Earl of Home facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Earldom of Home |
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| Creation date | 1605 |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | Alexander Home, 6th Lord Home |
| Present holder | Michael Douglas-Home, 16th Earl of Home |
| Heir presumptive | Alexander Sholto Douglas-Home |
| Subsidiary titles | Lord Home Lord Dunglass Baron Douglas |
| Seat(s) | The Hirsel Castlemains |
| Former seat(s) | Dunglass Castle, Hume Castle, Fast Castle, Bothwell Castle |
The Earl of Home (pronounced "HEWM") is a special title in Scotland. It was first given in 1605 to Alexander Home. This title also includes other smaller titles like Lord Home and Lord Dunglass. The Earl of Home is also the leader of the Clan Home family. He is also considered the main heir to the Clan Douglas family.
The oldest son of the Earl of Home uses the title Lord Dunglass as a courtesy title. This means it's a polite way to address him, even though he doesn't officially hold the Earldom yet.
One of the most famous people to hold this title was the 14th Earl, Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home. He was better known as Sir Alec Douglas-Home. He became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1963. At that time, Prime Ministers usually belonged to the House of Commons. But he was a member of the House of Lords. To make it easier to be Prime Minister, he gave up his Earl title. He then ran for a seat in the House of Commons and won.
Today, the 16th Earl holds these titles. The family's main homes are The Hirsel and Castlemains. Some old family castles, like Douglas Castle and Dunglass Castle, are no longer used or are in ruins.
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Who are the Earls of Home?
The Earls of Home come from a very old family line. Their ancestor, William de Home, took the "Home" name in the 1200s. This happened when he gained land in Berwickshire, Scotland.
Early Lords Home (1473)
Before becoming Earls, the family held the title of Lord Home. Here are some of the early Lords:
- Alexander Home, 1st Lord Home (died 1490)
- Alexander Home, 2nd Lord Home (died 1506)
- Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home (died 1516)
- George Home, 4th Lord Home (died 1549)
- Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home (died 1575)
- Alexander Home, 6th Lord Home (around 1566–1619) – He was the one who became the first Earl of Home in 1605.
Earls of Home (1605)
The title of Earl of Home began in 1605. Here are the people who have held this important title:
- Alexander Home, 1st Earl of Home (around 1566–1619)
- James Home, 2nd Earl of Home (died 1633)
- James Home, 3rd Earl of Home (around 1615–1666)
- Alexander Home, 4th Earl of Home (died 1674)
- James Home, 5th Earl of Home (died 1687)
- Charles Home, 6th Earl of Home (died 1706)
- Alexander Home, 7th Earl of Home (died 1720)
- William Home, 8th Earl of Home (died 1761)
- Alexander Home, 9th Earl of Home (died 1786)
- Alexander Home, 10th Earl of Home (1769–1841)
- Cospatrick Alexander Home, 11th Earl of Home (1799–1881)
- Charles Alexander Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home (1834–1918)
- Charles Cospatrick Archibald Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home (1873–1951)
- Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home (1903–1995) – He gave up his title in 1963 to become Prime Minister.
- David Alexander Cospatrick Douglas-Home, 15th Earl of Home (1943–2022)
- Michael David Alexander Douglas-Home, 16th Earl of Home (born 1987)
The Current Earl
The current Earl is Michael David Alexander Douglas-Home. He was born on November 30, 1987. He is the only son of the 15th Earl. He has two older sisters. From 1997 to 2000, he was a Page of Honour for Queen Elizabeth II. This was a special role helping the Queen.
He was known as Lord Dunglass from 1995 until 2022. In 2017, he married Sally Antoinette Underhill. He became the 16th Earl on August 22, 2022.
The current Earl does not have a son yet. This means there is no direct "heir apparent" (a clear next in line). The "heir presumptive" (the person who would inherit if no closer heir appears) is his second cousin, Alexander Sholto Douglas-Home. He was born in 1962.
Arms
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The "Arms" or coat of arms are like a special family symbol. The Earl of Home's coat of arms shows different designs. These designs represent the history of the Home family and other families they are connected to. The motto of the family is "True to the end."
See also
