The title duke is derived from the latin dux, a leader. For a quick intro, see john hopfners brief primer on titles a peer of the realm is one who holds one or more of five possible titles of nobility and the estates bestowed upon him or his direct ancestor by the monarch. Reading georgian and regency romances is a great deal of fun especially those written by georgette heyer, but in these novels one encounters a complex set of social rules governing peerages noble titles in great britain usually unexplained. British peers are sometimes referred to generically as lords, although individual dukes are not so styled when addressed or by reference a scottish feudal barony is an official.
When edwards brother ascended the throne on 25 october 1760 as george iii, the duke was heir presumptive to the british throne until the birth of his. Deborah vivien freemanmitford was born on 31 march 1920. The name attached to a peers title usually refers to the location of his landholdings, i. Britains aristocracy consists of five ranks in descending order. The highest rank of the peerage, duke, is the most exclusive.
Burkes peerage is the definitive guide to the genealogy and heraldry of the peerage and landed gentry of the united kingdom, the historical families of ireland and the commonwealth of nations, the imperial, royal and mediatised families of europe, the presidential and distinguished families of the united states of america, and other prominent families worldwide. So, if youve ever wanted british nobility explained or wondered who outranked whom in the regency peerage. List of dukes in the peerages of britain and ireland wikipedia. The first duke in a peerage of the british isles was created in 37. The holder is not and has never been allowed into the house of lords on that basis. The evolution of the british aristocracy in the twentieth century. Peerage simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Dukedoms are the highest titles in the british roll of peerage, and the holders of these particular dukedoms are princes of the blood royal. In 1952 the queen ordered that her husband, the duke of edinburgh, would be second only to her.
When edwards brother ascended the throne on 25 october 1760 as george iii, the duke was heir presumptive to the british throne until the birth of his nephew, george, prince of wales on 12 august 1762. This hierarchy of titles becomes further complicated by the fact that an individual peer can hold several peerages of different rank, created and conferred, or. Alphabetical list of peers of great britain and the united kingdom, holding. The ranks of the peerage of great britain are duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron. This is a reference to the borders marches between england, scotland, and wales, a relationship more evident in the feminine form. The british hereditary peerage barons and above today numbers some 900, not counting the four royal duchies but of the four dozen or so dukedoms created. The peerage of great britain comprises all extant peerages created in the kingdom of great britain after the acts of union 1707 but before the acts of union 1800. Debretts peerage contains information about the royal family, the peerage, privy counsellors, scottish lords of session, baronets. Arms of the english archbishops and bishops plates.
The peerage and baronetage of the british empire as at present existing. While most newer english peerages descend only in the. Behind the beauty of the british aristocracys stately homes and the sometimes romantic and eventful lives they led. There are five different ranks in the british peerage. Under the peerage act 1963 all scottish peers were given a seat in the house of lords as of right. This list, called the roll of peerage had to be kept to prove who was a peer.
The peerage of england comprises all peerages created in the kingdom of england before the act of union in 1707. Founded on woods edition of sir robert douglass peerage of scotland. Peerage, body of peers or titled nobility in britain. The british nobility consists of members of the immediate families of peers who bear courtesy titles or honorifics.
In that year, the peerages of england and scotland were replaced by one peerage of great britain english peeresses obtained their first seats in the house of lords under the peerage act 1963 from which date until the passage of the house of lords act 1999 all peers of england. On one hand, allison lane covered everything related to the peerage so wonderfully and succinctly in her page on common regency errors, that trying to summarize it or embellish it seemed a waste of effort. Duke, duchess, earl, countess and viscount a guide to british royal titles royal titles can be confusing with a long list of various terms used for britains noblemen and noblewomen. The five titles of the peerage, in descending order of precedence, or rank, are. The peerage is a hierarchy of titles of various ranks conferred by the sovereign upon his or her subjects, which has its roots in feudal times. This is also a complex system i could first of all britain still functions under the class system although some movements away from that have happened, namely through the reform of the house of lords.
Unlike british peerage, scottish peerage can be inherited by a person who was not legitimate at birth provided that his parents married later. The following is an annotated and thorough but not explicitly encyclopedical guide to. A genealogical survey of the peerage of britain as well as the royal families of europe. In that year, the peerages of england and scotland were replaced by one peerage of great britain. Peerage of france simple english wikipedia, the free. It shows how every duke of norfolk was a descendant of king edward i of england. Peerage of scotland, holders of scottish titles created before 1707, some of whom later sat in the house of lords, all of them having a seat there from 1964 to 1999 peerage of the united kingdom, holders of most titles created since 1801 in the united kingdom of great britain and ireland renamed united kingdom of great britain and northern. The rank of viscount came later, in the mid15th century. When the irish marquess of abercorn was promoted in 1868 the duke was listed as a duke of the kingdom of ireland, but was given precedence as if it was a united kingdom peerage.
The ranks of the scottish peerage are duke, marquess, countearl, viscount, lord of parliament lord baron. Duke is the highest of the five ranks of the peerage, standing above the ranks of marquess, earl, viscount and baron. The peerage of the british empire as at present existing. Burkes peerage was established in london in 1826 by john burke and has become the definitive guide to the genealogy and heraldry of the peerage, baronetage, knightage and landed gentry of the united kingdom, the historical families of ireland and the commonwealth of nations, the imperial, royal and mediatised families of europe and latin america, the presidential and distinguished families. The marquess stands above the ranks of earl, viscount and baron. There were no further creations in the peerage of scotland following the 1707 act of union. Edward william fitzalanhoward, the 18th duke of norfolk, is still the.
The eldest son of a duke will use one of the dukes subsidiary titles, whilst other children will use the honorary title lord or lady in front of their christian names. The second most senior rank in the peerage, beneath duke, is marquess. The peerage of great britain comprises all extant peerages created in the kingdom of great. Duke, in the united kingdom, is the highestranking hereditary title in all four peerages of the british isles. Genealogy royal noble peer duke count lord baron baronet sir peer database family tree europe nobility knight peerage marquess earl. It replaced the peerage of england and the peerage of scotland, but was itself replaced by the peerage of the united kingdom in 1801. The peerage of the united kingdom comprises most peerages created in the united kingdom of great britain and ireland after the acts of union in 1801, when it replaced the peerage of great britain. How the aristocracy preserved their power news the. The history of the british peerage, a system of nobility found in the united kingdom, stretches over the last thousand years. In modern times all peerages have been created by letters patent. French peerage thus differed from british peerage to whom the term baronage, also employed as the title of the lowest noble rank, was applied in its generic sense, for the vast majority of french nobles, from baron to duke, were not peers. This article serves as an introduction to the british peerage, which has evolved over the centuries into the five ranks that exist today.
It also includes the coats of arms of the peers and describes the baronetage those who are baronets, a class below baron. Charles charlotte coheir created a baronet dublin duke edith. About burkes peerage and baronetage genealogical and heraldic dictionary, vol 2 this database contains a listing of the peerage those with the titles of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, or baron of the british empire, as constituted in 1865. New peers continued to be created in the peerage of ireland until 1898 the last creation was the barony of curzon of kedleston the house of lords act 1999 reformed the house of lords. The goal of this website is to capture in one place all of the members of the interconnected families of the british peerage. Marquess comes from the french marquis, which is a derivative of marche or march. This database describes the peerage of the british empire as constituted about 1848. The information provided in this book on the occupations and social status of the. The five ranks, in descending order, are duke, marquess, earl see count, viscount, and baron. The greater nobility or peerage were originally advisors to the king, and it was in their consultations. For a more complete historical listing, including extinct, dormant, abeyant, forfeit dukedoms in addition to these. Apr 21, 2015 howard family tree the following chart is a family tree of the dukes of norfolk, who were members of the plantagenet, mowbray and howard families. The patent, which is a parchment bearing the great seal but no signature, describes how the title may descend after the death of the person who has been ennobled this is called the remainder. Viscount rosebery and inverkeithing, and lord primrose and dalmeny, in the peerage of scotland.
The second order of the british peerage, in rank next to that of the duke. Peerage refers to the five classes of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. Historically, the british aristocracys defining feature was not a noble. Titles and peerage in english society19th century english.
List of dukes in the peerages of britain and ireland. Debretts peerage, guide to the british peerage titled aristocracy, first published in london in 1802 by john debrett as peerage of england, scotland, and ireland. Page xxxviii be peers of great britain, and have rank next after the peers of the like degree in england at the time of the union, which commenced 1 may 1707, and before all peers of great britain, of the like degree, created after the union. The coronet of a duke is a circlet, heightened with eight conventional strawberry leaves, and encloses a velvet cap. This is a reference to the borders marches between england, scotland, and wales, a relationship more evident in the feminine form, marchioness. Peerage definition of peerage by the free dictionary. A peerage is an hereditary dignity derived in origin directly from the crown, and devolving on a right line of heirs implied or expressed in the. Since its inception in 1826, burkes peerage, baronetage and knightage has been rightly regarded as the definitive reference book on the british aristocracy, and has become an institution in. The dignity of a marquess is referred to as a marquessate. Aristocratic titles date back to the middle ages and traditionally were given to the great landowners in england.
Containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom, james balfour paul volume 1 of the scots peerage, sir james balfour paul. Peerage o scotland is the section of the peerage of the british isles for those peers created by the king of scots before 1707. The wriothesley garter book provides a contemporary illustration of the 1523 state opening of parliament. A duke from a book explaining the ranks and dignitaries of british society. Burkes peerage and baronetage genealogical and heraldic. Members of the peerage carry the titles of duke, marquess, earl, viscount or baron. Since 2004 a list of peers has been kept by the lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice. Today i want to cover the the nobility under the british system. He was created duke of york and albany and earl of ulster by his paternal grandfather, george ii, on 1 april 1760.
A listing of extinct british peerages jeremy turcotte. The peerage in the united kingdom is a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime. The peerage of the united kingdom comprises most peerages created in the united. The ranks of the english peerage are, in descending order, duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. Bis zur verabschiedung des house of lords act 1999 hatten alle peers einen sitz im house of lords. How the aristocracy preserved their power news the guardian. The peerage of england, scotland, ireland, great britain and the united. Traditionally, sons of the monarch were given a dukedom when they came of age, but now they are more commonly granted when they. A holder of a royal dukedom ranks above that of prince, and is referred to as your highness and not your grace. Earl, the oldest title of the peerage, dates from anglosaxon times. It was analogous to the rank of grandee of spain in this respect. 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.
Describing the british peerage as on a slow boat to extinction, the author focuses. For a whole range of other indexes to various groups of people on this website, please see the custom indexes page. The peerage and baronetage of the british empire as at. The orders of precedence in the british royal society and how they are addressed if you are a uk citizen. Until 1999, peers were entitled to sit in the house of lords and exempted from jury duty. It replaced the peerage of england and the peerage of scotland, but was itself replaced by the peerage of the united kingdom in 1801 the ranks of the peerage of great britain are duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron. The peerage of england comprises all peerages created in the kingdom of england before. The rank of royal duke or duchess is completely different to the ordinary duke, and it is not a rank of the peerage. The rules on inheriting titles of nobility debretts. Traditionally, sons of the monarch were given a dukedom. A regency history guide to dukes, marquesses and other titles. British titles of nobility an introduction and primer to the peerage v2. Between 1707 and 1963 the scottish peers elected 16 representative peers to sit in the house of lords at westminster for one parliament.
Burkes peerage and baronetage project gutenberg self. Debretts peerage of england, scotland, and ireland. This is a list of the 30 present and extant dukes in the peerages of the kingdom of england,for a more complete historical listing, including extinct, dormant, abeyant, forfeit dukedoms in addition to these extant ones, see list of dukedoms in the peerages of the british isles in the peerage of england, the title of duke was created 74 times using 40 different titles. The naming conventions for european royalty and nobility is bewilderingly vast and intricate, with a person having many different possibilites for a surname, or none at all, making it difficult to locate people by surname. The site is the result of around 17 years of work by one somewhat eccentric person collating information on the british peers and some european royals, and then entering it into a range of various genealogy programs. The origins of the british peerage are obscure but while the ranks of baron and earl perhaps predate the british peerage itself, the ranks of duke and marquess were introduced to england in the 14th century. Since its inception in 1826, burkes peerage, baronetage and knightage has been rightly regarded as the definitive reference book on the british aristocracy, and has become an institution in its own right. British titles and orders of precedence edwardian promenade. Do not add profiles as this list aims to get more please wait. This is a list of the 31 present and extant dukes in the peerages of the kingdom of england, kingdom of scotland, kingdom of great britain, kingdom of ireland, united kingdom of great britain and ireland, and the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland 1927 and after. A duke or duchess is the highest of five degrees in british peerage. Page xxxviii it has been already mentioned, that it was a rank attainable by all, even by the servile, and that the requisites which constituted the dignity are stated in the laws to have been the possession of five hides of his own land, a church, a kitchen, a bellhouse, a judicial seat at the burgh gate, and a distinct office or station in the kings hall.