Earl of Arundel is a title of nobility in England, and one of the oldest extant in the

English peerage 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 the ...

. It is currently held by the

Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes ...

, and is used (along with the

Earl of Surrey Earl of Surrey is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, William de Warenne, a close Companions of William the Conqueror, companion of William the Con ...

) by his

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

as a

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

. The earldom was created in 1138 or 1139 for the French baron William d'Aubigny. Its origin was the earlier grant by

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...

to his second wife, Adeliza of Louvain, of the forfeited ''honour'' of Arundel, which included the castle and a large portion of Sussex. After his death, she married William, who thus became master of the lands, and who from about the year 1141 is variously styled earl of Sussex, of Chichester, or of Arundel. His first known appearance as an earl is at Christmas 1141. Until the mid-13th century, the earls were also frequently known as Earl of Sussex, until this title fell into disuse. At about the same time, the earldom fell to the originally

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

FitzAlan FitzAlan is an English patronymic surname of Anglo-Norman origin, descending from the Breton knight Alan fitz Flaad (d. 1120), who accompanied king Henry I to England on his succession. He was grandson of the Seneschal of the Bishop of Dol. T ...

family, a younger branch of which went on to become the Stuart family, which later ruled

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and England. A tradition arose that the holder of

Arundel Castle Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England. It was established during the reign of Edward the Confessor and completed by Roger de Montgomery. The castle was damaged in the English Civil War a ...

should automatically be Earl of Arundel, and this was formally confirmed by

King Henry VI Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne a ...

. An Act of Parliament in 1627 confirmed this designation, and retrospectively applied the earldom to the lords of Arundel, some authorities holding that the earldom stretched back to the reign of

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...

(specifically 1189). However, this designation was not always followed. Some of the lords of Arundel were never addressed as earls during their lifetimes, but nevertheless are counted and numbered as earls here. Other sources may not include some of the earls listed below, and may consider the earldom to have been created more than once. In his 1834 book on the earls of Arundel, M. A. Tierney (chaplain to the duke of Norfolk) maintains that the first incarnation of the earldom was with the House of Montgomery.

Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury Roger de Montgomery (died 1094), also known as Roger the Great, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, and Earl of Arundel, in Sussex. His father was Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery, a member of the House of Montgomerie, and was probably ...

was one of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

's top generals, and William bestowed on him, amongst several hundred other manors, the property at Arundel, with the charge to fortify it with a castle. Montgomery is believed to have built the

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...

that survives to this day, and is thought to have built a wooden keep on it, overlooking the river Arun. Montgomery and two of his sons are counted by many as being the first incarnation of the earldom, but are often not counted amongst the earls. In 1580 the 12th Earl, and last FitzAlan to hold the title, died without a male heir. His daughter

Mary FitzAlan Mary FitzAlan, Duchess of Norfolk (1540 – 23/25 August 1557) was an English translator. She was the youngest daughter and child of Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel and his first wife Lady Katherine Grey, therefore Mary was a first cou ...

had married the attainted 4th Duke of Norfolk, and the title passed to their son, Philip Howard, before he too was attainted for treason in 1589. The earldom of Arundel was restored to his son

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

following the accession of King James I. The 5th Earl of Arundel, the 5th

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

to hold the title, was restored to the principal Howard title of Duke of Norfolk in 1660, and the title has descended with that dukedom ever since. In 1842, by royal warrant,

Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 14th Duke of Norfolk Henry Granville Fitzalan-Howard, 14th Duke of Norfolk, (7 November 181525 November 1860) was a British peer and politician. He was hereditary Earl Marshal and the last undisputed Chief Butler of England. Family He was the son of Henry Charles ...

and 13th Earl of Arundel, and his siblings, assumed the surname FitzAlan-Howard, used by the family line to today.

Earls of Arundel (c. 1138)

William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny (c. 110912 October 1176), also known as William d'Albini, William de Albini and William de Albini II, was an English nobleman. He was son of William d'Aubigny and Maud Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod of Norfolk. William fought ...

(d. 1176) *

William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel (b. 138-1150 d. 24 December 1193), also called William de Albini III, was the son of William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel and Adeliza of Louvain, widow of Henry I of England. He married Matilda (or Maud ...

(d. 1193) *

William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel, also called William de Albini IV, (before 1180 – 1 February 1221) was an English nobleman, a favourite of King John, and a participant in the Fifth Crusade. Lineage William was a son of William ...

(c. 1174–1221) *

William d'Aubigny, 4th Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny, 4th Earl of Arundel, also known as William de Albini V (b. 1203 – before 7 August 1224) was the eldest son of William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel and Mabel of Chester (born c. 1173), daughter of Hugh de Kevelioc, 3rd Ea ...

(d. 1224) *

Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel (died 7 May 1243) was the last in the Aubigny male line to hold Arundel Castle. He was the son of William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel and younger brother of William d'Aubigny, 4th Earl of Arundel. He inh ...

(d. 1243) * John Fitzalan (1223–1267), (6th) Earl of Arundel * John Fitzalan (1246–1272), (7th) Earl of Arundel * Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel – 1st, 6th or 8th earl – (1267–1302), great-grand-nephew of the 5th Earl. He received a writ in 1289, at his majority, summoning him to Parliament; this is thought to perhaps be a creation of another earldom of Arundel. See below.

Second creation (1289)

Third creation (1580)

* Philip Howard, 1st, 13th (or 18th) Earl of Arundel (1557–1595) (forfeit 1589) * Thomas Howard, 2nd, 14th (or 19th) Earl of Arundel (1585–1646) (restored 1604) * Henry Howard, 3rd, 15th (or 20th) Earl of Arundel (1608–1652) * Thomas Howard, 4th, 16th (or 21st) Earl of Arundel (1627–1677) (restored as 5th Duke of Norfolk in 1660) Thereafter the earldom of Arundel has been held by the dukes of Norfolk. The 18th Duke of Norfolk (18th earl) is the current holder. *

Thomas Howard, 5th Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 5th Duke of Norfolk (9 March 162713 December 1677) was an English nobleman. Thomas Howard was born to Henry Frederick Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel and Elizabeth Stuart, Countess of Arundel. His maternal grandfather was Esmé Stew ...

(1627–1677) *

Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk (12 July 162813 January 1684) was an English nobleman and politician. He was the second son of Henry Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel, and Lady Elizabeth Stuart. He succeeded his brother Thomas Howard, 5th Duke of ...

(1628–1684) *

Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk, (11 January 1655 – 2 April 1701) was an English nobleman, politician, and soldier. He was the son of Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk, and Lady Anne Somerset, daughter of Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of ...

(1655–1701) *

Thomas Howard, 8th Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 8th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal (11 December 1683 – 23 December 1732) was an English peer and politician. He was the first son of Lord Thomas Howard and Mary Elizabeth Savile. Upon the death of his uncle Henry Howard, 7th ...

(1683–1732) *

Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk (5 June 1686 – 20 September 1777), of Worksop Manor in Nottinghamshire and of Norfolk House in London, was a British peer, politician and hereditary Earl Marshal. Origins He was the third of the five sons o ...

(1685–1777) *

Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal (1 December 172031 August 1786), was an English peer and politician. He was the son of Henry Charles Howard (d. 10 June 1720)Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 15 ...

(1720–1786) *

Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk (15 March 1746 – 16 December 1815), styled Earl of Surrey from 1777 to 1786, was a British nobleman, peer, and politician. He was the son of Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk and Catherine Brockho ...

(1746–1815) *

Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk Bernard Edward Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk, (21 November 1765 – 16 March 1842) was a British peer. Early life Howard was the son of Henry Howard (1713–1787) by his wife Juliana Molyneux, daughter of Sir William Molyneux, 6th Baronet (die ...

(1765–1842) *

Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk Henry Charles Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, (12 August 179118 February 1856), styled Earl of Surrey between 1815 and 1842, was a British Whig politician and peer. Background Norfolk was the son of Bernard Edward Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk, ...

(1791–1856) *

(1815–1860) *

Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, (27 December 184711 February 1917), styled Lord Maltravers until 1856 and Earl of Arundel and Surrey between 1856 and 1860, was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist. He served as Postmas ...

(1847–1917) *

Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk (30 May 1908 – 31 January 1975), styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was a British peer and politician. He was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of ...

(1908–1975) * Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk (1915–2002) *

Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, (born 2 December 1956), styled Earl of Arundel between 1975 and 2002, is a British peer who holds the hereditary office of Earl Marshal and, as Duke of Norfolk, is the most senior peer in t ...

(b. 1956) The heir apparent is

Henry Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey Henry Miles Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel (born 3 December 1987), also known as Henry Arundel, is a British aristocrat, businessman and former racing driver. He is the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Norfolk, and the family seat is Arundel ...

(b. 1987). Next in line of succession are Arundel's brothers, Lords Thomas and Philip Fitzalan-Howard.

Footnotes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arundel, Earl Of Earldoms in the Peerage of England Noble titles created in 1138 Noble titles created in 1289 * Recusants