The order of precedence in Scotland was fixed by Royal Warrant in 1905. [1] Amendments were made by further Warrants in 1912, [2] 1952, 1958, [3] 1999 (to coincide with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government) and most recently in 2012. [4] [5]
The relative precedence of peers of Scotland is determined by the Act of Union 1707.
Precedence is accorded to spouses, children and grandchildren of the reigning sovereign, as well as children and grandchildren of former sovereigns.
Position | Holder | Ref |
---|---|---|
The sovereign (regardless of gender) | ![]() | |
Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland [a] | ![]() | |
Sons of the sovereign | ![]() | [6] |
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Grandsons of the sovereign | ![]() | [7] [nb 1] |
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Brothers of the sovereign | ![]() | [6] [9] |
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Uncles of the sovereign | none at present | [6] |
Nephews of the sovereign | ![]() | [6] |
Peter Phillips | ||
Grandsons of former sovereigns who are dukes | ![]() | [9] [nb 2] |
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Grandsons of former sovereigns who are not dukes | David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon | |
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Title | Holder | Ref |
---|---|---|
Lord-Lieutenants | see list below | [12] [1] [5] |
Sheriffs Principal | see list here | [1] [5] |
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | office held by a woman | [1] |
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland | Shaw Patterson | [13] |
Prime Minister | Sir Keir Starmer | |
Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland (First Minister) | John Swinney | [14] [5] [15] |
Presiding Officer | office held by a woman | [5] |
Secretary of State | Ian Murray | |
Lord High Constable | Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll | [1] |
Master of the Household | Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll | [1] |
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | [1] |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Eldest sons of royal dukes who are not already ranked higher | Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (son of the Duke of Gloucester) George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews (son of the Duke of Kent) | |
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
![]() | Marquess of Winchester | [1] |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Eldest sons of dukes according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | [1] |
![]() | Ordered according to the Decreet of Ranking of 1606 according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Younger sons of royal dukes who are not already ranked higher | Lord Nicholas Windsor (second son of the Duke of Kent) | |
Eldest sons of marquesses according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
Younger sons of dukes according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
![]() | Robin Devereux, 19th Viscount Hereford | [1] |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
![]() | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Eldest sons of earls according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
Younger sons of marquesses ordered according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
The order of precedence accorded to women of the royal family:
Position | Holder |
---|---|
Consort of the sovereign | ![]() |
Queens Dowager | none at present |
Daughters-in-law of the sovereign | ![]() |
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Daughters of the sovereign | none at present |
Wives of grandsons of the sovereign | none at present |
Granddaughters of the sovereign | ![]() |
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Sisters-in-law of the sovereign | ![]() |
Sisters of the sovereign | ![]() |
Wives of uncles of the sovereign | none at present |
Aunts of the sovereign | none at present |
Wives of nephews of the sovereign | none at present |
Nieces of the sovereign | ![]() |
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Zara Tindall | |
Wives of grandsons of former sovereigns who are dukes | ![]() |
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Wives of grandsons of former sovereigns who are not dukes | Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon |
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Granddaughters of former sovereigns | Lady Sarah Chatto |
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16. The scales annexed to the royal warrant of 1905, unfortunately, are not exhaustive of all rights of precedence, and appear to have been drawn up without a proper consideration of the Scots law of precedence. Where a person has been omitted from the scales, but has an undoubted precedence by the law of Scotland (such as barons, ambassadors and Irish peers created prior to 1801), the Lord Lyon, in seeing that the warrant is observed and kept, has a duty to give that person an appropriate place in the order of precedence on the appropriate occasion.