:''For the nursery rhyme see
The Grand Old Duke of York.''
The title 'Duke of York' is a title of
nobility in the British
peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, been usually given to the second son of the
British monarch. In all that time, none of the holders of the title have ever transmitted it: they either died without male heirs or became King themselves.
The current Duke of York is
The Prince Andrew, second son of
Queen Elizabeth II. Andrew has currently no male heirs; thus, the most likely candidate for the next creation is
Prince Harry of Wales, being the second son of
Charles, Prince of Wales.
The wife of the Duke of York is known as
the Duchess of York.
History
York was in mediæval times the main town of Northern England, and
Yorkshire was England's largest
shire.
Between the fall of Jorvik under
Eirik Bloodaxe, last
King of Jorvik and the first created Duke of York, there were a few
Earls of York.
The title was first created in the
Peerage of England for Edmund of Langley, the fourth surviving son of
Edward III, and an important character in
Shakespeare's ''
Richard II''. His son Edward was killed at the
Battle of Agincourt in
1415. The title passed to his nephew Richard, the son of
Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, who had been executed for plotting against
King Henry V. The younger Richard managed to obtain a restoration of the title, but when his eldest son became King in
1461 as
Edward IV, the title merged into the Crown.
The title was next created for
Richard of Shrewsbury, second son of King Edward IV. Richard was one of the
Princes in the Tower, and as he died without heirs, the title became extinct at his death.
The next creation was for Henry Tudor, second son of
King Henry VII. When his elder brother
Arthur, Prince of Wales, died in
1502, Henry became heir to the throne, and ultimately
King Henry VIII, when his titles merged into the crown.
The title was for the fourth time created for Charles Stuart, second son of
King James I. When his elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, died in
1612, Charles became heir, was created
Prince of Wales in
1616 and eventually became
King Charles I, and the title merged into the Crown.
The fifth creation was in favour of James Stuart, the second son of Charles I. Named for this particular Duke of York are the
city and
state of New York in what is now the
United States of America. When his elder brother,
King Charles II, died without heirs, James succeeded to the throne as
King James II, and the title once again merged into the Crown.
In the early 18th century, the
Jacobite claimant to the throne,
James Francis Edward Stuart, son of James II, granted the title "Duke of York" (in the
Jacobite peerage) to his own second son,
Henry. James Francis Edward Stuart was known to those who rejected his claims as "The Old Pretender"; his elder son
Charles was called "The Young Pretender", and "Bonnie Prince Charlie", and the younger son, Henry, who became a Roman Catholic cardinal, was known as the Cardinal Duke of York. To the Jacobites, they were Kings James III, Charles III, and Henry IX, respectively.
The next creations (the title changing to "York and Albany") were 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 heirs.
The second creation of the Dukedom of York and Albany was for Prince Edward Augustus, younger brother of
King George III, who also died without heirs, having never married.
The third and last creation of the York and Albany title 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 was the original "
Grand old Duke of York" in the popular rhyme. He too died without heirs.
The sixth creation of the Dukedom of York was for Prince George of Wales, second son of
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. He was created Duke of York following the death of his elder brother,
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. The title merged with the crown when George succeeded his father as King George V.
The seventh creation was for Prince Albert, second son of King George V, and younger brother of
King Edward VIII. Albert came unexpectedly to the throne when his brother abdicated, and took the name George VI, the Dukedom merging into the crown.
The most recent creation was for Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II. As of the present day, he only has two daughters. Thus, if he has no future sons, which seems likely, the title will become extinct at his death. If the tradition of awarding the title to the second son of the monarch were to continue, the title would then be awarded to
Prince Harry, the younger son of
Charles, Prince of Wales, the current
heir apparent to the throne. Titles are traditionally given on marriage and if Harry's marriage predated Andrew's death, another title would have to be awarded instead (following the precedent of the
Earldom of Wessex being awarded to the current Duke of York's brother,
Prince Edward, with the promise of the
Dukedom of Edinburgh being granted to him at a later date, Prince Harry may be created an Earl with the expectation of being created Duke of York on his uncle's death).
Aside from the first creation, every time the Dukedom of York has been created it has had only one occupant, that person either inheriting the throne or dying without male heirs. This has fuelled the
rumor that there is a
curse on the title.
Dukes
Dukes of York
First creation,
1385-
1415,
1415-
1461
★
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (
1341-
1402) — Fourth son of
Edward III of England.
★
Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York (c.
1373-
1415) — Son of Edmund of Langley.
★
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (
1411-
1460) — Nephew of Edward of Norwich. Did not directly inherit the title due to the treason of his father, the
3rd Earl of Cambridge; title restored by
Henry V of England in 1415.
★
Edward Plantagenet, 4th Duke of York (1442-1483) — Son of Richard Plantagenet. Became King Edward IV in 1461; title merged with the Crown.
Second creation,
1474-
1483
★
Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (
1473-
1483) — Second son of
Edward IV of England, died ''sine prole''.
Third creation,
1494-
1509
★
Henry Tudor, Duke of York (
1491-
1547) — Second son of
Henry VII of England. Became King Henry VIII in 1509, title merged in Crown.
Fourth creation,
1605-
1625
★
Charles Stuart, Duke of York (
1600-
1649) — Second son of
James I of England. Became King Charles I in 1625, title merged in Crown.
Fifth creation, (
1633)
1644-
1685
★
James Stuart, Duke of York (
1633-
1701) — Second son of
Charles I of England, styled ''Duke of York'' from birth. Became King James II in 1685, title merged in Crown.
Dukes of York and Albany
First creation,
1716-
1728
★
Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany, Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück (
1674-
1728) — Younger brother of
George I of Great Britain. Died ''sine prole''.
Second creation,
1760-
1767
★
Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (
1739-
1767) — Son of
Frederick, Prince of Wales and younger brother of
George III of the United Kingdom. Died ''sine prole''.
Third creation,
1784-
1827
★
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (
1763-
1827) — Second son of
George III of the United Kingdom. Died ''sine prole''.
Dukes of York
Sixth creation,
1892-
1910
★
Prince George, Duke of York (
1865-
1936) — Second son of
Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Became King George V in 1910, title merged in Crown.
Seventh creation,
1920-
1936
★
Prince Albert, Duke of York (
1895-
1952) — Second son of
George V of the United Kingdom. Became King George VI in 1936, title merged in Crown.
Eighth creation,
1986-Present
★
Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b.
1960) — Second son of
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Has no male heirs.
See also
★
Henry Benedict Stuart Created Duke of York by the titular King James III in
1725. Recognised as Duke of York by the
Papacy;
Modena;
France and
Spain. Died in
1807.
Other dukedoms generally awarded to male members of the Royal Family include:
★
Duke of Clarence
★
Duke of Kent
★
Duke of Gloucester
★
Duke of Cambridge
★
Duke of Sussex
★
Duke of Connaught
★
Duke of Edinburgh
★
Duke of Cumberland
★
Duke of Albany
Places named after Dukes Of York:
★
Duke of York Island, Antarctica
★
Duke of York Island, Papua New Guinea
★
Duke of York Islands
★
Duke of York Archipelago,
Canada
★
Duke of York's Royal Military School
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