Editing Duke (section)

=== Nordic countries ===
[[File:Birger jarl (Forssén).jpg|thumb|In the 1260s [[Birger Jarl]] bore a ducal coronet and used the [[Latin]] title of ''Dux Sweorum'' (Latin for "Duke of the Swedes"); the design of his coronet combined those used by continental European and English dukes.<ref>Prof. Jan Svanberg in ''Furstebilder från folkungatid'' {{ISBN|91-85884-52-9}} pp. 104–106</ref>]]
[[File:Bengt Birgersson.JPG|thumb|Bishop [[Bengt Birgersson]] (1254–1291) was the first [[Duke of Finland]]<ref>{{cite book| author=Heikinheimo, Ilmari| year= 1955 | title= Suomen elämäkerrasto| publisher = [[Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö]]}}</ref>]]
The Northern European duchies of [[Halland]], [[Jutland]], [[Lolland]], [[Osilia]] and [[Reval]] existed in the Middle Ages. The longest-surviving duchy was [[Schleswig]], i.e., ''Sonderjylland'' (a portion of which later became part of Germany). Its southern neighbor, the duchy of [[Holstein]], in personal union with the Danish crown, was nonetheless always a German principality. The two duchies jointly became a member of the German [[States of Germany|''Bundesland'']] as "[[Schleswig-Holstein]]" in the 19th century.

==== Denmark ====
Beginning in the 11th century, Danish kings frequently awarded the title of ''jarl'' (earl) or duke of [[Duchy of Schleswig|Schleswig]] to a younger son of the monarch. Short-lived dukedoms were created for the same purpose in [[Lolland]] and [[Halland]].

After the accession to the throne of [[Christian I of Denmark|Christian I]], a complex system of appanages were created for male-line descendants of the king, being granted non-sovereign ducal titles in both Schleswig and [[Duchy of Holstein|Holstein]], e.g. [[Duke of Gottorp]], Duke of Sønderborg, [[Duke of Augustenborg]], Duke of Franzhagen, Duke of Beck, [[Duke of Glücksburg]] and Duke of Nordborg. This arrangement occurred in both territories despite Schleswig being a fief of Denmark and Holstein being a fief of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].

==== Finland ====
Key parts of Finland were sometimes under a Duke of Finland during the Swedish reign (until 1809). Some of the provinces are still considered duchies for the purposes of heraldry.

==== Norway ====
In Norway, [[Skule Bårdsson]] was first ''jarl'' in 1217, and as such got responsibility for the army, and then in 1237, as another attempt at compromise, Skule was given the first Norwegian title of duke (''hertug''). There is no indication that those two titles meant the same thing, or was mixed. He was first ''jarl'', and then also ''hertug'', but after he became ''hertug'' he kept the title ''jarl''.

==== Sweden ====
{{further|Duchies in Sweden}}
Sweden has a history of making the sons of its kings ruling princes of vast duchies, but this ceased in 1622. Only one non-royal person was ever given a dukedom.

In 1772, King [[Gustav III of Sweden|Gustav III]] reinstated the appointment of titular dukes but as a non-hereditary title for his brothers. Since then, all Swedish princes have been created dukes of a province at birth. When the [[Act of Succession (1810)|1810 Act of Succession]] was amended to allow female succession to the throne, King [[Carl XVI Gustaf]]'s eldest daughter [[Crown Princess Victoria|Victoria]] became Crown Princess (displacing her younger brother [[Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland|Carl Philip]]) and received the title of Duchess of Västergötland. The practice of conferring ducal titles has since extended to Swedish princesses as well as princes. Currently, there are five dukes and four duchesses in their own right. The territorial designations of these dukedoms refer to ten of the [[Provinces of Sweden]].