Earl of Albemarle
Encyclopedia
Earl of Albemarle is a title created several times from Norman times onwards. The word Albemarle is the Latinised form of the French county of Aumale
in Normandy (Latin: Alba Marla meaning "White Marl", marl
being a type of fertile soil), other forms being Aubemarle and Aumerle. It is described in the patent of nobility granted in 1697 by William III
to Arnold Joost van Keppel as "a town and territory in the Dukedom
of Normandy
."
During the period in which England and France contended for the rule of Normandy (through the end of the Hundred Years' War
), the kings of England not infrequently created peers as Counts and Dukes of Aumale. The last, to Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick
(d.1439), was in 1422; Aumale, anglicized as Albemarle, was not revived in the peerage until 1660.
In that year, Charles II
bestowed the title of Duke of Albemarle
on General George Monck
. The title became extinct in 1688, on the death of Christopher, 2nd Duke of Albemarle.
In 1697 King William III
created his Dutch favourite
Arnold Joost van Keppel
Earl of Albemarle in the Peerage of England. He was made Baron Ashford, of Ashford in the County of Kent, and Viscount Bury, in the County of Lancaster, at the same time. The motive for choosing this title was probably that, apart from its traditions, it avoided the difficulty created by the fact that the Keppels had as yet no territorial possessions in the British Islands. Lord Albemarle was succeeded by his only son, the second Earl. He was a General in the Army and also served as Governor of Virginia and as Ambassador to France. He married Lady Anne Lennox
, daughter of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
, illegitimate son of King Charles II
.
His eldest son, the third Earl, was also a successful military commander, best known as the commander-in-chief of the invasion and occupation of Havana and west Cuba
in 1762. He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl. He served as Master of the Buckhounds
and as Master of the Horse
. His second but eldest surviving son, the fifth Earl, was also a soldier and fought at the Battle of Waterloo
at an early age. He later represented Arundel
in the House of Commons
. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the sixth Earl. He also fought at Waterloo in early life and was later promoted to General. Albemarle also sat as Member of Parliament
for East Norfolk
and Lymington
.
His only son, the seventh Earl, was a soldier and politician. At first a Liberal
, he held minor office under Lord Palmerston
and Lord Russell
from 1859 to 1866. In 1876 he was summoned to the House of Lords
through a writ of acceleration
in his father's junior title of Baron Ashford. He had previously joined the Conservative Party
and served under Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury
as Under-Secretary of State for War
. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the eighth Earl. He was a Colonel in the Army and also briefly represented Birkenhead
in Parliament. the titles are held by his great-grandson, the tenth Earl, who succeeded his grandfather in 1979. Lord Albemarle is also in remainder to the ancient barony of de Clifford
as the great-great-great-great-grandson the Hon. Elizabeth Southwell, daughter of Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford and wife of the fourth Earl of Albemarle.
Several other members of the Keppel family have also gained distinction. Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
, second son of the second Earl, was a prominent naval commander. The Hon. William Keppel, third son of the second Earl, was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. The Right Reverend the Hon. Frederick Keppel
, fourth son of the second Earl, was Bishop of Exeter
. The Hon. Sir Henry Keppel
, fourth son of the fourth Earl, was an Admiral
in the Royal Navy
. The Hon. Sir Derek Keppel
, second son of the seventh Earl, was a soldier and prominent member of the Royal household. The Hon. George Keppel, third son of the seventh Earl, was the husband of Alice Edmondstone
, the most well-known of the mistresses of King Edward VII
, and the father of (although his paternity has been questioned) of the writer and socialite Violet Trefusis
and of Sonia, Baroness Ashcombe
. The latter was the grandmother of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
The heir apparent
is the present holder's son Augustus Sergei Darius Keppel, Viscount Bury (b. 2003)
Aumale
Aumale is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in north-western France.-Geography:A village of farming and associated light industry, situated in the valley of the Bresle River of the Norman Pays de Bray in Normandy on the border with Picardie. It is around ...
in Normandy (Latin: Alba Marla meaning "White Marl", marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
being a type of fertile soil), other forms being Aubemarle and Aumerle. It is described in the patent of nobility granted in 1697 by William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
to Arnold Joost van Keppel as "a town and territory in the Dukedom
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
."
During the period in which England and France contended for the rule of Normandy (through the end of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
), the kings of England not infrequently created peers as Counts and Dukes of Aumale. The last, to Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick
Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick
Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, Count of Aumale, KG was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.-Early Life:...
(d.1439), was in 1422; Aumale, anglicized as Albemarle, was not revived in the peerage until 1660.
In that year, Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
bestowed the title of Duke of Albemarle
Duke of Albemarle
The Dukedom of Albemarle has been created twice in the Peerage of England, each time ending in extinction. Additionally, the title was created a third time by James II in exile and a fourth time by his son the Old Pretender, in the Jacobite Peerage. The name is the Latinised form of the ancient...
on General George Monck
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
. The title became extinct in 1688, on the death of Christopher, 2nd Duke of Albemarle.
1697 creation
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
created his Dutch favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
Arnold Joost van Keppel
Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle
Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle KG, and lord of De Voorst in Guelders , was the son of Oswald van Keppel and his wife Anna Geertruid van Lintelo...
Earl of Albemarle in the Peerage of England. He was made Baron Ashford, of Ashford in the County of Kent, and Viscount Bury, in the County of Lancaster, at the same time. The motive for choosing this title was probably that, apart from its traditions, it avoided the difficulty created by the fact that the Keppels had as yet no territorial possessions in the British Islands. Lord Albemarle was succeeded by his only son, the second Earl. He was a General in the Army and also served as Governor of Virginia and as Ambassador to France. He married Lady Anne Lennox
Anne van Keppel, Countess of Albemarle
Anne van Keppel was born Lady Anne Lennox, the daughter of the 1st Duke of Richmond and Anne Brudenell...
, daughter of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, 1st Duke of Lennox, 1st Duke of Aubigny was the illegitimate son of Charles II of England and his mistress Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth....
, illegitimate son of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
His eldest son, the third Earl, was also a successful military commander, best known as the commander-in-chief of the invasion and occupation of Havana and west Cuba
British expedition against Cuba
The Battle of Havana was a military action from March to August 1762, as part of the Seven Years' War. British forces besieged and captured the city of Havana, which at the time was an important Spanish naval base in the Caribbean, and dealt a serious blow to the Spanish navy...
in 1762. He was succeeded by his son, the fourth Earl. He served as Master of the Buckhounds
Master of the Buckhounds
The Master of the Buckhounds was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. It was a political office, so the holder, who was always a nobleman, changed with every change of government. The office...
and as Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
. His second but eldest surviving son, the fifth Earl, was also a soldier and fought at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
at an early age. He later represented Arundel
Arundel (UK Parliament constituency)
Arundel was twice a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The first incarnation strictly comprised the town centre of Arundel and was a borough constituency first enfranchised in 1332 and disfranchised in 1868 under the Reform...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the sixth Earl. He also fought at Waterloo in early life and was later promoted to General. Albemarle also sat as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for East Norfolk
East Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
East Norfolk was a parliamentary constituency in the county of Norfolk. It returned two Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until 1868. Another Eastern division was created in 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
and Lymington
Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
Lymington was a parliamentary borough in Hampshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-1584-1640:- 1640-1868 :...
.
His only son, the seventh Earl, was a soldier and politician. At first a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, he held minor office under Lord Palmerston
Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, KG, GCB, PC , known popularly as Lord Palmerston, was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in the mid-19th century...
and Lord Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
from 1859 to 1866. In 1876 he was summoned to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
through a writ of acceleration
Writ of acceleration
A writ in acceleration, commonly called a writ of acceleration, was a type of writ of summons to the British House of Lords that enabled the eldest son and heir apparent of a peer with multiple peerage titles to attend the British House of Lords or Irish House of Lords, using one of his father's...
in his father's junior title of Baron Ashford. He had previously joined the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and served under Benjamin Disraeli and Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
as Under-Secretary of State for War
Under-Secretary of State for War
The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean . In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies...
. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the eighth Earl. He was a Colonel in the Army and also briefly represented Birkenhead
Birkenhead (UK Parliament constituency)
Birkenhead is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
in Parliament. the titles are held by his great-grandson, the tenth Earl, who succeeded his grandfather in 1979. Lord Albemarle is also in remainder to the ancient barony of de Clifford
Baron de Clifford
Baron de Clifford is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1299 for Robert de Clifford. The title was created by writ, which means that it can descend through both male and female lines. The de Clifford family settled in England after the Norman conquest and were a notable family in...
as the great-great-great-great-grandson the Hon. Elizabeth Southwell, daughter of Edward Southwell, 20th Baron de Clifford and wife of the fourth Earl of Albemarle.
Several other members of the Keppel family have also gained distinction. Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
, second son of the second Earl, was a prominent naval commander. The Hon. William Keppel, third son of the second Earl, was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. The Right Reverend the Hon. Frederick Keppel
Frederick Keppel
Frederick Keppel , styled The Honourable from birth, was a British clergyman.-Background:Keppel was the fifth and fourth surviving son of Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle and his wife Lady Anne Lennox, daughter of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond...
, fourth son of the second Earl, was Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
. The Hon. Sir Henry Keppel
Henry Keppel
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Keppel, GCB, OM was a British admiral, son of the 4th Earl of Albemarle and of his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Lord de Clifford.-Naval career:...
, fourth son of the fourth Earl, was an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The Hon. Sir Derek Keppel
Derek Keppel
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Derek William George Keppel GCVO KCB CMG CIE VD was a member of the British Royal Household....
, second son of the seventh Earl, was a soldier and prominent member of the Royal household. The Hon. George Keppel, third son of the seventh Earl, was the husband of Alice Edmondstone
Alice Keppel
Alice Frederica Keppel, née Edmonstone was a British socialite and the most famous mistress of Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Her formal style after marriage was The Hon. Mrs George Keppel. Her daughter, Violet Trefusis, was the lover of poet Vita Sackville-West...
, the most well-known of the mistresses of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, and the father of (although his paternity has been questioned) of the writer and socialite Violet Trefusis
Violet Trefusis
Violet Trefusis née Keppel was an English writer and socialite. She is most notable for her lesbian affair with Vita Sackville-West, which was featured under disguise in Virginia Woolf's Orlando: A Biography....
and of Sonia, Baroness Ashcombe
Sonia Cubitt, Baroness Ashcombe
Sonia Rosemary Cubitt, Baroness Ashcombe OBE DStJ was the daughter of Hon. George Keppel and his wife, Alice and the grandmother of the Duchess of Cornwall. Violet Trefusis was her sister.On 16 November 1920, she married Hon...
. The latter was the grandmother of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Coat of arms
The heraldic blazon for the coat of arms of the Keppel family is: Gules, three escallops argent.Earls of Albemarle (1697)
- Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of AlbemarleArnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of AlbemarleArnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle KG, and lord of De Voorst in Guelders , was the son of Oswald van Keppel and his wife Anna Geertruid van Lintelo...
(1670–1718) - Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of AlbemarleWillem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of AlbemarleLieutenant-General Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle KG, KCB, PC, ADC was a British diplomat and an American colonist....
(1702–1754) - George Keppel, 3rd Earl of AlbemarleGeorge Keppel, 3rd Earl of AlbemarleGeneral George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle KG PC , styled Viscount Bury until 1754, was a British soldier nobleman best known for his capture of Havana in 1762 during the Seven Years' War.-Early life:...
(1724–1772) - William Charles Keppel, 4th Earl of AlbemarleWilliam Keppel, 4th Earl of AlbemarleWilliam Charles Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle GCH, PC , briefly styled Viscount Bury between May and October 1772, was a British Whig politician.-Background:...
(1772–1849)- William Keppel, Viscount Bury (1793–1804)
- Augustus Frederick Keppel, 5th Earl of AlbemarleAugustus Keppel, 5th Earl of AlbemarleAugustus Frederick Keppel, 5th Earl of Albemarle , styled Viscount Bury from 1804 until 1849, was an English nobleman....
(1794–1851) - George Thomas Keppel, 6th Earl of AlbemarleGeorge Keppel, 6th Earl of AlbemarleGeneral George Thomas Keppel, 6th Earl of Albemarle DL, FGS, FSA , styled The Honourable from birth until 1851, was a British soldier, Liberal politician and writer.-Background and education:...
(1799–1891) - William Coutts Keppel, 7th Earl of AlbemarleWilliam Keppel, 7th Earl of AlbemarleWilliam Coutts Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle KCMG, PC , styled Viscount Bury between 1851 and 1891, was a British soldier and politician. He served in the British Army before entering parliament in 1857...
(1832–1894) - Arnold Allan Cecil Keppel, 8th Earl of AlbemarleArnold Keppel, 8th Earl of AlbemarleArnold Allan Cecil Keppel, 8th Earl of Albemarle CB, GCVO, TD, VD, JP , known as Viscount Bury from 1891 to 1894, was a British soldier, courtier and Conservative politician.-Biography:...
(1858–1942) - Walter Egerton George Lucian Keppel, 9th Earl of AlbemarleWalter Keppel, 9th Earl of AlbemarleWalter Egerton George Lucian Keppel, 9th Earl of Albemarle MC was a British nobleman and soldier, styled Viscount Bury from 1894 to 1942.-Life:...
(1882–1979) - Rufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of AlbemarleRufus Keppel, 10th Earl of AlbemarleRufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle is an award-winning product designer and the founder of the men's-shirt company Albemarle of London.-Early life and education:...
(b. 1965)
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's son Augustus Sergei Darius Keppel, Viscount Bury (b. 2003)