Duke of York and Albany

Duke of York and Albany was a title of nobility in the Peerage of Great Britain. The title was created three times during the 18th century and was usually given to the second son of British monarchs. The predecessor titles in the English and Scottish peerages were Duke of York and Duke of Albany.

Duke of York and Albany
Arms of Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
Appointer	Monarch of Great Britain
Term length	Life tenure or until accession as Sovereign
Inaugural holder	Prince Ernest Augustus
Formation	1716

History

The individual dukedoms of York and of Albany had previously each been created several times in the Peerages of England and Scotland respectively. Each had become a traditional title for the second son of the monarch and had become united (but separately awarded) in the House of Stuart.

During the 18th century, the double dukedom of York and Albany was created three times in the Peerage of Great Britain. The title was first held by Duke Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Bishop of Osnabrück, the youngest brother of King George I. He died without issue.

The second creation of the Dukedom of York and Albany was for Prince Edward, younger brother of King George III. He also died without issue, having never married. The third and last creation of the Dukedom of York and Albany was for Prince Frederick Augustus, the second son of King George III. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army for many years, and he was the original "grand old Duke of York" in the popular rhyme. He died without legitimate issues.

Each time the Dukedom of York and Albany was created, it had only one occupant, with that person dying without legitimate issue.

Queen Victoria granted the title Duke of Albany (single geographic designation) in 1881 to her fourth son, Prince Leopold, and the title Duke of York (single geographic designation) in 1892 to her eldest grandson (second but by then only living) Prince George.

Dukes of York and Albany

First creation, 1716–1728

Prince Ernest was the younger brother of King George I.

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Prince Ernest Augustus House of Hanover 1716–1728[1] also: Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (1715–1728), Earl of Ulster (1716)		7 September 1674 Osnabrück son of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia of the Palatinate	never married	14 August 1728 Osnabrück aged 53

Prince Ernest died without issue.

Second creation, 1760–1767

Rather than the second son of the sovereign, Prince Edward was the second son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and the younger brother of King George III.

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Prince Edward House of Hanover 1760–1767[citation needed]also: Earl of Ulster (1760)		25 March 1739 Norfolk House son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha	never married	17 September 1767 Prince's Palace of Monaco aged 28

Prince Edward died without issue.

Third creation, 1784–1827

Prince Frederick was the second son of King George III.

Duke	Portrait	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
The Prince Frederick House of Hanover 1784–1827[citation needed]also: Earl of Ulster (1784)		16 August 1763 St. James's Palace son of George III of the United Kingdom and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz	Frederica Charlotte of Prussia 29 September 1791 No children	5 January 1827 Rutland House aged 63

Prince Frederick died without legitimate issue, having separated from his only wife Frederica Charlotte (with whom he had no children), but was rumoured to have fathered several illegitimate children.

Family tree

v t e Family tree: Dukes of York, Dukes of Albany, Dukes of York and Albany, and Earls of Ulster

Earl of Ulster (1st Irish creation), 1205 Hugh de Lacy c. 1176–1271 Earl of Ulster Earl of Ulster (2nd Irish creation), 1264 Maud de Lacy Walter de Burgh c. 1210–1271 1st Earl of Ulster, 2nd Lord of Connaught Richard Óg de Burgh 1259–1326 2nd Earl of Ulster John de Burgh d. 1313 King Robert II 1316–1390 King Edward III 1312–1377 William Donn de Burgh 1312–1333 3rd Earl of Ulster Lionel of Antwerp 1338–1368 Duke of Clarence, Earl of Ulster (jure uxoris) Elizabeth de Burgh 1332–1363 suo jure 4th Countess of Ulster Duke of Albany (1st creation), 1398 Duke of York (1st creation), 1385 King Robert III 1337–1406 Robert Stewart c. 1340–1420 1st Duke of Albany Edmund of Langley 1341–1402 1st Duke of York Philippa of Clarence 1355–1382 5th Countess of Ulster Murdoch Stewart 1362–1425 2nd Duke of Albany Roger Mortimer 1374–1398 6th Earl of Ulster Dukedom of Albany (1st creation) forfeit, 1425 Edward of Norwich 1373–1415 2nd Duke of York Richard of Conisburgh 1375–1415 Earl of Cambridge Anne de Mortimer 1388–c. 1411 Edmund Mortimer 1391–1425 7th Earl of Ulster Dukedom of York (1st creation) forfeit, 1415 Duke of York (1st creation) restored, 1425 King James I 1394–1437 Richard of York 1411–1460 3rd Duke of York, 8th Earl of Ulster King James II 1430–1460 Prince Edward 1442–1483 4th Duke of York, 9th Earl of Ulster Later King Edward IV Dukedom of York (1st creation) and Earldom of Ulster (2nd Irish creation) merged in the Crown, 1461 Duke of Albany (2nd creation), 1458 Duke of York (2nd creation), 1474 Alexander Stewart 1454–1485 1st Duke of Albany King James III 1451–1488 Elizabeth of York 1466–1503 Richard of Shrewsbury 1473–1483 Duke of York Dukedom of Albany (2nd creation) forfeit, 1479 Dukedom of Albany (2nd creation) restored, 1482 Dukedom of Albany (2nd creation) forfeited, 1483 Dukedom of York (2nd creation) extinct, 1483 Duke of Albany (2nd creation) restored, 1515 Duke of York (3rd creation), 1494 John Stewart 1484–1536 2nd Duke of Albany King James IV 1473–1513 Margaret Tudor 1489–1541 Prince Henry 1491–1547 Duke of York Later King Henry VIII Dukedom of Albany (2nd creation) extinct, 1536 Dukedom of York (3rd creation) merged in the Crown, 1509 King James V 1512–1542 Duke of Albany (3rd creation), 1565 James 1540–1541 Duke of Rothesay Prince Arthur Stewart 1541 styled Duke of Albany Mary, Queen of Scots 1542–1587 Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley 1545–1567 1st Duke of Albany Prince James 1566–1625 2nd Duke of Albany Later King James VI & I Dukedom of Albany (3rd creation) merged in the Crown, 1567 Duke of Albany (4th creation), 1604 Duke of York (4th creation), 1605 Henry Frederick 1594–1612 Prince of Wales Elizabeth Stuart 1596–1662 Prince Charles 1600–1649 Duke of Albany, Duke of York, Prince of Wales Later King Charles I Dukedom of York (4th creation) merged in the Crown, 1625 Dukedom of Albany (4th creation) merged in the Crown, 1625 Duke of York (5th creation) 1644 Earl of Ulster (3rd Irish creation), 1659 Duke of Albany (5th creation), 1660 Sophia of Hanover 1630–1714 King Charles II 1630–1685 James Stuart 1633–1701 Duke of York, Duke of Albany, Earl of Ulster Later King James II Dukedom of Albany (5th creation), Dukedom of York (5th creation), Earldom of Ulster (3rd Irish creation) merged in the Crown, 1685 Duke of York and Albany (1st creation) and Earl of Ulster (4th Irish creation), 1716 King George I 1660–1727 Ernest Augustus 1674–1728 Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück, Duke of York and Albany, Earl of Ulster Dukedom of York and Albany (1st creation) and Earldom of Ulster (4th Irish creation) extinct, 1728 King George II 1683–1760 Prince Frederick Louis 1707–1751 Duke of Gloucester, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales Duke of York and Albany (2nd creation) and Earl of Ulster (5th Irish creation), 1760 King George III 1738–1820 Prince Edward 1739–1767 Duke of York and Albany Dukedom of York and Albany (2nd creation) and Earldom of Ulster (5th Irish creation) extinct, 1767 Duke of York and Albany (3rd creation) and Earl of Ulster (6th Irish creation), 1784 Earl of Inverness (1st creation), and Baron Arklow (1st creation), 1801 King George IV 1762–1830 Prince Frederick 1763–1827 Duke of York and Albany Prince Edward 1767–1820 Duke of Kent and Strathearn Prince Augustus Frederick 1773–1843 Duke of Sussex, Earl of Inverness, Baron Arklow Dukedom of York and Albany (3rd creation) and Earldom of Ulster (6th Irish creation) extinct, 1827 Earldom of Inverness and Barony Arklow extinct, 1843 Queen Victoria 1819–1901 Earl of Ulster (1st UK creation), 1866 Duke of Albany (6th creation), Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow (2nd creation), 1881 King Edward VII 1841–1910 Prince Alfred Ernest Albert 1844–1900 Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Earl of Ulster Prince Leopold 1853–1884 Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1st Duke of Albany, 1st Earl of Clarence, 1st Baron Arklow Earldom of Ulster (1st UK creation) extinct, 1900 Duke of York (6th creation), Earl of Inverness (2nd creation) and Baron Killarney (1st creation), 1892 Prince Albert Victor 1864–1892 Duke of Clarence and Avondale Prince George 1865–1936 Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killarney Later King George V Charles Edward 1884–1954 Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 2nd Duke of Albany, 2nd Earl of Clarence, 2nd Baron Arklow Dukedom of York (6th creation), Earldom of Inverness (2nd creation), Barony Killarney (1st creation) merged in the Crown, 1910 Dukedom of Albany (6th creation) forfeit, 1919 Duke of York (7th creation), Earl of Inverness (3rd creation) and Baron Killarney (2nd creation), 1920 Earl of Ulster (2nd UK creation), 1928 King Edward VIII 1894–1972 Duke of Windsor Prince Albert 1895–1952 Duke of York Later King George VI Prince Henry 1900–1974 Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Ulster Dukedom of York (7th creation), Earldom of Inverness (3rd creation), Barony Killarney (2nd creation) merged in the Crown, 1936 Queen Elizabeth II 1926–2022 Duke of York (8th creation), Earl of Inverness (4th creation) and Baron Killyleagh, 1986 King Charles III b. 1948 Prince Andrew b. 1960 Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh Prince Richard b. 1944 Duke of Gloucester, 2nd Earl of Ulster Alexander Windsor b. 1974 styled Earl of Ulster Heir apparent to the Earldom of Ulster

References

1. Kilburn, Matthew (May 2005) [2004]. "Ernest Augustus, Prince, duke of York and Albany (1674–1728)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8839.