Historically, what is the difference between a Count and a Duke?

Answer 1

A Duke is the male ruler of a duchy (a small state). Or, in the UK, it's a British nobleman holding the highest hereditary title outside the royal family.
A Count is a European nobleman equivalent in rank to an English earl --and the wife of an earl is a countess.
Noble titles go like this:
Duke.
Marquess.
Earl, Count, and Graf.
Viscount.
Baron.
Baronet.

Answer 2

It depends what you mean by historically. When the titles were introduced in the late Roman Empire, a count outranked a duke, but in the later feudal aristocracy, the reverse was the case.

Answer 3

All of those peerage titles can contain land holdings.Once upon a time, the change was once in political powers held.The maximum rank of the non-royal peerage,the dukedom,got here with a duchy,an sales-generating land preserving.The duke was once responsible of the duchy,which he ran for the monarch.The better the duchy,the extra political powers given to the duke by means of the monarch. The order of priority from maximum to lowest is Duke,Marquess, Earl,Viscount,and Baron.The peerage is made up ,commonly,of households who have held their titles and powers for decades,even though their political clout is not what it was once.And many of those households maintain multiple identify: for an illustration the Duke of Claremont(made up titles)may also be Marquess of Hazelton,Earl of Grass,Viscount Pebbles,Baron Smuckers.So,the extra titles,the extra lands,extra powers as soon as held.Many friends now not have as so much lands as they as soon as held,when you consider that it is vitally high-priced(taxes are rather top).Some have even needed to promote their residences and lands.

Answer 4

I thought a Count was a vampire and a Duke was a Blue Devil

Answer 5

Nothing at all. Both Duke Ellington and Count Bassie played piano and led an orchestra. Both are dead black dudes. Both rocked.

Answer 6

Yep, Violet Pearl's answer cannot be improved upon. Hope she gets the ten points. I got two!

Answer 7

In Shakespeare's Twelfth NIght they were interchangeable, Orsino being referred to as both.

Answer 8

Violet Pearl has it right! And I know as I am a Graf (Count)...

Answer 9

www.allstates-flag.com/fotw/flags/fr-prov.html
in this link there is a goo explanation of the diference but it is long, maybe you can read it from the site.