Grand duke

Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe titled as Grand Duchy, particularly: in present-day Luxembourg, the last territory ranked as Grand Duchy historically by the sovereigns of former independent countries, such as Tuscany (from 1569 to 1860, now part of Italy) in Baden, Hesse, Oldenburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (officially simply the Grand Duchy of Saxony) – grand duchies from 1815 to 1918, and all now part of Germany formerly also in some countries in Northern Europe, such as the Grand Duchy of Finland or the Grand Duchy of Lithuania currently by claimants to the Russian Imperial Throne (eg. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia)