a sovereign prince, without the title or quality of king. The word is borrowed from the Latin through the medium of the modern Greek. Some sovereigns have the title of grand duke, as the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Grand Duke of Muscovy. The title of grand duke belongs to the heir apparent of Russia; and the title of archduke is given to all the sons of the house of Austria, and that of archduchess to all the daughters.

Duke is also a title of honour or nobility, the next below princes.

The dukedom, or dignity of duke, is a Roman dignity, so denominated a duxedo, from leading or commanding. Accordingly the first dukes, duces, were the ductores exercituum, leaders or commanders of armies. Under the later emperors, the governors of provinces in time of war were entitled duces. In after times the same denomination was also given to the governors of provinces in time of peace. The first governor under the name of duke was a duke of the Marchia Rhaetica, or Grisons, of which mention is made in Cassiodorus; and there were afterwards thirteen dukes in the eastern empire, and twelve in the western. The Goths and Vandals, upon their overrunning the provinces of the western empire, abolished the Roman dignities wherever they settled; but the Franks, in order to honour the Gauls, who had long been used to that form of government, made it a point of policy not to make any change therein; and accordingly they divided all Gaul into duchies and counties, giving to the governors of these sometimes the names of dukes, and sometimes that of counts, or comites.

In England, during the Saxon times, Camden observes, the officers and commanders of armies were called dukes, duces, in the ancient Roman manner, without any addition. But after the conqueror came in, the title lay dormant till the reign of Edward III., who created his son Edward, called the Black Prince, first duke of Cornwall; a title which has ever since been the peculiar inheritance of the king's eldest son during the lifetime of his father, so that he is dux notus, non creatus. After this more dukes were made, in such a manner that their titles descended to their posterity. They were created with much solemnity, per cincturam gladii, cappeaque, et circuli aurei in capitie impositionem. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, however, that is, in 1572, the whole order became utterly extinct; but it was revived about fifty years afterwards by her successor, in the person of George Villiers, duke of Buckingham.

Though the French retained the names and forms of the ducal government, yet under their second race of kings there was scarcely any such dignity as that of duke. All the great lords were called counts, peers, or barons, excepting, however, the Dukes of Burgundy and Aquitain, and the Duke of France, which was a dignity held by Hugh Capet himself, and corresponded to the modern dignity of maire de palais, or the king's lieutenant. By the weakness of the kings, the dukes or governors sometimes made themselves sovereigns of the provinces entrusted to their administration. This change happened chiefly about the time of Hugh Capet, when the great lords began to dismember the kingdom; so that this prince found more competitors among them than subjects. It was even with great difficulty that they could be brought to own him as their superior, or to consent to hold of him by faith and homage. What with force, and what by marriages, these provinces, both duchies and counties, which had been severed from the crown, were again gradually united to it. But the title of duke was no longer given to the governors of provinces. From that time duke became a mere title of dignity, annexed to a person and his heirs male, without giving him any domain, territory, or jurisdiction over the place of which he was duke. All the advantages of the title now consist in the name, and in the precedence which it gives.

The dukes of our days retain nothing of their ancient splendour except the coronet on their escutcheon, which is the only mark of their departed sovereignty. They are created by patent, cincture of the sword, mantle of state, imposition of a cap and coronet of gold on the head, and a verge or rod of gold in their hand.

The eldest sons of dukes are by the courtesy of England styled marquises, though they are usually distinguished by their father's second title, whether it be that of marquis or earl; and the younger sons are lords, with the addition of their Christian name, as Lord James, Lord Thomas, Lord Charles, and they take place of viscounts, though not so privileged by the laws of the land.

Duke-Duke, a quality given in Spain to a grandee of the house of Sylva, on account of his having several duchies from the union of two considerable houses in his person. Don Roderigo de Sylva, eldest son of Don Ruy Gomez de Sylva, and heir of his duchies and principalities, having married the eldest daughter of the Duke de l'Infantado, the Duke de Pastrana, who was descended from her, added to his other great titles that of duke-duke, to distinguish himself from the other dukes, some of whom might enjoy several duchies, but none so considerable ones.