The city of Manchester was a rough city in the industrial age. The history of the dukes of Manchester shares some of the underworld aspects of the great northern powerhouse, but in fact has nothing to do with the city—like most British dukedoms, the title does not align with the geography. Three modern dukes ofContinue reading “Like feuding Montagus: the troubled history of the Dukes of Manchester”
Author Archives: Jonathan Spangler
Jablonowski—Polish princes, kin to French royals
The Kingdom of Poland, a remarkably egalitarian society, officially had no title rankings within its nobility. It therefore had very few families with the titles duke or princes within its borders—those that did bear higher titles received them from foreign powers, either the Holy Roman Empire or Russia. Amongst these, one stands out as alsoContinue reading “Jablonowski—Polish princes, kin to French royals”
Cantacuzino: Byzantine survivors, Romanian patriots and Russian princes
One of the most interesting aspects of the high aristocracy in European history is its fluidity. In the centuries before the rise of nationalism, elites could and often did move from place to place and adapt to new scenarios with relative ease. On this site, we’ve seen examples of this already with the Scottish HamiltonsContinue reading “Cantacuzino: Byzantine survivors, Romanian patriots and Russian princes”
Lannoy: A Quintessentially Belgian Noble House
The new Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, born Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, comes from an old noble family from the Low Countries. The House of Lannoy is one of the most distinguished noble houses in Belgium, yet nether of the two princely titles they held at different parts of their history—Sulmona and Rheina-Wolbeck—were located in Belgium.Continue reading “Lannoy: A Quintessentially Belgian Noble House”
Nassau-Weilburg and Luxembourg: one of Europe’s oldest princely dynasties on one of its newest thrones
On 3 October 2025, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, abdicated his throne in favour of his eldest son, Crown Prince Guillaume. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as an independent sovereign state has only had its own ruling family since 1890, though the Duchy of Luxembourg itself (and before that the County) is far more ancient,Continue reading “Nassau-Weilburg and Luxembourg: one of Europe’s oldest princely dynasties on one of its newest thrones”
Kent—From Saxon Kingdom to Royal Dukedom
Kent is one of the most familiar names for an English county—but also unique in that it is one of the few that are never appended ‘-shire’ when giving historic names. It is also said to be one of the oldest place names still in use in England, named by the Greeks as Kantion inContinue reading “Kent—From Saxon Kingdom to Royal Dukedom”
Dukes of Castries: the Wealth of the Mediterranean comes to Versailles
In ancient times there was a road, the Via Domitia, built by the Romans to bring soldiers and trade across the Alps from Italy into southern Gaul, then south to Spain. Cities and towns along this route that hugged the Mediterranean prospered, and fortified positions held by noblemen kept trade safe, and of course providedContinue reading “Dukes of Castries: the Wealth of the Mediterranean comes to Versailles”
Dukes of Cleveland: Two FitzRoys and Several Vanes
One of the least known dukedoms in the peerages of Great Britain is that of Cleveland. After starting off as a title for one of the most famous duchesses in Europe, Barbara Villiers, the second and third dukes, Charles and William FitzRoy, were very rich but unremarkable. Their successors in the Vane family managed toContinue reading “Dukes of Cleveland: Two FitzRoys and Several Vanes”
The Leslies: Just one Duke of Rothes but many generals in Scotland, Russia and Austria
‘You know nothing, Jon Snow’, is perhaps a fitting introduction to the family history of Rose Leslie, an actress famous for playing Ygritte the Wildling in Game of Thrones. Snow did in fact know nothing about his own true ancestry in the story, but he also did not know that his real-life counterpart, Kit Harington,Continue reading “The Leslies: Just one Duke of Rothes but many generals in Scotland, Russia and Austria”
The MacCarthys—Irish kings to princes … to dukes?
Ireland did not have dukes and princes created by emperors or kings in the manner of other European kingdoms in the medieval and early modern ages. There were a few dukedoms (Ormond, Leinster, Abercorn), but these were all created for Anglo-Irish families who had emigrated to the Emerald Isle at some point after its conquestContinue reading “The MacCarthys—Irish kings to princes … to dukes?”
Dukes and Princes 