Duke of Richmond

Last updated

Dukedom of Richmond
is held with
Dukedom of Lennox
and
Dukedom of Gordon
Coronet of a British Duke.svg
Duke of Richmond CoA.svg
Quarterly: 1st and 4th grand quarters, the Royal Arms of Charles II (viz. quarterly: 1st and 4th, France and England quarterly; 2nd, Scotland; 3rd, Ireland); the whole within a bordure compony argent charged with roses gules barbed and seeded proper and the last; overall an escutcheon gules charged with three buckles or (Dukedom of Aubigny); 2nd grand quarter, argent a saltire engrailed gules between four roses of the second barbed and seeded proper (Lennox); 3rd grand quarter, quarterly, 1st, azure three boars' heads couped or (Gordon); 2nd, or three lions' heads erased gules (Badenoch); 3rd, or three crescents within a double tressure flory counter-flory gules (Seton); 4th, azure three cinquefoils argent (Fraser).
Creation date1675
Created by Charles II
Peerage Peerage of England
First holder Charles Lennox
Present holder Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond
Heir apparentCharles Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara
Remainder tothe 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles Earl of March
Earl of Darnley
Earl of Kinrara
Baron Settrington
Lord Torbolton
Duke of Aubigny
Seat(s) Goodwood House
Former seat(s) Gordon Castle

Duke of Richmond is a title in the Peerage of England that has been created four times in British history. It has been held by members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families.

Contents

The current dukedom of Richmond was created in 1675 [lower-alpha 1] for Charles Lennox, the illegitimate son of Charles II of England and one of his mistresses, the Breton noblewoman Louise de Penancoët de Kérouaille; Charles Lennox was also made Duke of Lennox a month later. Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond was furthermore created Duke of Gordon in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1876, meaning that the Duke holds three dukedoms—plus, in pretence, the French Duchy of Aubigny-sur-Nère.

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 was held without a title. The dukedom of Richmond emerged under Henry VIII.

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 Henry VIII. His mother was Elizabeth Blount. Upon the Duke's death without children in 1536, his titles became extinct.

The second creation was in 1623 for Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox (see Lennox (district)) (1574–1624), who also held other titles in the peerage of Scotland. He was created Earl of Richmond 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 VI & I himself) in the House of Stuart. These became extinct at his death in 1624, but his Scottish honours devolved on his brother Esmé, Earl of March, 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, 3rd Duke of Richmond and 6th Duke of Lennox, both titles again became extinct. [1]

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, Duchess of Portsmouth. Charles Lennox was further created Duke of Lennox a month later. Charles' son, also Charles, succeeded to the French title Duke of Aubigny (of Aubigny-sur-Nère) on the death of his grandmother in 1734. The 6th Duke of Richmond and Lennox was created Duke of Gordon (See Clan Gordon) in 1876. Thus, the Duke holds three (four, if the French Aubigny claim is accepted) dukedoms; [1] three, equal since 2022 to Prince William, Duke of Cornwall, of Rothesay and of Cambridge.

The subsidiary titles of the dukedom created in 1675 are Earl of March (created 1675), Earl of Darnley (1675), Earl of Kinrara (1876), Baron Settrington, of Settrington in the County of York (1675), and Lord Torbolton (1675).

Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, by Allan Warren. 10th Duke of Richmond & Gordon & 5th Duke of Lennox colour.jpg
Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, by Allan Warren.
The 11th and current Duke, Charles Gordon-Lennox. Lord March.JPG
The 11th and current Duke, Charles Gordon-Lennox.

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 Earl of Darnley and Lord Torbolton were created in the peerage of Scotland 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 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 near Chichester, West Sussex.

Dukes of Richmond and Somerset (1525)

Created by Henry VIII of England
#NamePeriodDuchessNotesOther titles
1 Henry FitzRoy
1519–1536		1525–1536 Lady Mary Howard Extramarital son of Henry VIII Earl of Nottingham

Dukes of Richmond (1623)

Created by James I of England
#NamePeriodDuchessNotesOther titles
1 Ludovic Stewart
1574–1624		1623–1624 Lady Frances Howard Second cousin and favourite of James I Duke of Lennox
Earl of Lennox
Earl of Richmond

Dukes of Richmond (1641)

Created by Charles I of England
#NamePeriodDuchessNotesOther titles
1 James Stewart
1612–1655		1641–1655 Lady Mary Villiers Nephew of Ludovic Stewart,
1st Duke of Richmond 		Duke of Lennox
Earl of Lennox
Earl of March
Baron Clifton
2 Esmé Stewart
1649–1660		1655–1660unmarriedSon of the preceding
3 Charles Stewart
1639–1672		1660–1672Lady Elizabeth Rogers
Lady Margaret Banaster
Lady Frances Stewart 		Cousin of the preceding Duke of Lennox
Earl of Lennox
Earl of March
Earl of Lichfield
Baron Clifton

Dukes of Richmond (1675)

Created by Charles II of England
No.NamePeriodDuchessNotesOther titles
1 Charles Lennox
1672–1723		1675–1723Lady Anne BrudenellExtramarital son of Charles II Duke of Lennox
Earl of March
Earl of Darnley
Baron of Settrington
Lord of Torboulton
2 Charles Lennox
1701–1750		1723–1750 Lady Sarah Cadogan Son of the preceding
3 Charles Lennox
1735–1806		1750–1806Lady Mary BruceSon of the preceding
4 Charles Lennox
1764–1819		1806–1819 Lady Charlotte Gordon Nephew of the preceding
5 Charles Gordon-Lennox
1791–1860		1819–1860Lady Caroline PagetSon of the preceding
6 Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox
1818–1903		1860–1903Frances GrevilleSon of the preceding Duke of Lennox
Duke of Gordon
Earl of March
Earl of Darnley
Earl of Kinrara
Baron of Settrington
Lord of Torboulton
7 Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox
1845–1928		1903–1928widowedSon of the preceding
8 Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox
1870–1935		1928–1935 Hilda Brassey Son of the preceding
9 Frederick Charles Gordon-Lennox
1904–1989		1935–1989Elizabeth HudsonSon of the preceding
10 Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox
1929–2017		1989–2017Susan Grenville-GreySon of the preceding
11 Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox
b. 1955		since 2017The Honourable Janet Elizabeth AstorSon of the preceding

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

Line of succession (simplified)

[2]

Coat of arms (full achievement)

Coat of arms of Charles Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond
Coat of arms of the duke of Richmond, Lennox and Gordon.png
Adopted
1876
Coronet
Coronet of a Duke
Crest
1st, a Bull's Head erased Sable horned Or; 2nd, on a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Lion statant guardant Or crowned with a Ducal Coronet Gules and gorged with a Collar company of four pieces Argent charged with eight Roses Gules and the last; 3rd, out of a Ducal Coronet a Stag's Head affrontée proper attired with ten Tynes Or
Helm
Open barred helmet
Escutcheon
Quarterly: 1st and 4th grand quarters, the Royal Arms of Charles II (viz. quarterly: 1st and 4th, France and England quarterly; 2nd, Scotland; 3rd, Ireland); the whole within a bordure company argent charged with roses gules barbed and seeded proper and the last; overall an escutcheon gules charged with three buckles or (Dukedom of Aubigny); 2nd grand quarter, argent a saltire engrailed gules between four roses of the second barbed and seeded proper (Lennox); 3rd grand quarter, quarterly, 1st, azure three boars' heads couped or (Gordon); 2nd, or three lions' heads erased gules (Badenoch); 3rd, or three crescents within a double tressure flory counter-flory gules (Seton); 4th, azure three cinquefoils argent (Fraser).
Motto
1st crest: Avant Darnlie (referring to Stuart dynasty) [3]
2nd crest: En La Rose Je Fleuris (Anglo-Norman: "I flourish in the rose")
3rd crest: Bydand (war cry of Clan Gordon) [3]
Coat of arms from A tour in Wales by Thomas Pennant; c. 1773-1776 Arms of Duke of Richmond 02817.jpg
Coat of arms from A tour in Wales by Thomas Pennant; c. 1773–1776

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) and compony azure and argent (for Somerset), a baton sinister argent for bastardy, and overall an escutcheon of Nottingham.

Family tree

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Lennox's mother was a Breton noble, and it is thought that the Richmond title was chosen to allude to the extinct Earldom of Richmond which was held between 1136 and 1384 by members of the ducal family of Brittany.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Gloucester</span> Aristocratic title

Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title, 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 and Baron Culloden.

Duke of Buckingham, referring to Buckingham, is an extinct title that has been created several times in the peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. There were creations of double dukedoms of Buckingham and Normanby and of Buckingham and Chandos. The last holder of the dukedom died in 1889.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Lichfield</span> Earldom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom (1831). The third creation is extant and is held by a member of the Anson family.

The Dukedoms of Richmond and of Lennox have usually been held by the same person since 1623. In 1675, King Charles II created his illegitimate son Charles Lennox Duke of Richmond and Duke of Lennox, and the two Dukedoms have since been held concurrently by Lennox's descendants. Since 1734 he has also held the Dukedom of Aubigny. Since 1876 he has also held the Dukedom of Gordon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Lennox</span> Title created several times in the peerage of Scotland

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 Lennox. The second duke was made Duke of Richmond; at his death, the dukedom of Richmond became extinct. The fourth duke was also created Duke of Richmond; at the death of the sixth duke, both dukedoms became extinct. The Dukedom of Richmond and one month later that of Lennox were created in 1675 for Charles Lennox, an illegitimate son of Charles II. The Duke of Richmond and Lennox was created Duke of Gordon in 1876. Thus, the duke holds four dukedoms, more than any other person in the realm; or three, equal since 2022 to Prince William, Duke of Cornwall, of Rothesay and of Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Gordon</span> Peerage of Scotland, and of the United Kingdom

The title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Earl of March is a title that has been created several times, respectively, in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derives from the "marches" or borderlands between England and either Wales or Scotland, and it was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those districts. Later, however, the title came to be granted as an honorary dignity, and ceased to carry any associated power in the marches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Darnley</span> Hereditary title in the Peerage of Scotland

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond</span> Illegitimate son of Charles II of England

Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox, of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was the youngest of the seven illegitimate sons of King Charles II, and was that king's only son by his French-born mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. He was appointed Hereditary Constable of Inverness Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond</span> British politician and peer

Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, 2nd Duke of Gordon,, 7th Duke of Aubigny, styled Lord Settrington until 1860 and Earl of March between 1860 and 1903, was a British politician and peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Lennox</span> Scottish title

The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond</span> Scottish nobleman

James Stewart, 1st Duke of Richmond, 4th Duke of Lennox KG, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a Scottish nobleman. A third cousin of King Charles I, he was a Privy Councillor and a key member of the Royalist party in the English Civil War. In 1641–42, he served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. He spent five months in exile in 1643, returning to England to defend the city of Oxford for the king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Gordon-Lennox, 8th Duke of Richmond</span> British peer and politician

Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 8th Duke of Richmond, 8th Duke of Lennox, 3rd Duke of Gordon, known as Lord Settrington 1870–1903, and as Earl of March 1903–1928, was a British peer and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Clifton</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Clifton, of Leighton Bromswold in the County of Huntingdon, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1608 for Sir Gervase Clifton, who commissioned Prebendal house which was built by John Thorpe and later owned by the Clifton baronets branch of the family. The peerage was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. Lord Clifton died without surviving male issue and was succeeded by his daughter Katherine, the second Baroness. She married Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox. They were both succeeded by their eldest son James, the fourth Duke and third Baron. When he died the titles passed to his son, the fifth Duke and fourth Baron. On his death in 1660 at the age of 11, the barony separated from the dukedom. The barony was inherited by the late Duke's sister Mary, the fifth Baroness. She married Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran, but died aged only 18. She was succeeded by her first cousin the sixth Duke of Lennox, who became the sixth Baron Clifton as well. He was the son of Lord George Stuart, the fourth son of the third Duke and the second Baroness Clifton. On his death, the barony and dukedom again separated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond</span> 10th Duke of Richmond, 10th Duke of Lennox and 5th Duke of Gordon (1929–2017)

Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 10th Duke of Richmond, 10th Duke of Lennox, 10th Duke of Aubigny, 5th Duke of Gordon, styled Lord Settrington until 1935 and Earl of March and Kinrara between 1935–89, was a British peer and landowner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox</span> Scottish nobleman

Esmé Stewart, 3rd Duke of Lennox, KG, 7th Seigneur d'Aubigny, lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was a Scottish nobleman and through their paternal lines was a second cousin of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. He was a patron of the playwright Ben Jonson who lived in his household for five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond</span> British aristocrat

Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, 11th Duke of Lennox, 11th Duke of Aubigny, 6th Duke of Gordon,, styled Lord Settrington until 1989 and then Earl of March and Kinrara until 2017, is a British aristocrat and owner of Goodwood Estate in Sussex. He is the founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke of Aubigny</span> French peerage held by British noble

Duke of 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 Charles's illegitimate issue by her, namely to the descendants of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox (1672–1723) of Goodwood House in Sussex. Louis XIV also granted her the Château de la Verrerie, a former secondary seat of the Stewart Seigneurs d'Aubigny, Franco-Scottish cousins of the Stewart monarchs, seated from 1422 to 1672 at the Château d'Aubigny in the parish and manor of Aubigny-sur-Nère in the ancient province of Berry in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny</span> Scottish nobleman and royalist military commander

Lord George Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny was an Anglo-Scottish nobleman of French descent and a third cousin of King Charles I of England. He supported that king during the Civil War as a Royalist commander and was killed, aged 24, at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.

Duke, in the United Kingdom, is the highest-ranking hereditary title in all five peerages of the British Isles. A duke thus outranks all other holders of titles of nobility.

References

  1. 1 2 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Richmond, Earls and Dukes of"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 306–307.
  2. ↑ Morris, Susan; Bosberry-Scott, Wendy; Belfield, Gervase, eds. (2019). "Richmond and Gordon, Duke of". Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. Vol. 1 (150th ed.). London: Debrett's Ltd. pp. 2935–2940. ISBN   978-1-999767-0-5-1.
  3. 1 2 "His Grace's Coat of Arms". The History Guide. 14 August 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.