by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are titles that were held by the eldest living son who was also the heir apparent of the Stewart Kings of Scots. When Henry Frederick, the eldest son of James VI, King of Scots, was born at Stirling Castle in 1594, he automatically received those titles as the eldest living son and heir apparent of the King of Scots. In 1603, James VI, a double great-great-grandson of King Henry VII of England, succeeded Queen Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, as King James I of England.

His eldest son Henry Frederick was then not only heir to the throne of Scotland but also heir to the throne of England and then also held the English titles Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, and Duke of Cornwall. All those Scottish titles came along to England and now they are titles automatically bestowed upon the eldest living son of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Sadly, Henry Frederick died from typhoid fever when he was just 18-years-old. His brother, the ill-fated, future King Charles I, became the heir apparent.

Duke of Rothesay

The title Duke of Rothesay was first created in 1398 for David Stewart, the eldest son and the heir apparent of Robert III, King of Scots. David died in 1402 and two years later, his brother James, the future James I, King of Scots, was created Duke of Rothesay. It appears that until 1469, the eldest sons of the King of Scots who were also their heirs apparent were created Duke of Rothesay.

In 1469, the Parliament of Scotland passed an act that governs the succession to the titles held by the eldest son of the King of Scots who is also the heir apparent. This act made succession to the titles automatic for the eldest son of the King of Scots who is also the heir apparent. After the union of Scotland and England in 1707, the titles Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland became automatic titles for the British Sovereign’s eldest son who was also the heir apparent. This practice continued with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Today, when the heir apparent of the United Kingdom is visiting Scotland, it is mandated that he and his wife use the titles Duke of Rothesay and Duchess of Rothesay.

Someday in the future, it is likely that there will be a female heir apparent to the British throne. The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.

The Duke of Rothesay, just like the English title Duke of Cornwall, still relies on legislation hundreds of years old to determine the rights of the Duke of Rothesay. Like the Duke of Cornwall charter of 1337, the 1496 Act of the Parliament of Scotland makes it clear that the Duke of Rothesay must be the eldest son of the Sovereign who is also the heir apparent. Therefore, to have a Duchess of Rothesay, there must be legislation to change the original act.

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Earl of Carrick

The use of Earl of Carrick by Kings of Scots predates the Stewart Kings of Scots. Marjorie, the mother of the Scottish national hero Robert the Bruce who acceded to the Scottish throne in 1306 as Robert I, King of Scots, was the Countess of Carrick in her own right. In 1292, Marjorie, Countess of Carrick died and the Earldom of Carrick devolved upon her eldest son, Robert the Bruce. After a string of Bruces and Stewarts (note that the first Stewart king was the grandson of Robert the Bruce) were Earls of Carrick, the title finally settled in the royal Stewarts for good and came along with James VI, King of Scots’ son Henry Frederick to England.

Bruce Earls of Carrick

• Robert the Bruce, Robert I, King of Scots: held the title from 1292 – 1314, then granted the title to his brother Edward
• Edward Bruce, brother of Robert the Bruce: held the title from 1314 – 1318, died in battle without legitimate issue in 1318, title reverted to the crown
• David Bruce, son of Robert the Bruce, Robert I, King of Scots: held the title from 1328–1330, became David II, King of Scots in 1329, granted the title to Alexander Bruce, the illegitimate son of his uncle Edward Bruce
• Alexander Bruce, illegitimate son of Edward Bruce: held the title from 1330 – 1333, died in battle in 1333, title reverted to the crown

Stewart Earls of Carrick

• John Stewart, son of Robert II, King of Scots, the first Stewart King of Scots, and also great-grandson of Robert I, King of Scots: granted the title by his great uncle David II, King of Scots in 1368, became Robert III, King of Scots in 1390
• David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, eldest son of Robert III, King of Scots: granted the title by his father, held the title from 1390–1402, died without children, title reverted to the crown
• James Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, second son of Robert III, King of Scots: granted the title by his father in 1404, became James I, King of Scots in 1406

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Baron of Renfrew

In 1404, the future James I, King of Scots was created Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick and Baron of Renfrew by his father Robert III, King of Scots. Renfrew is a town close to Glasgow, Scotland, closely related to the early Stewarts. In the late 1800s, when The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, wanted to travel incognito, he used the name Lord Renfrew.

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Lord of the Isles

The Lord of the Isles title goes back to the Viking and Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who were vassals of the Kings of Norway, Ireland, or Scotland. During the period of the Stewart Kings of Scots, the predominant Scottish Lord of the Isles family was the MacDonalds. John MacDonald II, 4th Lord of the Isles, wanted to become an independent ruler and made a secret treaty in 1462 with King Edward IV of England.

In 1475, James III, King of Scots discovered what MacDonald had done and the Lordship was forfeited. MacDonald later regained the Lordship but James IV, King of Scots again deprived him of his titles in 1493 after his nephew provoked a rebellion. In 1540 James V, King of Scots granted the Lord of the Isles title to the heirs apparent of the throne of Scotland.

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Prince of Scotland

The title of Prince of Scotland was intended to be used in much the same way the title Prince of Wales was used to designate the heir apparent to the English throne, although the Scottish heir apparent was usually addressed only as Duke of Rothesay.

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Great Steward of Scotland

The title of High Steward or Great Steward is an officer who controls the domestic affairs of the royal household. David I, King of Scots gave the title to Walter Fitz-Alan around 1150. His descendants adopted Steward or Stewart as a surname and then became the name of Scotland’s last royal house.

In 1315, Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I, King of Scots (Robert the Bruce) married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland in 1315. On March 2, 1316, Marjorie, who was pregnant, was riding in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Her horse was suddenly startled and threw her to the ground. Marjorie went into premature labor and her child Robert was delivered by cesarean section at Paisley Abbey. Marjorie died within a few hours. She was 19 years old at the time of her death, like her mother, who was the same age when she died in childbirth delivering Marjorie, and like her mother, was also buried at Paisley Abbey. Her son became Robert II, King of Scots, the first King of Scots of the House of Stewart. Marjorie’s descendants include the House of Stewart, all their successors on the thrones of Scotland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom, and many other European royal families.

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Dukes of Rothesay

Until Queen Anne’s reign, the Stuart Kings and Queens of England were also King and Queens of Scots. In 1707, during the reign of Queen Anne, England and Scotland were formally united into Great Britain by the Acts of Union 1707. The sovereign then was King or Queen of Great Britain. In 1800, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created by the Acts of Union 1800 and King George III went from being titled King of Great Britain to King of the United Kingdom.

(Years after the names are birth and death years, names in bold became King)

Duke of Rothesay	Parent	Other titles
David Stewart (1378 – 1402)	Robert III, King of Scots	Earl of Atholl, Earl of Carrick (never became King)
James Stewart (1394  – 1437)	Robert III, King of Scots	James I, King of Scots, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew
Alexander Stewart (born & died 1430), twin of James, below	James I, King of Scots	No other titles (never became King)
James Stewart (1430 – 1460)	James I, King of Scots	James II, King of Scots
James Stewart (1452 – 1488	James II, King of Scots	James III, King of Scots
James Stewart (1473 – 1513)	James III, King of Scots	James IV, King of Scots, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James Stewart (1507 – 1508	James IV, King of Scots	Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (never became King)
Arthur Stewart (1509 – 1510)	James IV, King of Scots	Duke of Albany, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (never became King)
James Stewart (1512 – 1542)	James IV, King of Scots	James V, King of Scots, Duke of Albany, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James Stewart (1566 – 1625)	Mary, Queen of Scots	James VI, King of Scots, James I, King of England, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Henry Frederick Stuart (1594 – 1612)	James VI, King of Scots, James I, King of England	Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (never became King)
Charles Stuart (1600 – 1649)	James VI, King of Scots, James I, King of England	Charles I, King of England and King of Scots, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Albany, Duke of York, Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Charles James Stuart (born & died 1629)	Charles I, King of England and King of Scots	Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (never became King)
Charles Stuart (1630 –  1685)	Charles I, King of England and King of Scots	Charles II, King of England and King of Scots, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James Francis Edward Stuart, The Old Pretender (1688 – 1766)	James II, King of England and James VII, King of Scots	Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (never became King)
Prince George (1683 – 1760)	George II, King of Great Britain	George II, King of Great Britain, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Hereditary Prince of Hanover, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Cambridge, Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Earl of Milford Haven, Viscount Northallerton, Baron Tewkesbury
Prince Frederick (1707 – 1751)	George II, King of Great Britain	Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Edinburgh, Marquess of Ely, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Earl of Eltham, Viscount Launceston, Baron Snowdon (never became King)
Prince George (1762 – 1830)	George III, King of the United Kingdom	George IV, King of the United Kingdom, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Prince Albert Edward (1841 – 1910)	Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom	Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Earl of Dublin
Prince George (1865 – 1936)	Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom	George V, King of the United Kingdom, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killarney
Prince Edward (1894 – 1972)	George V, King of the United Kingdom	Duke of Windsor, Edward VIII, King of the United Kingdom, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Prince Charles (born 1948)	Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom	Charles III, King of the United Kingdom, Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Prince William (born 1982)	Charles III, King of the United Kingdom	Prince of Wales, Earl of Chester, Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, Baron Carrickfergus, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland

 

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