Duke of Lauenburg

The coat-of-arms as used in 1605, quartered, with quarter 1 and 4 showing the Ascanian barry of ten, in or and sable (starting with the wrong colour in this copy), covered by a crancelin of rhombs (they are not shown in this undetailed copy) bendwise in vert (The crancelin symbolises the Saxon ducal crown.), quarter 2 in azure, showing an eagle crowned in or (Pfalzgraviate of Saxony), and quarter 3 in argent, showing three water-lily leaves in gules, representing the County of Brehna.

The title Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, which - since its foundation in 1269 - has been ruled by 29 dukes of six dynastic houses and lines, and an additional four dukes of a temporary dynastic branch line. Further there was Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, the first would-be duchess regnant, inhibited to inherit the duchy by male rulers of neighbouring states. For a list of the dukes, also with portraits (starting with Julius Henry only), see List of Saxon rulers. For the duchesses consort see List of Saxon consorts, partially also presenting portraits.

It was held by various countries such as France from 1803 – 1805, Prussia from 1805 – 1806, the Kingdom of Westphalia, 1806 – 1810, France from 1810 – 1814 to the House of Oldenburg i.e. (the Kings of Denmark) from 1814 – 1864, although the territory came under Prussian control in 1864 due to the Second Schleswig War it was not immediately annexed to Prussia. In 1865 Saxe-Lauenburg's estates offered the dukedom to King William I of Prussia, who accepted the same year, ruling the duchy in personal union until the estates decided the merger of their state with Prussia, becoming effective on 1 July 1876. After the death of the last ruling duke William I (after 1870 also German emperor) in 1888, the now purely honorific title was awarded to Otto von Bismarck after his dismissal as Chancellor of Germany in 1890.