Duke of Beaufort


Duke of Beaufort, a title 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, 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. 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.
The 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, KG, 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 and Earl of Worcester. 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 1644 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, was the youngest son of the fifth duke.
The family seat was once Raglan Castle, Monmouthshire, but was 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.

Descent from John of Gaunt

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Henry Robert FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester .

Line of Succession

The line of succession to the Dukedom is as follows:
  1. Henry Robert FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester, eldest son of the 12th Duke
  2. Lord Alexander Lorne Somerset, second son of the 12th Duke
  3. Lord Edward Somerset, second son of the 11th Duke and younger brother of the 12th Duke
  4. Lord John Somerset, third son of the 11th Duke and youngest brother of the 12th Duke
  5. Lyle Somerset, son of Lord John

    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 ; 2nd and 3rd, gules three lions passant guardant in pale or , 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, 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 ; 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