Dukes in the United Kingdom: Difference between revisions

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Duke, in the United Kingdom, is the highest-ranking hereditary title in all four peerages of the British Isles. A duke thus outranks all other holders of titles of nobility (marquess, earl, viscount and baron).

The wife of a duke is known as a duchess, which is also the title of a woman who holds a dukedom in her own right, referred to as a duchess suo jure. Her husband, however, does not receive any title. In the order of precedence in the United Kingdom, non-royal dukes without state offices or positions generally take precedence before all other nobility, in order of date of creation, but after royalty and certain officers of state.

Royal Dukedoms

A Royal Duke is a duke who is a member of the British royal family, entitled to the style of "His Royal Highness". The current Royal Dukedoms are, in order of precedence:

Duke of Edinburgh, held by Prince Philip
Duke of Cornwall (England) and Duke of Rothesay (Scotland), held by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Duke of York, held by Prince Andrew
Duke of Cambridge held by Prince William
Duke of Sussex held by Prince Henry
Duke of Gloucester, held by Prince Richard
Duke of Kent, held by Prince Edward of Kent (who should not be confused with the Earl of Wessex)

With the exceptions of the dukedoms of Cornwall and Rothesay (which can only be held by the eldest son of the Sovereign), royal dukedoms are hereditary, according to the terms of the Letters Patent that created them, which usually contain the standard remainder to the "heirs male of his body".

The British monarch also holds and is entitled to the revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster, and within the borders of the County Palatine of Lancashire is by tradition saluted as "The Duke of Lancaster". Even when the monarch is a Queen regnant, she does not use the title of Duchess.

A royal duke cannot stand for election to the House of Commons or speak on political subjects in the House of Lords.^[1]

Forms of address

Begin: My Lord Duke
Address: His Grace the Duke of _____
Speak to as: Your Grace (formal and employees), Duke (social)
Ceremonial, formal, or legal title: The Most High, Noble and Potent Prince His Grace [forename], Duke of _____

Coronet

A British or Irish Duke is entitled to a coronet (a silver-gilt circlet, chased as jewelled but not actually gemmed) bearing eight conventional strawberry leaves on the rim of the circlet. The physical coronet is worn only at coronations. Any peer can bear his coronet of rank on his coat of arms above the shield.

References

^ Clive Wigram's conversation with Sir Claud Schuster, Clerk to the Crown and Permanent Secretary to the Lord Chancellor quoted in Bradford, p. 201

External links

Ten Dukes a-dining: a photo of ten of the 24 non-royal dukes in the United Kingdom

[1] Clive Wigram's conversation with Sir Claud Schuster, Clerk to the Crown and Permanent Secretary to the Lord Chancellor quoted in Bradford, p. 201

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{refimprove|date=July 2008}}
-'''Duke''', in the [[United Kingdom]], is the highest-ranking [[hereditary title]] in all four [[peerage]]s of the [[British Isles]]. A [[duke]] thus outranks all other holders of titles of nobility ([[Marquis|Marquess]], [[Earl]], [[Viscount]] and [[Baron]]).
+'''Duke''', in the [[United Kingdom]], is the highest-ranking [[hereditary title]] in all four [[peerage]]s of the [[British Isles]]. A [[duke]] thus outranks all other holders of titles of nobility ([[Marquis|marquess]], [[earl]], [[viscount]] and [[baron]]).
-The wife of a duke is known as a duchess, which is also the title of a woman who holds a dukedom in her own right, referred to as a duchess ''[[suo jure]]''; her husband, however, does not receive any title.  In the [[United Kingdom order of precedence|order of precedence]] in the United Kingdom, non-Royal Dukes without state offices or positions generally take precedence before all other nobility, [[List of Dukes in order of precedence#Order of precedence|in order of date of creation]], but after Royalty and certain Officers of State.
+The wife of a duke is known as a duchess, which is also the title of a woman who holds a dukedom in her own right, referred to as a duchess ''[[suo jure]]''. Her husband, however, does not receive any title. In the [[United Kingdom order of precedence|order of precedence in the United Kingdom]], non-royal dukes without state offices or positions generally take precedence before all other nobility, [[List of Dukes in order of precedence#Order of precedence|in order of date of creation]], but after royalty and certain officers of state.
 ==Royal Dukedoms==
 {{main|Royal Dukedoms in the United Kingdom}}
-A '''Royal Duke''' is a duke who is a member of the [[British Royal Family]], entitled to the [[Royal and noble styles|style]] of "His Royal Highness". The current Royal Dukedoms are, in order of precedence:
+A '''Royal Duke''' is a duke who is a member of the [[British royal family]], entitled to the [[Royal and noble styles|style]] of "His [[Royal Highness]]". The current Royal Dukedoms are, in order of precedence:
 *[[Duke of Edinburgh]], held by [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip]]
 *[[Duke of Cornwall]] ([[Order of precedence in England and Wales|England]]) and [[Duke of Rothesay]] ([[Order of precedence in Scotland|Scotland]]), held by [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles, Prince of Wales]]
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 *[[Duke of Kent]], held by [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent|Prince Edward of Kent]] (who should not be confused with the [[Earl of Wessex]])
-With the exceptions of the dukedoms of Cornwall and Rothesay (which can only be held by the eldest son of the Sovereign), royal dukedoms are hereditary, according to the terms of the [[Letters Patent]] that created them, which usually contain the standard remainder to the "heirs male of his body". The British monarch also holds and is entitled to the revenues of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]], and within the borders of the [[County Palatine]] of [[Lancashire]] is by tradition saluted as "The Duke of Lancaster". Even when the monarch is a [[Queen regnant]], she does not use the title of ''Duchess''.
+With the exceptions of the dukedoms of Cornwall and Rothesay (which can only be held by the eldest son of the Sovereign), royal dukedoms are hereditary, according to the terms of the [[Letters Patent]] that created them, which usually contain the standard remainder to the "heirs male of his body".
+The British monarch also holds and is entitled to the revenues of the [[Duchy of Lancaster]], and within the borders of the [[County Palatine]] of [[Lancashire]] is by tradition saluted as "The Duke of Lancaster". Even when the monarch is a [[Queen regnant]], she does not use the title of ''Duchess''.
+A royal duke cannot stand for election to the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] or speak on political subjects in the [[House of Lords]].<ref>[[Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram|Clive Wigram]]'s conversation with Sir [[Claud Schuster]], Clerk to the Crown and Permanent Secretary to the [[Lord Chancellor]] quoted in Bradford, p. 201</ref>
 ==Forms of address==