- Duke of Grafton
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Dukedom of Grafton 
Creation date 11 September 1675
(336 years, 72 days)Created by Charles II of England Peerage Peerage of England First holder Henry FitzRoy Present holder Henry FitzRoy, 12th Duke Heir presumptive Lord Charles FitzRoy Remainder to heirs male of the body of the grantee Subsidiary titles Earl of Euston; Viscount Ipswich; Baron Sudbury Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy. The most famous duke was probably Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, who served as Prime Minister in the 1760s.
The Duke of Grafton holds three subsidiary titles, all created in 1672 in the Peerage of England: Earl of Euston, Viscount Ipswich, and Baron Sudbury. Between 1723 and 1936 the Dukes, being descended from the 1st Duke's wife Isabella FitzRoy, 2nd Countess of Arlington, also held the titles Earl of Arlington, Viscount Thetford and Baron Arlington. Those titles fell into abeyance between the 9th Duke's sisters, with the abeyance of barony Arlington being ended in 1999.
The title of the Dukedom refers to the Honour of Grafton in the south east of Northamptonshire, the titular village now being called Grafton Regis. The family seat is Euston Hall in Suffolk.
The Duke's eldest son is styled with the courtesy title Earl of Euston, and the eldest son of the Earl with the title Viscount Ipswich.
Contents
Dukes of Grafton (1675)
- Other titles (all): Earl of Euston, Viscount Ipswich and Baron Sudbury (1672)
- Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663–1690), second illegitimate son of Charles II and the Duchess of Cleveland
- Other titles (2nd–9th Dukes): Earl of Arlington and Viscount Thetford (1672), Baron Arlington (1664), Baron Arlington (1672)
- Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton (1683–1757), only son of the 1st Duke
- Charles FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1714–1715), eldest son of the 2nd Duke, died young
- George FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1715–1747), second son of the 2nd Duke, predeceased his father without issue
- Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1735–1811), eldest son of Lord Augustus FitzRoy, third son of the 2nd Duke
- George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton (1760–1844), eldest son of the 3rd Duke
- Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton (1790–1863), eldest son of the 4th Duke
- William FitzRoy, 6th Duke of Grafton (1819–1882), eldest son of the 5th Duke, died without issue
- Augustus FitzRoy, 7th Duke of Grafton (1821–1918), second son of the 5th Duke
- Henry FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1848–1912), eldest son of the 7th Duke, predeceased his father without issue
- Alfred FitzRoy, 8th Duke of Grafton (1850–1930), second son of the 7th Duke
- William FitzRoy, Viscount Ipswich (1884–1918), only son of the 8th Duke, predeceased both his father and grandfather
- John FitzRoy, 9th Duke of Grafton (1914–1936), only son of Lord Ipswich, died unmarried
- Charles FitzRoy, 10th Duke of Grafton (1892–1970), eldest son of the Rev. Lord Charles FitzRoy, third and youngest son of the 7th Duke
- Hugh FitzRoy, 11th Duke of Grafton (1919–2011), eldest son of the 10th Duke
- James FitzRoy, Earl of Euston (1947–2009), eldest son of the 11th Duke, predeceased his father in 2009[1]
- Henry FitzRoy, 12th Duke of Grafton[2] (b. 1978), only son of Lord Euston
The heir presumptive is the current duke's uncle, second and youngest son of the 11th Duke, Lord Charles FitzRoy (b. 1957).
Line of Sucession
- Lord Charles Patrick Hugh FitzRoy (b. 1957), second and youngest son of the 11th Duke
- Nicholas Augustus Charles FitzRoy (b. 1991), eldest son of Lord Charles
- George FitzRoy (b. 1993), second and youngest son of Lord Charles
- Michael Robert Charles FitzRoy (b. 1958), only son of Lord Edward Anthony Charles FitzRoy, third son of the 10th Duke
- Edwin FitzRoy (b. 1992), only son of Michael FitzRoy
- Felix Rudolf FitzRoy (b. 1938), great-great-grandson of Admiral Lord William FitzRoy, fourth and youngest son of the 3rd Duke
- James Francis Stuart FitzRoy (b. 1986), only son of Felix FitzRoy
- Charles James FitzRoy, 6th Baron Southampton (b. 1928), great-great-great-great-grandson of Capt. Lord Augustus FitzRoy, fourth son of the 2nd Duke
- Hon. Edward Charles FitzRoy (b. 1955), second son of Lord Southampton
- Charles Edward Millett FitzRoy (b. 1983), only son of Edward FitzRoy
- Hon. Charles James FitzRoy (b. 1998), third and youngest son of Lord Southampton
- James Edward FitzRoy Newdegate, 4th Viscount Daventry (b. 1960), second cousin once removed of Lord Southampton and great-great-grandson of Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton
- Hon. Humphrey John FitzRoy Newdegate (b. 1995), only son of Lord Daventry
- Allan Wentworth Stewart-FitzRoy (b. 1935), fourth cousin once removed of Lord Southampton and great-great-great-great-grandson of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton
- Douglas James FitzFlaad Stewart-FitzRoy (b. 1943), younger brother of Allan Stewart-FitzRoy
- Roderick Charles Stewart-FitzRoy (b. 1947), younger brother of Allan and Douglas Stewart-FitzRoy
- James Stewart-FitzRoy (b. 1973), only son of Roderick Stewart-FitzRoy
Further reading
- Falk, Bernard. The Royal Fitz Roys; Dukes of Grafton through Four Centuries. Hutchinson, 1950.
References
- ^ Obituary Earl of Euston – Telegraph.co.uk, 25 Oct 2009
- ^ Google Groups — Peerage News
See also
Extant dukedoms in the peerages of the British Isles* Cornwall • Norfolk • Somerset • Richmond • Grafton • Beaufort • St Albans • Bedford • Devonshire • Marlborough • Rutland • Rothesay • Hamilton • Buccleuch • Lennox • Queensberry • Argyll • Atholl • Montrose • Roxburghe • Brandon • Manchester • Northumberland • Leinster • Wellington • Sutherland • Abercorn • Westminster • Gordon • Fife • Gloucester • Kent • Edinburgh • York • Cambridge
* Extant dukedoms, listed by precedence, from highest to lowest
Categories:- Dukedoms of England
- Dukes of Grafton
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