Earl of Kent

See also: Kingdom of Kent and Duke of Kent

The peerage title Earl of Kent has been created eight times in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In fiction, the Earl of Kent is also known as a prominent supporting character in William Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear.

Earls of Kent, first creation (1020)

The Earldom Kent was first created by Cnut the Great for Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Upon his death, in 1053, it was inherited by his son, Leofwine Godwinson. Leofwine, who was killed in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and his titles forfeited to the new King William.

• Godwin, Earl of Wessex (1020–1053), 1st Earl of Kent.
• Leofwine Godwinson (1053–1066), 4th son of above, 2nd Earl of Kent.

Earls of Kent, second creation (1067)

After William, Duke of Normandy conquered England, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, his half-brother, was awarded the Earldom of Kent, the second creation. In 1076, Odo was found guilty of defrauding the crown, and most of his properties were forfeited to the crown, but he was not executed. In 1082, he was arrested for planning a military campaign to Rome and in 1088 his titles were forfeited. He died in 1097 at Palermo, on his way to join the First Crusade.

• Odo, Earl of Kent, and Bishop of Bayeux (died 1097) (forfeit 1088).

Earls of Kent, third creation (1141)

William of Ypres was the principal lieutenant of King Stephen and was thus rewarded the Earldom of Kent. He was deprived of the title in 1155, by King Henry II.

• William de Ipres, Earl of Kent (c. 1095–1165) (deprived 1155)

Earls of Kent, fourth creation (1227)

Hubert de Burgh was a loyal supporter of King John and in 1227 was created Earl of Kent by John's son and successor, King Henry III of England. He died in 1243, his Earldom becoming extinct, as the king had his issue from his first marriage disinherited.

• Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent (died 1243)

Earls of Kent, fifth creation (1321)

Edmund of Woodstock was sixth son of Edward I of England. He was created Earl of Kent in 1321. Following his execution for high treason, his son Edmund became Earl of Kent. Edmund died the following year and the Earldom of Kent was inherited by his younger brother John, 3rd Earl of Kent. John died aged 22 and all his land was passed to his sister Joan, Countess of Kent. The Earldom of Kent, as a royal earldom, became extinct. Joan married Sir Thomas Holland and was created Earl of Kent in her own right, in what is considered a separate creation of the Earldom of Kent (see below).

• Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent (1301–1330) (attainted 1330)
• Edmund, 2nd Earl of Kent (c. 1326–1331) (restored 1331)
• John, 3rd Earl of Kent (1330–1352)
• Joan, 4th Countess of Kent (1352–1385)

Earls of Kent, sixth creation (1360)

The earls of Kent of this creation used Baron Holand (1353) as a subsidiary title; it became abeyant 1408. The first earl of Kent by this creation was the husband of Joan of Kent of the fifth creation.

• Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent (died 1360)
• Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent (1350–1397)
• Thomas Holland, 3rd Earl of Kent (1372–1400)
• Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent (1383–1408)

The line of the earls of Kent became extinct with the death of Edmund, the fourth earl.

The Holland Earls of Kent. Where an article exists, it can be found by clicking on the name.

Earls of Kent, seventh creation (1461)

• William Neville, Earl of Kent (died 1463)

Earls of Kent, eighth creation (1465)

The Greys were a baronial family with substantial property in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and later around Ruthin in Wales. They rose to greater prominence during the Wars of the Roses. Edmund Grey, Lord Grey of Ruthin, started out a Lancastrian, but switched to the Yorkist side at the Battle of Northampton. He was a member of Edward IV's council, became Lord Treasurer in 1463/4, was created Earl of Kent in 1465 and was keeper of the Tower of London in 1470. He remained loyal through Richard III's accession, taking part in his coronation (1483).

Edmund's son George, the 2nd Earl, had continued as a Yorkist, marrying Anne Woodville, a sister of Edward IV's queen Elizabeth Woodville. (He was half-first cousin - both being grandsons of Reynold 3rd Lord Grey of Ruthin - to Queen Elizabeth's first husband, Sir John Grey of Groby.) He later married Catherine Herbert, daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke.

The third earl, Richard, was the son of the second earl and Anne Woodville. He wound up heavily in debt, probably through gambling, and was forced to alienate most of his property. A good part ended up in the crown's hands; historians disagree regarding what this says about Henry VII's relationship with the aristocracy.

He was succeeded as earl by his half-brother Henry, son of the second earl and Catherine Herbert. Henry tried, with little success, to reacquire the property Richard had sold, and had to live as a modest gentleman, never formally taking title as earl.

• Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent (c. 1420–1490)
• George Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent (c. 1460–1503)
• Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent (1481–1524)
• Henry Grey, 4th Earl of Kent (c. 1495–1562)
• Reginald Grey, 5th Earl of Kent (died 1573)
• Henry Grey, 6th Earl of Kent (1541–1615)
• Charles Grey, 7th Earl of Kent (c. 1545–1623)
• Henry Grey, 8th Earl of Kent (c. 1583–1639)
• Anthony Grey, 9th Earl of Kent (1557–1643)
• Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent (1594–1651)
• Anthony Grey, 11th Earl of Kent (1645–1702)
• Henry Grey, 12th Earl of Kent (1671–1740) (created Marquess of Kent in 1706, Duke of Kent in 1710) (all Kent titles were extinct on his death, though some others passed to Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey)

Earls of Kent, ninth creation (1866)

• Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent (1844–1900)

v t e Family tree: Dukes of Kent, Marquesses of Kent, Earls of Kent, Dukes of Kent and Strathearn, and Dukes of Connaught and Strathearn

Earl of Kent (1st creation), 1020 Godwin, Earl of Wessex c. 1001–1053 1st Earl of Kent Herleva d. 1050 Earl of Kent (2nd creation), 1067 King Harold Godwinson c. 1022–1066 Leofwine Godwinson c. 1035–1066 2nd Earl of Kent King William I c. 1028–1087 Odo of Bayeux d. 1097 Earl of Kent Earl of Kent (3rd creation), 1141 Earldom forfeit (1st creation), 1066 Earldom forfeit (2nd creation), 1088 William of Ypres c. 1090–1165 Earl of Kent Earldom forfeit (3rd creation), 1155 Earl of Kent (4th creation), 1227 Hubert de Burgh c. 1170–1243 Earl of Kent Earldom extinct (4th creation), 1243 King Edward I 1239–1307 Earl of Kent (5th creation), 1321 Edmund of Woodstock 1301–1330 1st Earl of Kent King Edward III 1312–1377 Earldom (5th creation) attainted, 1330 Earldom (5th creation) restored, 1330 Earl of Kent (6th creation), 1360 Edmund c. 1326–1331 2nd Earl of Kent Thomas Holland c. 1314–1360 1st Earl of Kent, 1st Baron Holland Joan of Kent 1326/1327–1385 Edward the Black Prince 1330–1376 Duke of Cornwall John of Gaunt 1340–1399 Duke of Lancaster John 1330–1352 3rd Earl of Kent Earldom (5th creation) extinct, 1352 Thomas Holland 1350–1397 2nd Earl of Kent, 2nd Baron Holland John Holland c. 1352–1400 Earl of Huntingdon, Duke of Exeter, 3rd Baron Holland King Richard II 1367–1400 Elizabeth of Lancaster bef. 1363–1426 Thomas Holland 1372–1400 3rd Earl of Kent Duke of Surrey Constance Holland 1387–1437 Edmund Holland 1383–1408 4th Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Holland Earldom (6th creation) extinct, 1408 Earl of Kent (7th creation), 1461 Earl of Kent (8th creation), 1465 William Neville c. 1405–1463 Earl of Kent, Baron Fauconberg jure uxoris Edmund Grey 1416–1490 1st Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Earldom (7th creation) extinct, 1463 George Grey c. 1460–1503 2nd Earl of Kent, 5th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Anne Woodville c. 1438–1489 Elizabeth Woodville c. 1437–1492 King Edward IV 1442–1483 Henry Grey c. 1495–1562 4th Earl of Kent, 7th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Richard Grey 1481–1524 3rd Earl of Kent, 6th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Anthony Grey Henry Grey 1520–1545 George Grey Reginald Grey d. 1573 5th Earl of Kent, 8th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Henry Grey 1541–1615 6th Earl of Kent, 9th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Charles Grey c. 1545–1623 7th Earl of Kent, 10th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Anthony Grey 1557–1643 9th Earl of Kent Henry Grey c. 1583–1639 8th Earl of Kent, 11th Baron Grey de Ruthyn Henry Grey 1594–1651 10th Earl of Kent Anthony Grey 1645–1702 11th Earl of Kent Marquess of Kent, Earl of Harold, and Viscount Goderich (1st creation), 1706 Duke of Kent (1st creation), 1710 Henry Grey 1671–1740 Duke of Kent, Marquess of Kent, Marquess Grey, 12th Earl of Kent, Baron Lucas Earldom (8th creation), Marquessate, and Dukedom of Kent, Earldom of Harold, and Viscountcy Goderich (1st creation) extinct, 1740 King George III 1738–1820 Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Earl of Dublin (2nd creation), 1799 See also: Earl of Strathearn King George IV 1762–1830 King William IV 1765–1837 Prince Edward Augustus 1767–1820 Duke of Kent and Strathearn Dukedom of Kent and Strathearn and Earldom of Dublin extinct, 1820 Queen Victoria 1819–1901 Earl of Dublin (3rd creation), 1849/1850 Earl of Kent (9th creation), 1866 Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, 1874 Albert Edward, Prince of Wales 1841–1910 Earl of Dublin, later King Edward VII Prince Alfred Ernest Albert 1844–1900 Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Earl of Kent Prince Arthur 1850–1942 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Earldom of Dublin merged in the Crown, 1901 King George V 1865–1936 Prince Arthur of Connaught 1883–1938 Duke of Kent (2nd creation), Earl of St Andrews, and Baron Downpatrick, 1934 King Edward VIII 1894–1972 King George VI 1895–1952 Prince George 1902–1942 1st Duke of Kent, 1st Earl of St Andrews, 1st Baron Downpatrick Prince Alastair Arthur 1914–1943 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Dukedom of Connaught and Strathearn extinct, 1943 Queen Elizabeth II 1926–2022 Prince Edward b. 1935 2nd Duke of Kent, 2nd Earl of St Andrews, 2nd Baron Downpatrick 7) Prince Michael of Kent b. 1942 1) George Windsor b. 1962 styled Earl of St Andrews Heir apparent to the dukedom of Kent 3) Lord Nicholas Windsor b. 1970 8) Lord Frederick Windsor b. 1979 2) Edward Windsor b. 1988 styled Lord Downpatrick 4) Albert Windsor b. 2007 5) Leopold Windsor b. 2009 6) Louis Windsor b. 2014

References

• G.W. Bernard, "The Fortunes of the Greys, Earls of Kent, in the Early Sixteenth Century", The Historical Journal, 25 (1982), 671–685
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kent, Earls and Dukes of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 734–735.