Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
(after
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east o ...
), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the
Peerage of England
The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. In that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were replaced by one Peerage of Great Britain. There are five peerages in th ...
and the last in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom; the current creation carries with it the subsidiary titles of
Earl of Ulster
The title of Earl of Ulster has been created six times in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1928, the title has been held by the Duke of Gloucester and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's elde ...
and
Baron Culloden.
The title was first conferred on
Thomas of Woodstock, the thirteenth child of
King Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
. The title became extinct at his death, as it did upon the death of the duke of the second creation,
Humphrey of Lancaster, fourth son of
King Henry IV.
The title was next conferred on
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
, brother to
King Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...
. When Richard himself became king, the dukedom merged into the crown. After Richard's death, the title was considered ominous, since the first three such dukes had all died without issue to inherit their titles. The title was not awarded for over 150 years: the next to receive the dukedom was the son of
King Charles I,
Henry Stuart, upon whose death the title again became extinct.
Prince William, son of the future
Queen Anne, was styled "Duke of Gloucester" for his whole life (1689–1700), but was never formally created duke.
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fa ...
, was styled "Duke of Gloucester" from 1718–1726, but was then created
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not prod ...
rather than of Gloucester.
There was next a creation of a double dukedom (not two dukedoms) for the brother of
King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...
,
Prince William Henry, his proper title becoming "
Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh".
The fifth and most recent creation was for
Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to:
People
*Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father
*Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460)
*Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...
, third son of
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
, styled as ''His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester''. Upon Prince Henry's death, the dukedom was inherited by his only surviving son
Prince Richard Prince Richard may refer to:
* Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (1473–)
* Prince Richard von Metternich (1829–1895), from the German House of Metternich
* Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1934–2017), from the German House of ...
, who still holds the title. The heir-apparent to the title is
Alexander Windsor, styled Earl of Ulster. The next in the line of succession is the Earl of Ulster's son Xan Windsor, known by his grandfather's third title of
Lord Culloden.
The royal dukedom will devolve into an ordinary one when inherited by Alexander Windsor; as a great-grandson of a sovereign he is not entitled to royal style, and will be styled as ''His Grace The Duke of Gloucester''.
Dukes of Gloucester
First creation, 1385–1397
,
Thomas of WoodstockHouse of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in b ...
1385–1397
''also: Duke of Aumale
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
(1385–1397), Earl of Essex (1376–1397), Earl of Buckingham (1377)'' , ,
, , 7 January 1355
Woodstock Palaceson of
Edward III of England
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
and
Queen Philippa
Philippa of Hainault (sometimes spelled Hainaut; Middle French: ''Philippe de Hainaut''; 24 June 1310 (or 1315) – 15 August 1369) was Queen of England as the wife and political adviser of King Edward III. She acted as regent in 1346,Strickla ...
, ,
Eleanor de Bohun1376
5 children , , 8 September 1397
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
aged 42
, -
, colspan=5, ''Thomas of Woodstock's son died two years after his father, but never succeeded to his titles except that of
Earl of Buckingham. At the time of Thomas's death, he was regarded as a traitor and thus his titles were forfeit after his murder (except Earl of Buckingham). His son had no issue and his male line died out in 1399.''
, -
Second creation, 1414–1447
,
Humphrey of LancasterHouse of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a cadet branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. The first house was created when King Henry III of England created the Earldom of Lancasterfrom which the house was namedfor his second son Edmund Crouchback in 126 ...
1414–1447
''also: Earl of Pembroke (1414)'' , , , , 3 October 1390
Lancaster Castleson of
Henry IV of England
Henry IV ( April 1367 – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. He asserted the claim of his grandfather King Edward III, a maternal grandson of Philip IV of France, to the Kingdom of F ...
and
Mary de Bohun , ,
Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut1422–1428 (annulled)
1 child (stillborn)
Eleanor de Cobham1428–1441 (annulled)
2 children , , 23 February 1447
Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton ...
aged 56
, -
, colspan=5, ''Before marrying Humphrey, Eleanor de Cobham was his mistress. At the time of Humphrey's 1447 death, he had two children, Arthur and Antigone. However, both children were born before his marriage to Eleanor and were thus illegitimate and could not succeed to his titles.''
, -
Third creation, 1461
,
Richard PlantagenetHouse of York
The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of Yor ...
1461–1483
,
, 2 October 1452
Fotheringhay Castle,
Oundleson of
Richard, Duke of York and
Cecily Neville
,
Anne Neville
Anne Neville (11 June 1456 – 16 March 1485) was Queen of England as the wife of King Richard III. She was the younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (the "Kingmaker"). Before her marriage to Ri ...
1472–1485
(her death)
1 child
, 22 August 1485
Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Augu ...
aged 32
, -
, colspan=5, ''Richard succeeded as Richard III in 1483 upon his
nephew's disappearance, and his titles merged with the crown.
, -
Fourth creation, 1659
,
Henry Stuart House of Stuart1659–1660
''also: Earl of Cambridge (1659)''
,
, 8 July 1640
Oatlands Palace,
Oatlandsson of
King Charles I and
Queen Henrietta Maria
Henrietta Maria (french: link=no, Henriette Marie; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until Charles was executed on 30 January 1649. She wa ...
, Never married
, 18 September 1660
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
aged 20
, -
''Only styled'', 1689
,
Prince William House of Oldenburg1689–1700
,
, 24 July 1689
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
son of
Queen Anne and
Prince George
, Never married
, 30 July 1700
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history.
The original c ...
,
Windsoraged 11
, -
''Only styled'', 1717
,
Prince FrederickHouse of Hanover
The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...
1717–1726
,
, 1 February 1707
Leineschloss
The Leineschloss (English: Leine Palace), situated on the Leine in Hanover, Germany, is the former residence of the Hanoverian dukes, electors and kings. Currently it is the seat of the Landtag of Lower Saxony.
The first building on the site w ...
,
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
son of
King George II and
Queen Caroline
,
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg ( – 8 February 1772) was Princess of Wales by marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son and heir apparent of King George II. She never became queen consort, as Frederick predeceased his father ...
17 April 1736
9 children
, 31 March 1751
Leicester House,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
aged 44
, -
, colspan=5, ''Prince Frederick became
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not prod ...
in 1726 and then
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
in 1729.''
, -
Fifth creation, 1928
,
Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to:
People
*Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father
*Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460)
*Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...
House of Windsor1928–1974
''also: Earl of Ulster
The title of Earl of Ulster has been created six times in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1928, the title has been held by the Duke of Gloucester and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's elde ...
and Baron Culloden (1928)''London Gazette, Issue:33371,Page:2321
/ref>
,
, 31 March 1900
York Cottage,
Sandringhamson of
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
and
Queen Mary
,
Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott6 November 1935
2 children
, 10 June 1974
Barnwell Manor,
Barnwellaged 74
, -
,
Prince Richard Prince Richard may refer to:
* Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (1473–)
* Prince Richard von Metternich (1829–1895), from the German House of Metternich
* Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1934–2017), from the German House of ...
House of Windsor1974–present
''also: Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden (1928)''
,
, 26 August 1944
St. Matthew's Nursing Home,
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...
son of
Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to:
People
*Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father
*Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460)
*Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...
and
Princess Alice
,
Birgitte van Deurs8 June 1972
3 children
,
now old
, -
Line of succession
*
''
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974)''
**
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as well ...
(born 1944)
***(1)
Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster
The title of Earl of Ulster has been created six times in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1928, the title has been held by the Duke of Gloucester and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's elde ...
(born 1974)
**** (2) Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden (born 2007)
Family tree
See also
*
List of dukedoms by reign
This article lists all dukedoms, extant, extinct, dormant, abeyant, or forfeit, in the peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Introduction of dukedoms into England
Edward III of England created t ...
*
Earl of Gloucester
References
External links
The Duke of Gloucesterat the Royal Family website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gloucester, Duke Of
Dukedoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
1385 establishments in England
1928 establishments in the United Kingdom
Noble titles created in 1385
Noble titles created in 1414
Noble titles created in 1461
Noble titles created in 1659
Noble titles created in 1928