Earl of Balfour

Earldom of Balfour
Argent, on a Chevron engrailed between three Mullets Sable as many Otter's heads erased of the first.
Creation date	5 May 1922
Created by	King George V
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Arthur Balfour
Present holder	Roderick Balfour, 5th Earl of Balfour
Heir presumptive	Hon. Charles Balfour
Remainder to	Special remainder
Subsidiary titles	Viscount Traprain
Status	Extant
Seat(s)	Burpham Lodge
Former seat(s)	Whittingehame House
Motto	VIRTUS AD ÆTHERA TENDIT ("Virtue strives towards heaven")

Earl of Balfour is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1922 for Conservative politician Arthur Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905 and Foreign Secretary from 1916 to 1919.

Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

The earldom was created with special remainder, failing male issue of his own, to:

1. his younger brother, the Right Honourable Gerald William Balfour, and the heirs male of his body, failing which to
2. his nephew Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour and the heirs male of his body, and failing which to
3. his nephew Oswald Herbert Campbell Balfour and the heirs male of his body.

The latter two were the sons of his deceased youngest brother Colonel Eustace James Anthony Balfour. Balfour was made Viscount Traprain, of Whittingehame in the County of Haddington, at the same time as he was given the earldom. This title is also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created with similar remainder.

Balfour never married, and was succeeded according to the special remainders by his younger brother Gerald, the second Earl. He was also a Conservative politician and notably served as Chief Secretary for Ireland, as President of the Board of Trade and as President of the Local Government Board. This line of the family failed on the death of his grandson, the fourth Earl, in 2003. As of 2017 the titles are held by his second cousin once removed, the fifth Earl, father of playwright Kinvara Balfour. He is the grandson of the aforementioned Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour, nephew of the first Earl.

The family seat is Burpham Lodge, near Arundel, Sussex.

Earls of Balfour (1922)

• Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (1848–1930)
• Gerald William Balfour, 2nd Earl of Balfour (1853–1945)
• Robert Arthur Lytton Balfour, 3rd Earl of Balfour (1902–1968)
• Gerald Arthur James Balfour, 4th Earl of Balfour (1925–2003)
• Roderick Francis Arthur Balfour, 5th Earl of Balfour (born 1948)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Charles George Yule Balfour (born 1951).
The heir presumptive's heir apparent is his son, George Eustace Charles Balfour (born 1991).

Male-line family tree

Male-line family tree, Earls of Balfour.

James M. Balfour 1820–1856 Viscount Traprain Earl of Balfour Arthur Balfour 1st Earl of Balfour 1848–1930 Cecil C. Balfour 1849–1881 Francis M. Balfour 1851–1882 Gerald Balfour 2nd Earl of Balfour 1853–1945 Col. Eustace Balfour 1854–1911 Robert Balfour 3rd Earl of Balfour 1902–1968 Lt. Col. Francis Balfour 1884–1965 Gerald Balfour 4th Earl of Balfour 1925–2003 Hon. Andrew M. Balfour 1936–1948 Eustace Balfour 1921–2000 Roderick Balfour 5th Earl of Balfour born 1948 Hon. Charles Balfour born 1951 George Balfour born 1991

Line of succession

Line of succession

James Maitland Balfour (1820–1856) Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (1848–1930) Gerald William Balfour, 2nd Earl of Balfour (1853–1945) Robert Arthur Lytton Balfour, 3rd Earl of Balfour (1902–1968) Gerald Arthur James Balfour, 4th Earl of Balfour (1925–2003) Col. Eustace James Anthony Balfour (1854–1911) Lt. Col. Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour (1884–1965) Eustace Arthur Goschen Balfour (1921–2000) Roderick Francis Arthur Balfour, 5th Earl of Balfour (born 1948) (1) Hon. Charles George Yule Balfour (born 1951) (2) George Eustace Charles Balfour (born 1991)

See also

• Francis Maitland Balfour
• James Maitland Balfour