One of the two hereditary posts remaining amongst the Great Offices of State in the United Kingdom is the Earl Marshal, held continuously by the Howard dukes of Norfolk since the late 17th century, and even before that, off and on since the late 15th century. Even earlier, it was a post inherited by theirContinue reading “The Howards: Premier peer of the realm as Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal. Catholic champions.”
Category Archives: England
The Dukes of Ancaster and the one-fourth share of the Lord Great Chamberlain
If you are watching the coronation of King Charles III this Spring, chances are you have been confused by mention of the ‘shared office’ of Lord Great Chamberlain of the United Kingdom, one of the two Great Officers of State that remains hereditary, alongside the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk), and one of theContinue reading “The Dukes of Ancaster and the one-fourth share of the Lord Great Chamberlain”
Spare Dukes, Part II, or, What does one do with so many younger brothers?
The violence and in-feuding of royal brothers in the Middle Ages hardly ceased as the histories of England and Scotland transitioned into the Early Modern period. When we last left the Stewarts in Scotland, Robert III, the old king, had died in 1406; his eldest son and heir, the 1st Duke of Rothesay, was alsoContinue reading “Spare Dukes, Part II, or, What does one do with so many younger brothers?”
Spare Dukes: What to do with a younger brother in 1,000 years of English and Scottish royal history (Part I)
Dad: “Why would he do a ridiculous thing like that?”Wally: “‘Cause he wanted to be like you, Dad.”Dad: “But Wally, when I said 20 miles a day, I was just using a round figure.”Wally: “Yeah, well, you and I know that, Dad, ‘cause we’re grown up, but gee, the Beaver, he’s just a kid.” MillionsContinue reading “Spare Dukes: What to do with a younger brother in 1,000 years of English and Scottish royal history (Part I)”
Lost Princes of France: The Courtenays, from Latin Emperors to Earls of Devon
This is the story of a family that rose to great heights as princes and emperors in the eastern Mediterranean, then slowly declined over several centuries in rural France, before attempting to restore their former position in the line of succession to the French throne in the 17th century. An offshoot branch had established itselfContinue reading “Lost Princes of France: The Courtenays, from Latin Emperors to Earls of Devon”
The Anglo-Dutch Moment: the Bentinck dukes of Portland
The year 1688-1689 has been called by historians the ‘Anglo-Dutch Moment’, as the year when the ideas of English and Dutch limited monarchy came together in the person of William, Prince of Orange: King William III. Over three centuries later, one family, the Bentincks, still benefit from this relatively brief merging of national interests. HansContinue reading “The Anglo-Dutch Moment: the Bentinck dukes of Portland”
Princes of Powys Fadog and Maelor
Until very recently I had never heard of Maelor, despite it being just over an hour’s drive from my home in Manchester. I’ve now become slightly obsessed with its curious history, as an exclave of Welshness jutting into the English countryside. For a small geographical space, it is complex, with two roughly equal parts: ‘Saxon’Continue reading “Princes of Powys Fadog and Maelor”
Dukes of Albemarle
Sometimes a dukedom is created to commemorate a national hero, a member of ancient well-born family, but his progeny simply doesn’t last, and the exalted title disappears after only the briefest of existences. Such is the case for the dukes of Albemarle, created for General George Monck in 1660 but extinct by 1688 with theContinue reading “Dukes of Albemarle”
Dukes of Saint Albans
Of all the extant dukedoms of the United Kingdom, the dukes of Saint Albans are probably the least well known. They lack a major country house, a ducal seat, to remind the general public of their history and grandeur as a family. They hold no major ceremonial role in the running of the modern monarchy.Continue reading “Dukes of Saint Albans”
Sackville dukes of Dorset
The Dukedom of Dorset is mostly forgotten today, a title that had only five holders between 1720 and 1843. Yet their surname, Sackville, is well remembered, particularly as borne by Vita Sackville-West, one of the leaders of the Bloomsbury Group of the early 20th century. The surname also probably inspired Tolkien in his choice ofContinue reading “Sackville dukes of Dorset”
Dukes and Princes 