Earl Marshal

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The office of Earl Marshal is a medieval title of knighthood in England , Ireland , Scotland and later in the United Kingdom .

England

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , namesake for the Earl Marshal

The Earl Marshal of England is a hereditary title of a high British civil servant. At first the title was only Marshal , until under William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke , whose name contained the two components Earl and Marshal separately, the name Earl Marshal became common. After the office came to the family of the Dukes of Norfolk , Earl Marshal became the official name. The Earl Marshal is the eighth of the Great Officers of State with the Lord High Constable above him and only the Lord High Admiral below him. Like several others under the Great Officers of State , the office was exercised by several persons on commission.

In the Middle Ages, the Earl Marshal and the Lord High Constable were the officers responsible for the king's horses and stables. As the knighthood and nobility gained influence, the importance of the Lord High Constable declined and the Earl Marshal became the head of the College of Arms , which dealt with all matters relating to genealogy and heraldry . In conjunction with the Lord High Constable , he sat before the Court of Chivalry , a court that dealt with questions about the amount of the ransom, the division of the spoil, the remuneration of soldiers and finally the abuse of coats of arms. As one of the senior officers, he is still jointly responsible for coronation ceremonies and the opening of parliament .

According to the House of Lords Act 1999 , the Earl Marshal is the only holder of a hereditary nobility title besides the Lord Great Chamberlain who is a born member of the House of Lords so that he can perform his ceremonial duties in the House of Lords .

Lords Marshal of England 1135-1397

Earls Marshal of England 1397 – today

Earl Marshal John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk
Earl Marshal Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Earl Marshal Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk

Web links