Duke of Clarence

For ships named Duke of Clarence, see Duke of Clarence (ship).

Duke of Clarence was a substantive title created three times in the Peerage of England. The title Duke of Clarence and St Andrews has also been created in the Peerage of Great Britain, and Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Earl of Clarence in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The titles have traditionally been awarded to junior members of the English and British royal family, and all are now extinct.

Dukedom of Clarence
Arms of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence (third creation): Quarterly, 1st and 4th, France modern, 2nd and 3rd England, with a label of three points Argent each point charged with a canton Gules
Creation date	1362 (first creation) 1412 (second creation) 1461 (third creation)
Created by	Edward III (first creation) Henry IV (second creation) Edward IV (third creation)
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence
Last holder	Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
Subsidiary titles	First creation: Earl of Ulster Second creation: Earl of Aumale Third creation: Earl of Warwick Earl of Salisbury
Extinction date	1368 (first creation) 1421 (second creation) 1478 (third creation)

History

The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son of King Edward III, in 1362, as he had married a de Clare heiress with estates including Clare in Suffolk. Since he died without sons, the title became extinct.

The title was again created in favour of Thomas of Lancaster, the second son of King Henry IV, in 1412. Upon his death, too, the title became extinct.

The last creation in the Peerage of England was for George Plantagenet, brother of King Edward IV, in 1461. The Duke forfeited his title in 1478, after he had been convicted of treason against his brother. He allegedly met his end by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey (according to William Shakespeare).

A fourth creation in England was suggested and planned to take effect; the title of Duke of Clarence was going to be given to Lord Guilford Dudley, husband of Lady Jane Grey, upon her coronation, as she declined to make her husband king. However, she was deposed before this could take effect.

Two double dukedoms, of Clarence and St Andrews and of Clarence and Avondale, were later created for British royal princes. The title also took the form of an earldom for Queen Victoria's son Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and his son Prince Charles Edward, the Clarence earldom being a subsidiary title.

Nomenclature

The title does not refer to the minor River Clarence in Pas-de-Calais, northern France, but is said by Polydore Vergil to originate^[1] from the manor and castle of Clare in Suffolk, the Caput baroniae of a feudal barony, which was held by Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, in right of his wife, the heiress Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, ultimate descendant and heiress of the previous holder, the de Clare family; Clare was among the many estates which she brought to her husband.^[2] After the Union of the Crowns in 1603, the holders of the title were also given titles named after Scottish places: St Andrews and Avondale.

Duke of Clarence, first creation (1362)

The title was first created for Lionel, a younger son of King Edward III who in 1352 had married Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, the sole heiress via a female line of Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester. The name Clarence referred to the feudal barony of Clare in Suffolk, and as the holder of it (and others) by right of his wife Lionel was given that title.

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence also: Earl of Ulster (1264 jure uxoris)		29 November 1338 Antwerp, Duchy of Brabant (now Belgium) son of Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault	Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster 15 August 1352 - 10 December 1363 1 child Violante Visconti 28 May 1368 no children	7 October 1368 Alba, Piedmont aged 29

Died without male issue.

Duke of Clarence, second creation (1412)

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence also: Earl of Aumale (1412)		Autumn 1387 son of Henry IV of England and Mary de Bohun	Margaret Holland 1411 no children	22 March 1421 Battle of Baugé, Anjou, France aged 33

Died without legitimate male issue.

Duke of Clarence, third creation (1461)

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence also: Earl of Warwick and Earl of Salisbury (1472)		21 October 1449 Dublin Castle, Ireland son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York	Isabel Neville 11 July 1469 4 children	18 February 1478 Tower of London, London aged 28

Executed for treason in 1478 and honours forfeited.

Similar titles

William IV was styled "HRH The Duke of Clarence" between his creation in 1789 and his accession in 1830

Earls of Clarence (1881)

• The Prince Leopold, 1st Duke of Albany, 1st Earl of Clarence & 1st Baron Arklow (1853–1884), fourth son of Queen Victoria.
• Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 2nd Duke of Albany, 2nd Earl of Clarence & 2nd Baron Arklow (1884–1954), posthumous son of the 1st Earl, had his British titles suspended in 1919 for waging war against Britain.
  • For heirs to the suspended peerages, see Duke of Albany.

Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (1789)

Further information: Duke of Clarence and St Andrews

• William IV (1765–1837), who became king in 1830, at which point the title merged with the Crown.

Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1890)

Further information: Duke of Clarence and Avondale

• Prince Albert Victor, 1st Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864–1892)

Family tree

v t e Family Tree of the Dukes of Clarence, Clarence and Avondale, and Clarence and St Andrews

Edward III (1312–1377) King of England Duke of Clarence (1st creation), 1362 Lionel of Antwerp (1338–1368) Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt (1340–1399) Duke of Lancaster Dukedom (1st creation) extinct, 1368 Philippa (1355–1382) Countess of Ulster Henry IV (1367–1413) King of England Duke of Clarence (2nd creation), 1412 Roger Mortimer (1374–1398) Earl of March Thomas of Lancaster (1388–1421) Duke of Clarence Dukedom (2nd creation) extinct, 1421   Anne de Mortimer (1390–1411) Richard of Conisburgh Richard of York (1411–1460) Duke of York Duke of Clarence (3rd creation), 1461 Edward IV (1442–1483) King of England George Plantagenet (1449–1478) Duke of Clarence Dukedom (3rd creation) extinct, 1478   Elizabeth of York (1466–1503) Henry VII (1457–1509) King of England Princess Margaret Tudor (1489–1541) James IV King of Scotland James V (1512–1542) King of Scotland Mary (1542–1587) Queen of Scotland James VI & I (1566–1625) King of Scotland and England Princess Elizabeth Stuart (1596–1662) Frederick V of the Palatinate Sophia of Hanover (1630–1714) Ernest Augustus of Brunswick George I (1660–1727) King of Great Britain George II (1683–1760) King of Great Britain Prince Frederick Louis (1707–1751) Prince of Wales George III (1738–1820) King of the United Kingdom Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, 1789 Prince William Henry (1765–1837) Duke of Clarence and St Andrews King of the United Kingdom (as William IV) Prince Edward (1767–1820) Duke of Kent and Strathearn Dukedom merged into the Crown, 1830 Victoria (1819–1901) Queen of the United Kingdom Earl of Clarence, 1881 Edward VII (1841–1910) King of the United Kingdom Prince Leopold (1853–1884) Duke of Albany 1st Earl of Clarence Duke of Clarence and Avondale, 1890 Prince Albert Victor (1864–1892) Duke of Clarence and Avondale Charles Edward (1884–1954) Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Duke of Albany 2nd Earl of Clarence Dukedom extinct, 1892 Honours forfeit, 1919

v t e  Family tree of Royal dukes in the United Kingdom

Includes dukes of: Albany, Albemarle, Bedford, Cambridge, Clarence, Connaught and Strathearn, Cumberland, Edinburgh, Gloucester, Gloucester and Edinburgh, Hereford, Kent, Kintyre and Lorne, Norfolk, Ross, Somerset, Sussex, Windsor, and York, but only when royally. Non-royal dukes are not included; see Royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom. Titles mandated for use by the heir apparent (Duke of Rothesay and the 1337 creation of the Duke of Cornwall) are also not included, see Princes of Wales family tree. Robert II 1316–1390 King Edward III 1312–1377 Duke of Albany (1st creation), 1398 Duke of Clarence (1st creation), 1362 Duke of York (1st creation), 1385 Robert III c. 1337–1406 Robert Stewart c. 1340–1420 1st Duke of Albany Edward the Black Prince 1330–1376 Lionel of Antwerp 1338–1368 Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt 1340–1399 Edmund of Langley 1341–1402 1st Duke of York Dukedom of Clarence (1st creation) extinct, 1368 Duke of Cornwall (2nd creation), 1376 Duke of Hereford, 1397 Duke of Gloucester (1st creation), 1385 Murdoch Stewart c. 1362–1425 2nd Duke of Albany Richard of Bordeaux 1367–1400 Duke of Cornwall, later King Richard II Henry Bolingbroke 1367–1413 Duke of Hereford, later King Henry IV Thomas of Woodstock 1355–1397 Duke of Gloucester Dukedom of Albany (1st creation) forfeit, 1425 Dukedom of Cornwall (2nd creation) merged in the crown, 1377 Dukedom of Hereford merged in the crown, 1399 Dukedom of Gloucester (1st creation) extinct, 1397 Duke of Clarence (2nd creation), 1412 Duke of Bedford (1st & 2nd creations), 1414 Duke of Gloucester (2nd creation), 1414 Duke of Albemarle (Aumale) (1st creation), 1397 Thomas of Lancaster 1387–1421 Duke of Clarence John of Lancaster 1389–1435 Duke of Bedford Surrendered dukedom and then regranted, 1433 Humphrey of Lancaster 1390–1447 Duke of Gloucester John Beaufort 1373–1410 Joan Beaufort c. 1379–1440 Edward of Norwich c. 1373–1415 Duke of Aumale, 2nd Duke of York Richard of Conisburgh 1385–1415 Dukedom of Clarence (2nd creation) extinct, 1421 Dukedom of Bedford (2nd creation) extinct, 1435 Dukedom of Gloucester (2nd creation) extinct, 1447 Dukedom of Albemarle (Aumale) (1st creation) forfeit, 1399 Duke of York (1st creation) restored, 1425 Duke of Cornwall (3rd creation), 1460 James I 1394–1437 Joan Beaufort c. 1404–1445 John Beaufort 1404–1444 Richard Neville 1400–1460 Cecily Neville 1415–1495 Richard of York 1411–1460 3rd Duke of York, Duke of Cornwall Duke of Cornwall (3rd creation) extinct, 1460 Duke of Bedford (5th creation), 1485 Duke of Clarence (3rd creation), 1461 Duke of Gloucester (3rd creation), 1461 James II 1430–1460 Jasper Tudor c. 1431–1495 Duke of Bedford Edmund Tudor c. 1430–1456 Lady Margaret Beaufort 1443–1509 John Neville c. 1431–1471 Elizabeth Woodville c. 1437–1492 Prince Edward 1442–1483 4th Duke of York, later King Edward IV George Plantagenet 1449–1478 Duke of Clarence Richard of York 1452–1485 Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III Dukedom of Bedford (5th creation) extinct, 1495 Dukedom of York (1st creation) merged in the Crown, 1461 Dukedom of Clarence (3rd creation) forfeit, 1478 Dukedom of Gloucester (3rd creation) merged in the Crown, 1483 Duke of Albany (2nd creation), 1458 Duke of Bedford (3rd creation), 1470 Duke of York (2nd creation), 1474 Duke of Norfolk (3rd creation), 1477 Duke of Bedford (4th creation), 1478 Alexander Stewart c. 1454–1485 1st Duke of Albany James III 1451/1452–1488 George Neville 1457–1483 Duke of Bedford King Henry VII 1457–1509 Elizabeth of York 1466–1503 Richard of Shrewsbury 1473–1483 Duke of York, Duke of Norfolk George of York 1477–1479 Duke of Bedford Dukedom of Bedford (3rd creation) forfeit, 1478 Dukedom of York (2nd creation) and Dukedom of Norfolk (3rd creation) extinct, 1483 Dukedom of Bedford (4th creation) extinct, 1479 Duke of Ross (1st creation), 1488 Duke of York (3rd creation), 1494 Duke of Somerset (3rd creation), 1499 John Stewart 1482–1536 2nd Duke of Albany James Stewart 1476–1504 Duke of Ross James IV 1473–1513 Margaret Tudor 1489–1541 Prince Henry 1491–1547 Duke of York, later King Henry VIII Edmund Tudor 1499–1500 Duke of Somerset (nominated but probably not invested) Dukedom of Albany (2nd creation) extinct, 1536 Dukedom of Ross (1st creation) extinct, 1504 Dukedom of York (3rd creation) merged in the Crown, 1509 Dukedom of Somerset (3rd creation) extinct, 1500 Duke of Ross (2nd creation), 1514 James V 1512–1542 Alexander Stewart 1514–1515 Duke of Ross Duke of Albany (3rd creation), 1565 Dukedom of Ross (2nd creation) extinct, 1515 Henry Stuart 1546–1567 1st Duke of Albany Mary, Queen of Scots 1542–1587 Prince James 1566–1625 2nd Duke of Albany, later King James VI & I Dukedom of Albany (3rd creation) merged in the Crown, 1567 Duke of Albany (4th creation), 1604 Duke of York (4th creation), 1605 Duke of Kintyre and Lorne, 1602 Princess Elizabeth Stuart 1596–1662 Prince Charles 1600–1649 Duke of Albany, Duke of York, later King Charles I Robert Stuart 1602 Duke of Kintyre and Lorne Dukedom of Albany (4th creation), Dukedom of York (4th creation) merged in the Crown, 1625 Dukedom of Kintyre and Lorne extinct, 1602 Duke of York (5th creation) 1644 Duke of Albany (5th creation), 1660 Duke of Gloucester (4th creation), 1659 Sophia of Hanover 1630–1714 James Stuart 1633–1701 Duke of York, Duke of Albany, later King James II Prince Henry 1640–1660 Duke of Gloucester Dukedom of Albany (5th creation) and Dukedom of York (5th creation) merged in the Crown, 1685 Dukedom of Gloucester (4th creation) extinct, 1660 Duke of York and Albany (1st creation), 1716 Duke of Cambridge (1st creation), 1664 Duke of Kendal (1st creation), 1666 Duke of Cambridge (2nd creation), 1667 King George I 1660–1727 Ernest Augustus 1674–1728 Duke of York and Albany Charles Stuart 1660–1661 styled Duke of Cambridge James Stuart 1663–1667 Duke of Cambridge Queen Anne 1665–1714 Charles Stuart 1666–1667 designated Duke of Kendal Edgar Stuart 1667–1671 Duke of Cambridge Charles Stuart 1677 styled Duke of Cambridge Dukedom of York and Albany (1st creation) extinct, 1728 Dukedom of Cambridge (1st creation) extinct, 1667 Dukedom of Kendal (1st creation), extinct, 1667 Dukedom of Cambridge (2nd creation) extinct, 1671 Duke of Cambridge (3rd creation) Prince George 1683–1760 Duke of Cambridge, later King George II Prince William 1689–1700 styled Duke of Gloucester Dukedom of Cambridge (3rd creation) merged with the Crown, 1727 Duke of Edinburgh (1st creation), 1726 Duke of Cumberland (3rd creation), 1726 Prince Frederick Louis 1707–1751 1st Duke of Edinburgh, styled Duke of Gloucester until created Duke of Edinburgh Prince William Augustus 1721–1765 Duke of Cumberland Dukedom of Cumberland (3rd creation) extinct, 1765 Duke of York and Albany (2nd creation), 1760 Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, 1764 Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, 1766 Prince George William Frederick 1738–1820 2nd Duke of Edinburgh, later King George III Prince Edward 1739–1767 Duke of York and Albany Prince William Henry 1743–1805 1st Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Prince Henry 1745–1790 Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn Dukedom of Edinburgh (1st creation), merged in the Crown, 1760 Dukedom of York and Albany (2nd creation) extinct, 1767 Dukedom of Gloucester and Edinburgh unused, 1805–1816 Dukedom of Cumberland and Strathearn extinct, 1790 Duke of York and Albany (3rd creation), 1784 Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, 1789 Duke of Kent and Strathearn, 1799 Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, 1799 Duke of Sussex (1st creation), 1801 Duke of Cambridge (4th creation), 1801 Prince Frederick 1763–1827 Duke of York and Albany Prince William Henry 1765–1837, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, later King William IV Prince Edward 1767–1820 Duke of Kent and Strathearn Ernest Augustus 1771–1851 King of Hanover, 1st Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Prince Augustus Frederick 1773–1843 Duke of Sussex Prince Adolphus 1774–1850 1st Duke of Cambridge Princess Mary 1776–1857 Prince William Frederick 1776–1834 2nd Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Dukedom of York and Albany (3rd creation) extinct, 1827 Dukedom of Clarence and St Andrews merged in the Crown, 1830 Dukedom of Kent and Strathearn extinct, 1820 Dukedom of Sussex (1st creation) extinct, 1843 Dukedom of Gloucester and Edinburgh extinct, 1834 Queen Victoria 1819–1901 George V 1819–1878 King of Hanover, 2nd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Prince George 1819–1904 2nd Duke of Cambridge Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge 1833–1897 Dukedom of Cambridge (4th creation) extinct, 1904 Duke of Edinburgh (2nd creation), 1866 Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, 1874 Duke of Albany (6th creation), 1881 King Edward VII 1841–1910 Prince Ernest Augustus 1845–1923 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Princess Alice 1843–1878 Prince Alfred Ernest Albert 1844–1900 Duke of Edinburgh Prince Arthur 1850–1942 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Leopold 1853–1884 1st Duke of Albany Dukedom of Cumberland and Teviotdale forfeit, 1919 Dukedom of Edinburgh (2nd creation) extinct, 1900 Duke of Clarence and Avondale, 1890 Duke of York (6th creation), 1892 Prince Albert Victor 1864–1892 Duke of Clarence and Avondale George Frederick Ernest Albert 1865–1936 Duke of York, later King George V Mary of Teck 1867–1953 Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine 1863–1950 Prince Arthur of Connaught 1883–1938 Dukedom of Clarence and Avondale extinct, 1892 Dukedom of York (6th creation) merged in the Crown, 1910 Duke of Windsor, 1937 Duke of York (7th creation), 1920 Duke of Kent (2nd creation), 1934 Duke of Gloucester (5th creation), 1928 King Edward VIII 1894–1972 Later Duke of Windsor Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George 1895–1952 Duke of York, later King George VI Princess Alice of Battenberg 1885–1969 Prince George 1902–1942 1st Duke of Kent Prince Henry 1900–1974 1st Duke of Gloucester Prince Alastair Arthur 1914–1943 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Charles Edward 1884–1954 2nd Duke of Albany Dukedom of Windsor extinct, 1972 Dukedom of York (7th creation) merged in the Crown, 1936 Dukedom of Connaught and Strathearn extinct, 1943 Dukedom of Albany (6th creation) forfeit, 1919 Duke of Edinburgh (3rd creation), 1947 Queen Elizabeth II 1926–2022 Prince Philip 1921–2021 1st Duke of Edinburgh Prince Edward b. 1935 2nd Duke of Kent Duke of York (8th creation), 1986 Duke of Edinburgh (4th creation), 2023 King Charles III b. 1948 Prince Andrew b. 1960 Duke of York Prince Edward b. 1964 Duke of Edinburgh George Windsor b. 1962 Prince Richard b. 1944 2nd Duke of Gloucester Dukedom of Edinburgh (3rd creation) merged in the Crown, 2022 No male heirs Dukedom of Edinburgh (4th creation) is a life peerage and therefore not hereditary Heir apparent to the Dukedom of Kent Duke of Cambridge (5th creation), 2011 Duke of Sussex (2nd creation), 2018 Prince William b. 1982 Duke of Cambridge Prince Harry Duke of Sussex b. 1984 Edward Windsor b. 1988 Alexander Windsor b. 1974 Heir-apparent to the Dukedom of Gloucester Prince George of Wales b. 2013 Prince Archie of Sussex b. 2019 Heir apparent to the Dukedom of Cambridge Heir apparent to the Dukedom of Sussex

Possible future creations

The Dukedom is currently vacant. While there was some speculation that it was one of the options available for Prince Harry upon his wedding with Meghan Markle, press reports also noted the Dukedom's chequered past, including scandals and unfounded rumours of criminality related to Prince Albert Victor.^[3][4] Prince Harry was ultimately awarded the Dukedom of Sussex.