Peerage of Emerstari

Hasse Ragner Liljestrand, Duke of Blommaland (1902-1995) was the most recent person to have been issued a Charter for Peerage by the Crown in 1964.

The Peerage of Emerstari comprises the extant titles created by the King of Emerstari after Emerstarian unification in 1047 as well as several extant titles that predate the Kingdom of Emerstari. The titles of the Emerstarian peerage are, in descending order of rank, duke (Emerstarian: hertog), grave (Emerstarian: gref), earl (Emerstarian: jarl), and baron (Emerstarian: friherre). Some baronets, despite holding a life title, are considered amongst the hereditary title holders in the Peerage. There are currently dukes, graves, earls, and barons.

Depending on the charter by which the holding was granted, some Peers may be able to pass their titles to female relatives or may be able to pass the title to a cognatic-line male relatives after a period of abeyance. In the case that there are no agnatic-line male relatives and the charter for that holding does not allow female or cognatic-line male inheritance, the holding reverts to the Crown. There are numerous occasions through Emerstarian history, though, where the would-have-been heir negotiated with the King to have the title recreated. The titles which predate the Kingdom of Emerstari, such as the Duchy of Whentii or the Duchy of Verni, are not subject to as much regulation by the Crown, their creation not having been subject to a charter. Across all charters, a person who was not legitimate at birth may only inherit if their father had recognized them as his own, their parents had wed at some point after their birth, and they were legitimized by the King or a Bishop.

Prior to the Constitution of 1756, all peers of Emerstari were automatically members of the Herrers Hus; however after its ratification, only five hundred peers were made members of the Herrers Hus, the upper house of the Emerstarian legislature. A seat in the Herrers Hus thereafter was able to be inherited by an agnatic- or a cognatic-line male relative of the previous holder, but a seat could be revoked from one peer and reappointed to another peer by the King at his leisure.

Address

Per Emerstarian custom, dukes and duchesses are adressed as Your Grace in contexts where you may be directly communicating to the titleholder and are addressed as His/Her Grace, X, Duke/Duchess of Y where "X" represents their name and "Y" represents their territory in contexts where you may be making reference to them in communication with someone else. For example, the Duke of Ekkesburg would be referred to in this way as, "His Grace, Thomes Adulf Lorensssen–Eirikr, Duke of Ekkesburg." Similarly, graves, earls, gravesses, and countesses are adressed as Your Rightful in contexts where you may be directly communicating to them and are adressed as His/Her Rightful, X, Grave/Gravess/Earl/Countess of Y in contexts where you are making reference to them in communication to someone else. Barons and baronesses are respectively referred to as Your Honorable and His/Her Honorable, X, Baron/Baroness of Y, and finally, baronets and baronetesses are respectively referred to as My Sir/Lady and The Esteemed X of Y.

List of Dukes and Duchesses

The title of duke (Emerstarian: hertog) was introduced into the Peerage of Emerstari relatively early compared to its introduction in other countries, as a title higher than earl (Emerstarian: jarl) for Erik I to give to his kin as well as to the several petty kings who had recognized him as the King of Emerstari during the unification of Emerstari.

Title	Year of creation	Current holder	Age	Acceded	Notes
Duchy of Whentii	1039	Karl Lorens Leijonhuvud, Duke of Whentii	74	1992	Originally created for Erik I's brother, Jakob Ingemjarsson, Duke of Whentii. In 1373, it passed to the House of Leijonhuvud by marriage. From 1444 until 1836, the Duke of Whentii exclusively held the title, Lord Marshal.
Duchy of Whentii	1040	Thomes Adulf Lorenssen–Eirikr, Duke of Ekkesburg	58	2007	Originally created for another brother of Erik I, Bjarnvaldi of Ekkesburg. The current Duke is also claimant to the throne of the Green Union.