Royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom

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In the British peerage, a royal duke is a member of the British royal family, entitled to the titular dignity of prince and the style of His Royal Highness , who holds a dukedom. Dukedoms are the highest titles in the British roll of peerage, and the holders of these particular dukedoms are princes of the blood royal. The holders of the dukedoms are royal, not the titles themselves. They are titles created and bestowed on legitimate sons and male-line grandsons of the British monarch, usually upon reaching their majority or marriage. [1] The titles can be inherited but cease to be called "royal" once they pass beyond the grandsons of a monarch. As with any peerage, once the title becomes extinct, it may subsequently be recreated by the reigning monarch at any time.

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Royal status of dukedoms

In the United Kingdom, there is nothing intrinsic to any dukedom that makes it "royal". Rather, these peerages are called royal dukedoms because they are created for, and held by, members of the royal family who are entitled to the titular dignity of prince and the style Royal Highness. Although the term "royal duke", therefore, has no official meaning per se, the category "Duke of the Blood Royal" was acknowledged as a rank conferring special precedence at court in the unrevoked 20th clause of the Lord Chamberlain's order of 1520. [2] [3] This decree accorded precedence to any peer related by blood to the sovereign above all others of the same degree within the peerage. The order did not apply within Parliament, nor did it grant precedence above the archbishop of Canterbury or other Great Officers of State such as is now enjoyed by royal dukes. But it placed junior "Dukes of the Blood Royal" above the most senior non-royal duke, junior "Earls of the Blood Royal" above the most senior non-royal earl (cf. Earldom of Wessex), etc. It did not matter how distantly related to the monarch the peers might be (presumably they ranked among each other in order of succession to the Crown). Although the 1520 order is theoretically still in effect, in fact the "Blood Royal" clause seems to have fallen into desuetude by 1917 when King George V limited the style of Royal Highness to children and male-line grandchildren of the sovereign. Thus peers of the blood royal who are neither sons nor grandsons of a sovereign are no longer accorded precedence above other peers.

Assuming that Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster and George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews succeed their fathers to become the third Duke of Gloucester and the third Duke of Kent, respectively, their peerages (as created in 1928 and 1934) will cease to be royal dukedoms; instead their holders will become "ordinary" dukes. [4] The third dukes of Gloucester and Kent will each be styled His Grace because, as great-grandsons of King George V, they are not princes and are not styled HRH. Similarly, upon the death of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850–1942) (the third son of Queen Victoria), his only male-line grandson, Alastair, Earl of Macduff (1914–43), briefly succeeded to his peerages and was styled His Grace. Before the 1917 changes, his style had been His Highness Prince Alastair of Connaught.

Current royal dukedoms

The current royal dukedoms, held as principal titles, in order of precedence, are:

DukedomHolderYear createdSubsidiary titles
Duke of Sussex Prince Harry 2018 Earl of Dumbarton
Baron Kilkeel
Duke of York Prince Andrew 1986 Earl of Inverness
Baron Killyleagh
Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward 2023 Earl of Wessex
Earl of Forfar
Viscount Severn
Duke of Gloucester Prince Richard 1928 Earl of Ulster
Baron Culloden
Duke of Kent Prince Edward 1934 Earl of St Andrews
Baron Downpatrick

The following dukedoms are currently held by William, Prince of Wales:

With the exceptions of the dukedoms of Cornwall and Rothesay (which can only be held by the eldest living son of the sovereign who is also the heir apparent), these dukedoms are hereditary according to the letters patent that created them. [1] Those patents contain the standard remainder to "heirs male of his body", with the exception of the Dukedom of Edinburgh, which is a life peerage and will become extinct on the death of the current Duke. [6]

By law the British monarch also holds, and is entitled to the revenues of, the Duchy of Lancaster. Within the borders of the County Palatine of Lancashire, therefore, the monarch is hailed as "The King/Queen, The Duke of Lancaster" (even when the monarch is a queen regnant, by tradition she does not use the title Duchess). [1] However, legally the monarch is not the Duke of Lancaster: peerages are in origin held feudally of the sovereign who, as the fount of honour, cannot hold a peerage of him- or herself. The situation is similar in the Channel Islands, where the monarch is addressed as Duke of Normandy, but only in accordance with tradition. He or she does not hold the legal title of Duke of Normandy.

Former royal dukedoms

The following is a list of dukedoms previously created for members of the royal family, but which have subsequently merged in the crown, become extinct or have otherwise ceased to be royal dukedoms.

Extinct dukedoms

TitleStatusNotes
Duke of Albemarle Deprived in 1399Non-royal dukedom created in 1660 (extinct 1688);
non-royal Earldom of Albemarle (created 1697) is extant
Duke of Clarence [1] Forfeit in 1478 Earldom of Clarence (created 1881) is a subsidiary title of the suspended Dukedom of Albany
Duke of Clarence and Avondale Extinct in 1892
Duke of Clarence and St Andrews Merged in the crown in 1830 Earldom of St Andrews (created 1934) is a subsidiary title of the extant Dukedom of Kent
Duke of Connaught and Strathearn [1] Extinct in 1943 Earldom of Strathearn (created 2011) is a subsidiary title of the extant Dukedom of Cambridge
Duke of Cumberland [1] Extinct in 1765
Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Extinct in 1790
Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Extinct in 1834Separate Dukedoms of Gloucester and Edinburgh are extant.
Duke of Hereford Merged in the crown in 1399Non-royal Viscountcy of Hereford (created 1550) is extant
Duke of Kendal [1] Extinct in 1667Non-royal dukedom created in 1719 (extinct 1743).
Duke of Kent and Strathearn Extinct in 1820 Earldom of Strathearn (created 2011) is a subsidiary title of the extant Dukedom of Cambridge.
Duke of Kintyre and Lorne Extinct in 1602Non-royal Marquessate of Kintyre and Lorne (created 1701) is a subsidiary title of the extant Dukedom of Argyll
Duke of Ross Extinct in 1515
Duke of Windsor Extinct in 1972The title that was given to King Edward VIII after his abdication.
Non-royal Barony (created 1529) and Viscountcy of Windsor (created 1905) are subsidiary titles of the extant Earldom of Plymouth.
Non-royal Earldom of Windsor (created 1796) is a subsidiary title of the extant Marquessate of Bute.
Duke of York and Albany Extinct in 1827

Extinct as royal dukedoms

TitleRoyal creationCurrent status
Duke of Bedford Extinct in 1495Non-royal dukedom created in 1694 is extant
Duke of Norfolk Extinct in 1483Non-royal dukedom created in 1483 is extant
Duke of Somerset Extinct in 1500Non-royal dukedom created in 1547 is extant

Suspended dukedoms

Under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 the holders of the following dukedoms, who were simultaneously British princes and members of royal and princely families of Germany, were deprived of their British titles, having sided with Germany during the First World War. The Act provides that a successor of a person thus deprived of a peerage can petition the Crown for revival of the title. No such descendant has done so.

TitleCreatedDeprived holderCurrent claimant
Duke of Albany [1] 1881 Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Hubertus of Saxe Coburg and Gotha
Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale 1799 Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover Prince Ernst August of Hanover

Royal dukedoms created since 1726

Coat of armsTitlePrinceDate createdNotes

Reign of King George I

Coat of Arms of the Hanoverian Princes of Wales (1714-1760).svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Frederick 15 July 1726Created Prince of Wales in 1729
Merged with the Crown in 1760
Coat of Arms of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland.svg Duke of Cumberland Prince William 15 July 1726Extinct in 1765 [lower-alpha 1]

Reign of King George II

Coat of Arms of Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany.svg Duke of York and Albany Prince Edward 1 April 1760 [7] Extinct in 1767 [lower-alpha 1]

Reign of King George III

Coat of Arms of William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh.svg Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Prince William Henry 17 November 1764 [8] Extinct in 1834 [lower-alpha 2]
Coat of Arms of Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn.svg Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Prince Henry 22 October 1766Extinct in 1790 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany.svg Duke of York and Albany Prince Frederick 27 November 1784 [9] Extinct in 1827 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of William Henry, Duke of Clarence.svg Duke of Clarence and St Andrews Prince William 19 May 1789 [10] Merged with the Crown in 1830
Coat of Arms of Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn.svg Duke of Kent and Strathearn Prince Edward 23 April 1799 [11] Extinct in 1820 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale.svg Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Prince Ernest Augustus Deprived in 1919
Coat of Arms of Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex.svg Duke of Sussex Prince Augustus Frederick 24 November 1801 [12] Extinct in 1843 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of Adolphus Frederick, Duke of Cambridge.svg Duke of Cambridge Prince Adolphus Extinct in 1904 [lower-alpha 3]

Reign of Queen Victoria

Coat of Arms of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Alfred 24 May 1866 [13] Extinct in 1900 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, until 1917.svg Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur 24 May 1874 [14] Extinct in 1943 [lower-alpha 4]
Coat of Arms of Leopold, Duke of Albany.svg Duke of Albany Prince Leopold 24 May 1881 [15] Deprived in 1919
Coat of Arms of Albert, Duke of Clarence and Avondale.svg Duke of Clarence and Avondale Prince Albert Victor 24 May 1890 [16] Extinct in 1892 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of George, Duke of York.svg Duke of York Prince George 24 May 1892 [17] Created Prince of Wales in 1901
Merged with the Crown in 1910

Reign of King George V

Coat of Arms of Albert, Duke of York.svg Duke of York Prince Albert 3 June 1920 [18] Merged with the Crown in 1936
Coat of Arms of Henry, Duke of Gloucester.svg Duke of Gloucester Prince Henry 30 March 1928 [19] Extant [lower-alpha 5]
Coat of Arms of George, Duke of Kent.svg Duke of Kent Prince George 9 October 1934 [20] Extant [lower-alpha 5]

Reign of King George VI

Coat of Arms of Edward, Duke of Windsor.svg Duke of Windsor Prince Edward 8 March 1937 [21] Extinct in 1972 [lower-alpha 1]
Coat of Arms of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip 20 November 1947 [22] Merged with the Crown in 2022

Reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Coat of Arms of Andrew, Duke of York.svg Duke of York Prince Andrew 23 July 1986 [23] Extant [lower-alpha 6]
Coat of Arms of William, Duke of Cambridge.svg Duke of Cambridge Prince William 29 April 2011 [24] Created Prince of Wales in 2022
Extant
Coat of Arms of Harry, Duke of Sussex.svg Duke of Sussex Prince Henry (Harry) 19 May 2018 [25] [26] Extant

Reign of King Charles III

Coat of Arms of Edward, Earl of Wessex.svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward 10 March 2023 [27] Extant [lower-alpha 7]

Forms of address

Coronet

While non-royal dukes are entitled to a coronet of eight strawberry leaves, to bear at a coronation and on his coat of arms, royal dukes are entitled to princely coronets (four cross pattées alternating with four strawberry leaves). The coronets of the royal family are dictated by letters patent. The Dukes of Sussex, of York and of Edinburgh bear by letters patent the coronet of a child of the sovereign (four crosses patées alternating with four fleurs-de-lis), while the Duke of Cornwall, Rothesay and Cambridge has use of the Prince of Wales' coronet, and the current dukes of Gloucester and of Kent, as grandsons of a sovereign bear the corresponding coronet of a royal duke.

At coronations, apart from the differentiation of princely coronets from ducal coronets, a royal duke is also entitled to six rows of ermine spots on his mantle, as opposed to the four rows borne by an "ordinary" duke.

Family tree

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Died without legitimate male heirs.
  2. ↑ The 2nd Duke died without legitimate male heirs.
  3. ↑ The 2nd Duke died without legitimate male heirs as his marriage was not in accordance with the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Had the marriage been recognised by law, the title would have become extinct in 1960.
  4. ↑ The 2nd Duke died without legitimate male heirs.
  5. 1 2 Will cease to be a Royal dukedom on the death of the current Duke, but will continue as an "ordinary" dukedom
  6. ↑ There are currently no legitimate male heirs, so the peerage will become extinct on the death of the current Duke
  7. ↑ Dukedom was conferred as a life peerage and will become extinct on the death of the current Duke

Related Research Articles

Peerages in the United Kingdom form a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various ranks, and within the framework of the Constitution of the United Kingdom form a constituent part of the legislative process and the British honours system. The British monarch is considered the fount of honour and is notionally the only person who can grant peerages, though there are many conventions about how this power is used, especially at the request of the British government. The term peerage can be used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titled nobility, and individually to refer to a specific title. British peerage title holders are termed peers of the Realm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke</span> Noble or royal title in some European countries and their colonies

Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked below princes and grand dukes. The title comes from French duc, itself from the Latin dux, 'leader', a term used in republican Rome to refer to a military commander without an official rank, and later coming to mean the leading military commander of a province. In most countries, the word duchess is the female equivalent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Norfolk</span> Dukedom in the Peerage of England

Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England, and is the premier non-royal peerage. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes have historically been Catholic, a state of affairs known as recusancy in England.

Duke of Cornwall is a title in the Peerage of England, traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch, previously the English monarch. The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in England and was established by a royal charter in 1337. Prince William became Duke of Cornwall following the accession of his father, King Charles III, to the throne in 2022, and his wife, Catherine, became Duchess of Cornwall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Edinburgh</span> Dukedom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produce any revenue for the title-holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Gloucester</span> Aristocratic title

Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title, often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the current creation carries with it the subsidiary titles of Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Rothesay</span> Dynastic title of heir apparent to British throne

Duke of Rothesay is the main dynastic title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the Scottish and, later, British thrones. The dukedom was created in 1398 by Robert III of Scotland for his eldest son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Connaught and Strathearn</span>

Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was granted on 24 May 1874 by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur. At the same time, he was also granted the subsidiary title of Earl of Sussex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Kent</span> Title in the peerages the United Kingdom

Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth II's cousin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Hamilton</span> Scottish nobility

Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage, and as such its holder is the premier peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas. The title, the town of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, and many places around the world are named after members of the Hamilton family. The ducal family's surname, originally "Hamilton", is now "Douglas-Hamilton". Since 1711, the dukedom has been held together with the Dukedom of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the dukes since that time have been styled Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, along with several other subsidiary titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Sussex</span> Royal dukedom in the United Kingdom

Duke of Sussex is a substantive title, one of several royal dukedoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is a hereditary title of a specific rank of nobility in the British royal family. It has been created twice and takes its name from the historic county of Sussex in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk</span> Granddaughter of King Edward VII (1893-1945)

Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk, titled Princess Maud from 1905 to 1923, was a granddaughter of Edward VII. Maud and her elder sister, Alexandra, had the distinction of being the only female-line descendants of a British sovereign officially granted both the title of Princess and the style of Highness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquess of Cambridge</span>

Marquess of Cambridge was a title that was created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of August 2023, there are 805 hereditary peers: 30 dukes, 34 marquesses, 189 earls, 110 viscounts, and 442 barons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British prince</span> Royal title in the United Kingdom

Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a royal title normally granted to sons and grandsons of reigning and past British monarchs, together with consorts of female monarchs. The title is granted by the reigning monarch, who is the fount of all honours, through the issuing of letters patent as an expression of the royal will.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British princess</span> Princess of the United Kingdom

The use of the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is entirely at the will of the sovereign, and is now expressed in letters patent. Individuals holding the title of princess are styled "Her Royal Highness" (HRH). The current letters patent were issued in 1917 during the First World War, with one extension in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Kent and Strathearn</span> Dukedom in the Peerage of Great Britain

Duke of Kent and Strathearn is a title that was created once in the Peerage of Great Britain.

Duke, in the United Kingdom, is the highest-ranking hereditary title in all five peerages of the British Isles. A duke thus outranks all other holders of titles of nobility.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh, ed. (1973). "Appendix C: Titles Traditionally Associated with the Royal Family". Burke's Guide to the Royal Family . London: Burke's Peerage Ltd/Shaw Publishing Co. pp.  183, 336–337. ISBN   0-220-66222-3.
  2. ↑ Velde, Francois. "Order of Precedence in England and Wales". Heraldica.org. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  3. ↑ Squibb, G.D. (1981). "The Lord Chamberlain's Order of 1520, as amended in 1595". Order of Precedence in England and Wales. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press. pp. 99–101.
  4. ↑ Eilers, Marlene. Queen Victoria's Descendants. Rosvall Royal Books, Falkoping, Sweden, 1997. p. 45. ISBN   91-630-5964-9
  5. ↑ "The Prince of Wales: styles and titles".
  6. ↑ Coughlan, Sean (10 March 2023). "King Charles grants Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh title". BBC News. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "No. 9987". The London Gazette . 29 March 1760. p. 1.
  8. ↑ "No. 10470". The London Gazette . 13 November 1764. p. 1.
  9. ↑ "No. 12598". The London Gazette . 23 November 1784. p. 2.
  10. ↑ "No. 13097". The London Gazette . 16 May 1789. p. 377.
  11. ↑ "No. 15126". The London Gazette . 20 April 1799. p. 372.
  12. ↑ "No. 15429". The London Gazette . 21 November 1801. p. 1.
  13. ↑ "No. 23119". The London Gazette . 25 May 1866. p. 3127.
  14. ↑ "No. 24098". The London Gazette . 26 May 1874. p. 1.
  15. ↑ "No. 24977". The London Gazette . 24 May 1881. p. 1.
  16. ↑ "No. 26055". The London Gazette . 24 May 1890. p. 1.
  17. ↑ "No. 26291". The London Gazette . 25 May 1892. p. 1.
  18. ↑ "No. 31931". The London Gazette . 4 June 1920. p. 6313.
  19. ↑ "No. 33371". The London Gazette . 30 March 1928. p. 2321.
  20. ↑ "No. 34904". The London Gazette . 9 October 1934. p. 6365.
  21. ↑ "No. 34350". The London Gazette . 15 November 1936. p. 8115.
  22. ↑ "No. 38128". The London Gazette . 20 November 1947. pp. 5495–5496.
  23. ↑ "No. 50606". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 July 1986. p. 1.
  24. ↑ "No. 59798". The London Gazette . 1 June 2011. p. 10297.
  25. ↑ Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle: Announcement of Titles, 19 May 2018
  26. ↑ "Crown Office | the Gazette".
  27. ↑ "Crown Office | the Gazette".
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