Duke of Leinster

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Coat of arms of the Duke of Leinster (second award)

Duke of Leinster is a hereditary British title in the Peerage of Ireland . The title was created twice, in 1691 and 1766.

Awards and subordinate titles

First award: Schomberg

Meinhard Schomberg, 1st Duke of Leinster

The title was first awarded on June 30, 1691 by King Wilhelm III. created for his military leader Meinhard von Schomberg , who came from Germany, in recognition of his achievements in the Battle of the Boyne . Along with the Dukedom, he was also awarded the subordinate titles Earl of Bangor and Baron Tara , also in the Peerage of Ireland . Schomberg, who came from the Rhenish noble family Schönburg auf Wesel , was appointed commander-in-chief of the British army a little later .

In 1690 he had inherited the Portuguese title of Count Conde de Mértola from his father Friedrich von Schomberg , which was awarded to him in 1663. He also inherited his brother Karl von Schomberg in 1693 as the 3rd Duke of Schomberg , 3rd Marquess of Harwich, 3rd Earl of Brentford and 3rd Baron Teyes. These titles had been awarded to his father in 1689 in the Peerage of England .

When Meinhardt von Schomberg died on July 5, 1719, his only son had already died. As a result, the Dukedom Leinster and all of its Irish and English titles were extinguished upon his death. The title Conde de Mértola could also be inherited in the female line and fell to his daughter Frederica von Schomberg, wife of Robert Darcy, 3rd Earl of Holderness .

Second award: FitzGerald

James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
Kilkea Castle

In the second bestowal the title was created on November 26, 1766 for the Irish General James FitzGerald, 1st Marquess of Kildare . As early as February 21, 1747 he was raised to Viscount Leinster , of Taplow in the County of Buckingham in the Peerage of Great Britain and on March 3, 1761 in the Peerage of Ireland to Marquess of Kildare and Earl of Offaly . He had inherited the Irish titles Earl of Kildare (1316) and Baron Offaly (1620) from his father in 1744 . The title Marquess of Kildare is used as a courtesy title by the title heir ( Heir apparent ).

His great-grandson, the 4th Duke, was also given the title of Baron Kildare , of Kildare in the County of Kildare in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1870 . Today's title holder is his great-great-grandson Maurice FitzGerald as the 9th Duke.

Ancestral home of the FitzGerald family was Kilkea Castle in Castledermot in County Kildare, Ireland , from the 13th century to the early 1960s .

List of the Dukes of Leinster

Duke of Leinster, first award (1691)

Dukes of Leinster, second bestowal (1766)

Presumed title heir ( Heir Presumptive ) is the nephew of the current Duke, Edward FitzGerald (* 1988).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Mark Noble: A biographical history of England, from the Revolution to the end of George I's reign. W. Richardson, 1806, Volume 1, pp. 180 f.
  2. ^ Lt.-Gen. James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster on thepeerage.com , accessed August 13, 2015.

Literature and web links