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 sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked below princes and grand dukes. The title comes from French duc, itself from the Latin dux, 'leader', a term used in republican Rome 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.
Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, GE, was a French soldier, diplomat, and memoirist. He was born in Paris at the Hôtel Selvois, 6 rue Taranne. The family's ducal peerage (duché-pairie), granted in 1635 to his father Claude de Rouvroy (1608–1693), served as both perspective and theme in Saint-Simon's life and writings. He was the second and last Duke of Saint-Simon.
Claude de Rouvroy, 1st Duke of Saint-Simon, was a French soldier and courtier, and favourite of Louis XIII of France, who created his dukedom for him. His only son Louis de Rouvroy, Duke of Saint-Simon (1675–1755) was the famous memoirist of the court of Louis XIV.
The title of Duke of Saint-Cloud was created in 1674. The intention behind the creation was to provide a noble title to be held by the Archbishop of Paris for the time being.
Duke of Mouchy was a hereditary title in the peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1747 by Ferdinand VI to Philippe de Noailles, a French military officer. After failure of the 1st Duke's successors in inheriting the dukedom through the established legal procedures, the title expired in the Kingdom of Spain. Withal, it was bestowed by Louis XVIII of France on the eldest son of the 1st Duke in 1817 as a title in the French peerage.
Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy, was the eldest son of Louis, Grand Dauphin, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria and grandson of the reigning French king, Louis XIV. He was known as the "Petit Dauphin" to distinguish him from his father. When his father died in April 1711, the Duke of Burgundy became the official Dauphin of France. He never reigned, as he died in 1712 while his grandfather was still on the throne. Upon the death of Louis XIV in 1715, the Duke of Burgundy's third son became Louis XV.
The title of Duke of Chaulnes, a French peerage, is held by the d'Albert family beginning in 1621.
Anne-Adrien-Pierre de Montmorency, 1st Duke of San Fernando Luis, 3rd Duke of Laval-Montmorency, GE, was a peer of France and of Spain.
The peerage of France consists of the great officers, direct vassals of the Crown of France, with the title peer of France. They represent the primitive constituents of elective monarchy, before the succession became hereditary in the House of Capet.
Vidame de Chartres was a title in the French nobility. There are a few vidame titles in France, of which that of Chartres is probably the best known, because a number of holders have been notable in widely different ways over the centuries. Vidame was originally the name for the commander of a bishop's military force in the Early Middle Ages, when bishops, like other great lords, needed troops for security. The title eventually developed into a heritable noble title, like others linked to a specific estate. The title therefore passed to the new owner when the estate was sold, as happened a number of times in this case.
Duke of Cars is a French noble title that was first created in 1816.
Jean-François de Pérusse des Cars was a French nobleman who was a grandson of James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, the illegitimate son of King James II of England.
Amédée-François-Régis de Pérusse des Cars, Duke of Cars, was a French nobleman and soldier.
Philippe Anne Louis Marie Dieudonné Jean d'Albert, 11th Duke of Luynes was a French aristocrat who became the Duke of Luynes at the age of nineteen and held the title until his death in 1993.
Honoré-Louis d'Albert de Luynes, styledDuke of Chevreuse, was a French nobleman.
Charles Honoré Emmanuel d'Albert de Luynes, 9th Duke of Luynes was a French aristocrat and soldier in the Papal Zouaves.
Paul Marie Stanislas Honoré d'Albert de Luynes, 10th Duke of Chaulnes and Picquigny was a French aristocrat, soldier and writer.
François de La Rochefoucauld, 1st Duke of La Rochefoucauld was a French nobleman by birth. Upon his father's death in 15 March 1591 he inherited the title Count of La Rochefoucauld which he remained till 22 April 1622 when King Louis XIII raised his county of La Rochefoucauld to a dukedom with the influence of his mother Queen Marie de Medici having attended her coronation on May 14, 1610 He was the father of François de La Rochefoucauld author of Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales better known as the Maximes
François de La Rochefoucauld, 4th Duke of La Rochefoucauld was a French nobleman who succeeded his father as Duke of La Rochefoucauld and Grand Huntsman of France in January 1714 having already succeeded him as Grand Huntsman of France.
The title Duke of Ayen was created by King Louis XV on 12 March 1737 raising the former county of Ayen to a Dukedom It was used as a courtesy title by the eldest son of the Duke of Noailles The Duke of Ayen are cousins of the Dukes of Mouchy a cadet branch of the House of Noailles
