This is a list of French dukedoms from the beginning of feudalism in the 9th century to the end of the French monarchy in the 19th century.

History

The Duchies of France were founded in the 9th century by the Carolingian Kings and the princely members of their family who shared the Empire of Charlemagne which they had inherited by reorganizing all the Carolingian kingdoms of France into feudal duchies and counties vassals of the King of France.

Administrative districts In the continuity of the administration of the Roman Empire, the various Germanic kingdoms set up districts of command entrusted to representatives of the aristocracy, appointed and dismissed by the sovereign. These dukes often had authority over several counties. The commands of the border regions took the name of "march" () or "marquisate" (). The precise geography of these districts is difficult to establish, especially since their contours were very fluctuating. Many of these commands, having become hereditary, evolved into territorial principalities of the feudal type.

Name List of Dukes Creation Date History of the title Duchy of Bavaria List 555 Annexed by Charlemagne Duchy of Dentelin 6th century Duchy of the Merovingian era which extended over Upper Normandy, Picardy and the south-western parts of Belgium (Flanders). Duchy of Aquitaine then of Guyenne List 632 Feudal duchy in 632 (Duchy-peerage in 1200) for the Merovingian dynasty; passed to the House of Boggide in 670. Extinguished in 768; reestablished in 845 for the House of Poitiers, passed in 893 to the House of Wilhelmide, in 918 to the House of Bellonide of Carcassonne, returned in 928 to the House of Poitou, passed in 932 to the House of Raymondine of Toulouse, returned in 950 to the House of Poitiers, passed in 1168 to the House of Plantagenet, in 1196 to the House of Guelph, returned in 1199 to the House of Plantagenets. Title extinct in 1204. Restored in 1259 for the House of Plantagenet, passed in 1399 to the House of Lancaster, in 1400 to the House of Valois, returned in 1415 to the House of Lancaster then in 1469 to the House of Valois. Title extinct in 1472. This title was reestablished in 1753 for a son of France but died out with his death in 1754. Raised as a courtesy title since 1972 by the elder branch of the Bourbons, held by Emmanuelle de Bourbon (b. 1960) since 1995. Duchy of Alsace List 662 Feudal duchy in 662 for the House of Etichonids, passed in 867 to the House of Carolingian, returned in 870 to the Etichonids, passed in 917 to the House of Wettin, in 926 to the House of Wetterau, in 948 to the House of Liudolfings, returned in 954 to the Wettins then in 973 to the Liudolfings and in 982 to Wetterau, passed in 1038 to the House of Salian, in 1048 to the House of Schweinfurt, in 1057 to the House of Rheinfelden then in 1080 to the House of Hohenstaufen. Title extinguished in 1268. The Duchy of Alsace was a German and not a French fief. Duchy of Gascony List 768 Feudal duchy in 768 for the House of Boggide, passed in 864 to the House of Wilhelmide, in 872 to the House of Pérez de Mittara, in 1032 to the House of Taillefer, in 1036 to the House of Poitiers, then in 1040 to the House of Armagnac. Title extinguished in 1042. Duchy then County of Toulouse List 778 Feudal duchy in 788 for the House of Wilhelmine. Title extinguished in 850, after which Toulouse became a County. Duchy then County of Ponthieu List 793 Feudal duchy in 793 for the House of Ponthieu. Title extinguished in 844, after which Ponthieu became a County. Duchy of Septimania 817 Feudal duchy in 817 for the House of Wilhelmine. Title extinguished in 844. Duke of Brittany List 824 / 1547 Feudal county created in 824 for Nominoé, who titled himself King of Brittany in 840. Reestablished in 939 by the House of Poher, passed in 987 to the House of Rennes, in 1066 to the House of Cornouaille, in 1148 to the House of Perhoët, returned in 1156 to the Rennes, passed in 1196 to the House of Plantagenet, in 1203 to the House of Thouars, in 1221 to the House of Dreux, with Guy Mauclerc who officially took the title of Duke, disputed from 1341 to 1365, passed into the House of Montfort in 1365. Duchy-peerage in 1297, passed in 1514 to the House of Valois. Title extinguished in 1547 with the reunion to the crown of France. Never given as an appanage. Reestablished in 1707 for a son of France, extinguished with his accession to the Louis, Dauphin of France, in 1712. Raised as a courtesy title by the elder branch of the Bourbons from 1950 to 1975. Duchy of Burgundy List 877 Feudal duchy created in 877 (duchy-peerage in 1200) for the House of Nivelonne, passed in 943 to the House of Robertians, which later became Capetian, and in 1364 to the House of Valois. Title extinguished in 1477. Reestablished in 1682 for the House of Bourbon and two sons of France. Title extinguished in 1761. There was also a County of Burgundy, which became Franche-Comté. Raised as a courtesy title by the elder branch of the Bourbons since 2010. Duchy of the Franks List 687 The title of "Duke of the Franks" is more of an appellation, at least for the first holders. Feudal duchy in 886 for the House of Robertians. Title extinguished in 987. Duchy of Normandy List 911 Feudal duchy in 911 (duchy-peerage in 1200) for the House of Normandy, passed in 1135 to the House of Blois then in 1144 to the House of Plantagenet. Title extinguished in France in 1204 (the King of England retains the Channel Islands of which he is still the Duke in the 21st century). Re-established in 1331 for the House of Valois, passed in 1418 to the House of Lancaster then returned in 1465 to the House of Valois. Title extinguished in 1469. Re-established in 1785 for a son of France, but which became extinct when the holder, Louis Charles, acceded to the Dauphin of France in 1789. Duchy of Lorraine List 911 Feudal duchy in 911 for the House of Ydulfing, passed in 940 to the House of Liudolfinger, returned in 941 to Ydulfing, passed in 944 to the House of Speyer, returned in 953 to Liudolfinger, passed in 959 to the House of Wigéricide, in 1046 to the House of Lorraine then in 1431 to the House of Valois, returned in 1473 to Lorraine then passed in 1738 to Stanisław Leszczyński, former King of Poland. Title extinguished in 1766 and the duchy then became a province of France. Nevertheless, the title was raised by the dynastic head of the House of Lorraine, which became the Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal House of Habsburg-Lorraine, a direct and legitimate descendant of the reigning duke in 1737 and is sometimes still borne today. The Duchy of Lorraine was a fiefdom outside France. County then Duchy of Bar (or Barrois) List 951 Feudal duchy in 951 for the Duke of Upper Lorraine. Title extinguished in 1034. Reestablished in 1355 for the House of Mousson, passed in 1419 to the House of Valois, in 1480 to the House of Lorraine then in 1738 to Stanisław Leszczyński, former King of Poland. Title extinguished in 1766, Barrois followed the fate of Lorraine from then on. This title, however, has since followed the same destiny as that of Lorraine, to which it remains traditionally attached and is sometimes borne by the dynastic head of the Imperial and Royal House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Duchy of Narbonne List 12th Century Feudal duchy from the beginning of the 12th century for the Counts of Toulouse. Title extinguished in 1249. Duchy of Langres List 1200 Episcopal duchy-peerage in 1200 for the Bishops of Langres. Title extinguished in 1801 with the 40th duke-bishop César-Guillaume de La Luzerne (1738–1821). Duchy of Laon List 1200 Episcopal duchy-peerage in 1200 for the Bishops of Laon. Title extinguished in 1801 with the 40th duke-bishop Louis-Maxime de Sabran (1739–1811). Duchy of Reims List 1200 Archiepiscopal duchy-peerage in 1200 for the Archbishops of Reims. Title extinguished in 1801 with the 45th duke-archbishop Alexandre-Angélique de Talleyrand-Périgord (1736–1821).

Feudal titles

In the late Middle Ages and the modern era, the duchy and peerage were attributed to smaller feudal groups, mainly former counties. The holders were most often princes of the royal family, under the rule of appanage which required that the extinction of the male descendants of the first holder led to the attachment to the royal domain of the duchy.