Duchy of Normandy

Duchy of Normandy Duchie de Normaundie (Norman) Ducatus Normanniae (Latin)
911–1204
Heraldic flag of Normandy Coat of arms
Normandy's historical[when?] borders in the northwest of France and the Channel Islands
Status	Vassal state of West Francia (911–987) Vassal state of the Kingdom of France (987–1204)
Capital	Rouen
Official languages	Old French (from the 10th to early-mid 11th century) Old Norse (until the early-mid 11th century)[1] Old Norman (from the early-mid 11th century) Medieval Latin
Religion	Roman Catholicism Norse religion
Demonym(s)	Normans
Government	Feudal Monarchy
Duke of Normandy
• 911–927	Rollo (first)
• 1035–1087	William the Conqueror
• 1144–1150	Geoffrey Plantagenet
• 1199–1204	John (last)
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte	911
• Norman conquest of England	1066
• Geoffrey Plantagenet conquers the Duchy of Normandy	1144
• Continental Normandy conquered by Philip II	1204
Currency	Denier (Rouen penny)
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Brittany West Francia Kingdom of France Kingdom of England
Today part of	France Normandy British Islands Guernsey Jersey

The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans.

From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman Conquest of England, the dukes of Normandy were usually also kings of England, the only exceptions being Dukes Robert Curthose (1087–1106), Geoffrey Plantagenet (1144–1150), and Henry II (1150–1152), who became king of England in 1154.

In 1202, Philip II of France declared Normandy forfeit to him and seized it by force of arms in 1204. It remained disputed territory until the Treaty of Paris of 1259, when the English sovereign ceded his claim except for the Channel Islands; i.e., the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey, and their dependencies (including Sark).

In the Kingdom of France, the duchy was occasionally set apart as an appanage to be ruled by a member of the royal family. After 1469, however, it was permanently united to the royal domain, although the title was occasionally conferred as an honorific upon junior members of the royal family. The last French duke of Normandy in this sense was Louis-Charles, duke from 1785 to 1792.

The title "Duke of Normandy" continues to be used in an informal manner in the Channel Islands, to refer to the monarch of the United Kingdom. There is no definite end as to when the Duchy of Normandy (with its remnants in the Channel Islands) as a vassal of the English monarch became 'part' of the United Kingdom, with history blending the link between the two gradually. In official documents in Guernsey, the British monarch is entitled "Duke of Normandy", while in official documents in Jersey, the British monarch is ambiguously titled Sovereign.

In 1204, Normandy was transferred from England to France, with the exception of the Channel Islands, which were never incorporated into England. As such, although no form of the Duchy or its structure exists, there has never been a formal end to Norman state rule over the islands.