Archduke
Encyclopedia
The title of Archduke (feminine: Archduchess) (German
: Erzherzog, feminine form: Erzherzogin) denotes a noble rank above Duke
and below King
, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg
and Habsburg-Lorraine.
Territory ruled by an archduke or archduchess is called an archduchy.
". This is usually considered a higher style than "Imperial Highness
", a style reserved for descendants of an emperor and "Royal Highness
", used to denote descent from a king. It is also, generally, the highest variation of the style "Highness
"
archidux, from arch(i)- (see arch- (adj.)) + dux
'duke' .
Archduke (in German Erzherzog) is a title distinct from Grand duke
(in German Großherzog), used in some other German
royal houses and still in sovereign Luxembourg
.
First use was as the title of the rulers of Austrasia
(c.750), one of the Merovingian (Frankish) realms resulting from the complex successions in the house of Clovis
, roughly comprising Germany, Switzerland
and the Low Countries
.
In the Carolingian
Empire, the title was awarded as a unique promotion to the duke of Lotharingia
(much larger than Lorraine
), which could be seen as successor to the former Carolingian kingdom of Lothringia which had been at par at least with West Francia (modern France) in the dynastic divisions under the early heirs of Charlemagne
but ended up absorbed by East Francia (Greater Germany).
After the split (959) of the (arch)duchy into Upper - (German Oberlothringen, including modern Lorraine
) and Lower Lothringia (German Niederlothringen, north of it, with seat at Cologne
and originally vested in its prince-archbishop, but extending north all the way to Frisia
) and the latter's further fragmentation, two of the 'succeeding' duchies in the Low Countries, Brabant
(mainly in present Belgium) and Gelre (now in the Dutch kingdom and giving its name to the province of Gelderland
), claimed the archducal rank but were never officially granted it by the Holy Roman Emperor
. The Dutch
form is Aartshertog.
The title Archduke of Austria, the only one to become generally notable, was invented in the Privilegium Maius
, a 14th century forgery initiated by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. Originally, it was meant to denote the ruler of the (thus 'Arch')duchy of Austria
, in an effort to put that ruler on par with the Prince-elector
s, as Austria had been passed over in the Golden Bull of 1356
, when the elector
ships had been assigned. Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV
refused to recognize the title.
Duke Ernest the Iron and his descendants unilaterally assumed the title "archduke".
This title was only officially recognized in 1453 by Emperor Frederick III
, when the Habsburg
s had (permanently) gained control of the office of the Holy Roman Emperor
.
First it was granted to Frederick's younger brother, Albert VI of Austria (d. 1463), who used the title at least from 1458.
In 1477, Frederick III granted the title archduke also to his first cousin, Sigismund of Austria, ruler of Further Austria
.
Frederick's son and heir, the future Emperor Maximilian I, started to use the title, but apparently only after the death of his wife Mary of Burgundy
(d. 1482) as the title never appears in documents of joint Maximilian and Mary rule in the Low Countries
(where Maximilian is still titled Duke of Austria). The title appears first in documents of joint Maximilian and Philip
(his under-age son) rule in the Low Countries.
Emperor Frederick III himself used just Duke of Austria, never Archduke, until his death in 1493.
Ladislaus the Posthumous, Duke of Austria, who died in 1457, was never in his lifetime authorized to use it, and accordingly, not he nor anyone in his branch of the dynasty ever used the title.
Female children of the dynasty were not yet entitled to the title in the 15th century. It was used only by those dynasts who ruled a Habsburg territory, i.e., only by males and their consorts.
Often imprecisely rendered as Grand Duke
(actually a lower rank with which it should not be confused), Grand Prince (in German Großfürst) was used for the rulers of Lithuania
(which in 1386 formed a personal union
with the elective kingdom Poland) and Moscovia, the nucleus of later imperial Russia, until its ruler assumed the sovereign style Tsar
of royal rank, and still later emperor in imperial Russia. "Archduke" was used for non-sovereign rulers as a titular rank for princes of the Austrian ruling house of Habsburg, in titulary chief of an Austrian homeland, but without becoming its hereditary ruler since all territories remained vested in the Austrian crown. Occasionally it might be combined with a separate gubernatorial mandate.
From the 16th century onward, Archduke and its female form, Archduchess, came to be used by all the members of the 'Royal and Imperial' House
of Habsburg, similar to the title Prince
(of the blood) in many other royal houses. For example, Queen Marie Antoinette
of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire this practice was maintained in the Austrian Empire
(1804–1867) and the Austro-Hungarian Empire
(1867–1918).
The official use of Austrian aristocratic titles such as archduke has been illegal in the Republic of Austria for Austrian citizens since the Law on the Abolition of Nobility (Gesetz vom 3. April 1919 über die Aufhebung des Adels, der weltlichen Ritter- und Damenorden und gewisser Titel und Würden). Thus, those members of the extended Habsburg family who are citizens of the Republic of Austria, are simply known by their respective first name and their surname, Habsburg-Lothringen. However, members of the family who are citizens of other countries such as Germany
, where aristocratic titles have become part of the name, may use the title. Otto Habsburg-Lothringen
(1912-2011) was an Austrian, Hungarian and German citizen. As he lived in Germany, he was known as Otto von Habsburg.
, a crown which is kept in Klosterneuburg Monastery in perpetuity.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Erzherzog, feminine form: Erzherzogin) denotes a noble rank above Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
and below King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
, used only by princes of the Houses of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
and Habsburg-Lorraine.
Territory ruled by an archduke or archduchess is called an archduchy.
Address
As an archduke was a rank mostly reserved to the Habsburg imperial and royal family, the correct form of address was "Imperial and Royal HighnessImperial and Royal Highness
Imperial and Royal Highness is a style possessed by someone who either through birth or marriage holds two individual styles, Imperial Highness and Royal Highness....
". This is usually considered a higher style than "Imperial Highness
Imperial Highness
His/Her Imperial Highness is a style used by members of an imperial family to denote imperial - as opposed to royal - status to show that the holder in question is descended from an Emperor rather than a King .Today the style has mainly fallen from use with the exception of the Imperial Family of...
", a style reserved for descendants of an emperor and "Royal Highness
Royal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
", used to denote descent from a king. It is also, generally, the highest variation of the style "Highness
Highness
Highness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
"
Ruler style
The English word is recorded only since 1530, derived from Middle - via Old French archeduc, from Merovingian LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
archidux, from arch(i)- (see arch- (adj.)) + dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
'duke' .
Archduke (in German Erzherzog) is a title distinct from Grand duke
Grand Duke
The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
(in German Großherzog), used in some other German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
royal houses and still in sovereign Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
First use was as the title of the rulers of Austrasia
Austrasia
Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
(c.750), one of the Merovingian (Frankish) realms resulting from the complex successions in the house of Clovis
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
, roughly comprising Germany, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
.
In the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
Empire, the title was awarded as a unique promotion to the duke of Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
(much larger than Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
), which could be seen as successor to the former Carolingian kingdom of Lothringia which had been at par at least with West Francia (modern France) in the dynastic divisions under the early heirs of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
but ended up absorbed by East Francia (Greater Germany).
After the split (959) of the (arch)duchy into Upper - (German Oberlothringen, including modern Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
) and Lower Lothringia (German Niederlothringen, north of it, with seat at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and originally vested in its prince-archbishop, but extending north all the way to Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
) and the latter's further fragmentation, two of the 'succeeding' duchies in the Low Countries, Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
(mainly in present Belgium) and Gelre (now in the Dutch kingdom and giving its name to the province of Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
), claimed the archducal rank but were never officially granted it by the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. The Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
form is Aartshertog.
The title Archduke of Austria, the only one to become generally notable, was invented in the Privilegium Maius
Privilegium Maius
The Privilegium Maius was a medieval document dated 1358/59, forged at the behest of Duke Rudolf IV of Austria , a scion of the House of Habsburg. It was essentially a modified version of the Privilegium Minus issued by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1156, which had elevated the former March of...
, a 14th century forgery initiated by Duke Rudolf IV of Austria. Originally, it was meant to denote the ruler of the (thus 'Arch')duchy of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, in an effort to put that ruler on par with the Prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s, as Austria had been passed over in the Golden Bull of 1356
Golden Bull of 1356
The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by the Reichstag assembly in Nuremberg headed by the Luxembourg Emperor Charles IV that fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire...
, when the elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
ships had been assigned. Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
refused to recognize the title.
Duke Ernest the Iron and his descendants unilaterally assumed the title "archduke".
This title was only officially recognized in 1453 by Emperor Frederick III
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
, when the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s had (permanently) gained control of the office of the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
.
First it was granted to Frederick's younger brother, Albert VI of Austria (d. 1463), who used the title at least from 1458.
In 1477, Frederick III granted the title archduke also to his first cousin, Sigismund of Austria, ruler of Further Austria
Further Austria
Further Austria or Anterior Austria was the collective name for the old possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, including territories in the Alsace region west of the Rhine and in Vorarlberg, after the focus of the Habsburgs had moved to the...
.
Frederick's son and heir, the future Emperor Maximilian I, started to use the title, but apparently only after the death of his wife Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477 until her death...
(d. 1482) as the title never appears in documents of joint Maximilian and Mary rule in the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
(where Maximilian is still titled Duke of Austria). The title appears first in documents of joint Maximilian and Philip
Philip I of Castile
Philip I , known as Philip the Handsome or the Fair, was the first Habsburg King of Castile...
(his under-age son) rule in the Low Countries.
Emperor Frederick III himself used just Duke of Austria, never Archduke, until his death in 1493.
Ladislaus the Posthumous, Duke of Austria, who died in 1457, was never in his lifetime authorized to use it, and accordingly, not he nor anyone in his branch of the dynasty ever used the title.
Female children of the dynasty were not yet entitled to the title in the 15th century. It was used only by those dynasts who ruled a Habsburg territory, i.e., only by males and their consorts.
Other dynastic Habsburg use
Grand Duke
The title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
(actually a lower rank with which it should not be confused), Grand Prince (in German Großfürst) was used for the rulers of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
(which in 1386 formed a personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with the elective kingdom Poland) and Moscovia, the nucleus of later imperial Russia, until its ruler assumed the sovereign style Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
of royal rank, and still later emperor in imperial Russia. "Archduke" was used for non-sovereign rulers as a titular rank for princes of the Austrian ruling house of Habsburg, in titulary chief of an Austrian homeland, but without becoming its hereditary ruler since all territories remained vested in the Austrian crown. Occasionally it might be combined with a separate gubernatorial mandate.
From the 16th century onward, Archduke and its female form, Archduchess, came to be used by all the members of the 'Royal and Imperial' House
Royal House
A royal house or royal dynasty consists of at least one, but usually more monarchs who are related to one another, as well as their non-reigning descendants and spouses. Monarchs of the same realm who are not related to one another are usually deemed to belong to different houses, and each house is...
of Habsburg, similar to the title Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
(of the blood) in many other royal houses. For example, Queen Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
of France was born Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire this practice was maintained in the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
(1804–1867) and the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
(1867–1918).
The official use of Austrian aristocratic titles such as archduke has been illegal in the Republic of Austria for Austrian citizens since the Law on the Abolition of Nobility (Gesetz vom 3. April 1919 über die Aufhebung des Adels, der weltlichen Ritter- und Damenorden und gewisser Titel und Würden). Thus, those members of the extended Habsburg family who are citizens of the Republic of Austria, are simply known by their respective first name and their surname, Habsburg-Lothringen. However, members of the family who are citizens of other countries such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where aristocratic titles have become part of the name, may use the title. Otto Habsburg-Lothringen
Otto von Habsburg
Otto von Habsburg , also known by his royal name as Archduke Otto of Austria, was the last Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary from 1916 until the dissolution of the empire in 1918, a realm which comprised modern-day Austria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
(1912-2011) was an Austrian, Hungarian and German citizen. As he lived in Germany, he was known as Otto von Habsburg.
Insignia
The insignia of the archduke of lower and upper Austria is the archducal hatArchducal hat
The archducal hat is the insignia of the Archduchy of Austria. It is kept in Klosterneuburg Monastery in perpetuity.-History:The first archducal coronet was shown on a portrait of Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, though this coronet probably never existed...
, a crown which is kept in Klosterneuburg Monastery in perpetuity.
Fictional archdukes
- Poggle the Lesser was the Archduke of Geonosis, a planet from the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
universeUniverseThe Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
.
- In the television series AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Archduke Sebassis is a hairless demon with long, antelope-like horns, pointed ears, yellow eyes and white skin. Sebassis is the latest in a long line of demonic royalty and commands over forty demonic legions.
- Archduke Chocula (a parody of Count Chocula) is a fictional archduke in FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
.
- An Archduke Hadrian of Evallonia is mentioned in John Buchan's 1935 novel The House of the Four WindsThe House of the Four WindsThe House of the Four Winds is a novel of adventure by John Buchan, first published in 1935. It is a Ruritanian romance, and the last of his three Dickson McCunn books.-Plot introduction:...
.
- Archduke Armand Ecaz in the DuneDuneIn physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
Novels by Frank Herbert and Brian Herbert/Kevin Anderson.