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 ...

), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England 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 Baron Culloden (named after Culloden near Inverness) is a title which has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom for members of the British royal family. The barony's creation continued the tradition of awarding members of ...

. The title was first conferred on

Thomas of Woodstock Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (7 January 13558 or 9 September 1397) was the fifth surviving son and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Early life Thomas was born on 7 January 1355 at 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 ...

. 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. 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 William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...

, 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 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 Br ...

Prince William Henry Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, (25 November 1743 – 25 August 1805), was a grandson of King George II and a younger brother of George III of the United Kingdom. Life Youth Prince William Henry was born at Leicester ...

, his proper title becoming "

Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh () was a British title (after Gloucester and Edinburgh) in the Peerage of Great Britain; the sole creation carried with it the subsidiary title of Earl of Connaught. It existed for the brother of King George ...

". 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''. The Duke of Gloucester in 2008 cropped

Dukes of Gloucester

First creation, 1385–1397

House of Plantagenet
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 ran ...

(1385–1397),

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

(1376–1397),

Earl of Buckingham The peerage title Earl of Buckingham was created several times in the Peerage of England. It is not to be confused with the title of Earl of Buckinghamshire. It was first created in 1097 for Walter Giffard, but became extinct in 1164 with the d ...

(1377)'' , , ThomasWoodstock

, , 7 January 1355

Woodstock Palace Woodstock Palace was a royal residence in the English town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Henry I of England built a hunting lodge here and in 1129 he built of walls to create the first enclosed park, where lions and leopards were kept. The lodge b ...

son 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 Bohun Eleanor de Bohun ( – 3 October 1399) was the elder daughter and co-heiress (with her sister, Mary de Bohun), of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (1341–1373) and Joan Fitzalan, a daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel a ...

1376
5 children , , 8 September 1397
Calais
aged 42 , - , colspan=5, ''Thomas of Woodstock's son died two years after his father, but never succeeded to his titles except that of

. 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 Lancaster
House of Lancaster
1414–1447
''also:

Earl of Pembroke Earl of Pembroke is a title in the Peerage of England that was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title, which is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, has been recreated ten times from its origin ...

(1414)'' , , , , 3 October 1390

Lancaster Castle Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle and former prison in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but it may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of ...

son of Henry IV of England and

Mary de Bohun Mary de Bohun (c. 1369/70 – 4 June 1394) was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne. Early life Mary was a daughter of Humphrey de Boh ...

, ,

Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut Jacqueline ( nl, Jacoba; french: Jacqueline; german: Jakobäa; 15 July 1401 – 8 October 1436), of the House of Wittelsbach, was a noblewoman who ruled the counties of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut in the Low Countries from 1417 to 1433. She ...

1422–1428 (annulled)
1 child (stillborn)

Eleanor de Cobham
1428–1441 (annulled)
2 children , , 23 February 1447
Bury St Edmunds
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 Plantagenet
House of York
1461–1483 , , 2 October 1452

Fotheringhay Castle Fotheringhay Castle, also known as ''Fotheringay Castle'', was a High Middle Age Norman Motte-and-bailey castle in the village of Fotheringhay to the north of the market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire, England (). It was probably founde ...

Oundle Oundle () is a market town on the left bank of the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England, which had a population of 5,735 at the time of the 2011 census. It is north of London and south-west of Peterborough. The town is home to Ound ...

son of Richard, Duke of York and

Cecily Neville Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1411–1460), and the mother of two kings of England— Edward IV and Richard III. Cecily Neville was known as "the Rose of Raby", beca ...

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 Ric ...

1472–1485
(her death)
1 child , 22 August 1485
Bosworth Field
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 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 ...

1659–1660
''also:

Earl of Cambridge The title of Earl of Cambridge was created several times in the Peerage of England, and since 1362 the title has been closely associated with the Royal family (see also Duke of Cambridge, Marquess of Cambridge). The first Earl of the fourth crea ...

(1659)'' , , 8 July 1640

Oatlands Palace Oatlands Palace is a former Tudor and Stuart royal palace which took the place of the former manor of the village of Oatlands near Weybridge, Surrey. Little remains of the original building, so excavations of the palace took place in 1964 to ...

, Oatlands
son 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 was ...

, 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

House of Oldenburg The House of Oldenburg is a German dynasty with links to Denmark since the 15th century. It has branches that rule or have ruled in Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Schleswig, Holstein, and Oldenburg. The cu ...

1689–1700 , , 24 July 1689
Hampton Court Palace,

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 ...

, Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor
aged 11 , -

''Only styled'', 1717

, Frederick, Prince of Wales, Prince Frederick
House of Hanover
1717–1726 , Frederick Prince of Wales

, 1 February 1707
Leineschloss, Hanover
son of George II of Great Britain, King George II and Caroline of Ansbach, Queen Caroline , Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
17 April 1736
9 children , 31 March 1751
Leicester Square#History, Leicester House,

aged 44 , - , colspan=5, ''Prince Frederick became Duke of Edinburgh in 1726 and then Prince of Wales in 1729.'' , -

Fifth creation, 1928

House of Windsor
1928–1974
''also:

and

(1928)''London Gazette, Issue:33371,Page:2321
/ref> , , 31 March 1900
York Cottage, Sandringham, Norfolk, Sandringham
son of George V, King George V and Mary of Teck, Queen Mary , Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott
6 November 1935
2 children , 10 June 1974
Barnwell Manor, Barnwell, Northamptonshire, Barnwell
aged 74 , - ,

House of Windsor
1974–present
''also: Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden (1928)'' , , 26 August 1944
St. Matthew's Nursing Home, Northampton
son of

and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alice , Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Birgitte van Deurs
8 June 1972
3 children ,
now old , -

Line of succession

''Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974)'' ** Coronet of a Grandchild of the Sovereign

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (born 1944) ***(1) Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (born 1974) **** (2) Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden (born 2007)

Family tree

References

External links

The Duke of Gloucester
at 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 Dukes of Gloucester,