Duke of Beaufort ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised 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.
The Dukes of Beaufort descend in the male line from the House of Plantagenet through John of Gaunt, son of Edward III. This statement was challenged after the analysis of the Y chromosomal DNA of the remains of Richard III. Most living male heirs of the 5th Duke of Beaufort were found to carry a relatively common Y chromosome type, which is different from the rare lineage found in Richard III's remains. The instance of false paternity could have occurred anywhere in the numerous generations separating Richard III from the 5th Duke of Beaufort. The break also could have occurred with Richard III's grandfather Richard of Conisburgh, whose paternity has been called into question although he was acknowledged by his father.
Beaufort Castle was in possession of John of Gaunt, and the surname Beaufort was given to Gaunt's four legitimised children by his mistress and third wife, Katherine Swynford. This was the foundation of the House of Beaufort, Dukes of Somerset. A descendant of the Beauforts through his mother was Henry VII of England. Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, <small>KG</small> (c. 1460 – 15 March 1526), was the bastard son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset by his mistress Joan Hill.
The Duke of Beaufort holds two subsidiary titles – Marquess of Worcester (created 1642) and Earl of Worcester (created 1514). The title of Marquess of Worcester is used as a courtesy title by the duke's eldest son and heir. The title of 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 in 1644 by Charles I in favour of Edward Somerset, 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 The Lord Raglan, born Lord FitzRoy Somerset (1788–1855), was the youngest son of the fifth duke.
Family seat and estates
The family seat was Raglan Castle in Monmouthshire until 1646, after which it became Badminton House near Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire. The principal burial place of the Dukes and Duchesses of Beaufort is St Michael and All Angels' Church, Badminton.
Following the creation of the dukedom, each successive duke has served as Master of the Duke of Beaufort's Hunt, a foxhound pack kenneled on the Badminton Estate.
London residences
In 1738 Henry Somerset-Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort purchased the lease of No. 33 Upper Grosvenor Street (later the site of Grosvenor House) from John Chetwynd, 2nd Viscount Chetwynd for £8,000; this remained as his London house until his death in 1745.
His brother Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort inherited the lease and continued to use 33 Upper Grosvenor Street as his London residence until his death in 1756, after which his widow Elizabeth Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort and son Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort continued to live at the house.
Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort purchased No. 22 Arlington Street from John Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden in 1840, and employed the architect Owen Jones to undertake an extensive renovation of the house, which became known as Beaufort House. In 1852 the 7th Duke sold the Beaufort House to William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton for £60,000.
Following the 7th Duke’s death in 1853, he was succeeded by his son Charles Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort. Prior to his father’s death the 8th Duke had leased No. 27 Berkeley Square in 1846, which he retained until 1855; during the second half of the nineteenth century he proceeded to lease a series of London homes on a short term basis for the London season, including No. 22 Grosvenor Square in 1856, Warwick House in 1875, and No. 11 Portman Square in 1877.
His son Henry Somerset, Marquess of Worcester leased No. 28 St James's Place for the 1897 London season. Following the death of the 8th Duke in April 1899, Henry Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort took a short lease of a house in Brook Street, Mayfair from Augusta, Lady Delamere (widow of Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere). The 9th Duke continued to lease various houses on a short-term basis during the early 20th century, including No. 19 Curzon Street in 1900, 50 Grosvenor Street in 1901, No. 17 Hill Street in 1902, No. 17 Park Lane in 1903 from Blanche, Dowager Countess of Rosslyn, and No. 31 Bruton Street in 1905.
The 9th Duke purchased the lease of No. 11 Portman Square in 1907, which continued to be the family’s London home until c. 1918.
Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort, who served in the Royal Household as Master of Horse from 1936 until 1978, was granted Apartment 7, Kensington Palace as a grace-and-favour residence in 1953, which he and his wife Mary, Duchess of Beaufort retained as their London residence until c. 1979.
Descent from John of Gaunt
- John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III and father of King Henry IV of England
- John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, natural and legitimized son of John of Gaunt by Katherine Swynford
- Edmund Beaufort, 4th Earl and 2nd Duke of Somerset, fourth and youngest son of the 1st Earl
- Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, son of the 4th Earl and 2nd Duke of Somerset; his natural son was created Earl of Worcester in 1514.
Earls of Worcester (1514)
- Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester (c. 1450–1526), legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill
:Other titles (2nd onwards): Baron Herbert (1461)
- Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester (c. 1495–1548), only legitimate son of the 1st Earl
- William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester (died 1589), eldest son of the 2nd Earl
- Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester (1553–1628), only son of the 3rd Earl, was the father of the 5th Earl and Lady Blanche Arundell
- Henry Somerset, 5th Earl of Worcester (1577–1646) was created Marquess of Worcester in 1643
Marquesses of Worcester (1642)
:Other titles: Earl of Worcester (1514) and Baron Herbert (1461)
- Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester (1577–1646), eldest son of the 4th Earl, was a noted Cavalier
- Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester (1601–1667), eldest son of the 1st Marquess, was an inventor. He has a claim to the invention of the steam engine.
- Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester (1629–1700) was created Duke of Beaufort in 1682, after the Restoration
- Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert (b. bef. 1660), eldest son of the 3rd Marquess, died in infancy
Dukes of Beaufort (1682)
:Other titles: Marquesses of Worcester (1642) and Earl of Worcester (1514)
:Other titles (1st–10th Dukes): Baron Herbert (1461)
- Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort (1629–1700), eldest son of the 2nd Marquess
- Henry Somerset, Lord Herbert (b. before 1660), eldest son of the 1st Duke, died in infancy
- Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester (1660–1698), second son of the 1st Duke, predeceased his father
- Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort (1684–1714), only son of the Marquess of Worcester
- Henry Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort (1707–1745), eldest son of the 2nd Duke, died without issue
- Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (1709–1756), second and youngest son of the 2nd Duke
:Other titles (5th–10th Dukes): Baron Botetourt (1305; abeyance ended 1803)
- Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744–1803), only son of the 4th Duke
- Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (1766–1835), eldest son of the 5th Duke
- Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort (1792–1853), eldest son of the 6th Duke
- Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824–1899), only son of the 7th Duke
- Henry Adelbert Wellington FitzRoy Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort (1847–1924), eldest son of the 8th Duke
- Henry Hugh Arthur FitzRoy Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort (1900–1984), only son of the 9th Duke, died without issue, at which point his two Baronies fell into abeyance.
- David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort (1928–2017), great-grandson of Rt. Hon. Lord Henry Richard Charles Somerset, second son of the 8th Duke
- Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort (b. 22 May 1952), eldest son of the 11th Duke.
<gallery>
Bookplate-Henry Duke of Beaufort.jpg|Bookplate with the arms of the 2nd Duke of Beaufort
Bookplate-Elizabeth Duchess of Beaufort.jpg|Bookplate with the arms of Elizabeth Somerset, wife of the 5th Duke of Beaufort
Bookplate-Henry Somerset Duke of Beaufort.jpg|Bookplate with the arms of the 9th Duke of Beaufort
</gallery>
Coat of arms
The heraldic blazon for the coat of arms of the dukedom is: Quarterly, 1st and 4th, azure three fleurs-de-lys or (for France); 2nd and 3rd, gules three lions passant guardant in pale or (for England), all within a bordure compony argent and azure.
This can be translated as: a shield divided into quarters, the top left and bottom right quarters are blue with three golden fleurs-de-lys (for France), and the top right and bottom left quarters are red with three golden lions passant with their faces toward the viewer, one above the other (for England); the foregoing quarters are within a border around the shield with segments alternating white and blue.
In heraldry, a bordure compony is traditionally used to designate illegitimacy. Since the original Beaufort siblings' father was of the English royal family, the English royal arms are used. At that time, the king of England also claimed the French crown, hence the inclusion of the French royal arms.
Family tree
Ancestral armorial
See also
- Duchess of Beaufort
- Viscount Somerset
- Baron Raglan