History of Guernsey 933 when the islands, came under the control of William Longsword, son of Rollo the first Duke of Normandy, having been annexed from the Duchy of Brittany by the Duchy of Normandy. The island of Guernsey and the other island in the Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Duchy of Normandy. In the islands, Elizabeth II's traditional title as head of state is Duke of Normandy. (The masculine nomenclature "Duke" is retained even when the monarch is female.) According to tradition, Robert I, Duke of Normandy (the father of William the Conqueror) was journeying to England in
Bailiff of Guernsey Bailiff of Guernsey The title Bailiff of Guernsey has been used since at least the 13th century and indicated the leading citizen of Guernsey. The 89th and current Bailiff is Sir Richard Collas. A "Bailli", the early Norman name for Bailiff was the person who held and preserved the territory for the Duke of Normandy via the " Sénéchale de Normandie" and their "Vicomté des Îles", upholding the laws of Normandy. Significant change took place following the loss of Normandy in 1204 with King John appointing resident Wardens to defend the islands. John, as Count of Mortain, having himself been