Prince of Scotland
Encyclopedia
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are two of the titles of the heir apparent
to the throne of the United Kingdom
. The current holder of these titles is HRH The Prince Charles who bears the Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay
, Earl of Carrick
, Lord of the Isles
and Baron Renfrew, and is known outside of Scotland
as the Prince of Wales
.
Princess of Scotland is the wife of the heir apparent to the throne. The current holder is the second wife of The Prince Charles, HRH Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay known outside of Scotland as the Duchess of Cornwall
.
, Earl of Carrick
, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles
, and Great Steward of Scotland. Before the English and Scottish crowns were united under James VI and I sources indicate it was intended to be used in much the same way the title Prince of Wales
was used to designate the heir to the English throne, although the Scottish heir was only addressed as Duke of Rothesay until that time.
, the then heir apparent, granted on December 10, 1404, by King Robert III
. During the reign of James III of Scotland
, permanency was enacted to the title. The designation "Principality of Scotland" implied (and implies) not Scotland as a whole but lands in western Scotland, in areas such as Renfrewshire
, Ayrshire
and the Stewartry
appropriated as patrimony of the Sovereign's eldest son for his maintenance.
In modern times, the Prince remains paramount superior
in these lands (whilst The Crown
serves this role in the rest of Scotland). The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
, however, abolished most remaining feudal duties and privileges attaching to the Principality, leaving the Prince's status as mainly titular. Prior to the 2000 Act the Principality was entirely feu
ed out to tenants and brought in a small income. All title deeds in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire required to be sealed
with the Prince's seal. Revenue gained from feudal dealings were counted as income for the Duchy of Cornwall
, a more substantial estate held by the heir to the throne.
, and came to the Sovereign through the accession of Robert Stewart, son of Walter Stewart, 6th Great Steward of Scotland
, and of Marjorie Bruce
, Princess of Scotland, daughter of Robert I
, as Robert II
in 1370. Since that date it has been enjoyed by the Sovereign's eldest son.
The titles Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are normally conjoined in legislation.
), in order for any bill affecting, directly or by implication, the personal property or interests of the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland to be heard in Parliament, Parliament shall not debate any question whether the Bill be passed or approved unless such consent to those provisions has been signified at a meeting of the Parliament. In the Scottish Parliament such consent is signified by a member of the Scottish Executive
.
When the Sovereign had no son, there has been uncertainty as to who should bear and use the titles and enjoy the revenues of the Principality. Both Mary, Queen of Scots, and George II of Great Britain
used the titles and styles, but on the accession of George VI
there was a difference between the opinion of the Lord Lyon and the advice given by the Scottish Lords of Appeal
to the Garter King of Arms. The matter remains unresolved, but is unlikely to be of practical significance for some time.
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....
to the throne of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The current holder of these titles is HRH The Prince Charles who bears the Scottish titles of Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay was a title of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707, of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and now of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....
, Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick
The Earl of Carrick was the head of a comital lordship of Carrick in southwestern Scotland. The title emerged in 1186, when Donnchad, son of Gille Brigte, Lord of Galloway, became Mormaer or Earl of Carrick in compensation for exclusion from the whole Lordship of Galloway...
, Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
and Baron Renfrew, and is known outside of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
Princess of Scotland is the wife of the heir apparent to the throne. The current holder is the second wife of The Prince Charles, HRH Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay known outside of Scotland as the Duchess of Cornwall
Duchess of Cornwall
The Duchess of Cornwall is the title held by the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Duke of Cornwall is a non-hereditary peerage held by the British Sovereign's eldest son and heir....
.
Prince of Scotland
The title of Prince of Scotland originates from when Scotland was a separate kingdom from England and was held by the heir apparent to the Scottish throne, in addition to being Duke of RothesayDuke of Rothesay
Duke of Rothesay was a title of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707, of the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and now of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland....
, Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick
The Earl of Carrick was the head of a comital lordship of Carrick in southwestern Scotland. The title emerged in 1186, when Donnchad, son of Gille Brigte, Lord of Galloway, became Mormaer or Earl of Carrick in compensation for exclusion from the whole Lordship of Galloway...
, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
, and Great Steward of Scotland. Before the English and Scottish crowns were united under James VI and I sources indicate it was intended to be used in much the same way the title Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
was used to designate the heir to the English throne, although the Scottish heir was only addressed as Duke of Rothesay until that time.
Principality of Scotland
The title of Prince of Scotland originated from a charter granting the Principality of Scotland to the future James I of ScotlandJames I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
, the then heir apparent, granted on December 10, 1404, by King Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
. During the reign of James III of Scotland
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
, permanency was enacted to the title. The designation "Principality of Scotland" implied (and implies) not Scotland as a whole but lands in western Scotland, in areas such as Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire (historic)
Renfrewshire or the County of Renfrew is a registration county, the Lieutenancy area of the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, and one of the counties of Scotland used for local government until 1975. Renfrewshire is located in the West Central Lowlands of Scotland, south of the River Clyde,...
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
and the Stewartry
Stewartry
Stewartry 1975-dateStewartry is a committee area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.It was formerly one of four local government districts in the Dumfries and Galloway Region of Scotland....
appropriated as patrimony of the Sovereign's eldest son for his maintenance.
In modern times, the Prince remains paramount superior
Lord Paramount
Paramount , is the highest authority, or that being of the greatest importance...
in these lands (whilst The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
serves this role in the rest of Scotland). The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000 was an act of the Scottish Parliament which was passed by the Parliament on 3 May 2000 and received Royal Assent on 9 June 2000....
, however, abolished most remaining feudal duties and privileges attaching to the Principality, leaving the Prince's status as mainly titular. Prior to the 2000 Act the Principality was entirely feu
Feu
Feu was previously the most common form of land tenure in Scotland, as conveyancing in Scots law was dominated by feudalism until the Scottish Parliament passed the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. Act 2000...
ed out to tenants and brought in a small income. All title deeds in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire required to be sealed
Seal (contract law)
In the law, a seal affixed to a contract or other legal instrument has had special legal significance at various times in the jurisdictions that recognise it...
with the Prince's seal. Revenue gained from feudal dealings were counted as income for the Duchy of Cornwall
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
, a more substantial estate held by the heir to the throne.
Great Steward
The Great Stewardship of Scotland was granted to Walter Fitz Allan by David IDavid I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
, and came to the Sovereign through the accession of Robert Stewart, son of Walter Stewart, 6th Great Steward of Scotland
Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland
Walter Stewart was the 6th hereditary High Steward of Scotland. He was also the father of King Robert II of Scotland.-Biography:...
, and of Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce
Marjorie Bruce or Marjorie de Brus was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar, and the founder of the Stewart dynasty. Her marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland gave rise to the House of Stewart...
, Princess of Scotland, daughter of Robert I
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
, as Robert II
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
in 1370. Since that date it has been enjoyed by the Sovereign's eldest son.
The titles Prince and Great Steward of Scotland are normally conjoined in legislation.
Use of titles
Since King James VI of Scotland also became the King of England in 1603, the titles have fallen from habitual use, the holder also from then on usually being Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay, which were preferred, and is now seldom referred to, except as the last in the conventional list of the Prince of Wales's titles. Similar to the process of Crown consent (see Royal AssentRoyal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
), in order for any bill affecting, directly or by implication, the personal property or interests of the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland to be heard in Parliament, Parliament shall not debate any question whether the Bill be passed or approved unless such consent to those provisions has been signified at a meeting of the Parliament. In the Scottish Parliament such consent is signified by a member of the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
.
When the Sovereign had no son, there has been uncertainty as to who should bear and use the titles and enjoy the revenues of the Principality. Both Mary, Queen of Scots, and George II of Great Britain
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
used the titles and styles, but on the accession of George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
there was a difference between the opinion of the Lord Lyon and the advice given by the Scottish Lords of Appeal
Lord of Appeal
Lord of Appeal may mean:*Lord of Appeal in Ordinary or Law Lord carrying out the judicial functions of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom*Lord Justice of Appeal, a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales...
to the Garter King of Arms. The matter remains unresolved, but is unlikely to be of practical significance for some time.