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Earl of Balfour facts for kids

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Earldom of Balfour
Coronet of a British Earl.svg
Arms of Balfour (Earl of Balfour).svg
Argent, on a Chevron engrailed between three Mullets Sable as many Otter's heads erased of the first.
Creation date 5 May 1922
Monarch King George V
Peerage Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder Arthur Balfour
Present holder Roderick Balfour, 5th Earl of Balfour
Heir presumptive Hon. Charles Balfour
Remainder to Special remainder
Subsidiary titles Viscount Traprain
Status Extant
Seat(s) Burpham Lodge
Former seat(s) Whittingehame House
Motto VIRTUS AD ÆTHERA TENDIT ("Virtue strives towards heaven")

Earl of Balfour is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1922 for Conservative politician Arthur Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905 and Foreign Secretary from 1916 to 1919.

A.J. Balfour LCCN2014682753 (cropped)
Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

The earldom was created with special remainder, failing male issue of his own, to:

  1. his younger brother, the Right Honourable Gerald William Balfour, and the heirs male of his body, failing which to
  2. his nephew Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour and the heirs male of his body, and failing which to
  3. his nephew Oswald Herbert Campbell Balfour and the heirs male of his body.

The latter two were the sons of his deceased youngest brother Colonel Eustace James Anthony Balfour. Balfour was made Viscount Traprain, of Whittingehame in the County of Haddington, at the same time as he was given the earldom. This title is also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created with similar remainder.

Balfour never married, and was succeeded according to the special remainders by his younger brother Gerald, the second Earl. He was also a Conservative politician and notably served as Chief Secretary for Ireland, as President of the Board of Trade and as President of the Local Government Board. This line of the family failed on the death of his grandson, the fourth Earl, in 2003. As of 2017 the titles are held by his second cousin once removed, the fifth Earl. He is the grandson of the aforementioned Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour, nephew of the first Earl.

The family seat is Burpham Lodge, near Arundel, Sussex.

Earl of Balfour (1922)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's brother, the Hon. Charles George Yule Balfour (born 1951).
The heir presumptive's heir apparent is his son, George Eustace Charles Balfour (born 1991).

Male-line family tree

Male-line family tree, Earls of Balfour.
James M. Balfour
1820–1856
Viscount Traprain
Earl of Balfour
Arthur Balfour
1st Earl of Balfour

Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom

1848–1930
Cecil C. Balfour
1849–1881
Francis M. Balfour
1851–1882
Gerald Balfour
2nd Earl of Balfour

1853–1945
Col.
Eustace Balfour
1854–1911
Robert Balfour
3rd Earl of Balfour

1902–1968
Lt. Col.
Francis Balfour
1884–1965
Gerald Balfour
4th Earl of Balfour

1925–2003
Hon.
Andrew M. Balfour
1936–1948
Eustace Balfour
1921–2000
Roderick Balfour
5th Earl of Balfour

born 1948
Hon.
Charles Balfour
born 1951
George Balfour
born 1991

Line of succession

See also

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