Earl of Forfar

This article is about the title. For the current holder of the title, see Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.

"Countess of Forfar" redirects here. For the current holder of that title, see Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

Earl of Forfar is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The name of the earldom refers to Forfar, the county town of Angus, Scotland. The current holder is Prince Edward, son of Elizabeth II and brother of Charles III.

Earldom of Forfar held with Earldom of Wessex
Arms of Prince Edward, in Scotland, the present Earl of Forfar
Creation date	10 March 2019[1]
Creation	Second
Created by	Elizabeth II
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Lord Archibald Douglas
Present holder	Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Heir apparent	James, Earl of Wessex
Remainder to	the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Status	Extant
Seat(s)	Bagshot Park

History

The title was first created in 1661 in the Peerage of Scotland as a subsidiary title to the Earldom of Ormond. This first creation of the title became extinct in 1715.^[2]

The dignity of Earl of Forfar in the Peerage of the United Kingdom was granted in 2019 to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, on the occasion of his 55th birthday.^[1] This earldom was given in addition to the two titles (Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn)^[3] that he received on his wedding day and afforded Prince Edward and his wife Sophie a Scottish title to use when in Scotland before they had the Dukedom of Edinburgh. ^[2] Unlike his brother (Prince Andrew, Earl of Inverness) and nephews (Prince William, Earl of Strathearn and Prince Harry, Earl of Dumbarton), Prince Edward did not receive a Scottish title on the occasion of his marriage.^[a]

The County of Forfar, renamed Angus in 1928, contains Glamis Castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, from whom Prince Edward's grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was descended.

In July 2019, the Earl and Countess visited Forfar on their first official visit to the town since the Queen granted the title in March 2019.^[4] He was presented with 'Earl of Forfar' tartan, to decorate the Earl and Countess, by a town firm – the Strathmore Woollen Company. The weave is based on the existing Forfar tartan, which it designed in 2004 on the colours from the Forfar coat of arms. The geometry remains virtually the same, but the colours have been strengthened, with Azure blue replaced by the St Andrew's blue of the Scottish flag, and white yarns replaced by a brown to reflect the rich agriculture of the surrounds.^[5][6][7]

The couple visited Forfar again in the summer of 2021.^[8]

Earls of Forfar, first creation (1661)

Subsidiary title was Lord Wandell and Hartside (Peerage of Scotland, 1661).

• Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar and 2nd Earl of Ormond (1653–1712), younger son of the 1st Earl of Ormond.
• Archibald Douglas, 2nd Earl of Forfar and 3rd Earl of Ormond (1692–1715), only son of the above. On his death without issue in 1715, both earldoms became extinct.

v t e  Family tree of the: Earls of Angus, Earls of Avondale, Earls of Douglas, Marquesses of Douglas, Earls of Forfar, Earls of Ormond and Marquesses of Ormond, Earls of Ross and Dukes of Ross

Earl of Angus (Stewart line), 1329 John Stewart (d. 1331) 1st Earl of Angus, Lord of Bonkyl, Lord of Abernethy jure uxoris William the Hardy (1243–1298) Lord of Douglas Thomas Stewart (b. before 1331-1361) 2nd Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas (d. 1333) James Douglas "the Good" (c. 1286–1330) Lord of Douglas Earl of Douglas, 1358 Robert III of Scotland (c. 1337–1406) Margaret Stewart (d. 1417) 3rd Countess of Angus, Lady of Abernethy, Lady of Bonkyll William Douglas (c. 1323–1384) 1st Earl of Douglas Archibald Douglas "the Grim" (c. 1330 – c. 1400) 3rd Earl of Douglas, Earl of Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Douglas, Lord of Bothwell Earl of Angus transferred from the Stewarts to the Douglasses when Margaret resigned her title in deference to her son, 1389 Earl of Avondale and Lord Balveny, 1437 James I (1394–1437) Princess Mary of Scotland George Douglas (1380–1430) 1st Earl of Angus, Lord of Abernethy, Lord of Bonkyll James Douglas (c. 1358–1388) 2nd Earl of Douglas, Earl of Mar Archibald Douglas "Tyneman" (c. 1369–1424) Duke of Touraine, 4th Earl of Douglas, Earl of Wigtown, 13th Lord of Douglas, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Douglas, Lord of Bothwell m. Margaret of Carrick, daughter of Robert III James Douglas (1371–1443) 7th Earl of Douglas, 1st Earl of Avondale, 1st Lord Balveny William Douglas (1398–1437) 2nd Earl of Angus Douglases of Drumlanrig Archibald Douglas (c. 1391–1439) Duke of Touraine, 5th Earl of Douglas, Earl of Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Douglas, Lord of Bothwell, Lord of Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, Liddesdale and Annandale, Count of Longueville, Seigneur de Dun-le-roi Earl of Ormond (Scotland) (1st creation), 1445 James II (1430–1460) James Douglas (1428–1446) 3rd Earl of Angus George Douglas (c. 1427–1463) 4th Earl of Angus William Douglas (c. 1424–1440) Duke of Touraine, 6th Earl of Douglas, Earl of Wigtown, Lord of Galloway, Lord of Bothwell, Lord of Selkirk and Ettrick Forest, Eskdale, Lauderdale, and Annandale, Count of Longueville, Seigneur de Dun-le-roi William Douglas (1425–1452) 8th Earl of Douglas, 2nd Earl of Avondale, 2nd Lord Balveny James Douglas (1426–1491) 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale, 3rd Lord Balveny Hugh Douglas (d. 1455) Earl of Ormond Earldom of Douglas and Earldom of Avondale forfeit, 1491 Eardom of Ormand forfeit, 1455 James III (1451/1452–1448) Archibald Douglas (c. 1449–1513) 5th Earl of Angus Marquess of Ormond (Scotland) (1st creation), 1476 Earl of Ross, 1481 Duke of Ross, 1488 James IV (1473–1513) James Stewart (1476–1504) Duke of Ross, Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Ross George Douglas (1469–1513) styled Master of Angus William Douglas of Glenbervie (1473–1513) Dukedom of Ross (1488 creation), Marqessate of Ormond (1st creation) and Earldom of Ross (1481 creation) extinct, 1504 Duke of Ross (2nd creation), 1514 James V (1512–1542) Alexander Stewart (1514–1515) Duke of Ross Archibald Douglas (1490–1557) 6th Earl of Angus George Douglas of Pittendreich (d. 1552) Archibald Douglas of Glenbervie (1513–1570) Dukedom of Ross (2nd creation) extinct, 1515 Earl of Ross (1565 creation) Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) Henry Stuart (1546–1567) Duke of Albany, 1st Earl of Ross, Lord Darnley, Lord Ardmannoch David Douglas (c. 1515–1558) 7th Earl of Angus William Douglas (1533–1591) 9th Earl of Angus James VI and I (1566–1625) 2nd Earl of Ross Archibald Douglas (1555–1588) 8th Earl of Angus, Earl of Morton William Douglas (1553–1611) 10th Earl of Angus Earldom of Ross (1565 creation), merged with the crown Marquess of Ormond (Scotland) (2nd creation), Earl of Ross, and Lord Ardmannoch, 1600 Marquess of Douglas (1st creation), 1633 Elizabeth Stuart (1596–1662) Charles Stuart (1600–1649) Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Ross Later King Charles I of England and Scotland William Douglas (1589–1660) 1st Marquess of Douglas, 11th Earl of Angus Marquessate of Ormand (2nd creation) and Earldom of Ross (1600 creation) merged with the Crown, 1625 Earl of Ormond (Scotland) (2nd creation), 1651 Sophia of Hanover (1630–1714) Archibald Douglas (1609–1655) 1st Earl of Ormond Earl of Forfar (1st creation), 1661 King George I (1660–1727) James Douglas (c. 1646–1700) 2nd Marquess of Douglas, 12th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas (1653–1712) 2nd Earl of Ormond, 1st Earl of Forfar Duke of Douglas, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, Viscount of Jedburgh Forest, Lord Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun, and Robertoun, 1703 King George II (1683–1760) Archibald Douglas (1694–1761) 1st Duke of Douglas, Marquess of Angus and Abernethy, and Viscount of Jedburgh Forest, Lord Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun, and Robertoun, 3rd Marquess of Douglas, 13th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas (1692–1715) 3rd Earl of Ormond, 2nd Earl of Forfar Dukedom of Douglas, Marquessate of Angus and Abernethy, and Viscountcy of Jedburgh Forest, Lordship Douglas of Bonkill, Prestoun, and Robertoun extinct, 1761 Marquessate of Douglas, and earldom of Angus passed to James Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton Earldoms of Ormond and Forfar extinct, 1715 Frederick (1707–1751) Prince of Wales King George III (1683–1760) Edward Augustus (1767–1820) Duke of Kent and Strathearn Queen Victoria (1819–1901) King Edward VII (1841–1910) Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Earl of Athlone, 1890 Prince Albert Victor (1864–1892) Duke of Clarence and Avondale, Earl of Athlone King George V (1865–1936) Dukedom of Clarence and Avondale and Earldom of Athlone extinct, 1892 King George VI (1895–1952) Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) Earl of Forfar (2nd creation), 2019 Prince Edward (b. 1964) Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Forfar

Earls of Forfar, second creation (2019)

Earl	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Prince Edward House of Windsor 2019–present also: Duke of Edinburgh (2023), Earl of Wessex (1999), Viscount Severn (1999)		10 March 1964 Buckingham Palace, London son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip	19 June 1999 Sophie Rhys-Jones 2 children	– now 61 years, 155 days old

Line of succession

• Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1964)
  • (1) James, Earl of Wessex (b. 2007)

Notes

1. As heir apparent, Prince Charles (now Charles III) received his former Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland upon his mother's accession to the throne.