Category:Duke

Duke or Duchess

Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked below princes and grand dukes. The title comes from lalange, itself from the word dux, 'leader', a term used in ancient times to refer to a military commander without an official rank, and later coming to mean the leading military commander of a province. In most countries, the word Duchess is the female equivalent.