Duke/Duchess

A duke or the female equivalent, a duchess, is the holder of a duchy, a hereditary title awarded by the Crown. Dukes belong to the upper nobility, are normally of royal blood, and would oversee a duchy, a swathe of land that could range from several thousand to over ten thousand square miles, with some of the largest ones exceeding 20,000. A duchy would typically be divided into counties with the residing counts being the direct vassals of the duke. Any nobility lower than a count tended to be an indirect vassal. A duke typically acts as the direct vassal of a king, presiding over a portion of the kingdom. It is also common for the title of duke to be reserved for the royal family, as a duke would hold substantial power when compared to the king. Like all members of the peerage, a duchy is hereditarily entailed. The eldest child of a duke who is born in wedlock succeeds to a duchy upon his father/mother's death but will not be officially recognized until his name is recognized by the Crown. Due to the more important nature of a duchy title the succession is more restricted, and the presiding ruler would tend to have to approve any changes to succession.

Methods of Address

Formally, dukes are styled "The Most Noble, His Grace, The Duke of [Duchy]" and duchesses are styled "The Most Noble, Her Grace, The Duchess of [Duchy]." The spouse of a duke or duchess is afforded the same styling as their husband or wife. This would only be used in the context of an introduction or a letter.

Less formally, one refers to a duke or duchess as "The Duke/Duchess of [Duchy]" or addresses a duke or duchess as "Your Grace." A duke/duchess that outlives the rightful holder of the title becomes known as the "Dowager Duke/Duchess of [Duchy]" unless the title was officially passed onto them.

Children of dukes and duchesses have the style "Duke/Duchess of [Duchy]," and would be addressed in similar fashion to their parents. The main distinction is they would not be referred to as "the" duke/duchess. After the death of the father or mother, the child may continue to use this style if they are not the inheritor of the title.

Type

Nobility, Hereditary