Earl of Arundel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Earldom of Arundel subsidiary of the Dukedom of Norfolk since 1660
Arms of Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk and 29th or 36th Earl of Arundel. The fourth quarter, Gules a Lion rampant Or, Armed and Langued Azure, is inherited from the Fitzalan Earls of Arundel.
Creation date	c.1138 (first creation) 1289 ( possible second creation)
Monarch	Henry II (first creation) Edward I (possible second creation)
Peerage	Peerage of England
First holder	William d'Aubigny
Present holder	Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk
Heir apparent	Henry Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel
Status	Extant
Seat(s)	Arundel Castle Carlton Towers

Arundel Castle in Sussex, a very old castle that is home to the Duke of Norfolk.

The original coat of arms for the d'Aubigny Earls of Arundel. These arms are still part of the Duke of Norfolk's coat of arms today.

The Earl of Arundel is a very old and important noble title in England. It is one of the oldest titles still in use today. The title is currently held by the Duke of Norfolk. His oldest son, who will inherit the title, uses "Earl of Arundel" as a special courtesy title.

The earldom began around 1138 or 1139. It was first given to a French baron named William d'Aubigny. The title was linked to Arundel Castle and a large area of land in Sussex. William became master of these lands when he married Adeliza of Louvain, the widow of King Henry I.

For many years, people believed that whoever owned Arundel Castle should automatically be the Earl of Arundel. This idea was officially confirmed by King Henry VI. Later, in 1627, a special law was passed to support this tradition. This law even said that some earlier lords of Arundel should be counted as earls, even if they weren't called that during their lives.

Some historians think the title might have started even earlier, with the House of Montgomery. Roger of Montgomery, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury was a top general for William the Conqueror. He was given the Arundel property and told to build a castle there. He likely built the first part of the castle, which is still there today.

Who Held the Title?

Over the centuries, the title of Earl of Arundel has been held by a few powerful families.

The d'Aubigny Family

The first family to hold the title was the d'Aubigny family. They were given the earldom around 1138.

• William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel (died 1176)
• William d'Aubigny, 2nd Earl of Arundel (died 1193)
• William d'Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel (c. 1174–1221)
• William d'Aubigny, 4th Earl of Arundel (died 1224)
• Hugh d'Aubigny, 5th Earl of Arundel (died 1243)

The FitzAlan Family

After the d'Aubigny family, the title passed to the FitzAlan family. This family was originally from Brittany. A younger part of this family later became the Stuart family, who ruled Scotland and England.

• John Fitzalan (1223–1267)
• John Fitzalan (1246–1272)
• Richard Fitzalan (1267–1302) – He received a special order in 1289, which some believe created a new earldom of Arundel.
• Edmund Fitzalan (1285–1326) – He lost his title in 1326.
• Richard Fitzalan (c. 1313–1376) – His title was given back in 1331.
• Richard Fitzalan (1346–1397) – He lost his title in 1397.
• Thomas Fitzalan (1381–1415) – His title was given back in 1400.
• John Fitzalan (1385–1421)
• John Fitzalan (1408–1435)
• Humphrey Fitzalan (1429–1438)
• William Fitzalan (1417–1487)
• Thomas Fitzalan (1450–1524)
• William Fitzalan (1476–1544)
• Henry Fitzalan (1512–1580)

The Howard Family

In 1580, the last FitzAlan Earl died without a son. His daughter, Mary FitzAlan, had married Thomas Howard. The title then passed to their son, Philip Howard. However, Philip also lost his title in 1589 due to serious accusations.

The earldom was given back to Philip's son, Thomas, after King James I became king. This Thomas Howard later also became the Duke of Norfolk in 1660. Since then, the title of Earl of Arundel has always been held by the Dukes of Norfolk.

In 1842, the family officially changed their last name to FitzAlan-Howard. This name is still used by the family today.

Here are the Earls of Arundel who were also Dukes of Norfolk:

• Thomas Howard, 5th Duke of Norfolk (1627–1677)
• Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk (1628–1684)
• Henry Howard, 7th Duke of Norfolk (1655–1701)
• Thomas Howard, 8th Duke of Norfolk (1683–1732)
• Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk (1685–1777)
• Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk (1720–1786)
• Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk (1746–1815)
• Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk (1765–1842)
• Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk (1791–1856)
• Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 14th Duke of Norfolk (1815–1860)
• Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk (1847–1917)
• Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk (1908–1975)
• Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk (1915–2002)
• Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk (born 1956)

The current Duke of Norfolk is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. His son, Henry Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey (born 1987), is the next in line to inherit the title.

See also

In Spanish: Conde de Arundel para niños