Duke

Responsible for the governance of an imperial dukedom.   Upon establishing the Aracanaan Empire, Anselm I appointed the former kings of Abia that swore fealty to him as his dukes, styling each of them as His/Her Grace. Anselm allowed them to exchange their crowns as kings for new ones that bore the engraving of the lantern insignia of the Empire. These crowns served as their official badges of office. Each crown was then later refined over time by the noble houses that wore them, but none were allowed to be "more lavish than the imperator's" by law.   The noble rank of Duke is the highest non-royal rank of the peerage. There have been, however, several times in imperial history, members of the royal family who were also dukes—generally through marriage or blood ties. Grand Dukes, in these instances, outranked their non-royal counterparts.   Contrary to popular belief, the title is non-hereditary. Though there are few instances in imperial history of the title and authority being passed to a non-member of the House that held it prior, the imperator must, by law, officially grant the title to each holder. Customarily, however, the title usually passes to the eldest child of the previous holder.