Earl of Forfar

Title of Scottish nobility

Earldom of Forfar
Arms of Prince Edward, in Scotland, the present Earl of Forfar
Creation date10 March 2019[1]
CreationSecond
Created byElizabeth II
PeeragePeerage of the United Kingdom
First holderLord Archibald Douglas
Present holderPrince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Heir apparentJames, Earl of Wessex
Remainder tothe 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
StatusExtant
Seat(s)Bagshot Park

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.

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).


  • 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, 1389Earl of Avondale and Lord Balveny, 1437
James I
(1394–1437)		Princess Mary of ScotlandGeorge 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 DrumlanrigArchibald 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, 1491Eardom 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, 1600Marquess 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) 		Prince Edward 10 March 1964
Buckingham Palace, London
son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip 		19 June 1999
Sophie Rhys-Jones
2 children 		 –
now 60 years, 51 days old

Line of succession

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.

References

  1. ^ a b "No. 62588". The London Gazette. 15 March 2019. p. 4737.
  2. ^ a b "Title for the Earl of Wessex". The Royal Family. 10 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  3. ^ "No. 55536". The London Gazette. 28 June 1999. p. 7011.
  4. ^ "The Earl and Countess of Forfar visit Forfar". The Royal Family. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  5. ^ Brown, Graham (2 July 2019). "'Honour' to be named Earl of Forfar says Prince Edward as town welcomes him with bridies, tartan and fiddles". The Courier. UK. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  6. ^ The Royal Family [@RoyalFamily] (1 July 2019). "His Royal Highness is presented with 'Earl of Forfar' tartan, which has been designed for Their Royal Highnesses to celebrate their new titles" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Tartan Details – Earl of Forfar, The". The Scottish Register of Tartans. The National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  8. ^ Isle, Jess. "Fore! The Earl and Countess of Forfar hit the links on Scottish visit". Royal Central. Retrieved 30 July 2021.