Howard (Earl of Suffolk) Arms KG 22 Quarters

Earl of Suffolk is a title which has been created four times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, in tandem with the creation of the title of

Earl of Norfolk Earl of Norfolk is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. Created in 1070, the first major dynasty to hold the title was the 12th and 13th century Bigod family, and it then was later held by the Mowbrays, who ...

, came before 1069 in favour of Ralph the Staller; but the title was forfeited by his heir, Ralph de Guader, in 1074. The second creation came in 1337 in favour of

Robert de Ufford The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

; the title became extinct on the death of his son, the second Earl, in 1382. The third creation came in 1385 in favour of Michael de la Pole. (For more information on this creation, see the Duke of Suffolk (1448 creation).) The fourth creation was in 1603 for Lord Thomas Howard, the second son of

Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, ( Kenninghall, Norfolk, 10 March 1536Tower Hill, London, 2 June 1572) was an English nobleman and politician. Although from a family with strong Roman Catholic leanings, he was raised a Protestant. He was ...

, by his second wife Margaret Audley, the daughter and eventual sole heiress of Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, of Audley End in the parish of

Saffron Walden Saffron Walden is a market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and north of London. It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. The population was 15, ...

in Essex. Howard was a prominent naval commander and politician and served as

Earl Marshal Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the United Kingdom). He is the eigh ...

, as Lord Chamberlain of the Household and as

Lord High Treasurer The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in ...

. In 1597 he was summoned to Parliament as Baron Howard de Walden, and in 1603 he was further honoured, at the start of the reign of King James I, when he was created Earl of Suffolk. His second son the Hon. Thomas Howard was created Earl of Berkshire in 1626. Lord Suffolk was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He had already in 1610 been summoned to the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster ...

through a

writ of acceleration A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, is a type of writ of summons that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with more than one peerage to attend the British or Irish House of Lords, using one of his fathe ...

in his father's junior title of Baron Howard de Walden. He later served as Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners and as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. On his death, the titles passed to his eldest son, the third Earl. He was Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk and

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

. Lord Suffolk had no sons and on his death in 1689 the barony of Howard de Walden fell into

abeyance Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. ...

between his daughters (see the

Baron Howard de Walden Baron Howard de Walden is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Hereditary peer#Writs of summons, writ of summons in 1597 by Queen Elizabeth I for Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, Admiral Lord Thomas Howard, a younger son of ...

for later history of this title). He was succeeded in the earldom by his younger brother, the fourth Earl. He was childless and on his death, the title passed to his younger brother, the fifth Earl. He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Earl. He was a politician and served as

First Lord of Trade The president of the Board of Trade is head of the Board of Trade. This is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, first established as a temporary committee of inquiry in the 17th century, that evolved gradually into a government ...

. In 1706, three years before he succeeded his father, he was raised to the Peerage of England in his own right as Baron Chesterford, in the County of Essex, and Earl of Bindon, in the County of Dorset. His son, the seventh Earl, was Lord-Lieutenant of Essex and is also remembered as the owner of the slave

Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military com ...

. The Earl was childless and on his early death in 1722, the barony of Chesterford and earldom of Bindon became extinct. He was succeeded in the earldom of Suffolk by his uncle, the eighth Earl. He died unmarried and was succeeded by his younger brother, the ninth Earl. His wife Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, was a mistress of King George II. On Lord Suffolk's death, the titles passed to his son, the tenth Earl. He represented Bere Alston in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

. He was childless and on his death, the line of the eldest son of the first Earl failed. The earldom was inherited by the late Earl's third cousin, the fourth Earl of Berkshire, who became the 11th Earl of Suffolk as well (see the Earl of Berkshire for earlier history of this branch of the family). He was succeeded by his grandson, the twelfth Earl (the son of William Howard, Viscount Andover). He was a politician and served as Lord Privy Seal and as

Secretary of State for the Northern Department The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782, when the Northern Department became the Foreign Office. History Before the Act of Union, 1707, the Secretary of ...

. On his death, the titles passed to his posthumous son, the 13th Earl. He died as an infant and was succeeded by his great-uncle, the 14th Earl. He was the third son of the 11th Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for

Castle Rising Castle Rising is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some north-east of the town of King's Lynn and west of the city of Norwich. The River Babingley skirts the north of the village separating C ...

Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the u ...

and St Michael's. On his death in 1783, the line of the fourth son of the first Earl of Berkshire failed. The late Earl was succeeded by his third cousin, the 15th Earl. He was the great-grandson of Colonel the Hon. Philip Howard, seventh son of the first Earl of Berkshire. Lord Suffolk and Berkshire was a General in the Army. On his death, the titles passed to his son, the 16th Earl. He represented

Arundel Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much lar ...

in the House of Commons. His son, the 17th Earl, sat as Whig Member of Parliament for Malmesbury. When he died the titles passed to his son, the 18th Earl. He represented Malmesbury in Parliament as a Liberal. He was succeeded by his son, the 19th Earl. He was killed in action in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

. His eldest son, the 20th Earl, was a bomb disposal expert. He was killed in 1941 while trying to defuse an unexploded bomb and was posthumously awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has be ...

. From 1941 to 2022 the titles were held by his eldest son, the 21st Earl, who as a young boy succeeded on his father's death. The 22nd and present Earl of Suffolk, Alexander Charles Michael Winston Robsahm Howard, was born in 1974 and educated at the

University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a Red brick university, red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Society of Merchant Venturers, Merchant Venturers' sc ...

. In 2011, he married Victoria Hamilton, a daughter of James Hamilton, with whom he has three children. The

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 ...

is their only son, Arthur Charles Alexander Howard, Viscount Andover (born 2014). They also have two daughters, but were divorced in 2018. The family seat is Charlton Park, near

, Wiltshire.

Earls of (Norfolk and) Suffolk, first creation

* Ralph the Staller, 1st Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk (c. 1011 – 1068) * Ralph de Guader, 2nd Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk (c. 1040 – c. 1096) (forfeit 1074)

Earls of Suffolk, second creation (1337)

* Robert de Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk (1298–1369) * William de Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk (1330–1382)

Earls of Suffolk, third creation (1385)

*see the Duke of Suffolk (1448 creation) *forfeit 1504

Other Suffolk titles (16th century)

During the 16th century, the title Duke of Suffolk was created twice: 1514 (3 dukes; extinct 1551) and 1551 (1 duke; forfeit 1554).

Earls of Suffolk, fourth creation (1603)

* Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk (1561–1626) *

Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, (13 August 15843 June 1640) was an English nobleman and politician. Born at the family estate of Saffron Walden, he was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, by his second wife, Catherine Knyve ...

(1584–1640) * James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk (1620–1689) * George Howard, 4th Earl of Suffolk (1624–1691) * Henry Howard, 5th Earl of Suffolk (1627–1709) * Henry Howard, 6th Earl of Suffolk, 1st Earl of Bindon (1670–1718) * Charles William Howard, 7th Earl of Suffolk, 2nd Earl of Bindon (1693–1722) *

Edward Howard, 8th Earl of Suffolk Edward Howard, 8th Earl of Suffolk (1672 - 22 Jun 1731) was an English peer. Edward Howard was the second son of Henry Howard, 5th Earl of Suffolk, and his wife Mary Stewart. He was educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He succeeded his neph ...

(1672–1731) * Charles Howard, 9th Earl of Suffolk (1675–1733) * Henry Howard, 10th Earl of Suffolk (1706–1745) * Henry Bowes Howard, 11th Earl of Suffolk, 4th Earl of Berkshire (1687–1757) ** William Howard, Viscount Andover (1714–1756) * Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk, 5th Earl of Berkshire (1739–1779) *

Henry Howard, 13th Earl of Suffolk Henry Howard, 13th Earl of Suffolk, 6th Earl of Berkshire (8 August 1779 – 10 August 1779) was a British peer, the son of Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk. His father died on 7 March 1779, leaving behind his pregnant widow. The Earldom of Suf ...

is the present earl’s only son, Arthur Charles Alexander Howard, Viscount Andover (born 2014).

Other family members

Several other members of this branch of the Howard family have also gained distinction. The Hon. Edward Howard, younger son of the first Earl of Suffolk, was created Baron Howard of Escrick in 1628. The Hon.

Henry Thomas Howard Henry Thomas Howard (16 January 1808 – 29 January 1851) was a British soldier and politician. The second son of Thomas Howard, 16th Earl of Suffolk, he was educated at Charterhouse School. On 21 July 1825, he purchased a commission as an ensign ...

, second son of the 16th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for Cricklade. The Hon. James Howard, fourth son of the 16th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for

. His grandson was the explorer and politician Charles Howard-Bury. The Hon. Greville Howard, younger son of the 19th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for St Ives. The

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

, Greville Howard, Baron Howard of Rising, is the great-grandson of the Hon. Greville Howard, second son of the 17th Earl. * Coronet of a British Earl

''Charles Howard, 17th Earl of Suffolk, 10th Earl of Berkshire (1804–1876)'' ** Coronet of a British Earl

''Henry Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk, 11th Earl of Berkshire (1833–1898)'' *** Coronet of a British Earl

''Henry Howard, 19th Earl of Suffolk, 12th Earl of Berkshire (1877–1917)'' **** Coronet of a British Earl

''Charles Howard, 20th Earl of Suffolk, 13th Earl of Berkshire (1906–1941)'' ***** Coronet of a British Earl

''Michael Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk, 14th Earl of Berkshire (1935–2022)'' ****** Coronet of a British Earl

Alexander Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk, 15th Earl of Berkshire (b. 1974) *******(1). Arthur Howard, Viscount Andover *****(2). Hon. Patrick Greville Howard (b. 1940) ******(3). Jason Patrick Howard (b. 1968) *******(4). Luke Thomas Jack Howard (b. 2000) ******(5). Rory Alexander Howard (b. 1970) ******(6). Timothy Charles Howard (b. 1973) ******(7). Charles Edward Howard (b. 1974) *******(8). Henry William Charles Howard (b. 2018) **''Hon. Greville Theophilus Howard (1836–1880)'' ***'' Charles Howard (1878–1958)'' ****''Henry Redvers Greville Howard (1911–1978)'' ***** Coronet of a British Baron

(9). Greville Howard, Baron Howard of Rising (b. 1941) ******(10). Hon. Thomas Henry Greville Howard (b. 1983) ******(11). Hon. Charles Edward John Howard (b. 1986)

Family tree

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Suffolk Earldoms in the Peerage of England People from Berkshire People from Suffolk * Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of England Noble titles created in 1337 Noble titles created in 1385 Noble titles created in 1607