by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Coronet of an Earl. photo: By SodacanThis W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape. – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10963962

Earl is the third highest rank within the Peerage, preceded by Dukes and Marquesses, in order of creation. There have been 979 Earldoms created in the various peerages, with over 600 different titles. These include 21 Earldoms created for women in their own right. Of the 324 Earldoms still extant, over a hundred of those are held by higher ranking Dukes and Marquesses as subsidiary titles.

The word Earl comes from the Old English word, eorl, meaning a military leader. This likely came from the Scandinavian form of the word, jarl, which meant chieftain. There is no specific female version of the word, but Countess is used for wives of Earls, and for women holding an Earldom in their own right.

The title of Earl dates back to Canute the Great’s conquest of England in 1016. He divided the kingdom into several regions, which were governed by Earls. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, William the Conqueror created the first Earldoms in the Peerage of England. These Earldoms still represented large areas of the country. The eldest is considered to be The Earldom of East Anglia, created for Ralph the Staller in 1067, and later renamed to the Earldom of Norfolk in 1070.

The 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury. photo: By Chris McAndrew – https://api.parliament.uk/Live/photo/O2s9PcHf.jpeg?crop=MCU_3:4&quality=80&download=trueGallery: https://beta.parliament.uk/media/O2s9PcHf, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67598607

The most senior earl – The Premier Earl of England – is the Earl of Arundel, whose title dates back to c1138. Since 1660, it has been one of the subsidiary titles of The Duke of Norfolk, who is also the Premier Duke of England. The current holder is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk.

The most senior Earl with no higher peerage titles is The Earl of Shrewsbury. The title was created in 1442 for John Talbot, Baron Talbot, an English general who served in the Hundred Years’ War. Today, the title is held by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury (who is also 22nd Earl of Waterford, 7th Earl Talbot, 7th Viscount of Ingestre and 7th Baron Dynevor).

Harold Macmillan (later The Earl of Stockton) c1942. source: Wikipedia

The last non-royal Earldom was created in 1984 when former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was created Earl of Stockton and Viscount Macmillan of Ovenden. It was the first Earldom created in over 20 years. The Earl had served as Prime Minister from January 1957 until October 1963.

When a Prince of the Royal Family marries, it has become tradition that he is granted a peerage – usually a Dukedom, and Earldom and a Barony. One notable exception is Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II. Upon his marriage in 1999, he was created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn. It is understood that he will later be created Duke of Edinburgh when the title becomes available.  Prince Edward is also the recipient of the most recent Earldom created for a member of the Royal Family – The Queen created him Earl of Forfar on March 10, 2019, his 55th birthday.

Mary Beaumont Villiers, Countess of Buckingham. source: Wikipedia

There have been 21 Earldoms granted to women in their own right. The 19 women who received these titles are:

• Mary Beaumont Villiers, Countess of Buckingham (c1570-1632) – created Countess of Buckingham in 1618, following the death of her first husband, Sir George Villiers. She is probably best known as the mother of Sir George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. The title became extinct upon her death.
• Elizabeth Darcy Savage, Countess Rivers (1581-1650) – Elizabeth’s father had been created Earl Rivers in 1626. Following his death in 1640, the title passed to Elizabeth’s son. The following year, she was created Countess of Rivers in her own right, in compensation for having been passed over for the hereditary title.
• Katherine Wotton Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield (1609-1667) – Katherine was governess to Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange, and later became one of her closest confidantes and advisors. She later served Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, and Queen Catherine (Catherine of Braganza). She was created Countess of Chesterfield in her own right by King Charles II in 1660.
• Elizabeth Feilding Boyle, Countess of Guilford (d 1667) – a member of the Royal Household of Queen Herietta Maria, Elizabeth was created Countess of Guilford in her own right, for life, in 1660.
• Louise de Penancoët de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth (1649-1734) – Louise was the mistress of King Charles II. In 1673, she was created Duchess of Portsmouth, Countess of Fareham and Baroness Petersfield. The titles, granted for life only, became extinct upon her death in 1734.
• Elizabeth Bayning Lennard, Countess of Sheppey – daughter of the 1st Viscount Bayning, Elizabeth was created Countess of Sheppey, for life only, in 1680.
• Catherine Sedley, Countess of Dorchester (1657-1717) – Catherine was the mistress of KIng James II/VII, having first served as a lady in waiting to his wife, Mary of Modena. The King created her Countess of Dorchester, for life, in 1686.
• Mary Stafford Howard, Countess of Stafford – Mary was the wife of William Howard, Viscount Stafford, who was stripped of his titles due to his part in the Popish Plot in 1678, and was executed in 1680. Several years later, Mary was created Countess of Stafford for life, in 1688 at the same time her son was granted an hereditary Earldom of Stafford.
• Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Munster (1667-1743) – a longtime mistress of King George I. In 1716, she was created Duchess of Munster, Marchioness of Dungannon, Countess of Dungannon and Baroness Dundalk in the Peerage of Ireland. Three years later, she was also created Duchess of Kendal, Countess of Feversham and Baroness Glastonbury in the Peerage of Great Britain. All of her titles were for life only, and went extinct upon her death in 1743.
• Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington and Leinster (1675-1725) – Sophia was a half-sister of King George I. She was created Countess of Leinster in the Peerage of Ireland in 1721, and then Countess of Darlington and Baroness Brentford in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1722. These titles – granted for life only – became extinct upon her death in 1725.
• Petronilla Melusine von der Schulenburg, Countess of Walsingham (1693-1778) – an illegitimate daughter of King George I with his mistress, Ehrengard Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal and Munster. She was created Countess of Walsingham and Baroness Aldborough, for life, in 1722. She also became Countess of Chesterfield by marriage in 1733.
• Amalie von Wendt von Wallmoden, Countess of Yarmouth (1704-1765) – Amalie was the principal mistress of KIng George II. In 1740, she was created Countess of Yarmouth, for life. Amalie holds the distinction of being the last Royal Mistress to be granted a peerage.
• Ellis (Elizabeth) Agar Bermingham, Countess of Brandon (1708-1789) – Ellis was created Countess of Brandon in the Peerage of Ireland in 1758. The title, granted for life only, became extinct upon her death in 1789.
• Elizabeth Cuffe Pakenham, Countess of Longford (1719-1794) – descended from the Earls of Longford from the first creation (1677), Elizabeth was created Countess of Longford, in her own right, in 1785. Unlike previous women granted Earldoms, the Earldom of Longford was created as an hereditary peerage. It is currently held by Thomas Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford.
• Alice Forward Howard, Countess of Wicklow (d. 1807) – Alice was married to Ralph Howard, Viscount Wicklow and Baron Clonmore. Several years after his death, she was created Countess of Wicklow in her own right in 1793. The title was hereditary, but went extinct in 1978.
• Henrietta Laura Johnstone Pulteney, Countess of Bath (1766-1808) – a wealthy heiress, Laura was created Baroness of Bath in 1792, a nod to her mother’s ancestors having held the Earldom of Bath until its extinction in 1794. She was later elevated to Countess of Bath, in her own right, in 1803. The title became extinct upon her death in 1808.
• Annabel Yorke Hume-Campbell, Countess de Grey (1751-1833) – a daughter of the 2nd Earl of Hardwicke, Annabel was created Countess de Grey in her own right in 1816. As she had no children, following her death the title passed to the son of her younger sister. The Earldom de Grey became extinct in 1923.
• Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Countess of Cromartie (1829-1888) – Anne was descended from the Earls of Cromartie, whose titles and estates were forfeited in 1746. In 1861, she was created Countess of Cromartie, Viscountess Tarbat, Baroness Castlehaven and Baroness MacLeod in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, by Queen Victoria. Unusually, the title was granted with remainder to her younger sons, and daughters (her eldest son would inherit his father’s Dukedom of Sutherland). The Cromartie Earldom is currently held by John Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Cromartie.
• Anne Mathews Cave, Countess Cave of Richmond – Anne was the wife of George Cave,1st Viscount Cave, who served as Lord Chancellor from 1922-1924 and 1924-1928. It had been announced that he would be elevated to an Earldom after retiring as Lord Chancellor. However, he died on the day his resignation was accepted, so his wife, Anne, was created Countess Cave of Richmond in her own right. The title was hereditary, but as none of her children lived to adulthood, the Earldom went extinct upon her death in 1938.

Styles and Titles

Earldoms are titled one of two different ways. If the Earldom originates from a place, one is created The Earl of XX (example: The Earl of Shrewsbury). If the Earldom originates from a surname, one is created The Earl XX (example: The Earl Spencer).

• An Earl is styled The Right Hon. The Earl of XX, and is referred to as ‘My Lord’, ‘Your Lordship’, or ‘Lord XX’.
• A Countess is styled The Right Hon. The Countess of XX, and is referred to as ‘My Lady’, ‘Your Ladyship’, or ‘Lady XX’.
• The eldest son of an Earl traditionally uses his father’s most senior, but lower-ranking, subsidiary title as a courtesy title. (If the senior subsidiary title is similar to the name of the Earldom, the next senior title is used).  This used without the article ‘The’ preceding it. Example: the eldest son of The Earl Spencer is styled ‘Viscount Althorp’.
  In the Peerage of Scotland, the heir is styled Master of XX if there are no other subsidiary titles.
• Younger sons of an Earl are styled as ‘The Hon. (first name) (surname)’. Example: The Hon. Edmund Spencer is the younger son of The Earl Spencer.
• All daughters of an Earl are styled as ‘Lady (first name) (surname)’. Example: Lady Kitty Spencer is a daughter of the Earl Spencer.

LIST OF EXTANT EARLDOMS, in order of creation:

Wikipedia: List of Earls in the Peerages of Britain and Ireland

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Coronet of a Marquess. photo: By SodacanThis W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape. – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10963961

Marquess is the second-highest title in the British peerage, holding precedence following Dukes, in order of creation. Currently, there are 55 Marquessates, held by 51 people. For 34 of them, Marquess is their senior title, while the others are subsidiary titles of Dukes.

The word Marquess comes from the french marchis, mean ruler of a border area. Marchis was itself derived from marche – “frontier”, coming from the Latin marcha. Women holding a Marquessate in their own right and wives of a Marquess hold the title Marchioness.

The title of Marquess was first used in England in 1385, when Robert de Vere, the 9th Earl of Oxford was created Marquess of Dublin by King Richard II. Less than a year later, the title was revoked, and de Vere was created Duke of Ireland. In 1397, two additional marquessates – Dorset and Somerset – were granted to John Beaufort, the 1st Earl of somerset. These, two, were revoked two years later. It would be 1442 before the title of Marquess was granted again, and continued so until the 1930s. In total, 135 Marquessates have been created, consisting of 125 different titles. These include 1 woman created a Marchioness in her own right (a title which went extinct upon her death).

The Peerage of England (1385-1707)

• 33 Marquessates created
• 30 different titles
• 1 Marchioness in her own right
• 6 still extant

The Peerage of Scotland (1488-1707)

• 23 Marquessates created
• 22 different titles
• 13 still extant

The Peerage of Great Britain (1707-1801)

• 22 Marquessates created
• 22 different titles
• 8 still extant

The Peerage of Ireland (1642-1801-1825)

• 24 Marquessates created
• 19 different titles
• 10 still extant

The Peerage of the United Kingdom (1801-present)

• 33 Marquessates created
• 32 different titles
• 18 still extant

The most senior Marquess, known as The Premier Marquess of England, is the Marquess of Winchester whose title was created in 1551. He is also the only Marquess in the Peerage of England with no higher ranking Dukedom.

The last non-Royal Marquessate – Marquess of Willingdon – was granted in 1936. However, it became extinct in 1979. The last created, and still extant, is the Marquess of Reading, created in 1926.

Frederick, Prince of Wales. source: Wikipedia

The last Royal Marquessates were granted in 1726 by King George II to two of his sons:

• Prince Frederick was created Duke of Edinburgh, Marquess of the Isle of Ely, Earl of Eltham, Viscount Launceston and Snowdon. Frederick later became Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay, and was the father of King George III. His titles passed to his son, and reverted to the crown upon his accession in 1760.
• Prince William was created Duke of Cumberland, Marquess of Berkhamsted, Earl of Kennington, Viscount Trematon and Baron Alderney. These titles became extinct upon his death in 1765.

The Marquess of Milford Haven, formerly Prince Louis of Battenberg. source: Wikipedia

In addition, three Marquessates were created for relatives of the Royal Family in November 1917, when King George V asked his relatives to relinquish their German titles and styles:

• Prince Adolphus of Teck, The Duke of Teck – became Adolphus Cambridge, was created Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Eltham and Viscount Northallerton
• Prince Louis of Battenberg – became Louis Mountbatten, was created Marquess of Milford Haven, Earl of Medina and Viscount Alderney
• Prince Alexander of Battenberg – became Alexander Mountbatten, created Marquess of Carisbrooke, Earl of Berkhamsted and Viscount Launceston

Anne Boleyn, Queen of England. source: Wikipedia

There has only been one woman created a Marchioness in her own right:

Anne Boleyn (c1501-1536) – in preparation for her wedding to King Henry VIII, she was created Marchioness of Pembroke in her own right in an investiture ceremony held at Windsor Castle on September 1, 1532. The couple married several months later, and Anne was Queen of England until her beheading in 1536. The title was created with remainder to her “heirs male”, making it the first hereditary peerage granted to a woman. However, as she had no sons, the title became extinct upon her death.

Styles and Titles

• A Marquess is styled The Most Honourable The Marquess of XX, and referred to as ‘My Lord’ or ‘Your Lordship’.
• A Marchioness is styled The Most Honourable The Marchioness of XX, and referred to as ‘My Lady’ or ‘Your Ladyship’.
• The eldest son of a Marquess traditionally uses his father’s most senior, but lower-ranking, subsidiary title as a courtesy title. (If the senior subsidiary title is similar to the name of the Marquessate, the next senior title is used). This is used without the article ‘The’ preceding it. For example, the eldest son of the Marquess of Milford Haven is styled ‘Earl of Medina’.
• Younger sons and all daughters of a Marquess are styled as ‘Lord/Lady (first name) (surname)’. Example: Lady Tatiana Mountbatten is the daughter of The Marquess of Milford Haven.

LIST OF EXTANT DUKEDOMS, in order of creation:

PEERAGE OF ENGLAND
Marquess of Winchester
Marquess of Worcester  – subsidiary title of the Duke of Beaufort
Marquess of Tavistock  – subsidiary title of the Duke of Bedford
Marquess of Hartington – subsidiary title of the Duke of Devonshire
Marquess of Blandford – subsidiary title of the Duke of Marlborough
Marquess of Granby – subsidiary title of the Duke of Rutland

PEERAGE OF SCOTLAND
Marquess of Huntly
Marquess of Douglas – subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon
Marquess of Clydesdale – subsidiary title of the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon
Marquess of Montrose – subsidiary title of the Duke of Montrose
Marquess of Atholl – subsidiary title of the Duke of Atholl
Marquess of Queensberry
Marquess of Dumfriesshire – subsidiary title of the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry
Marquess of Tweeddale
Marquess of Kintyre and Lorne – subsidiary title of the Duke of Argyll
Marquess of Lothian
Marquess of Tullibardine – subsidiary title of the Duke of Atholl
Marquess of Graham and Buchanan – subsidiary title of the Duke of Montrose
Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford – subsidiary title of the Duke of Roxburghe

PEERAGE OF GREAT BRITAIN
Marquess of Lansdowne
Marquess of Stafford – subsidiary title of the Duke of Sutherland
Marquess Townshend
Marquess of Salisbury
Marquess of Bath
Marquess of Abercorn – subsidiary title of the Duke of Abercorn
Marquess of Hertford
Marquess of Bute

PEERAGE OF IRELAND
Marquess of Kildare – subsidiary title of the Duke of Leinster
Marquess of Waterford
Marquess of Downshire
Marquess of Donegall
Marquess of Headfort
Marquess of Sligo
Marquess of Ely
Marquess of Londonderry
Marquess Conyngham
Marquess of Hamilton – subsidiary title of the Duke of Abercorn

PEERAGE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Northampton
Marquess Camden
Marquess of Wellington – subsidiary title of the Duke of Wellington
Marquess Douro – subsidiary title of the Duke of Wellington
Marquess of Anglesey
Marquess of Cholmondeley
Marquess of Ailesbury
Marquess of Bristol
Marquess of Ailsa
Marquess of Westminster – subsidiary title of the Duke of Westminster
Marquess of Normanby
Marquess of Abergavenny
Marquess of Zetland
Marquess of Linlithgow
Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair
Marquess of Milford Haven
Marquess of Reading

Multiple Marquessate Holders
The Duke of Abercorn holds the Marquessates of Abercorn and Hamilton
The Duke of Atholl holds the Marquessates of Atholl and Tullibardine
The Duke of Hamilton and Brandon holds the Marquessates of Douglas and Clydesdale
The Duke of Wellington holds the Marquessates of Wellington and Douro

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.