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In the United Kingdom, Peers of the Blood Royal are members of the Peerage who are sons or grandsons of a Sovereign (including former Sovereigns). The eldest son of the Sovereign automatically holds the Dukedom of Cornwall, the Dukedom of Rothesay and related titles. Furthermore, he is by convention created Prince of Wales. Other senior members—especially the sons of the Sovereign—of the Royal Family usually receive dukedoms. Currently, the peers of the Blood Royal include the three sons of Elizabeth II—the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex—and two grandsons of George V—the Duke of Kent and the Duke of Gloucester. None of the three grandsons of Queen Elizabeth II are peers.
Peers of the Blood Royal, and other sons and grandsons of Sovereigns in the male line, are Princes styled His Royal Highness. Some peers belong to the Royal Family but are not Princes of the Blood Royal. For instance, The Duke of Edinburgh is the consort of The Queen, but is not of the "Blood Royal."
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The Sovereign is the fount of honour and source of all peerage dignities. The Sovereign, however, may not him- or her-self hold a peerage dignity. As the House of Lords decided in the Buckhurst Peerage Case, "the fountain and source of all dignities cannot hold a dignity from himself." There is, however, no prohibition on holding dignities from foreign Sovereigns. Thus, William I was also Duke of Normandy in France, and many of the monarchs of the Hanoverian dynasty were Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire.
If the Sovereign should ever inherit a peerage dignity, that dignity becomes merged in the Crown and ceases to exist. Additionally, if a peer becomes Sovereign, his peerages all merge in the Crown. Exceptions, however, exist for the Dukedom of Cornwall, the Dukedom of Rothesay and the Earldom of Carrick. Those dignities normally belong to the eldest son of the Sovereign; when that eldest son ascends to the Crown, they automatically pass to his eldest son. If the eldest son does not have children, the peerage dignities do not merge in the Crown and cease to exist; rather, they lapse in the Crown: they are construed as existing, but are not used. The effect of a Sovereign becoming a co-heir to an abeyant peerage dignity has never been determined. It would be within the Crown's prerogative to terminate the abeyance in its own favour; in such a case, the dignity would merge in the Crown.
It is often wrongly assumed that the Sovereign is Duke of Lancaster. The dukedom was created in 1362 for John of Gaunt, whose heir became King Henry IV in 1399, the dukedom merging in the Crown. The dukedom was created one further time, but its holder became King Henry V, the dukedom again merging in the Crown. Thus, the Dukedom of Lancaster does not exist, though the Duchy of Lancaster does. The Duchy is an estate—not a peerage dignity. The Duchy does not form a part of the Crown Estate, whose revenues have been turned over to the Exchequer in return for an annual Civil List payment. The income of the Duchy is the personal income of the Sovereign and forms the Privy Purse; it is tax-exempt, but since 1992, Queen Elizabeth II has voluntarily paid income tax. The Duchy's chief officer is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, but is in practice run by a deputy, with the Chancellor normally serving as a member of the Cabinet without any specific duties.
Female consorts of the Sovereign have generally not been created peers or peeresses. A notable exception occurred in 1532, when Henry VIII created Anne Boleyn Marchioness of Pembroke before marrying her. Male consorts, however, have sometimes been granted dukedoms. The husband of Mary I was already King of Spain, and that of Mary II was jointly Sovereign in England, so neither of them received peerage dignities. Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Anne (later Queen Anne), was created Duke of Cumberland in 1683. Victoria's husband was given the title of Prince Consort, but was not made a peer. The Prince Philip, husband of the present Queen, was created Duke of Edinburgh upon his marriage to her (which occurred prior to her accession).
The eldest son of the Sovereign, from the moment he becomes heir-apparent, holds the Dukedom of Cornwall (an English dignity) and several Scottish dignities, including the Dukedom of Rothesay. He must be created Prince of Wales formally before he may assume that title. In England and Northern Ireland, the Sovereign's eldest son uses the title Duke of Cornwall is used by the heir-apparent until created Prince of Wales. In Scotland, however, the title Duke of Rothesay is used at all times.
The Dukedom of Cornwall always belongs to the eldest son of the Sovereign. Cornwall was the first dukedom ever conferred in England, being created for Edward, the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward III in 1336. After Edward predeceased the King, the dukedom was recreated for his son, the future Richard II. Under a charter of 1421, the dukedom passes to the Sovereign's eldest son and heir.
If the eldest son should die without issue, the eldest of his brothers assumes the title. But if the eldest son dies leaving an heir, that heir does not assume the title, as he would be a grandson, not the eldest surviving son, of the Sovereign. It is thus possible to succeed to the title upon birth, upon the accession of one's parent or upon the death of one's brother.
Traditionally, each Duke of Cornwall is entitled to receive certain feudal dues. The current Duke received his dues at Launceston Castle in 1973; they included a pair of white gloves, a pair of greyhounds, a pound of pepper and cumin, a pair of gilt spurs, one hundred silver shillings, a bow, a spear and firewood. The Duke of Cornwall is also entitled to the income of the Duchy's lands to cover the cost of his public functions. Should there be no Duke of Cornwall at any time, the income of the Duchy goes to the Crown. The Duchy includes over 570 square kilometres of land, most of which lies in Devon. In 2003, the Duchy earned £9,943,000, a sum that was exempt from income tax (but the Prince of Wales elected to pay the tax voluntarily).
The Arms of the Duke of Cornwall are sable fifteen bezants Or, that is, a black field bearing fifteen gold coins. A small shield bearing these arms appears on the Prince of Wales' heraldic achievement, below the main shield.
The heir-apparent to the Scottish throne held the Dukedom of Rothesay and the just as the heir-apparent to the English throne held the Dukedom of Cornwall. The Duke also holds other non-peerage titles, including Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. The dukedom was first conferred on David Stuart, the son of Robert III, King of Scots, in 1398. After his death, his brother James, later King James I, received the dukedom. Thereafter, the heir-apparent to the Scottish Crown held the dukedom; this pattern of succession was confirmed by an Act of the Scottish Parliament passed in 1469.
The Earldom of Carrick was in existence as early as the twelfth century. In 1306, Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick, became King Robert I, with the earldom merging in the Crown. In the following years, several heirs-apparent were created Earl of Carrick. The Act of 1469 finally settled the earldom on the eldest son of the Scottish monarch.
The Barony of Renfrew is another dignity held under the 1469 Act, after first having been granted to heirs-apparent in 1404. In Scotland, barons are holders of feudal titles, not peerages: the Scottish equivalent of an English or British baron is a lord of Parliament. Some, however, claim that the barony was elevated to a peerage dignity by virtue of the Act of 1469. Others suggest that the barony became a peerage upon the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Finally, some scholars argue that the uncertainty surrounding the text of the 1469 Act leaves the barony as a feudal dignity.
The office of Great Steward of Scotland (also called High Steward or Lord High Steward) was first held by Walter FitzAlan in the twelfth century. The seventh Great Steward, Robert, ascended as Robert II in 1371. Thereafter, the office was held only by the heirs-apparent to the Crown. It is also covered by the 1469 Act.
Another of the non-peerage titles belonging to the heir-apparent is Lord of the Isles. The Lords of the Isles, of the MacDonald family, were originally vassals of the Scottish Kings who ruled the Western Isles. The ambitious John MacDonald, fourth Lord of the Isles, made a secret treaty with the English King, by which he sought to make himself an independent ruler. In 1475, James III discovered the Lord of the Isles' actions, and the Lordship was subject to forfeiture. MacDonald later restored to his position, but James IV again deprived him of his titles in 1493 after his nephew provoked a rebellion. In 1540, the Lordship was granted to the heirs-apparent to the Crown.
The succession to most of these titles is governed by an Act of the Scottish Parliament passed in 1469, which provides that "the first-born Prince of the King of Scots for ever" should hold the dukedom. Though the Act specified "King," eldest sons of Queens Regnant were also permitted to hold the dukedom. "Prince," however, is not interpreted to include women. The eldest son of the British Sovereign, as Duke of Rothesay, was entitled to vote in elections for Scottish representative peers from 1707, when Scotland and England united into Great Britain, until 1963, when the was abolished.
Though the same Coat of Arms are used as in England (vide infra), a different standard is flown by the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland. The first and fourth quarters of the standard, representing the Stewardship of Scotland, are Or a fess chequy azure and argent: a white and blue checked band on a gold background. The second and fourth quarters, representing the Lordship of the Isles, are argent a lymphad sable flagged gules: a black galley ship with red flags on a white background. In the centre of the standard is a shield bearing the arms Or a lion rampant gules armed and langued azure within a royal tressure gules, the inescutcheon charged overall at the honour point with a label of three points azure: a red lion within a red border on a gold background, with a three-pointed blue label in the centre. The Scottish standard was devised in 1974 by Sir Iain Moncreiffe of That Ilk.
The title most often associated with the eldest son of the Sovereign is Prince of Wales. The title was first used by some of the independent rulers of Wales, the last of which was Llywelyn the Last. In 1321, Edward I conquered Wales and granted the Principality to his eldest son, also named Edward. Originally, the Prince of Wales held not only the title, but also the power to rule Wales. Only the Marches, or borders, were subject to the rule of other noblemen. The Act of Union 1536 combined England and Wales into one state, so the Principality of Wales ceased to be ruled by the Prince of Wales. From 1509 until 1603, there was no Prince of Wales as no Sovereign during that time had a male heir. Upon the restoration of the title, there were few strong links between Wales and the Prince. While he was Prince of Wales, George IV visited Wales but once. The present Prince, however, has sought to restore links with Wales.
The Principality, nowadays, is always conferred along with the Earldom of Chester. The convention began only in 1399; all previous Princes of Wales also received the earldom, but separately from the Principality. The earldom was created several times before becoming merged in the Crown in 1272. The earldom was recreated, merging in the Crown in 1307 and again in 1327. Its creations since have been associated with the creations of the Principality of Wales, but as aforementioned, the creations of the two dignities were originally separate.
The Principality of Wales and Earldom of Chester must be created, and are not automatically inherited like the Dukedoms of Cornwall and Rothesay. Though the dignities are not inherited, the House of Lords Act 1999 treats them as hereditary peerages; thus, the holder of either title is not automatically qualified to sit in the House of Lords.
Princes of Wales may be invested, but investiture is not necessary for an to be created Prince of Wales. Peers were also invested, but investitures for peers ceased in 1621, during a time when peerages were being created so frequently that the investiture ceremony became cumbersome. Most investitures for Princes of Wales were held in front of Parliament, but in 1911, the future Edward VIII was invested in Caernarvon Castle in Wales. The present Prince of Wales was also invested there, in 1969. During the reading of the letters patent creating the Principality, the Honours of the Principality of Wales are delivered to the Prince. The coronet of the heir-apparent bears four-crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, surmounted by a single arch (the Sovereign's crowns are of the same design, but use two arches). A gold rod is also used in the insignia; gold rods were formally used in the investitures of dukes, but survive now in the investitures of Princes of Wales only. Also part of the insignia are a ring, a sword and a robe.
The Prince of Wales utilises, in England, a standard that includes the Royal Arms, which comprises of four quarters: the first and last bearing the three lions of England, the second bearing the lion of Scotland and the third bearing the harp of Ireland. In the centre of the standard is a three-pointed white label, the symbol of an eldest son. From there hangs a shield bearing the Arms of the Principality: quarterly Or and gules four lions passant guardant counterchanged, ensigned by the coronet of the Heir-Apparent, or four quarters, the first and last of which are gold and bear red lions and the second and third of which are red and bear gold lions. The entire pattern also appears on the Prince of Wales' heraldic achievement, at the bottom of which may be found the Three Feathers Badge, representing the Prince's position as heir-apparent, the Arms of the Duchy of Cornwall (vide supra) and a red dragon on a green mount, representing Wales.
In Wales, a different standard is used, bearing only the four Welsh lions. (The Prince, however, uses the same Coat of Arms as in England.) The Welsh Standard is a recent innovation, first having been used in 1969 at the Prince's investiture. The actual arms, however, were used by the independent rulers of Wales.
For the Standard used in Scotland, vide supra.
Generally, sons of the Sovereign and other members of the Royal Family are awarded peerage dignities to mark either adulthood or marriage. Originally, sons of the Sovereign were not styled Princes (except the Prince of Wales); thus, in order to indicate their exalted rank, peerage dignities were conferred upon them. From the time of Edward III, nearly every son of a Sovereign surviving into adulthood became a Duke. Certain dukedoms were granted more often than others, including the Dukedoms of York, Albany and Clarence. Normally, a dukedom once awarded to a member of the Royal Family is not thereafter granted to any non-Royal.
The Dukedom of York is generally created for the second son of the Sovereign. The first creation was in 1384; the dukedom merged in the Crown in 1483. Every Duke thereafter has either died without heirs or succeeded to the Crown, and so has not been able to leave the Royal Family. The pattern of awarding the dukedom to the second-eldest son of the Sovereign was upset by George I, who gave the Dukedom of York and Albany to his younger brother. The Dukedom of York and Albany was next granted by George II to the second son of his son, who had predeceased him. York and Albany featured one last time as a dukedom in 1784, when George III granted it to his second son. Thereafter, the dukedom has always borne the designation York, rather than York and Albany. The current duke is The Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Dukedom of Albany served a function similar to the Dukedom of York in Scotland. The dukedom was created in 1398 for Robert Stewart, brother of King Robert III. It was at the time the only dukedom other than the Dukedom of Rothesay. It was created thrice more in Scotland: twice for the second son of a Sovereign, and once for a brother of a Sovereign. It was last created in 1881 for the fourth son of Victoria; the dukedom was then suspended under the Titles Deprivation Act after its holder fought on the side of Germany during World War I.
There are several other dukedoms that have been used for members of the Royal Family. Clarence was first used as a dukedom in 1362, most of the time being granted to the third son of the Sovereign. Among the dukedoms granted to still younger sons of the Sovereign are Aumale, Cambridge, Connaught, Cumberland, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Kent and Sussex. Some of those dukedoms were used for younger brothers, nephews and other kinsmen of Sovereigns. The dukedom of Windsor was also a Royal dukedom, being granted to Edward VIII after he abdicated so that he could marry against the tenets of the Church of England.
Often, sons of the Sovereign were granted titles associated with England and Scotland, later with Ireland, and most recently with Wales. Thus, the Dukedom of Strathearn (named after a place in Scotland) has been held with the Dukedoms of Connaught (named after an Irish province), Kent and Cumberland (both named after English places). This pattern continues in the present Royal Family. The current Duke of York, for example, is also Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh; the subsidiary titles are associated with Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.
The convention of granting dukedoms to senior members of the Royal Family was broken most recently in 1999, when The Prince Edward was created Earl of Wessex. The Earldom of Wessex had never been created earlier by an English or British Sovereign. It has, however, been suggested that the Dukedom of Edinburgh will eventually be granted to the Earl of Wessex. The dukedom will descend to Charles, Prince of Wales, however, and not to Lord Wessex. When The Prince of Wales becomes Sovereign, or if he is already Sovereign when the dukedom passes to him, the dukedom will merge in the Crown and then only become available for a regrant.
The highest peerage dignity belonging to a Prince may be used as a part of the title of that Prince's children. Thus, the sons of The Prince of Wales are Prince William of Wales and Prince Henry of Wales; the daughters of the Duke of York are Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie of York; the daughter of the Earl of Wessex is Princess Louise of Wessex. (In the last case, the Princess is normally referred to as Lady Louise Windsor at the wishes of her parents, but officially remains a Princess.)
Sons of the Sovereign generally use the Royal Arms, but differenced by a label of three points bearing a particular device on the centre point. The Duke of York uses a blue anchor, while the Earl of Wessex uses a red rose. Grandsons of Sovereigns (except for the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) use labels of five points. The Duke of Kent's label includes a blue anchor on the first, third and fifth points and a red cross on the second and fourth points. The Duke of Gloucester's label includes a red cross on the first, third and fifth points and a lion on the second and fourth points. These arms are also incorporated into the standards flown by the Royal peers.
Sovereigns, especially Charles II, have sometimes granted peerage dignities to illegitimate children. James Scott became Duke of Monmouth in 1663. Many more creations, mostly earldoms, followed in the 1670s: Charles FitzCharles became Earl of Plymouth, Charles FitzRoy Duke of Southampton, Henry FitzRoy Earl of Euston, George FitzRoy Earl of Northumberland, Charles Beauclerk Earl of Burford and Charles Lennox Duke of Richmond and Lennox. Many of the earls who were sons of Charles later became Dukes. Of the current Dukes, four are illegitimate descendants of Charles: the Duke of Richmond, Lennox and Gordon, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, the Duke of Grafton and the Duke of St Albans.