Royal Dukedoms

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In the British peerage , a Royal Dukedom is a ducal title held by a member of the British Royal Family who is addressed as His Royal Highness . Duke is the highest title of the British nobility . Traditionally, Royal Dukedoms are created for the legitimate sons and male grandchildren of the British monarch on the occasion of their marriage or the age of majority . The titles, like ordinary dukedoms, are passed on to the respective eldest son. When a title falls to someone who is not the son or grandson of a king, it becomes an ordinary title of nobility. If a title has expired, it can be re-created for a new owner.

Royal status of the Dukedoms

In the UK there is nothing inherent in a dukedom that makes it "royal". Rather, these titles of nobility are called royal duchies because they are created for or held by a member of the royal family who is entitled to be addressed as His Royal Highness. Although the term "royal duke" has no official meaning, the category "Duke of the Blood Royal" has been recognized as a rank. In a decree from 1520 it was established that the Royal Dukes outside Parliament had priority over the bearers of older titles. Exceptions were the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Great Officers of State . Likewise, Royal Earls have priority over owners of older Earldoms (compare with Earl of Wessex ). The ranking among the Royal Peers is based on the rank in the line of succession . The 1520 order is still in force, but was forgotten in 1917.

On November 20, 1917, King George V stipulated in a letters patent that the title Prince or Princess and the salutation Royal Highness would only be available to children of the sovereign, legitimate children of the sovereign's legitimate sons and the oldest living legitimate son of the eldest son of Prince of Wales. Since then, peers who are more distantly related to the monarch are no longer preferred.

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II extended the title of Royal Highness to all children of the Prince of Wales' eldest son.

When the current Duke of Gloucester or Duke of Kent dies and their eldest sons, Alexander Earl of Ulster and George Earl of St. Andrews, succeed them, the Dukedoms become commoners. You will then be addressed as "His Grace". It was the same after the death of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught (1850-1942), Queen Victoria's third son , when Alastair, Earl of MacDuff (1914-1943) succeeded him as Duke. Before 1917 the salutation would have been His Highness Prince Alastair of Connaught .

Current Royal Dukedoms

The current Royal Dukedoms in their protocol order of precedence are:

Dukedom holder Title awarded Subordinate title
Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip 1947 Earl of Merioneth
Baron Greenwich
Duke of Cambridge Prince William 2011 Earl of Strathearn
Baron Carrickfergus
Duke of Sussex Prince Harry 2018 Earl of Dumbarton
Baron Kilkeel
Duke of York Prince Andrew 1986 Earl of Inverness
Baron Killyleagh
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 as secondary titles by members of the royal family:

  • Duke of Cornwall is the subordinate title of the eldest son of the Sovereign of England, currently Charles, Prince of Wales . In addition, the title (Dukedom) is associated with real ownership, the Duchy of Cornwall .
  • Duke of Rothesay is the minor title of the eldest son of the Sovereign of Scotland. Currently this is Prince Charles, who is correctly addressed in Scotland as HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay .

With the exception of these two dukedoms, all dukedoms are awarded with a letters patent and linked with the standard succession "heirs male of his body", which means that they are inherited by the oldest male descendant.

By law, the holder of the Duchy of Lancaster is the British monarch and is entitled to the Lancashire revenue . Therefore Elizabeth II is addressed there as The Queen, The Duke of Lancaster . The feminine name Duchess is not used by monarchs. But the monarch is not a real duke, since in feudal affairs the sovereign cannot be his own vassal.

Former Royal Dukedoms

The following list contains dukedoms, which were formerly royal and then merged with the crown, expired due to lack of successors or ceased to exist for other reasons.

Extinct Dukedoms

Title status annotation
Duke of Albemarle Lost in 1399 Non-royal dukedom created in 1660 (extinct 1688)

The non-royal Earldom of Albemarle (created 1697) still exists

Duke of Clarence Expired 1478 The Earldom of Clarence (created 1881) is a subordinate title of the Dukedom of Albany.
Duke of Clarence and Avondale Extinct in 1892
Duke of Clarence and St. Andrews Merged with the crown in 1830. The Earldom of St Andrews (created 1934) is a subsidiary title of the Dukedom of Kent.
Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Extinct in 1942. Earldom of Strathearn (created 2011) is a minor title of the Dukedom of Cambridge.
Duke of Cumberland Extinct in 1765
Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Extinct in 1790
Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Extinct in 1834
Duke of Hereford Merged with the crown in 1399 The non-royal Viscountcy of Hereford (created 1550) still exists
Duke of Kendal Extinct in 1667. Non-royal dukedom, created 1719 (extinct 1743).
Duke of Kent and Strathearn Extinct in 1820.
Duke of Kintyre and Lorne Extinct in 1602
Duke of Ross Extinct in 1515
Duke of Windsor King Edward VIII received it after his abdication
Duke of York and Albany Extinct in 1827

Former Royal Dukedoms, which was re-created as a non-royal family

Title Status of the Royal Ducedom Current status
Duke of Bedford Extinct in 1495. Non-royal dukedom, created in 1694, still exists
Duke of Norfolk Extinct 1483. The non-royal dukedom, created in 1483, still exists
Duke of Somerset Extinct 1500. Non-royal dukedom, created in 1547, still exists

Suspended dukedoms

According to the Titles Deprivation Act 1917, the owners of the following dukedoms, who were simultaneously British princes and members of German noble houses, were deprived of their British titles because they fought on the side of the Germans in the First World War . The law stipulated that the successors of the titleholders could ask for reinstatement. However, none of the beneficiaries has yet made use of this.

title Current contender
Duke of Albany Prince Hubertus of Saxony Coburg and Gotha
Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Prince Ernst August of Hanover

Royal Dukedoms created since 1726

Title Prince Date created Remarks

Reign of King George I.

Coat of Arms of the Hanoverian Princes of Wales (1714-1760) .svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Frederick July 15, 1726 1729 Prince of Wales
merged with the Crown 1760
Coat of Arms of William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland.svg Duke of Cumberland Prince William July 15, 1726 Extinct 1765 (He died out as there were no more male heirs)

Reign of King George II

Coat of Arms of Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany.svg Duke of York and Albany Prince Edward April 1, 1760 Extinct 1767 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)

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 November 17, 1764 Extinct 1834 ( Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh , the second Duke died without a male heir)
Coat of Arms of Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn.svg Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Prince Henry October 22, 1766 Extinct 1790 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany.svg Duke of York and Albany Prince Frederick November 27, 1784 Extinct 1827 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of William Henry, Duke of Clarence, svg Duke of Clarence and St. Andrews Prince William May 19, 1789 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 April 23, 1799 Extinct 1820 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale.svg Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Prince Ernest Augustus Revoked in 1919
Coat of Arms of Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex.svg Duke of Sussex Prince Augustus Frederick November 24, 1801 Extinct 1843 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of Adolphus Frederick, Duke of Cambridge, svg Duke of Cambridge Prince Adolphus Extinct 1904 ( Prince George, Duke of Cambridge , the second Duke, died with legitimate male heirs but was not recognized because of the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Otherwise it would have died out in 1960.)

Reign of Queen Victoria

Coat of Arms of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Alfred May 24, 1866 Extinct 1900 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, until 1917.svg Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur May 24, 1874 Extinct 1943 ( Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , the second Duke died without a male heir)
Coat of Arms of Leopold, Duke of Albany, svg Duke of Albany Prince Leopold May 24, 1881 Revoked in 1919
Coat of Arms of Albert, Duke of Clarence and Avondale.svg Duke of Clarence and Avondale Prince Albert Victor May 24, 1890 Extinct in 1892 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of George, Duke of York, svg Duke of York Prince George May 24, 1892 From 1901 Prince of Wales

Reign of King George V.

Coat of Arms of Albert, Duke of York, svg Duke of York Prince Albert June 3, 1920 Merged with the Crown in 1936
Coat of Arms of Henry, Duke of Gloucester, svg Duke of Gloucester Prince Henry March 30, 1928 Consists
Coat of Arms of George, Duke of Kent, svg Duke of Kent Prince George October 9, 1934 Consists

Reign of King George VI.

Coat of Arms of Edward, Duke of Windsor, svg Duke of Windsor Prince Edward March 8, 1937 Extinct 1972 (It died out as there were no more male heirs)
Coat of Arms of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, svg Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip November 20, 1947 Consists

Reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Coat of Arms of Andrew, Duke of York, svg Duke of York Prince Andrew July 23, 1986 Consists
Coat of Arms of William, Duke of Cambridge, svg Duke of Cambridge Prince William April 29, 2011 Consists
Coat of Arms of Harry, Duke of Sussex, svg Duke of Sussex Prince Harry 19th May 2018 Consists

Formal salutation

  • Address: His / Her Royal Highness The Duke / Duchess of (X)
  • First address: Your Royal Highness
  • Then: Sir / Madam

Heraldic ornament

While non-royal dukes can decorate their coat of arms with a crown with eight strawberry leaves at the coronation, royal dukes are entitled to a princely crown, which is decorated with four paw crosses and four strawberry leaves. The crowns can also be specified in the letters patent. At the Duke of York and the Duke of Edinburgh, the crown of a child of a sovereign (four crosses and four lilies) was chosen. The Duke of Cornwall and of Rothesay use the Crown of the Prince of Wales. The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex use the crown of a son of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent that of a grandson of a sovereign.

At coronations, the Royal Dukes are entitled to six rows of ermine on their coat. Ordinary dukes carry four rows.

  • Crown of rank of the Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay

  • Crown of rank of the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex

  • Crown of rank of the Dukes of Edinburgh and York

  • Crown of rank of the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent

  • Crown of rank of an ordinary duke

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Burke's guide to the Royal Family. Burke's Peerage, London 1973, ISBN 0-220-66222-3 .
  2. ^ Francois Velde: Order of Precedence in England and Wales . Heraldica.org. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  3. ↑ Squibb, GD (1981). "The Order of Lord Chamberlain of 1520, as amended in 1595". Ranking 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. 91-630-5964-9
  5. ↑ The Duke of Gloucester . The official website of the British Monarchy.
  6. ↑ The Duke of Kent . Official website of the British Monarchy.
  7. ^ The Prince of Wales: styles and titles .
  8. ↑ London Gazette . No. 9987, HMSO, London, March 29, 1760, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  9. ↑ London Gazette . No. 10470, HMSO, London, November 13, 1764, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  10. ↑ London Gazette . No. 12598, HMSO, London, November 23, 1784, p. 2 ( PDF , English).
  11. ↑ London Gazette . No. 13097, HMSO, London, May 16, 1789, p. 377 ( PDF , English).
  12. ↑ London Gazette . No. 15126, HMSO, London, April 20, 1799, p. 372 ( PDF , English).
  13. ↑ London Gazette . No. 15429, HMSO, London, November 21, 1801, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  14. ↑ London Gazette . No. 23119, HMSO, London, May 25, 1866, p. 3127 ( PDF , English).
  15. ↑ London Gazette . No. 24098, HMSO, London, May 26, 1874, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  16. ↑ London Gazette . No. 24977, HMSO, London, May 24, 1881, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  17. ↑ London Gazette . No. 26055, HMSO, London, May 24, 1890, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  18. ↑ London Gazette . No. 26291, HMSO, London, May 25, 1892, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  19. ↑ London Gazette . No. 31931, HMSO, London, June 4, 1920, p. 6313 ( PDF , English).
  20. ↑ London Gazette . No. 33371, HMSO, London, March 30, 1928, p. 2321 ( PDF , English).
  21. ↑ London Gazette . No. 34904, HMSO, London, October 9, 1934, p. 6365 ( PDF , English).
  22. ↑ London Gazette . No. 34350, HMSO, London, November 15, 1936, p. 8115 ( PDF , English).
  23. ↑ London Gazette . No. 38128, HMSO, London, November 20, 1947, pp. 5495-5496 ( PDF ).
  24. ↑ London Gazette . No. 50606, HMSO, London, July 23, 1986, p. 1 ( PDF , English).
  25. ↑ London Gazette . No. 59798, HMSO, London, June 1, 2011, p. 10297 ( PDF , English).
  26. ↑ Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle: Announcement of Titles , May 19, 2018