Duke of Lauenburg
Encyclopedia
The title Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg
, which, since its foundation in 1269, has been ruled by twenty-nine dukes of six dynastic houses and lines and by an additional four dukes of a temporary dynastic branch line (Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg
, the first would-be duchess regnant, was kept from inheritting the duchy by male rulers of neighbouring states). For a list of the dukes, illustrated with portraits starting with Julius Henry, see the list of Saxon rulers. For the duchesses consort, see the list of Saxon consorts, also illustrated with some portraits.
The duchy has been held by various countries, including France
from 1803 to 1805 and from 1810 to 1814, Prussia
from 1805 to 1806, and Westphalia
from 1806 to 1810. The kings of Denmark, members of the House of Oldenburg
, held the Duchy of Lauenburg from 1814 to 1864, when the territory came under Prussian control in 1864 as a result of the Second Schleswig War, though it was not immediately annexed to Prussia. In 1865, the estates
of Saxe-Lauenburg offered rule of the duchy to King William I of Prussia, who accepted the same year, ruling it in personal union
until the estates upon decided the merger of their state with Prussia as of July 1, 1876. After the death of the last ruling duke, William I (who after 1870 was also German emperor), in 1888, the now purely honorific title was granted to Otto von Bismarck
after his dismissal as Chancellor of Germany in 1890.
Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg
The Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg between the 14th and 17th centuries), later also known as the Duchy of Lauenburg, was a reichsfrei duchy that existed 1296–1803 and 1814–1876 in the extreme southeast region of what is now Schleswig-Holstein...
, which, since its foundation in 1269, has been ruled by twenty-nine dukes of six dynastic houses and lines and by an additional four dukes of a temporary dynastic branch line (Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg
Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg
Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg was the legal Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg in the eyes of the Holy Roman Emperor, the overlord of Saxe-Lauenburg, from 1689 until 1728; however, because her distant cousin George William, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, conquered the duchy by force in 1689, she...
, the first would-be duchess regnant, was kept from inheritting the duchy by male rulers of neighbouring states). For a list of the dukes, illustrated with portraits starting with Julius Henry, see the list of Saxon rulers. For the duchesses consort, see the list of Saxon consorts, also illustrated with some portraits.
The duchy has been held by various countries, including France
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
from 1803 to 1805 and from 1810 to 1814, Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
from 1805 to 1806, and Westphalia
Kingdom of Westphalia
The Kingdom of Westphalia was a new country of 2.6 million Germans that existed from 1807-1813. It included of territory in Hesse and other parts of present-day Germany. While formally independent, it was a vassal state of the First French Empire, ruled by Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte...
from 1806 to 1810. The kings of Denmark, members of the House of Oldenburg
House of Oldenburg
The House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses with branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Russia, Greece, Norway, Schleswig, Holstein, Oldenburg and Sweden...
, held the Duchy of Lauenburg from 1814 to 1864, when the territory came under Prussian control in 1864 as a result of the Second Schleswig War, though it was not immediately annexed to Prussia. In 1865, the estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
of Saxe-Lauenburg offered rule of the duchy to King William I of Prussia, who accepted the same year, ruling it in 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...
until the estates upon decided the merger of their state with Prussia as of July 1, 1876. After the death of the last ruling duke, William I (who after 1870 was also German emperor), in 1888, the now purely honorific title was granted to Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
after his dismissal as Chancellor of Germany in 1890.