Duchy of Normandy

The Duchy of Normandy was a medieval realm in northwestern Europe that existed from 911 to 1290, originating from the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between the Frankish king and the Viking leader Rollo, which established a territory for the Normans, whose name derives from men of the North. From 1066, following William the Conqueror's victory at Hastings, the ducal title typically accompanied the English crown, creating a personal union between the two, until Philip II of France declared Normandy forfeit in 1202 and seized the mainland territory by 1204, though the Channel Islands remained under English control. During the tenth and eleventh centuries the duchy served as a powerful consolidated state and as a cultural bridge between Scandinavian and Frankish civilizations, later becoming a crucial political link between England and France.