Duke of Beaufort (England)

The title Duke of Beaufort in the Peerage of England was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, a Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the Roses. The name Beaufort refers to a castle in Champagne, France (now Montmorency-Beaufort). It is the only current Dukedom to take its name from a place outside the British Isles(except for Two Original Peers of France, the Duke of Normandy, and the Duke of Aquitaine)

They are descendants in the male line of John of Gaunt and Edward III. Beaufort Castle was a possession of John of Gaunt, and the surname Beaufort was given to Gaunt's four illegitimate (later legitimated) children by his mistress and third wife, Katherine Swynford.

The Duke of Beaufort holds two subsidiary titles: Marquess of Worcester (created 1642) and Earl of Worcester (1514). The title "Marquess of Worcester" is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's eldest son and heir. The title "Earl of Glamorgan" is used by the eldest son of the heir-apparent to the Dukedom. The Earl of Glamorgan's eldest son is known as "Viscount Grosmont". The Earldom of Glamorgan and Viscountcy of Grosmont derive from an irregular creation by Charles I in favour of Edward Somerset in 1644, who later succeeded his father as 2nd Marquess of Worcester. Although the Earldom of Glamorgan and Viscountcy of Grosmont were not recognised as substantive titles at the restoration of Charles II, because of irregularities in the patent of creation, they have nevertheless continued to be used as convenient courtesy titles in order to distinguish the bearer from the Marquess of Worcester as heir apparent, the Earldom of Worcester not being distinctive enough for this purpose. All subsidiary titles are in the Peerage of England.

Field Marshal Lord Raglan, born Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was the son of the 5th Duke.

The family seat was once Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire, Wales but is now Badminton House near Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire.

Earls of Worcester, First Creation (1138)

*Waleran de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Worcester (1104–1166)

Earls of Worcester, Second Creation (1397)

*Thomas Percy, 1st Earl of Worcester (1343–1403)

Earls of Worcester, Third Creation (1420)

*Richard Beauchamp, 1st Earl of Worcester (c. 1397–1422)

Earls of Worcester, Fourth Creation (1456/57)

*John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester (c. 1427–1470)
*Edward Tiptoft, 2nd Earl of Worcester (c. 1469–1485)

Earls of Worcester, Fifth Creation (1514)

*Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester (c. 1450–1526)
*Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester (c. 1495–1548)
*William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester (d. 1589)
*Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester (1553–1628)
*Henry Somerset, 5th Earl of Worcester (1577–1646) (created Marquess of Worcester in 1643)

Marquesses of Worcester (1642)

*Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester (1577–1646)
*Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester (1601–1667)
*Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester (1629–1700) (created Duke of Beaufort in 1682)

Dukes of Beaufort (1682)

*Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort (1629–1700)
*Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort (1684–1714)
*Henry Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort (1707–1745)
*Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (1709–1756)
*Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744–1803)
*Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (1766–1835)
*Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort (1792–1853)
*Henry Charles Fitzroy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824–1899)
*Henry Adelbert Wellington Fitzroy Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort (1847–1924)
*Henry Hugh Arthur Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort (1900–1984)
*David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort (b. 1928)

Heir Apparent: Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester (b. 1952)

Lord Worcester's Heir Apparent: Robert Somerset, Earl of Glamorgan (b. 1989)

External links

* [http://pages.prodigy.net/ptheroff/gotha/beaufort.html An Online Gotha - Beaufort]
* [http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/Houses_hgpm.asp?ID=121 Badminton House entry from The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses]