Dukes of Halland

This lists those feudal magnates (counts, dukes, and other sort of princes) who have held Halland (Hallandia) as fief, or its southern or northern part, titled as duke.

List including duchesses

• Charles Eriksen, maternal grandson of Canute IV of Denmark, son of Eric, Earl of Falster
• Knud Valdemarsen, crown prince, as prince of Halland 1177–92
• Niels I, Count of Halland, 1218^[1] (died the same year), bastard son of Valdemar II of Denmark
• Duke Skule of Norway, fiefholder of Northern Halland 1228–40
• Niels II, Count of Northern Halland 1241–51^[1]
• James, Count of Halland (northern) 1283–1305
• Eric Knudsen of Skarsholm (c. 1235–1304), Duke of Southern Halland 1284–1304, titularly of Reval, eldest son of Canute, Duke of Reval, Lolland and Blekinge, bastard son of Valdemar II of Denmark and grandson of Swedish Earl Guttorm
• Christopher, brother of Eric VI of Denmark, Duke of Southern Halland 1307–26
• Eric, Duke of Södermanland, fiefholder of North Halland (seat in Varberg castle) 1310-1318
• Ingeborg of Norway, Duchess of North Halland 1312-1341 as Eric's consort and widow
• Magnus, Duke, fiefholder of North Halland in 1318, king 1319 of Sweden and Norway and overlord of all of Terra Scania from 1332
• Canute Porse, second consort of Duchess Ingeborg (above), Duke of South Halland 1327-1330
• Ingeborg of Norway (above), Duchess now of all of Halland 1327-1341 as consort and widow (for South Halland's part) of Canute
• Canute Porse, Jr., Duke of Halland 1330-1350 holding the title simultaneously with his mother Ingeborg (above) and brother Hacon (below)
• Hacon Porse, Duke of Halland 1330-1350 holding the title simultaneously with his mother Ingeborg and brother Canute (above)
• Ingeborg of Norway (above), Duchess of Halland 1341-1353 in her own right
• Benedict, Duke of Halland and Finland, Duke 1353–1357, died 1360
• Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland 1912–1997
• Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland from 1976 and Bertil's consort and widow

Coat of arms

The first known coat of arms of Halland consisted of a crowned heraldic leopard over 10 hearts and was used by Niels II and James I and most likely also by Niels I although no examples are preserved from the latter's reign.^[1] The colours of this first symbol are uncertain. In 1305, James used a seal showing a lion and 20 hearts. Knud Porse used his family's arms depicting three red sea leaves in a gold shield. One of the seals used by Duchess Ingeborg of Sweden, Halland, and Samsø represents Halland by an arms party per fess, with an unspecified colour in chief and a leopard in the larger lower base. This seal dates from 1336, and the figure was repeated in her seal used 1340–1352. A fresco in Søborg Castle, Denmark, dates from her stay there 1331–36 and shows the arms of Halland as a crowned upstanding silver lion on blue.^[1] This insignia Azure, a lion rampant Argent crowned Argent is closely related to the current arms of the province although the current lion is no longer crowned but has two tails.

From 1449–1972 a modified version Halland's first arms was represented in the coat of arms of Denmark now symbolizing the monarch's title King of the Goths. This title referred to the possession of the island Gotland. Occasionally, Gotland was represented in the Danish arms with an additional arms as well, an Agnus Dei.

Duke Benedict's personal escutcheon, from his family, depicted a lion of the Bjelbo dynasty.

References