Earl Marshal

Hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earl Marshal

Earl Marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the United Kingdom). He is the eighth of the great officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Constable of England and above the Lord High Admiral. The dukes of Norfolk have held the office since 1672.

Quick Facts Style, Type ...
Earl Marshal of England
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Arms of the Dukes of Norfolk as Earl Marshal.
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since 24 June 2002
StyleHis Grace The Most Noble
TypeGreat Officer of State
Formation1672 (current office granted by Letters Patent)
First holderThe 6th Duke of Norfolk (1672 creation)
SuccessionHereditary
DeputyDeputy Earl Marshal
Knight Marshal (until 1846)
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The marshal was originally responsible, along with the constable, for the monarch's horses and stables including connected military operations. As a result of the decline of chivalry and sociocultural change, the position of earl marshal has evolved and among his responsibilities today is the organisation of major ceremonial state occasions such as the monarch's coronation in Westminster Abbey and state funerals.[1] He is also the leading officer of arms and oversees the College of Arms. He is the sole judge of the High Court of Chivalry.

The current earl marshal is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, who inherited the position in June 2002. There were formerly an Earl Marshal of Ireland and an Earl Marischal of Scotland.

History

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The office of royal marshal existed in much of Europe, involving managing horses and protecting the monarch. In England, the office became hereditary under John FitzGilbert the Marshal (served c.1130–1165) after The Anarchy, and rose in prominence under his second son, William Marshal, later Earl of Pembroke. He served under several kings, acted as regent, and organised funerals and the regency during Henry III's childhood. After passing through his daughter's husband to the Earls of Norfolk, the post evolved into "Earl Marshal" and the title remained unchanged, even after the earldom of Norfolk became a dukedom.

In the Middle Ages, the Earl Marshal and the Lord High Constable were the officers of the king's horses and stables. When chivalry declined in importance, the constable's post declined and the Earl Marshal became the head of the College of Arms, the body concerned with all matters of genealogy and heraldry. In conjunction with the Lord High Constable, he had held a court, known as the Court of Chivalry, for the administration of justice in accordance with the law of arms, which was concerned with many subjects relating to military matters, such as ransom, booty and soldiers' wages, and including the misuse of armorial bearings.

In 1672, the office of Marshal of England and the title of Earl Marshal of England were made hereditary in the Howard family.[2][3][4] In a declaration made on 16 June 1673 by Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, the Lord Privy Seal, in reference to a dispute over the exercise of authority over the Officers of Arms the powers of the Earl Marshal were stated as being "to have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; [and] to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places".[5] Additionally it was declared that no patents of arms or any ensigns of nobility should be granted, and no augmentation, alteration, or addition should be made to arms, without the consent of the Earl Marshal.

The Earl Marshal is considered the eighth of the Great Officers of State, with the Lord High Constable above him and only the Lord High Admiral beneath him. Nowadays, the Earl Marshal's role has mainly to do with the organisation of major state ceremonies such as coronations and state funerals. Annually, the Earl Marshal helps organise the State Opening of Parliament. The Earl Marshal also remains to have charge over the College of Arms and no coat of arms may be granted without his warrant. As a symbol of his office, he carries a baton of gold with black finish at either end.

In the general order of precedence, the Earl Marshal is currently the highest hereditary position in the United Kingdom outside the Royal Family. Although other state and ecclesiastical officers rank above in precedence, they are not hereditary. The exception is the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, which is notionally higher than Earl Marshal and also hereditary. The holding of the Earl Marshalship secures the Duke of Norfolk's traditional position as the "first peer" of the land, above all other dukes.

The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, but the Act provided that the persons holding the office of Earl Marshal and, if a peer, the Lord Great Chamberlain continue for the time being to have seats so as to carry out their ceremonial functions in the House of Lords.

Lords Marshal of England, 1135–1386

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Depiction by Matthew Paris (d.1259) of the arms of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1194–1219): Party per pale or and vert, overall a lion rampant gules
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Arms of "Bigod Modern": Party per pale or and vert, overall a lion rampant gules, adopted by Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk (1269–1306), after 1269 following his inheritance of the office of Marshal of England from the Marshal family

Earls Marshal of England, 1386–present

More information Term of office, Monarch ...
Earl Marshal Term of office Monarch
Thumb Thomas de Mowbray
1st Duke of Norfolk
1386 1398 Richard II
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Thumb Thomas Holland
1st Duke of Surrey
1398 1399
Thumb Ralph de Neville
1st Earl of Westmorland
1400 1412 Henry IV
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Thumb John de Mowbray
2nd Duke of Norfolk
1412 1432
Henry V
Henry VI
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Thumb John de Mowbray
3rd Duke of Norfolk
1432 1461
Thumb John de Mowbray
4th Duke of Norfolk
1461 1476 Edward IV
Henry VI
Edward IV
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Thumb Jointly: 1476 1483
Edward V
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Thumb John Howard
1st Duke of Norfolk
1483 1485 Richard III
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Thumb William de Berkeley
1st Marquess of Berkeley
1486 1492 Henry VII
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Thumb Lord Henry
Duke of York
1494 1509
Thumb Thomas Howard
2nd Duke of Norfolk
1509 1524 Henry VIII
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Thumb Charles Brandon
1st Duke of Suffolk
1524 1533
Thumb Thomas Howard
3rd Duke of Norfolk
1533 1547
Thumb Edward Seymour
1st Duke of Somerset
1547 1551 Edward VI
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Thumb John Dudley
1st Duke of Northumberland
1551 1553
Thumb Thomas Howard
3rd Duke of Norfolk
1553 1554 Mary I
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Thumb Thomas Howard
4th Duke of Norfolk
1554 1572
Elizabeth I
Thumb
Thumb George Talbot
6th Earl of Shrewsbury
1572 1590
Thumb In commission:
1590 1597
Thumb Robert Devereux
2nd Earl of Essex
1597 1601
Thumb In commission 1602 1603
Thumb Edward Somerset
4th Earl of Worcester
1603 1603 James I
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Thumb In commission:[7] 1604 1616
Thumb In commission:[7] 1616 1622
Thumb Thomas Howard
Earl of Arundel and Surrey
1622 1646
Charles I
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Thumb Henry Howard
Earl of Arundel and Surrey
1646 1652
Thumb Vacant 1652 1661 Interregnum
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Thumb James Howard
3rd Earl of Suffolk
1661 1662 Charles II
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Thumb In commission:[8]
1662 1672
Thumb Henry Howard
6th Duke of Norfolk
1672 1684
Thumb Henry Howard
7th Duke of Norfolk
1684 1701
James II
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Mary II
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William III
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Thumb Thomas Howard
8th Duke of Norfolk
1701 1732
Anne
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George I
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George II
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Thumb Edward Howard
9th Duke of Norfolk
1732 1777
George III
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Thumb Charles Howard
10th Duke of Norfolk
1777 1786
Thumb Charles Howard
11th Duke of Norfolk
1786 1815
Thumb Bernard Edward Howard
12th Duke of Norfolk
1815 1842
George IV
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William IV
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Victoria
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Thumb Henry Charles Howard
13th Duke of Norfolk
1842 1856
Thumb Henry Granville Fitzalan-Howard
14th Duke of Norfolk
1856 1860
Thumb Henry Fitzalan-Howard
15th Duke of Norfolk
1860 1917
Edward VII
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George V
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Thumb Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard
16th Duke of Norfolk
1917 1975
Edward VIII
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George VI
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Elizabeth II
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Thumb Miles Fitzalan-Howard
17th Duke of Norfolk
1975 2002
Thumb Edward William Fitzalan-Howard
18th Duke of Norfolk
2002 Incumbent
Charles III
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Deputy Earls Marshal of England

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The position of Earl Marshal had a Deputy called the Knight Marshal from the reign of Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846.[9]

Deputy Earls Marshal have been named at various times, discharging the responsibilities of the office during the minority or infirmity of the Earl Marshal. Prior to an Act of Parliament in 1824, Protestant deputies were required when the Earl Marshal was a Roman Catholic, which occurred frequently due to the Catholicism of the Norfolks.

See also

Notes

References

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