The first duke of Estonia [1] (Danish: Hertug af Estland ) was appointed in 1220[2] by King Valdemar II of Denmark after the Danish conquest of Estonia during the Livonian crusade. The title was resumed by the kings of Denmark since 1269. During the 1266-82 reign of the queen dowager Margaret Sambiria, the title lady of Estonia (Latin: Domina Estonie) was used.[2]

Portrait of King Gustav II Adolph of Sweden including Duke of Estonia in his stated titles

In 1332, after Christopher II died, his second son Otto inherited the title of the duke of Estonia. Valdemar III assumed the title in 1338.[3]

The dukes of Estonia rarely resided in Estonia. To govern the Duchy of Estonia, the king of Denmark and royal counsellors appointed the Lieutenant (Latin: Capitaneus), who resided in Reval.[4]

The king of Denmark sold the duchy to the Teutonic Order in 1346, but Christian I reassumed the title of duke of Estonia in 1456.[5]

After the Livonian War, Estonia became part of the Swedish Empire, and the title was gained by kings of Sweden.[6] Crown Prince Gustav Adolph was already Duke of Estonia 1607-1611 before he became King, but then officially abolished all Swedish duchies in 1618.

The title was resumed by the Russian tsars after the Great Northern War and Treaty of Nystad when Estonia became part of the Russian Empire. The last duke of Estonia (Russian: Князь Эстляндский) was Nicholas II of Russia.[7]

Danish dukes of Estonia

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The Duchy of Estonia (1219–1346) was part of the Kingdom of Denmark, where the House of Estridsen reigned.

Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death
Canute I
(Knud Valdemarsen )
1220–1227 (deposed)
  1205
illegitimate son of Valdemar II of Denmark and Helena Guttormsdotter
Hedwig of Pomerelia
before 1260
two children
1260
aged 55
Occupied by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword:1227-1237
Occupied by the Livonian Order of the Teutonic Order:1237-1238
Canute I
(Knud Valdemarsen )
1238–40 (restored)
  1205
illegitimate son of Valdemar II of Denmark and Helena Guttormsdotter
Hedwig of Pomerelia
before 1260
two children
1260
aged 55
Valdemar I the Victorious
(Valdemar Sejr)
1240–41
  9 May/28 June 1170
second son of Valdemar I and Sophia of Minsk
(1) Dagmar of Bohemia
c. 1205
Lübeck
one son
(2) Berengaria of Portugal
18/24 May 1214
four children
28 March 1241
Vordingborg Castle
aged 70
Eric I Ploughpenny
(Erik Plovpenning)
1241–50
  c. 1216
eldest son of Valdemar I and Berengaria of Portugal
Jutta of Saxony
17 November 1239
six children
9 August 1250
on the Schlei
aged 33–34
Abel
1 November
1250–1252
  c. 1218
second son of Valdemar I and Berengaria of Portugal
Matilda of Holstein
25 April 1237
Schleswig Cathedral
four children
29 June 1252
Eiderstedt
aged 33–34
Christopher I
(Christoffer 1.)
25 December
1252–1259
  c. 1219
third son of Valdemar I and Berengaria of Portugal
Margaret Sambiria
c. 1248
five children
29 May 1259
Ribe
aged 39–40
Eric II Klipping
(Erik Klipping)
1259–66 (abdicated)
  c. 1249
eldest son of Christopher I and Margaret Sambiria
Agnes of Brandenburg
11 November 1273
Schleswig Cathedral
seven children
22 November 1286
Finderup
aged 36–37
Margaret Sambiria
(Margrethe Sambiria)
1266-1282
  c. 1230
daughter of Sambor II of Pomerelia and Matilda of Mecklenburg
Christopher I of Denmark
c.1248
five children
December 1282
Finderup
aged 51–52
Eric II Klipping
(Erik Klipping)
1282–86 (restored)
  c. 1249
eldest son of Christopher I and Margaret Sambiria
Agnes of Brandenburg
11 November 1273
Schleswig Cathedral
seven children
22 November 1286
Finderup
aged 36–37
Eric III Menved
(Erik Menved)
1286–1319
  c. 1274
eldest son of Eric II and Agnes of Brandenburg
Ingeborg of Sweden
June 1296
Kärnan Castle
fourteen children
13 November 1319
Roskilde
aged 44–45
Christopher II
(Christoffer 2.)
25 January
1320–26
(deposed)
  29 September 1276
second son of Eric II and Agnes of Brandenburg
Euphemia of Pomerania
c. 1300
six children
2 August 1332
Nykøbing Castle
aged 55
Eric (IV)
(Erik Christoffersen)
1321-26
(deposed)
  c. 1307
eldest son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania
Elizabeth of Holstein-Rendsburg
1330
no issue
early 1332
aged c. 25
Valdemar II
(Valdemar 3.)
1326–1329
(deposed)
  c. 1314
only son of Eric II, Duke of Schleswig and Adelaide of Holstein
Richardis of Schwerin
two sons
c. 1364
aged 49–50
Canute II Porse
(Knud Pedersen Porse)
(House of Porse)

1329–30 (elected)
  c.1282
Son of Peter Knudsen Porse
Ingeborg of Norway
21 June 1327
three children
30 May 1330
Copenhagen
aged 47–48
Ingeborg of Norway
(Ingibjörg Hákonardóttir)
1329–32 (co-ruler)
  1301
daughter of Haakon V of Norway and Euphemia of Rügen
Eric, Duke of Södermanland
1312
Oslo
two children

Canute II Porse
21 June 1327
three children
17 June 1361
aged 59–60
Otto
(Otto Christoffersen)
1332-38
  c. 1310
second son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania
unmarried after 1341
aged c. 31/32
Valdemar II
(Valdemar 3.)
1338-40
(restored)
  c. 1314
only son of Eric II, Duke of Schleswig and Adelaide of Holstein
Richardis of Schwerin
two sons
c. 1364
aged 49–50
Valdemar III Atterdag
(Valdemar Atterdag)
21 June
1340–46
  c. 1320
third son of Christopher II and Euphemia of Pomerania
Helvig of Schleswig
c. 1340
Sønderborg Castle
six children
24 October 1375
Gurre Castle
aged 54–55

In 1346, Northern Estonia is sold to the Livonian Order. This Order was already ruling Southern Estonia since 1237.

Swedish dukes of Estonia

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The Duchy of Estonia (1561–1721) or Swedish Estonia was part of the Swedish Empire.

Name Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death
Eric XIV (Erik XIV)
1561– 29 September 1568
  Tre Kronor (castle), 13 December 1533 son of Gustav I and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg Karin Månsdotter Died (Poisoned) while imprisoned in Örbyhus Castle, 26 February 1577. Aged 43, buried at Västerås Cathedral
John III (Johan III)
30 September 1568 – 17 November 1592
  Stegeborg Castle, Östergötland, 20 December 1537 son of Gustav I and Margaret Leijonhufvud Catherine Jagellonica (1562 – 1583),
Gunilla Bielke (1585–1597)
Tre Kronor (castle), 17 November 1592, aged 54, buried at Uppsala Cathedral
Sigmund (Sigismund)
17 November 1592 – 24 July 1599
  Gripsholm Castle, 20 June 1566, son of John III and Catherine Jagellonica of Poland. Anna of Austria (1592–1598),
Constance of Austria (1605–1631)
Warsaw, Poland, 30 April 1632, aged 65, buried at Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland
Charles IX (Karl IX)
22 March 1604 – 30 October 1611
also as regent Duke Charles, 1599–1604
  Tre Kronor (castle), 4 October 1550 son of Gustav I and Margaret Leijonhufvud Maria of Palatinate-Simmern (1579–1589),
Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (1592–1611)
Nyköping Castle, 30 October 1611, aged 61, buried at Strängnäs Cathedral
Gustav II Adolph (Gustav II Adolf)
30 October 1611 – 6 November 1632
  Tre Kronor (castle), 9 December 1594, son of Charles IX and Christina of Holstein-Gottorp. Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg 6 November 1632, in the Battle of Lützen, Electorate of Saxony, aged 37, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Christina (Kristina)
6 November 1632 – 6 June 1654
  Stockholm, 8 December[8] 1626, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus and Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg Unmarried Rome, 19 April 1689, aged 62, buried at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Name Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death
Charles X Gustav (Karl X Gustav)
6 June 1654 – 13 February 1660
  Nyköping Castle, 8 November 1622, son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catharina of Sweden (daughter of Charles IX) Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp Gothenburg, 13 February 1660, aged 37, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Charles XI (Karl XI)
13 February 1660 – 5 April 1697
  Tre Kronor (castle), 24 November 1655 son of Charles X and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp Ulrike Eleonora of Denmark Tre Kronor (castle), 5 April 1697, aged 41, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Charles XII (Karl XII)
5 April 1697 – 30 November 1718
  Tre Kronor (castle), 17 June 1682 son of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder Unmarried Fredrikshald, Norway, 30 November 1718, aged 36, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Ulrica Eleanor (Ulrika Eleonora)
5 December 1718 – 29 February 1720
  Tre Kronor (castle), 23 January 1688 daughter of Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora the Elder Frederick I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Stockholm, 24 November 1741, aged 53, buried in Riddarholmen Church
Name Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death
Frederick (Fredrik I av Hessen)
24 March 1720 – 10 September 1721
  Kassel, (in today's Germany), 23 April 1676 son of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Princess Maria Amalia of Courland Louise Dorothea of Prussia
Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden
Stockholm, 25 March 1751, aged 74, buried in Riddarholmen Church

On 10 September 1721, Sweden ceded Estonia to the Tsardom of Russia, in the Treaty of Nystad.

Governors during Swedish rule

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References

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  1. ^ Also known as Duke of Estland or Prince of Estonia or Lord of Estonia
  2. ^ a b Skyum-Nielsen, Niels (1981). Danish Medieval History & Saxo Grammaticus. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 978-87-88073-30-0.
  3. ^ "Overture in Europe". estonica.org. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  4. ^ Michael, Jones (2000). The New Cambridge Medieval History. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-36290-0.
  5. ^ Christiansen, Eric (1997). The Northern Crusades. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-026653-5. Duke of Estonia.
  6. ^ Moncure, James (1992). Research Guide to European Historical Biography. University of Michigan. ISBN 978-0-933833-28-9.
  7. ^ Joubert, Carl (1905). Russia as it Really is. E. Nash. p. 296. Duke of Estland.
  8. ^ Note that the birth date is 8 December in the Julian calendar, which was in effect in Sweden at the time, corresponding to 18 December in the Gregorian calendar.