the Riftwar saga)
• Yabon (from the Riftwar saga)
• Krondor (from the Riftwar saga)

External links

Look up Duchy in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• The Duchy of Cornwall - The Duchy of Cornwall official web-site
• Tyr Gwyr Gweryn The Duchy charters, Cornish foreshore case and much more in full

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