Earl of Forfar
Earl of Forfar is a title of Scottish nobility, referring to Forfar, the county town of Angus, Scotland.
Earldom of Forfar | |
---|---|
Royal Standard of Prince Edward, Earl of Forfar | |
Creation date | 10 March 2019[1] |
Creation | Second |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
Present holder | Prince Edward |
Heir apparent | James, Viscount Severn |
Remainder to | the 1st Earl's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
Subsidiary titles | Viscount Severn[2] |
Seat(s) | Bagshot Park |
The Earldom of Forfar was first created in 1661 in the Peerage of Scotland and became extinct as a title in 1715.[3] It was a subsidiary title to the Earldom of Ormond.
The dignity of Earl of Forfar in the Peerage of the United Kingdom was granted to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex in 2019 on the occasion of his 55th birthday.[1] The title was given in addition to those received on his wedding day and affords Prince Edward and his wife Sophie a Scottish title to use when in Scotland.[3] Unlike his brother (Prince Andrew, Earl of Inverness) and nephews (Prince William, Earl of Strathearn and Prince Harry, Earl of Dumbarton), Prince Edward did not receive a Scottish title on the occasion of his marriage.[lower-alpha 1]
The County of Forfar, renamed Angus in 1928, contains Glamis Castle, the seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, from whom Prince Edward's grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was descended.
In July 2019, the Earl and Countess visited Forfar on their first official visit to the town since the Queen granted the Earl the additional title in March 2019.[4] He was presented with 'Earl of Forfar' tartan, to decorate the Earl and Countess by town firm the Strathmore Woollen Company. The weave is based on the existing Forfar tartan, which it designed in 2004 on the colours on the Forfar coat of arms. The geometry remains virtually the same, but the colours have been strengthened, with Azure blue replaced by the St Andrew's blue of the Scottish flag, and white yarns replaced by a brown to reflect the rich agriculture of the surrounds.[5][6][7]
Earls of Forfar, first creation (1661)
Subsidiary title was Lord Wandell and Hartside (Peerage of Scotland, 1661).
- Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Forfar and 2nd Earl of Ormond (1653–1712), younger son of the 1st Earl of Ormond.
- Archibald Douglas, 2nd Earl of Forfar and 3rd Earl of Ormond (1692–1715), only son of the above. On his death without issue in 1715, both earldoms became extinct.
Earls of Forfar, second creation (2019)
Earl | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prince Edward House of Windsor 2019–present also: Earl of Wessex (1999), Viscount Severn (1999) |
10 March 1964 Buckingham Palace, London son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip |
19 June 1999 Sophie Rhys-Jones 2 children |
– now 56 years, 150 days old |
Line of succession
Prince Edward, Earl of Forfar (b. 1964) - (1) James, Viscount Severn (b. 2007)
Notes
- As heir apparent, Prince Charles received the Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland upon his mother's accession to the throne.
References
- "No. 62588". The London Gazette. 15 March 2019. p. 4737.
- "No. 55536". The London Gazette. 28 June 1999. p. 7011.
- "Title for the Earl of Wessex". The Royal Family. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- "The Earl and Countess of Forfar visit Forfar". The Royal Family. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- Brown, Graham (2 July 2019). "'Honour' to be named Earl of Forfar says Prince Edward as town welcomes him with bridies, tartan and fiddles". The Courier. UK. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
- The Royal Family [@RoyalFamily] (1 July 2019). "His Royal Highness is presented with 'Earl of Forfar' tartan, which has been designed for Their Royal Highnesses to celebrate their new titles" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Tartan Details – Earl of Forfar, The". The Scottish Register of Tartans. The National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 9 March 2020.