Editing Duchy (section)

==Examples==
In France, several duchies existed in the medieval period, including [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]], [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]], [[Brittany]], and [[Aquitaine]].

The medieval German [[Stem duchy|stem duchies]] ({{langx|de|Stammesherzogtum}}, literally "tribal duchy," the official title of its ruler being ''[[Herzog]]'' or "duke") were associated with the [[Frankish Kingdom]] and corresponded with the areas of settlement of the major Germanic [[tribe]]s.  They formed the nuclei of the major feudal states that comprised the early era of the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman Empire of the German nation]] (961–1806; in German: ''Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation''). These were ''Schwaben'' (Swabia, mainly the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg), ''Bayern'' (Bavaria), and ''Sachsen'' (Saxony) in pre-Carolingian times, to which ''Franken'' (Franconia, at present the northern part of the German state of Bavaria) and ''Lothringen'' (Lorraine, nowadays mostly part of France) were added in post-Carolingian times. As mentioned above, such a duke was styled ''Herzog'' (literally "the one who is leading [the troops]").

In medieval England, duchies associated with the territories of [[Lancashire]] and [[Cornwall]] were created, with certain powers and estates of land accruing to their dukes. The [[Duchy of Lancaster]] was created in 1351 but became merged with the Crown when, in 1399, Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, ascended the throne of England as [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]].  Nowadays, the Duchy of Lancaster always belongs to the sovereign and its revenue is the [[Privy Purse]].  The [[Duchy of Cornwall]] was created in 1337 and held successively by the Dukes of Cornwall, who were also heirs to the throne. Nowadays, the Duchy of Cornwall belongs to the sovereign's [[heir apparent]], if there is one: it reverts to the Crown in the absence of an heir apparent and is automatically conferred to the heir apparent upon birth.  These duchies today have mostly lost any non-ceremonial political role, but generate their holders' private income.  During the Wars of the Roses, the Duke of York made a successful entry into the City of York, by merely claiming no harm and that it was his right to possess "his duchy of York."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ltd|first=Not Panicking|title=h2g2 - The Second War of the Roses - Edited Entry|url=https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A1150417|access-date=2021-11-28|website=h2g2.com|archive-date=2012-07-20|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720120330/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1150417|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Any feudal duchies that made up the patchwork of England have since been absorbed into the Royal Family.  Other than Cornwall and Lancaster, British royal dukedoms are titular and do not include landholdings.  Non-royal dukedoms are associated with ducal property, but this is meant as the duke's private property, with no other feudal privileges attached.  At present, all independent (i.e., [[Westphalian sovereignty|sovereign]]) duchies have disappeared.