View source for Duke of Colorado

{{Icons|B-class|Altverse II}}
{{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Dukedom of Colorado
| image             = [[File:Coat of arms of Princess Clara Maria, Duchess of Colorado.svg|180px]]
| image_size        =  
| alt               =  
| caption           = [[Princess Clara Maria, Duchess of Colorado#Arms|Arms]] of [[Princess Clara Maria, Duchess of Colorado]]
| creation_date     = December 11, 1876
| creation          = First
| monarch           = [[Elizabeth II of Sierra|Queen Elizabeth II]]
| peerage           = [[Peerage of Sierra]] 
| baronetage        =  
| first_holder      =  
| last_holder       =  
| present_holder    = [[Princess Clara Maria, Duchess of Colorado]]
| heir_apparent     = 
| heir_presumptive  = [[Prince Marc, Duke of Sonora]] 
| remainder_to      = the 1st Duke's {{W|List of hereditary succession|heirs general}} {{W|heirs of the body|of the body}} lawfully begotten
| subsidiary_titles = [[Earl of Aspen]]<br>[[Baron Bel Air]]<br>[[Chief of Hawaii Island]]
| status            = Extant 
| extinction_date   =  
| family_seat       =  
| former_seat       =  
| motto             =  
| footnotes         =  
}}'''Duke of Colorado''' (or '''Duchess of Colorado''' if the holder is female), named after the {{W|Colorado River}}, is a {{W|substantive title}} in the [[Peerage of Sierra]], traditionally and ceremonially conferred by the [[Monarchy of Sierra|Sierran monarch]] to their {{W|heir apparent}} or {{W|heir presumptive}}. It is not inheritable and is merged with the Crown upon acceding the throne. The Duke of Colorado is commonly associated with a number of subsidiary titles, including the [[Earl of Aspen]], [[Baron Bel Air]], and [[Chief of Hawaii Island]]. The title's conferral is not required and failure to be granted the title does not affect the rights of [[Succession to the Sierran throne|royal succession]].

The current Duchess of Colorado is [[Princess Clara Maria, Duchess of Colorado|Princess Clara Maria]], the sister of [[Elizabeth II of Sierra|Queen Elizabeth II]] and second eldest child of [[Charles, Duke of Cabo|King Emeritus Charles II]]. The spouse of the Duke or Duchess of Colorado is entitled the gender-equivalent {{W|courtesy title}}. 

==Roles and responsibilities==

The Duke of Colorado is the heir apparent or presumptive of the Sierran monarch. No formal legal or public role of the title has ever been established by [[Parliament of Sierra|Parliament]]. In practice, the Duke of Colorado serves as the monarch's primary representative within the [[Sierran royal family|royal family]] and assists the monarch with their royal duties. Titleholders who have attained the age of majority may be appointed as a [[Counselor of State (Sierra)|Counselor of State]] and may serve as a sitting member within the [[Privy Council of Sierra]]. In addition, the Duke of Colorado is one of three titles that may issue {{W|royal warrant of appointment}}.

==History==
[[File:Horseshoe_Bend_TC_27-09-2012_15-34-14.jpg|thumb|250px|The title was named after the {{W|Colorado River}}, seen here at the {{W|Horseshoe Bend (Arizona)|Horseshoe Bend}} in the {{W|Grand Canyon}} in [[Flagstaff]]]]
The title was created on December 11, 1876 by [[Charles I of Sierra|Charles I]]. He conferred the title to his eldest son, [[Louis I of Sierra|Prince Lewis]] at the prince's investiture ceremony. The title occurred during the final months of the [[Sierran Civil War]], a conflict which was fought over the issue of [[Monarchism in Sierra|monarchism]] and [[Republicanism in Sierra|republicanism]]. The creation of titles and development of the Sierran peerage system was controversial during the infancy of the Kingdom. Charles I exercised cautious restraint when he created new titles, especially hereditary ones, which he granted to political and financial allies of the Crown. During the Sierran Civil War, the Republicans were able to gain control over much of the [[Styxie]] and Northern Sierra as the self-declared [[Second California Republic]]. Republican advances nearly jeopardized the Kingdom's future when republican forces approached the national capital of [[Porciúncula]] in the spring of 1875. After the pivotal [[Folly at Tejon Pass]], the Monarchist forces reversed Republican gains and over the next two years, the Kingdom was able to slowly reclaim all of Sierra. The king's move to publicly bestow his heir with a title was deliberate as it represented confidence by the King that the Kingdom would be preserved and the defeat of the Republicans was all but certain. The Duke of Colorado was one of the first titles created specifically for members of the Royal Family. The title signaled to opponents of the Crown that the monarchy had become entrenched as a national institution and would be continued on by the King's successors. 

Throughout the title's existence, the Duke of Colorado has borne no formal responsibilities or duties. As a substantive title lacking inheritability, there is no estate or property attached to the title, unlike the [[Duke of Newark]], [[Duke of Albany]], and [[Duke of York]] which have always been reserved only to the heir apparent and not the heir presumptive. However, starting with the reign of [[Louis I of Sierra|Louis I]] and the investiture of [[Louis II of Sierra|Louis II]] as Duke of Colorado, the title has always been conferred alongside the subsidiary titles of [[Earl of Aspen]] and [[Baron Bel Air]], which do provide sources of income from property held by the titles. The [[Chief of Hawaii Island]] was a title that was added in 1950 after [[Hawaii]] became a [[Countries of the Kingdom of Sierra|constituent country]] with a [[Monarchy of Sierra|subnational principality]]. Originally, the title was reserved only to the monarch's eldest living son, but this was changed during the reign of King [[Louis III of Sierra|Louis III]], when Parliament changed the rules of succession from {{W|agnatic primogeniture}} to {{W|absolute primogeniture}} for both the monarchy and the royal dukedoms. [[Elizabeth I of Sierra|Princess Alexis]] (who later became Queen Elizabeth I) became the first substantive female holder of the title. Her predecessor and elder brother, [[Charles, Prince of Mojave]], became the first Duke of Colorado to not accede the throne. He was the heir apparent but was disinherited the rights to succeed the throne by King Louis III after the prince was exposed for having an extramarital affair and embezzling funds from a company the prince oversaw. Changes to the law of succession allowed Princess Alexis to become the new heir apparent over her younger brother, [[Prince George the Elder of Sonora|Prince George]].

==Investiture==

Investiture is optional as it is not necessary to be created Duke of Colorado. To date however, all Dukes of Colorado have had an investiture ceremony. As with most investitures in Sierra, the investiture of Duke of Colorado has been usually held within the [[Senate of Sierra|Senate chambers]] of [[Parliament Building (Sierra)|Parliament Building]]. During the ceremony, as the {{W|letters patent}} are read to create the dignity, the Duke of Colorado is presented to wear the Regalia of Colorado, made up of a {{W|coronet}} bearing four {{W|cross pattée|crosses pattée}} alternating with four {{W|Aquilegia coerulea|Colorado blue columbines}}, a ring, a {{W|mantle (royal garment)|mantle}}, a {{W|belt (clothing)|girdle}}, a {{W|staff of office|rod}}, and a sword. Notably, during the investiture of Princess Alexis, she was given a musket rather than a sword.

==Other titles==

The titles Earl of Aspen, Baron Bel Air, and Chief of Hawaii Island have been granted automatically to holders of the Duke of Colorado. If the titleholder is an heir apparent, they may be conferred the titles [[Duke of Albany]], [[Duke of Newark]], and [[Duke of York]]. Individual princes and princesses may also hold additional titles, which they held prior to their investiture as Duke of Colorado.

==List of Dukes and Duchesses of Colorado==

{{Nobility table header|name=Duke}}
|'''[[Louis I of Sierra|Louis I]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>1876–1912<br>{{Small|''also: [[Duke of Newark]] (1887)''}}
|[[File:Louis I.jpg|100px]]
|December 11, 1858<br>Palace-by-the-Bay,<br>[[San Francisco City]]<br>son of [[Charles I of Sierra|King Charles I]] and [[Rachel of Sierra|Queen Rachel]]
|[[Martha of Claremont]]<br>April 2, 1833<br>5 children
|June 23, 1937<br>[[Occidental Palace]],<br>[[Porciúncula]]<br>aged 78
|-
|'''[[Louis II of Sierra|Louis II]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>1912–1927<br>{{Small|''also: [[Prince of Mojave]] (1912), [[Duke of Newark]] (1927)''}}
|[[File:Kralj_aleksandar1.jpg|100px]]
|June 7, 1888<br>[[Occidental Palace]],<br>[[Porciúncula]]<br>son of [[Louis I of Sierra|King Louis I]] and [[Martha of Claremont|Queen Martha of Claremont]]
|[[Maylene of Michigan]]<br>June 1, 1913<br>2 legitimate children, 1 bastard
|September 18, 1945<br>[[Calabasas, Gold Coast|Calabasas]],<br>[[Gold Coast]]<br>aged 57
|-
|'''[[Louis III of Sierra|Louis III]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>1931–1945<br>{{Small|''also: [[Duke of Newark]]/[[Duke of Albany]]/[[Duke of York]]'' (1931)}}
|[[File:Lewis III.jpg|100px]]
|February 1, 1913<br>[[Mulholland University|Mulholland University Medical Center]],<br>[[Porciúncula]]<br>son of [[Louis II of Sierra|King Louis II]] and [[Maylene of Michigan|Queen Maylene of Michigan]]
|[[Natalia of the Banat]]<br>September 9, 1937<br>3 children
|September 9, 1991<br>[[Palm Springs, Inland Empire|Palm Springs]],<br>[[Inland Empire]]<br>aged 78
|-
|'''[[Charles, Prince of Mohave]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>1945–1972<br>{{Small|''also: [[Duke of Newark]]/[[Duke of Albany]]/[[Duke of York]]'' (1945)}}
|[[File:Duke_Christian_Louis_of_Mecklenburg_(1912_-_1996)_.jpg|100px]]
|November 2, 1932<br>[[Château Frémont]],<br>[[Santa Monica, Gold Coast|Santa Monica]]<br>son of [[Louis III of Sierra|King Louis III]] and [[Natalia of the Banat|Queen Natalia of the Banat]]
|[[Marcella, Duchess of Tijuana]]<br>May 19, 1953<br>2 children
|February 17, 2001<br>[[Honolulu]],<br>[[Hawaii]]<br>aged 68
|-
|'''[[Elizabeth I of Sierra|Elizabeth I]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>1972–1991<br>{{Small|''also: [[Duke of Newark|Duchess of Newark]]/[[Duke of Albany|Duchess of Albany]]/[[Duke of York|Duchess of York]] (1972)}}
|[[File:Elizabeth_I.jpg|100px]]
|April 21, 1935<br>[[Château Frémont]],<br>[[Santa Monica, Gold Coast|Santa Monica]]<br>daughter of [[Louis III of Sierra|King Louis III]] and [[Natalia of the Banat|Queen Natalia of the Banat]]
|[[Adam, Prince Consort]]<br>October 10, 1959<br>3 children
|October 17, 2005<br>[[Occidental Palace]],<br>[[Porciúncula]]<br>aged 70
|-
|'''[[Charles, Duke of Cabo|Charles II]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>(1982–2005)<br>{{Small|''also: [[Duke of Newark]]/[[Duke of Albany]]/[[Duke of York]] (1982)}}
|[[File:Stephen_Colbert_December_2017.jpg|100px]]
|June 13, 1964<br>[[Culver City, Gold Coast|Culver City]],<br>[[Gold Coast]]<br>son of [[Elizabeth I of Sierra|Queen Elizabeth I]] and [[Adam, Prince Consort]]
|[[Evelyn, Duchess of Cabo|Michelle Evelyn]]<br>August 12, 1993<br>3 children
| –
|-
|'''[[Elizabeth II of Sierra|Elizabeth II]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>(2014–2015)<br>{{Small|''also: [[Duke of Newark|Duchess of Newark]]/[[Duke of Albany|Duchess of Albany]]/[[Duke of York|Duchess of York]]''}}
|[[File:Elizabeth II 2018.jpg|100px]]
| August 12, 1996<br>[[Occidental Palace]],<br>[[Porciúncula]]<br>daughter of [[Charles, Duke of Cabo|King Charles I]] and [[Evelyn of Sierra|Queen Evelyn]]
| –
| –
|-
|'''[[Princess Clara Maria, Duchess of Colorado]]'''<br>[[House of Columbia]]<br>(2017–present)
|[[File:Princess_Clara_Maria,_Duchess_of_Colorado.jpg|100px]]
|June 13, 1999<br>Vermont Wilshire Hospital,<br>[[Porciúncula]]<br>daughter of [[Charles, Duke of Cabo|King Charles I]] and [[Evelyn of Sierra|Queen Evelyn]]
| –
| –
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[List of heirs to the Sierran throne]]
{{Sierran royal titles}}
[[Category:Dukes of Colorado]]
[[Category:Dukedoms in the Peerage of Sierra]]
[[Category:Succession to the Sierran throne]]
[[Category:Heirs to the throne]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1876]]