Duke of Richmond is a title 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 t ...

that has been created four times in British history. It has been held by members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families. The current dukedom of Richmond was created in 1675 for Charles Lennox, the illegitimate son of

King Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of King of England, England, Scotland and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II ...

and one of his mistresses, the

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 ...

noblewoman Louise de Penancoët de Kérouaille; Charles Lennox was also made

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenno ...

a month later. The

Duke of Richmond and Lennox The Dukedoms of Richmond (in the peerage of England) and of Lennox (in the peerage of Scotland) have usually been held by the same person since 1623. In 1675, King Charles II created his illegitimate son Charles Lennox Duke of Richmond (create ...

was furthermore created

Duke of Gordon The title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 was c ...

in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...

in 1876, meaning that the Duke holds three dukedoms— plus, in

pretence Pretense or pretence may refer to: * pretext * pretexting (social engineering) * "Pretense" (''Stargate SG-1''), an episode of ''Stargate SG-1'' * "Pretense", a song by Knuckle Puck from their 2015 album '' Copacetic'' * "Pretence", a song by Joli ...

, the French Duchy of

Aubigny-sur-Nère Aubigny-sur-Nère () is a town and commune in the Cher department in the administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography An area of forestry and farming surrounding a small light industrial town, situated in the valley of the ri ...

History of the Dukedom

Prior to the creation of the Dukedom the early nobles of England associated with Richmondshire were Lords and Earls of Richmond. At times the

honour of Richmond The Honour of Richmond (or English feudal barony of Richmond) in north-west Yorkshire, England was granted to Count Alan Rufus (also known as Alain le Roux) by King William the Conqueror sometime during 1069 to 1071, although the date is uncertai ...

was held without a title. The Dukedom of Richmond emerged under

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...

. The first creation of a dukedom of Richmond (as ''Duke of Richmond and Somerset'') was made in 1525 for Henry FitzRoy, an illegitimate son of

. His mother was

Elizabeth Blount Elizabeth Blount (// – 1540), commonly known during her lifetime as Bessie Blount, was a mistress of Henry VIII of England. Early life Blount was the daughter of Sir John Blount and Catherine Pershall, of Kinlet, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Si ...

. Upon the Duke's death without children in 1536, his titles became extinct. The second creation was in 1623 for

Ludovic Stuart Ludovic Stuart (22 October 1902 - 3 March 1957) was a Scotland international rugby union player.Bath, p137 Rugby Union career Amateur career Stuart joined Glasgow HSFP in 1920. Due to his footballing prowess, he became known as a great expon ...

, 2nd

(see

Lennox (district) The Lennox ( gd, Leamhnachd, ) is a region of Scotland centred on The Vale of Leven, including its great loch: Loch Lomond. The Gaelic name of the river is ''Leamhn'', meaning ''the smooth stream'', which anglicises to ''Leven'' (as Gaelic ' ...

) (1574–1624), who also held other titles in the

peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...

. He was created

Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the cad ...

and Baron Settrington in 1613 and Duke of Richmond in the peerage of England in 1623 as a member of the Lennox line (not unlike King James himself) in the

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...

. These became extinct at his death in 1624, but his Scottish honours devolved on his brother

Esmé Esmé (more commonly Esme) or Esmée, including Esmee is an English first name, from the past participle of the Old French verb '' esmer'', "to esteem", thus signifying "esteemed". Another theory is that ''esmer'' is an alternate spelling of toda ...

Earl of March Earl of March is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or borderlands between England and either Wales (Welsh Marches) or Scotland (Scottish Marche ...

, who thus became 3rd Duke of Lennox in the peerage of Scotland. Esmé's son James, 4th Duke of Lennox (1612–1655) subsequently received the third creation of the dukedom of Richmond in 1641, when the two dukedoms again became united. In 1672, on the death of James' nephew

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

, 3rd Duke of Richmond and 6th Duke of Lennox, both titles again became extinct. The fourth creation of the dukedom of Richmond was in August 1675, when Charles II granted the title to Charles Lennox, his illegitimate son by

Louise de Keroualle Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

Duchess of Portsmouth 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 ranked ...

. Charles Lennox was further created Duke of Lennox a month later. Charles' son, also Charles, succeeded to the French title

Duke of Aubigny Duke of Aubigny (french: Duc d'Aubigny) is a title that was created in the Peerage of France in 1684. It was granted by King Louis XIV of France to Louise de Kérouaille, the last mistress of King Charles II of England, and to descend to Charle ...

(of

) on the death of his grandmother in 1734. The 6th

was created

(See

Clan Gordon Clan Gordon is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the most powerful Scottish clans. The Gordon lands once spanned a large territory across the Highlands. Presently, Gordon is seated at Aboyne Castle, Aberdeenshire ...

) in 1876. Thus, the Duke holds three (four, if the French Aubigny claim is accepted) dukedoms, more than any other person in the realm. The subsidiary titles of the dukedom created in 1675 are ''Earl of March'' (created 1675), ''

Earl of Darnley Earl of Darnley is a hereditary title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation in the Scots Peerage came in 1580 in favour of Esme Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox ...

'' (1675), '' Earl of Kinrara'' (1876), ''Baron Settrington'', of Settrington in the County of York (1675), and ''Lord Torbolton'' (1675). 10th Duke of Richmond & Gordon & 5th Duke of Lennox colour

10th Duke of Richmond & Gordon & 5th Duke of Lennox colour

The Dukes of Richmond, Lennox and Gordon are normally styled ''Duke of Richmond and Gordon''. Before the creation of the Dukedom of Gordon they were styled ''Duke of Richmond and Lennox''. The titles ''Earl of March'' and ''Baron Settrington'' were created in the peerage of England along with the Dukedom of Richmond. The titles ''

'' and ''Lord Torbolton'' were created in the

Peerage of Scotland The Peerage of Scotland ( gd, Moraireachd na h-Alba, sco, Peerage o Scotland) is one of the five divisions of peerages in the United Kingdom and for those peers created by the King of Scots before 1707. Following that year's Treaty of Union, ...

along with the Dukedom of Lennox. Finally, the title ''Earl of Kinrara'' was created in the peerage of the United Kingdom with the Dukedom of Gordon. The eldest son of the Duke uses the

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 ...

''Earl of March and Kinrara''. Before the creation of the Dukedom of Gordon, the courtesy title used was ''Earl of March''. The family seat is

Goodwood House Goodwood House is a country house and estate covering in Westhampnett, Chichester, West Sussex, England and is the seat of the Duke of Richmond. The house was built in about 1600 and is a Grade I listed building. Description The house and its ...

near

Chichester Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ci ...

West Sussex West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...

Dukes of Richmond and Somerset (1525)

Dukes of Richmond (1623)

Dukes of Richmond (1641)

Dukes of Richmond (1675)

The heir apparent is Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara (b. 1994), eldest son of the 11th Duke.

Line of succession

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond, 6th Duke of Lennox, and 1st Duke of Gordon, (27 February 181827 September 1903), styled Lord Settrington until 1819 and then Earl of March until 1860, was a British Conservative politician. Ba ...

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, 2nd Duke of Gordon, (27 December 1845 – 18 January 1928), 7th Duke of Aubigny ( French peerage in the French nobility), styled Lord Settrington until 1860 and Earl of March between ...

***

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 8th Duke of Richmond Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 8th Duke of Richmond, 8th Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Gordon (30 December 1870 – 7 May 1935), known as Lord Settrington 1870–1903, and as Earl of March 1903–1928, was a British peer and politician. Biography ...

****

Frederick Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond Frederick Charles Gordon Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond, 9th Duke of Lennox, 9th Duke of Aubigny, 4th Duke of Gordon (5 February 1904 – 2 November 1989) was a British peer, engineer, racing driver, and motor racing promoter. Biography Freddi ...

*****

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, 10th Duke of Lennox, 10th Duke of Aubigny, 5th Duke of Gordon (19 September 1929 – 1 September 2017), styled Lord Settrington until 1935 and Earl of March and Kinrara between 1935 and 1989, w ...

******

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, 11th Duke of Lennox, 11th Duke of Aubigny, 6th Duke of Gordon DL (born 8 January 1955), styled Lord Settrington until 1989 and then Earl of March and Kinrara until 2017, is a British aristoc ...

******* (1) Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara (b. 1994) ******* (2) Lord William Rupert Gordon-Lennox (b. 1996) ******* (3) Lord Frederick Lysander Gordon-Lennox (b. 2000) *** Lord Esmé Gordon-Lennox ****Reginald Arthur Charles Gordon-Lennox ***** (4) James David Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1944) ****** (5) Henry Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1976) ******* (6) Charles William Gordon-Lennox (b. 2005) ******* (7) Thomas Edward Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 2009) *** Lord Bernard Gordon-Lennox ****

George Gordon-Lennox Lieutenant-General Sir George Charles Gordon-Lennox (29 May 1908 – 11 May 1988) was a senior British Army officer who served during the Second World War. Military career Gordon-Lennox was the eldest child of Lord Bernard Gordon-Lennox and ...

*****

Bernard Gordon Lennox Major-General Bernard Charles Gordon Lennox, (19 September 1932 – 27 December 2017) was a senior British Army officer. He served as Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin from October 1983 to December 1985. Military career Born the ...

****** (8) Edward Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1961) *******(9) Alexander Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1990) ****** (10) Angus Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1964) ******* (11) Geordie Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1998) ****** (12) Charles Bernard Gordon-Lennox (b. 1970) ******* (13) Archie Clement Gordon-Lennox (b. 2014) *****(14)

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

David Henry Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1935) **Captain Lord Francis Charles Gordon-Lennox ***Victor Charles Hugh Gordon-Lennox ****(15) Henry George Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1934) *****(16) Ian Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1958) *****(17) Philip George Hugh Gordon-Lennox (b. 1963) ******(18) Thomas Charles Gordon-Lennox (b. 1991) ******(19) Alec George Gordon-Lennox (b. 1993)

Coat of arms (full achievement)

The earlier dukes (creations of 1623 and 1641) bore: Quarterly 1 and 4 azure three fleurs-de-lis and a bordure engrailed Or; 2 and 3 Or a fess chequy azure and argent, a bordure gules semy of buckles Or (Stewart of Bonkyl); overall an inescutcheon of Lennox. Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (creation of 1525), bore the Tudor royal arms (quarterly France and England) with a border quarterly ermine (for

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

) and compony azure and argent (for

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

), a baton sinister argent for bastardy, and overall an escutcheon of

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

History of the Dukedom

Dukes of Richmond and Somerset (1525)

Dukes of Richmond (1623)

Dukes of Richmond (1641)

Dukes of Richmond (1675)

Line of succession

Coat of arms (full achievement)

Family tree

See also

Notes

References

Further reading