Duke of Alba

Dukedom of Ostia
Creation date	11 September 1869
Creation	7th creation
Monarch	Emperor Theophylactus I Augustus
Peerage	Peerage of Latium
First holder	Prince John
Last holder	Prince John
Remainder to	the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles	Count of Blachernae Lord of Hispellum Lord of Pistoria
Status	Extinct – Merged with the Crown on succeeding as John XIII
Extinction date	11 June 1897

The Duke of Ostia was a substantive title awarded to members of the Latin Imperial Family. The title has been created seven times, on six occasions to Latin princes, and once to an illegitimate child of a Monarch. It takes its name from the town of Ostia in south-central Latium.

The Dukedom was first created in 991 when it was conferred upon John of Ostia, the illegitimate child of Emperor John II. The line of John of Ostia would eventually become the Imperial line of Latium with the reign of Emperor Theodosius I in 1052, when the title became extinct and merged into the Crown. The third creation came in 1289, when Prince Constantine was conferred the second creation of the Dukedom after his marriage to PLACEHOLDER. The third creation to Prince Constantine also included the subsidiary title of Lord of Pistoria. The most recent creation as on 11 September 1869, when it was granted to Prince John to mark the occasion of his marriage to Alexandra of Ghant. He was also created Count of Blachernae, Lord of Hispellum, and Lord of Pistoria.

An eighth creation has been planned for Prince Leo of Ghant and Latium, which was announced in the 2016 will of Emperor Jason VI Augustus. While the Imperial Household generally does not indicate if titles will be recreated and granted, it is widely believed that Prince Leo will be conferred the sixth creation upon his marriage.

History

A title associated with Ostia first arose in the 4th century with the Lord Palatinate of Ostia, which was a non-hereditary title held by the Praetorian Prefect of Latium; this Lord Palatinate fell out of use by the 7th century. In 970, a mistress to Latin Emperor John II gave birth to a son in the town of Ostia, located southwest of Castellum and the Imperial capital. John II acknowledged and later took the boy, also named John, into the Imperial house. John of Ostia, as he came to be known, was granted the Dukedom of Ostia in 991 by Emperor John II. He held the title and passed it on to his son, and the creation of the House of Ostia. The Ostians were prominent figures in Latin imperial court life, given prominent positions both in the reign of John II and his successor, Constantine XIII. John of Ostia, and his family, were eventually expelled from Latium proper during the reign of Empress Maria Augusta, who reportedly held a disdain for the illegitimate line.

The House of Ostia would eventually come into the Latin throne during the Crisis of the 11th Century, which saw the Latins lose territory across Belisaria and Scipia to native states and invading forces. Theodosius of Ostia, 3rd Duke of Ostia became Latin Emperor in 1052. Emperor Theodosius I would recreate the Dukedom and bestow it upon his second son, Alexander, in 1077. The Dukedom of Ostia has been created seven times in total, and has been extinct since the title merged into the Crown upon the succession of Prince John as Emperor in 1897.

Dukes of Ostia

First creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
John of Ostia House of Ostia 991–1037 also: Lord of Velia (991)		25 February 970 Ostia son of Emperor John II and Fausta	3 March 999 Maria Claudia 5 children	18 April 1037 Palatine, Castellum ab Alba aged 67
Leo of Ostia House of Ostia 1037–1044 also: Lord of Velia (1037)		1 August 1000 Castellum ab Alba son of John of Ostia and Duchess Maria	14 May 1023 PLACEHOLDER 2 children	4 December 1044 Sydalon aged 44
Theodosius of Ostia House of Ostia 1044–1052 also: Lord of Velia (1044)		3 March 1025 Ostia son of Leo of Ostia and PLACEHOLDER	18 June 1049 Maria Aurelia 5 children 20 September 1069 PLACEHOLDER 1 child	28 August 1080 Castellum ab Alba aged 55
Theodosius of Ostia succeeded as Theodosius I in 1052 as a result of the civil wars of the 11th century, and his titles merged into the Crown.

Second creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Prince Alexander House of Ostia 1077–1088 also: Lord of Velia (1077)		3 October 1055 Galata, Ascanium son of Emperor Theodosius I and Maria Aurelia	20 August 1080 Silvia Rouanti 3 children	29 May 1088 Rhenus aged 34

Third creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Prince Andreas House of Ostia 1160–1166 also: Lord of Velia (1160)		8 December 1152 Fabria son of Emperor Leo VII and Empress Agnes	12 June 1171 PLACEHOLDER 6 children	28 March 1198 Palatium Sacrum aged 45
Prince Andreas succeeded as Andreas III in 1166 upon his brother's death, and his titles merged into the Crown.

Fourth creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Prince Constantine House of Ostia 1292–1308 also: Lord of Pistoria (1292)		6 July 1266 Palace of Porphyrogenitus, Ascanium son of Empress Theodora I and PLACEHOLDER	25 October 1292 PLACEHOLDER 2 children	29 May 1308 Velia, Castellum ab Alba aged 42
Prince Andreas House of Ostia 1308–1331 also: Lord of Pistoria (1308)		6 July 1298 Velia, Castellum ab Alba son of Prince Constantine and Princess PLACEHOLDER	2 May 1292 PLACEHOLDER 2 children	21 January 1331 Velia, Castellum ab Alba aged 33
Prince Andreas had two children by his wife, PLACEHOLDER, both of whom predeceased him, though he had two illegitimate sons by his mistress, NAME, who were ineligible to succeed him.

Fifth creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Prince Theodorus House of Visellius 1391–1409 also: Lord of Velia (1391)		7 February 1375 Palatium Sacrum, Ascanium son of Emperor Leo VIII and PLACEHOLDER	22 April 1413 Agnes of Audonia 5 children	7 February 1432 Leonopolis aged 57
Prince Theodorus succeeded as Theodorus II in 1166 upon his brother's death, and his titles merged into the Crown.

Sixth creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Prince Arcadius House of Aemilius 1699– 1741 also: Lord of Velia (1077) and Lord of Pistoria		3 October 1662 Palace of Porphyrogenitus, Ascanium son of Emperor John IX and Empress Maria Victoria	20 August 1686 PLACEHOLDER 2 children	29 May 1721 Durnovaria aged 59

Seventh creation

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
Prince John House of Anicius 1869–1897 also: Count of Blachernae, Lord of Hispellum and Lord of Pistoria (1869); Prince of Youth (1846), Duke of Galata, and Duke of Alba		15 March 1849 Villa Theophylacti, Insula Ceos son of Emperor Theophylactus I Augustus and Empress Galara	11 September 1869 Alexandra of Ghant 4 children	9 June 1925 St Silvester Hospital, Ravenna aged 76
Prince John succeeded as John XIII in 1891 upon his father's death, and his titles merged into the Crown.

Future creations

In November 2016, Emperor Jason VI Augustus passed away and in his will announced his intent to recreate the Dukedom of Ostia, and confer it upon his nephew, Prince Leo of Ghant, once he married. The current Emperor Constantine XX is under no legal obligation to recreate the Dukedom, but due to his close friendship with Prince Leo, it is expected that Leo will be conferred the Dukedom of Ostia once he marries.

See also

• Latin monarchy
• Ostia