Duke of Westminster

Dukedom of Westminster

Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Azure a Portcullis with chains pendant Or on a Chief of the last between two united Roses of York and Lancaster a Pale charged with the Arms of King Edward the Confessor (City of Westminster); 2nd and 3rd, Azure a Garb Or (Grosvenor).[1]The shield is encircled with the Order of the Garter, of which the 1st and 6th Dukes have been members.
Creation date 27 February 1874
Monarch Victoria
Peerage Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder Hugh Grosvenor,
3rd Marquess of Westminster
Present holder Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke
Heir apparent Hugh Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor
Remainder to the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Subsidiary titles Marquess of Westminster
Earl Grosvenor
Viscount Belgrave
Baron Grosvenor
Baronet of Eaton
Seat(s) Eaton Hall
Grosvenor Baronets
Creation date 1622
Monarch James VI and I
Peerage Peerage of England
First holder Richard Grosvenor
Present holder Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, 15th Baronet
Heir apparent Hugh Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor
Remainder to the 1st Baronet's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten

The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster. Earl Grosvenor, the only son of the Duke, is godfather to Prince George of Cambridge.[2]

The Duke of Westminster's seat is at Eaton Hall, Cheshire. 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.[3] Sir Richard Grosvenor, the 7th Baronet, was created Baron Grosvenor in 1761 and in 1784 became both Viscount Belgrave 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)

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 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
Jockey Colours of 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
(b. 1951)
since 1979 Natalia Phillips Son of the preceding

The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, Hugh, Earl Grosvenor (b. 29 January 1991). Lord Grosvenor is currently the only person in the line of succession to the dukedom of Westminster. The next in line to the marquessate and the other titles is Francis Grosvenor, 8th Earl of Wilton, who is heir male of Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury, himself third and youngest son of the 1st Marquess.

Family Tree

See also

References

  1. Duke of Westminster nominations, CVQO. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  2. "Prince George's godparents announced". BBC News. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  3. George Edward Cokayne Complete Baronetage Volume 1 1900

External links

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