Duke of Westminster
| Dukedom of Westminster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Victoria |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| Grosvenor Baronets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | James VI and I |
| Peerage | Peerage of England |
Duke of Westminster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. It is the most recent dukedom conferred outside the British Royal Family.[2]
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Dukes were each his grandsons. The present holder of the title is Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke, who inherited the dukedom on 9 August 2016 on the death of his father, Gerald. The present Duke is also a godfather of Prince George of Cambridge.[3]
The Duke of Westminster's seats are at Eaton Hall, Cheshire, and at Abbeystead House, Lancashire. The family's London town house was Grosvenor House, Park Lane. The traditional burial place of the Dukes is the Old Churchyard adjacent to St Mary's Church, Eccleston.
History of the Grosvenor family
Richard Grosvenor was created Baronet of Eaton in January 1622.[4] Sir Richard Grosvenor, the 7th Baronet, was created Baron Grosvenor in 1761, and in 1784 became both Viscount Belgrave (Belgrave, Cheshire) and Earl Grosvenor under George III. The title Marquess of Westminster was bestowed upon Robert Grosvenor, the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, at the coronation of William IV in 1831.
The subsidiary titles are: Marquess of Westminster (created 1831), Earl Grosvenor (1784), Viscount Belgrave, of Belgrave in the County of Chester (1784), and Baron Grosvenor, of Eaton in the County of Chester (1761). The Dukedom and Marquessate are in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the rest are in the Peerage of Great Britain. The courtesy title of the eldest son and heir to the Duke is Earl Grosvenor.
Grosvenor Baronets, of Eaton (1622)
- Sir Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baronet (1584–1645) was an MP
- Sir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Baronet (1604–1664), a son of the 1st Baronet
- Roger Grosvenor (c. 1628–1661), a son of the 2nd Baronet, predeceased his father
- Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet (1656–1700), son of Roger
- Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet (1689–1732), eldest son of the 3rd Baronet, died without issue
- Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 5th Baronet (1693–1733), second son of the 3rd Baronet, died unmarried
- Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet (1695–1755), third and youngest son of the 3rd Baronet
- Sir Richard Grosvenor, 7th Baronet (1731–1802) (created Baron Grosvenor in 1761)
Barons Grosvenor (1761)
| Created by George III of Great Britain | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Period | Spouse | Notes | Other titles |
| 1 | Richard Grosvenor (1731–1802) |
1761–1802 | Henrietta Vernon | Later created Earl Grosvenor | |
Earls Grosvenor (1784)
| Created by George III of Great Britain | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Period | Spouse | Notes | Other titles |
| 1 | Richard Grosvenor (1731–1802) |
1784–1802 | Henrietta Vernon | Previously styled as Baron Grosvenor | Viscount Belgrave, Baron Grosvenor |
| 2 | Robert Grosvenor (1767–1845) |
1802–45 | Lady Eleanor Egerton | Son of the preceding, later created Marquess of Westminster | |
Marquesses of Westminster (1831)
| Created by William IV of the United Kingdom | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Period | Spouse | Notes | Other titles |
| 1 | Robert Grosvenor (1767–1845) |
1831–45 | Lady Eleanor Egerton | Previously styled as Earl Grosvenor | Earl Grosvenor Viscount Belgrave Baron Grosvenor |
| 2 | Richard Grosvenor (1795–1869) |
1845–69 | Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower | Son of the preceding | |
| 3 | Hugh Grosvenor (1825–1899) |
1869–99 | Lady Constance Sutherland-Leveson-Gower | Son of the preceding, later created Duke of Westminster | |
Dukes of Westminster (1874)
| Created by Victoria of the United Kingdom | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Period | Spouse | Notes | Other titles |
| 1 | Hugh Grosvenor (1825–1899) |
1874–99 | Lady Constance Sutherland-Leveson-Gower Katherine Cavendish |
Previously styled as Marquess of Westminster | Marquess of Westminster Earl Grosvenor Viscount Belgrave Baron Grosvenor |
| 2 | Hugh Grosvenor (1879–1953) |
1899–1953 | Constance Cornwallis-West Violet Nelson Loelia Ponsonby Anne Sullivan |
Grandson of the preceding | |
| 3 | William Grosvenor (1894–1963) |
1953–63 | unmarried | Cousin of the preceding | |
| 4 | Gerald Grosvenor (1907–1967) |
1963–67 | Sally Perry | Cousin of the preceding | |
| 5 | Robert Grosvenor (1910–1979) |
1967–79 | Hon Viola Lyttelton | Brother of the preceding | |
| 6 | Gerald Grosvenor (1951–2016) |
1979–2016 | Natalia Phillips | Son of the preceding | |
| 7 | Hugh Grosvenor (b. 1991) |
since 2016 | Son of the preceding | ||
Line of succession
There is no heir to the Dukedom of Westminster.
Heirs to the Marquessate of Westminster only:
- Francis Grosvenor, 8th Earl of Wilton (b.1934)
- Julian Grosvenor, Viscount Grey de Wilton (b.1959) son of the 8th Earl of Wilton
Family tree
See also
References
- ^ Duke of Westminster nominations, CVQO. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- ^ "Duke - Debrett's". Debrett's. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "Prince George's godparents announced". BBC News. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^ George Edward Cokayne Complete Baronetage Volume 1 1900
External links
| Royal dukedoms |  | |
|---|---|---|
England  | ||
Scotland  | ||
Great Britain  | ||
Ireland  | ||
United Kingdom  | ||
Italics: This title is held by a peer who holds another of higher precedence. | ||