Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The analogous title in the Scottish peerage was Duke of Albany.
Initially granted in the 14th century in the Peerage of England, the title Duke of York has been created eight times. The title Duke of York and Albany has been created three times. These occurred during the 18th century, following the 1707 unification of the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into a single, united realm. The double naming was done so that a territorial designation from each of the previously separate realms could be included.
The title was most recently awarded by Queen Elizabeth II to her second son, the then-Prince Andrew, at the time of his wedding in 1986. In October 2025, amid controversy surrounding Andrew's ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had started a "formal process" to remove his brother's style, titles, and honours. Andrew's name was removed from the Roll of the Peerage the same day. This did not revoke his peerages, which can only be done by act of Parliament and not personally through the Sovereign's prerogatives, but means he is no longer entitled to any place in the orders of precedence derived from them and that he will cease to be addressed or referred to by any title derived from his peerages in public life, as well as official documents.
History In the Middle Ages, York was a main city of Northern England. It remains the seat of the archbishop of York since AD 735. Yorkshire is England's largest shire in area.
York under its Viking name "Jorvik" was a petty kingdom in the Early Middle Ages. In the interval between the fall of independent Jorvik under Eric Bloodaxe, last king of Jorvik (d. 954), and the first creation of the Dukedom of York, there were a few earls of York.
The title Duke of York was first created in the Peerage of England in 1385 for Edmund of Langley, the fifth son of Edward III of England. His son Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, who inherited the title, was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The title passed to Edward's nephew Richard, 3rd Duke of York, the son of Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge (who had been executed for plotting against King Henry V). The younger Richard managed to obtain a restoration of the title, but when his eldest son, who inherited it, became king in 1461 as Edward IV, the title merged into the Crown.
The title was next created for Richard of Shrewsbury, second son of King Edward IV. Richard was one of the Princes in the Tower, and, as he disappeared and was presumed dead without heirs, the title was considered extinct.
The third creation was for Henry Tudor, second son of King Henry VII. When his elder brother Arthur, Prince of Wales, died in 1502, Henry became heir-apparent to the throne. When Henry ultimately became King Henry VIII in 1509, his titles merged into the crown.
The title was created for the fourth time for Charles Stuart, second son of James I. When his elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, died in 1612, Charles became heir-apparent. He was created Prince of Wales in 1616 and eventually became Charles I in 1625 when the title again merged into the Crown.
The fifth creation was in favour of James Stuart, the second son of Charles I. New York, its capital Albany, and New York City, were named for James Stuart, who was Duke of Albany and Duke of York. In 1664, Charles II of England granted American territory between the Delaware and Connecticut rivers to his younger brother James. Following its capture by the English the former Dutch territory of New Netherland and its principal port, New Amsterdam, were named the Province and City of New York in James's honour. After the founding, the Duke gave part of the colony to proprietors George Carteret and John Berkeley. Fort Orange, north on the Hudson River, was renamed Albany after James's Scottish title.Miller, 44–45 When his elder brother, King Charles II, died without heirs, James succeeded to the throne and the title once again merged into the Crown.
During the 18th century the dukedom of York and Albany was created three times in the Peerage of Great Britain. The title was first held by Duke Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Bishop of Osnabrück, the youngest brother of King George I. He died without heirs, and the dukedoms became extinct. The second creation of the double dukedom was for Prince Edward, younger brother of King George III, who also died without heirs, having never married. Again, the title became extinct. The third and last creation of the double dukedom was for Prince Frederick Augustus, the second son of King George III. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army for many years. He too died without legitimate heirs, leaving the title, once again, to become extinct and revert to the Crown.
The sixth creation of the Dukedom of York (without being combined with Albany) was for Prince George, second son of the then Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII. George was created Duke of York following the death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. The title merged with the Crown when George succeeded his father.
The seventh creation was for Prince Albert, second son of King George V, and younger brother of the future King Edward VIII. Albert came unexpectedly to the throne when his brother abdicated, and took the name George VI, the Dukedom again merging into the Crown.
The title was created for the eighth time for Prince Andrew, as he then was, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II. As a result of his marriage to Sarah Ferguson, his only legitimate issue are two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. As he had no legitimate sons during his tenure, the title would have again become extinct and reverted to the Crown upon his death.
Andrew "stepped back" from royal duties in 2019 following an episode of the BBC's news and current affairs programme Newsnight, in which he was interviewed about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender. On 17 October 2025, following discussions with the King, Andrew agreed to cease using his titles of Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, although legally he still held them. On 30 October 2025 Buckingham Palace issued a statement announcing that King Charles III had begun a "formal process" to remove Andrew's style, titles, and honours. His name was subsequently removed from the Roll of the Peerage which means the title cannot be used on official documents, though he legally remains Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh, because depriving a person of the peerage requires parliamentary action, and removal of a peer's name from the Roll of the Peerage does not extinguish the peerage. The dukedom has not been returned to the Crown and if Andrew were to have a legitimate son, that son would inherit the dukedom.
Aside from the first creation, every time the Dukedom of York has been created it has had only one occupant, that person either inheriting the throne or dying without male heirs.
Pretenders In the late 15th century, Perkin Warbeck unsuccessfully claimed the Crown by claiming the identity of Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York.
In the early 18th century, the eldest son of the overthrown King James II & VII and thus Jacobite claimant to the throne, James Francis Edward Stuart, known to his opponents as the Old Pretender, granted the title "Duke of York" (in the Jacobite Peerage) to his own second son, Henry, using his purported authority as King James III & VIII. Henry later became a cardinal in the Catholic church and is thus known as the Cardinal Duke of York. Since James was not recognised as king by English law, the grant is also not recognised as a legitimate creation.
Dukes of York First creation, 1385–1461
Duke Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death Edmund of Langley1385–1402 5 June 1341Kings Langley4th surviving son of King Edward IIIand Philippa of Hainault Isabella of Castile11 July 1372 - 23 December 13923 childrenJoan Hollandno children 1 August 1402Epworth, Lincolnshireaged 61 Edward of Norwich1402–1415 1373Norwichson of 1st Dukeby his first wife Isabella of Castile Philippa Mohunbefore 7 October 1398no children 25 October 1415Battle of Agincourtaged 42 Richard of York1415–1460 21 September 1411Nephew of 2nd Duke and son ofRichard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge(attainted and executed for treason in August 1415)and Anne de Mortimer; restored in blood Cecily Neville143713 children 30 December 1460Wakefieldaged 49 Edward Plantagenet1460–1461 28 April 1442Rouenson of 3rd Dukeby his wife Cecily Neville (After dukedom)Elizabeth Woodville1 May 146410 children 9 April 1483Westminsteraged 40
Edward Plantagenet seized the throne in 1461 as Edward IV and the title of duke merged with the crown.
Second creation, 1474
Duke Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death Richard of Shrewsbury1474–1483 17 August 1473ShrewsburySecond son of King Edward IVand Elizabeth Woodville Anne de Mowbray15 January 1478no children Disappeared in the Tower of London,with his older brother,the "Princes in the Tower".
Richard disappeared without issue and the title of duke became extinct.
Third creation, 1494
Duke Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death Henry Tudor1494–1509Scarisbrick, J. J. (1997). Henry VIII (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. . 28 June 1491Greenwich Palace, Londonson of Henry VIIand Elizabeth of York (All after dukedom)Catherine of Aragon11 June 1509 – 23 May 1533(annulment)1 surviving daughter, others stillborn or briefly-livedAnne Boleyn25 January 1533 – 17 May 1536(annulment)1 daughterJane Seymour30 May 1536 – 24 October 15371 sonAnne of Cleves6 January 1540 – 9 July 1540(annulment)no childrenCatherine Howard28 July 1540 – 23 November 1541no childrenCatherine Parr12 July 1543no children 28 January 1547Whitehall Palace, Londonaged 55
Henry succeeded as king in 1509 upon his father's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.
Fourth creation, 1605
Duke Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death Charles Stuart1605–1625Gregg, Pauline (1981), King Charles I, London: Dent 19 November 1600Dunfermline Palace, Dunfermlineson of James Iand Anne of Denmark (After dukedom)Henrietta Maria of France13 June 16259 children 30 January 1649Whitehall Palace, Londonaged 48
Charles succeeded as king in 1625 upon his father's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.
Fifth creation, 1633/1644
James was styled Duke of York from birth and officially created as such in 1644.
Duke Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death James Stuart1633/1644–1685Callow, John, The Making of King James II: The Formative Years of a King, Sutton Publishing, Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, 2000. Page 14 October 1633St. James's Palace, Londonson of Charles Iand Henrietta Maria of France Anne Hyde3 September 16608 childrenMary of Modena21 November 16737 children 16 September 1701Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Parisaged 67
James succeeded as king in 1685 upon his brother's death and the title of duke merged with the crown.
Jacobite creation, 1725
Duke Portrait Birth Marriage(s) Death Henry Benedict Stuart1725–1788 6 March 1725Palazzo MutiRomePapal Statesson of "James III and VIII" (Jacobite Pretender)and Maria Clementina Sobieska Not married 13 July 1807Frascati, Romeaged 82
Henry succeeded his brother as Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland in 1788, but was not recognized in Britain as a Duke, let alone as King.
Sixth creation, 1892 Also Earl of Inverness and Baron Killarney.