Dukedom of York
Arms of Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Creation date	23 June 1986
Creation	Eighth
Created by	Queen Elizabeth II
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Edmund of Langley
Present holder	Prince Andrew
Remainder to	the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles	Earl of Inverness Baron Killyleagh
Status	Extant
Seat(s)	Royal Lodge

Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Duke of Albany. However, King George II and King George III granted the titles Duke of York and Albany.

Initially granted in the 14th century in the Peerage of England, the title Duke of York has been created eight times. The title Duke of York and Albany has been created three times. These occurred during the 18th century, following the 1707 unification of the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into a single, united realm. The double naming was done so that a territorial designation from each of the previously separate realms could be included.

The current Duke of York is Prince Andrew, the younger brother of Charles III. The present Duke's marriage produced two daughters, and he has remained unmarried since his 1996 divorce. As long as Prince Andrew has no legitimate male heirs, the title Duke of York will again revert to the Crown upon his death. A future monarch would then have the ability to bestow the title as a royal dukedom, in what would be its ninth creation. Prince Louis, the second son of William, Prince of Wales, is a likely candidate to be the next Duke of York after the death of his great-uncle, Prince Andrew, and after William becomes King.

History

In the Middle Ages, York was the main city of the North of England and the see of the Archbishop of York from AD 735. Yorkshire is England's largest shire in area.

York under its Viking name "Jorvik" was a petty kingdom in the Early Medieval period. In the interval between the fall of independent Jorvik under Eric Bloodaxe, last king of Jorvik (d. 954), and the first creation of the Dukedom of York, there were a few earls of York.

The title Duke of York was first created in the Peerage of England in 1385 for Edmund of Langley. His son Edward, who inherited the title, was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The title passed to Edward's nephew Richard, the son of Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge (who had been executed for plotting against King Henry V). The younger Richard managed to obtain a restoration of the title, but when his eldest son, who inherited the title, became king in 1461 as Edward IV, the title merged into the Crown.

The title was next created for Richard of Shrewsbury, second son of King Edward IV. Richard was one of the Princes in the Tower, and, as he died without heirs, the title became extinct at his death.

The third creation was for Henry Tudor, second son of King Henry VII. When his elder brother Arthur, Prince of Wales, died in 1502, Henry became heir-apparent to the throne. When Henry ultimately became King Henry VIII in 1509, his titles merged into the crown.

The title was created for the fourth time for Charles Stuart, second son of James I. When his elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, died in 1612, Charles became heir-apparent. He was created Prince of Wales in 1616 and eventually became Charles I in 1625 when the title again merged into the Crown.

The fifth creation was in favour of James Stuart, the second son of Charles I. New York, its capital Albany, and New York City, were named for this particular Duke of Albany and York. In 1664, Charles II of England granted American territory between the Delaware and Connecticut rivers to his younger brother James. Following its capture by the English the former Dutch territory of New Netherland and its principal port, New Amsterdam, were named the Province and City of New York in James's honour. After the founding, the Duke gave part of the colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley. Fort Orange, 150 miles (240 km) north on the Hudson River, was renamed Albany after James's Scottish title.^[1][2][3] When his elder brother, King Charles II, died without heirs, James succeeded to the throne as King James II of England and King James VII of Scotland, and the title once again merged into the Crown.

During the 18th century the double dukedom of York and Albany was created a number of times in the Peerage of Great Britain. The title was first held by Duke Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Bishop of Osnabrück, the youngest brother of King George I. He died without heirs, and the title reverted to the Crown. The second creation of the double dukedom was for Prince Edward, younger brother of King George III, who also died without heirs, having never married. Again, the title reverted to the Crown. The third and last creation of the double dukedom was for Prince Frederick Augustus, the second son of King George III. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army for many years, and was the original "Grand old Duke of York" in the popular rhyme. He too died without legitimate heirs, leaving the title, once again, to revert to the Crown.

The sixth creation of the Dukedom of York (without being combined with Albany) was for Prince George, second son of the, then current, Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. He was created Duke of York following the death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. The title merged with the Crown when George succeeded his father as King George V.

The seventh creation was for Prince Albert, second son of King George V, and younger brother of the future King Edward VIII. Albert came unexpectedly to the throne when his brother abdicated, and took the name George VI, the Dukedom then merging into the Crown.

The title was created for the eighth time for Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II. As of 2022, the only legitimate offspring are his two daughters from his marriage to Sarah, Duchess of York. Thus, if he has no future (legitimate) sons, the title will again become extinct—reverting to the Crown—upon his death.

Aside from the first creation, every time the Dukedom of York has been created it has had only one occupant, that person either inheriting the throne or dying without male heirs.

Dukes of York

First creation, 1385–1461

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Edmund of Langley 1385–1402[4] also: Earl of Cambridge (1362)		5 June 1341 Kings Langley 4th surviving son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault	Isabella of Castile 11 July 1372 - 23 December 1392 3 children Joan Holland c. 4 November 1393 no children	1 August 1402 Epworth, Lincolnshire aged 61
Edward of Norwich 1402–1415[5] also: Duke of Aumale (1397–1399), Earl of Cambridge (1362–1414), Earl of Rutland (1390–1402), Earl of Cork (c. 1396)		1373 Norwich son of 1st Duke by his first wife Isabella of Castile	Philippa de Mohun no children	25 October 1415 Battle of Agincourt aged 42
Richard of York 1415–1460[6] also: Lord Protector of England, Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall (1460, see Act of Accord); Earl of Ulster (1264), Earl of March (1328), Earl of Cambridge (1414, restored 1426), feudal Lord of Clare (bt. 1066–1075), Baron Mortimer of Wigmore (1331)		21 September 1411 Nephew of 2nd Duke and son of Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge (attainted and executed for treason in August 1415) and Anne de Mortimer; restored in blood	Cecily Neville 1437 13 children	30 December 1460 Wakefield aged 49
Edward Plantagenet 1460–1461[7] also: Earl of Ulster (1264), Earl of March (1328), Earl of Cambridge (1414), feudal Lord of Clare (bt. 1066–1075), Baron Mortimer of Wigmore (1331)		28 April 1442 Rouen son of 3rd Duke by his wife Cecily Neville	Elizabeth Woodville 1 May 1464 10 children	9 April 1483 Westminster aged 40
Edward Plantagenet seized the throne in 1461 as Edward IV and the title of duke merged in the crown.

Second creation, 1474

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Richard of Shrewsbury 1474–1483 also: Duke of Norfolk (1477), Earl of Norfolk (1477), Earl of Nottingham (1476), possibly Earl of Warenne (1477)		17 August 1473 Shrewsbury Second son of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville	Anne de Mowbray 15 January 1478 no children	Disappeared in the Tower of London, with his older brother, the "Princes in the Tower".
Richard disappeared without known issue and the title of duke became extinct.

Third creation, 1494

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Henry Tudor 1494–1509[8] also: Prince of Wales (1504), Duke of Cornwall (1502)		28 June 1491 Greenwich Palace, London son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York	Catherine of Aragon 11 June 1509 – 23 May 1533 (annulment) 1 surviving daughter, others stillborn or briefly-lived Anne Boleyn 25 January 1533 – 17 May 1536 (annulment) 1 daughter Jane Seymour 30 May 1536 – 24 October 1537 1 son Anne of Cleves 6 January 1540 – 9 July 1540 (annulment) no children Catherine Howard 28 July 1540 – 23 November 1541 no children Catherine Parr 12 July 1543 no children	28 January 1547 Whitehall Palace, London aged 55
Henry succeeded as Henry VIII in 1509 upon his father's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.

Fourth creation, 1605

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Charles Stuart 1605–1625[9] also: Duke of Albany (1600); Prince of Wales (1616), Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay (1612)		19 November 1600 Dunfermline Palace, Dunfermline son of James I and Anne of Denmark	Henrietta Maria of France 13 June 1625 9 children	30 January 1649 Whitehall Palace, London aged 48
Charles succeeded as Charles I in 1625 upon his father's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.

Fifth creation, 1633/1644

James was styled Duke of York from birth and officially created as such in 1644.

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
James Stuart 1633/1644–1685[10] also: Duke of Albany (1660), Earl of Ulster (1659)		14 October 1633 St. James's Palace, London son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of France	Anne Hyde 3 September 1660 8 children Mary of Modena 21 November 1673 7 children	16 September 1701 Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris aged 67
James succeeded as James II in 1685 upon his brother's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.

Jacobite creation, 1725

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Henry Benedict Stuart 1725–1788[10] also: Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church (1747), Dean of the College of Cardinals (1803)		6 March 1725 Palazzo Muti Rome Papal States son of "James III and VIII" (Jacobite Pretender) and Maria Clementina Sobieska	____	13 July 1807 Frascati, Rome aged 82
Henry succeeded his brother as Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland in 1788, calling himself "Henry IX", but was not recognized in Britain as a Duke, let alone as King.

Sixth creation, 1892

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
George Frederick Ernest Albert House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1892–1910 also: Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney (1892); Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Duke of Rothesay (1901)		3 June 1865 Marlborough House son of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark	Mary of Teck 6 July 1893 6 children	20 January 1936 Sandringham House, Sandringham aged 70
George succeeded as George V in 1910 upon his father's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.

Seventh creation, 1920

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Albert Frederick Arthur George House of Windsor 1920–1936[11] also: Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney (1920)		14 December 1895 Sandringham House, Sandringham son of George V and Mary of Teck	Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 26 April 1923 2 daughters	6 February 1952 Sandringham House, Sandringham aged 56
Albert succeeded as George VI in 1936 upon his brother's abdication and the title of duke merged with the crown. As Albert had no male issue, the title would have gone extinct even if he had not become king.

Eighth creation, 1986

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Andrew Albert Christian Edward House of Windsor 1986[12] also: Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh (1986)		19 February 1960 Buckingham Palace son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh	Sarah Ferguson 23 July 1986 – 30 May 1996 (divorce) 2 daughters	– now 63 years, 329 days old

Family trees

Places and things named after the dukes of York

See also

• Duke of Albany
• Duke of York and Albany
• Earl of Inverness, a subsidiary title of the current creation
• Baron Killyleagh, a subsidiary title of the current creation
• Henry Benedict Stuart, created Duke of York in the Jacobite Peerage by his father the titular King James III in 1725. Living in Italy as a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, he called himself the "Cardinal Duke of York" (or "Cardinal called Duke of York") for most of his life and was recognised as such by the Papacy, Modena, France, and Spain. He became the Jacobite pretender himself as "Henry IX" in 1788. The last surviving legitimate descendant of James II, his grandfather, he died without issue in 1807.

References

Sources

• Miller, John (2000). James II, 3rd ed. ISBN 0-300-08728-4.

External links

• The Duke of York at the Royal Family website