Marquess of Queensberry

Marquess of Queensberry is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The title has been held since its creation in 1682 by a member of the Douglas family. The Marquesses also held the title of Duke of Queensberry from 1684 to 1810, when it was inherited by the Duke of Buccleuch.

For the boxing rules, see Marquess of Queensberry Rules.

Marquessate of Queensberry
Arms: Quarterly: 1st & 4th, Argent, a Human's Heart Gules, imperially crowned Or, on a Chief Azure, three Mullets of the field (for Douglas); 2nd & 3rd, Azure, a bend between six Crosses-Crosslet fitchée Or (for Mar); all within a Bordure Or, charged with a Double Tressure flory counterflory Gules (for Scotland). Crest: A Human Heart Gules, imperially crowned proper, within two Wings Or. Supporters: On either side a Pegasus Argent, winged crined and unguled Or.
Creation date11 February 1682[1]
Created byCharles II of Scotland
PeeragePeerage of Scotland
First holderWilliam Douglas, 1st Marquess of Queensberry
Present holderDavid Douglas, 12th Marquess of Queensberry
Heir apparentSholto Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig
Remainder toheirs male whatsoever of the grantee
Subsidiary titlesEarl of Queensberry
Viscount Drumlanrig
Lord Douglas of Hawick & Tibbers
Baronet of Kelhead
StatusExtant
Former seat(s)Kinmount House
MottoFORWARD
Memorial plaques at the Douglas Family Mausoleum, Cummertrees Parish Church
The Queensberry Monument Dumfries

History

The feudal barony of Drumlanrig was held by Sir William Douglas, illegitimate son of The 2nd Earl of Douglas and Mar, some time before 1427, when he died. His descendant William Douglas, 9th of Drumlanrig, was created the 1st Earl of Queensberry in 1633.[2]

The subsidiary titles of Lord Queensberry are: Earl of Queensberry (created 1633), Viscount Drumlanrig (1628) and Lord Douglas of Hawick and Tibbers (1628), all in the peerage of Scotland. He is also a Scottish baronet, styled "of Kelhead", created 26 February 1668, so the 6th Marquess was the 5th Baronet. The courtesy title used by Lord Queensberry's eldest son and heir is Viscount Drumlanrig. There is no special courtesy title for Lord Drumlanrig's eldest son and heir.

The family seat of the Marquesses of Queensberry was Kinmount House in the parish of Cummertrees, south Scotland, which was sold by the 9th Marquess in 1896. The traditional burial place of the Marquesses of Queensberry is the Douglas family mausoleum at Cummertrees Parish Church.

The 9th Marquess is particularly well known because of the rules of boxing that were named after him (the Marquess of Queensberry rules), and for his litigious interaction with Oscar Wilde.

On 22 June 1893, Queen Victoria raised Francis Archibald, Viscount Drumlanrig, the heir of the 9th Marquess, to the peerage of the United Kingdom as Baron Kelhead. Francis, Lord Drumlanrig, died without descendants the following year and the title "Baron Kelhead" became extinct.

Lairds of Drumlanrig
  • William Douglas, 1st of Drumlanrig (died 1427)
  • William Douglas, 2nd of Drumlanrig (died 1458)
  • William Douglas, 3rd of Drumlanrig (died 1464)
  • William Douglas, 4th of Drumlanrig (died 1484)
  • James Douglas, 5th of Drumlanrig (died 1498)
  • William Douglas, 6th of Drumlanrig (died 1513)
  • James Douglas, 7th of Drumlanrig (died 1578)
  • James Douglas, 8th of Drumlanrig (died 1615)
  • William Douglas, 9th of Drumlanrig, 1st Earl of Queensberry (died 1640) (became Earl of Queensberry in 1633)

Earls of Queensberry (1633)

Marquesses (1682) and Dukes of Queensberry (1684)
Main article: Duke of Queensberry

The 2nd Duke of Queensberry surrendered all of his titles except the Marquessate and its subsidiary titles to the Crown and obtained a new grant under the same precedence (1684) with remainder to the Dukedom and those subsidiary titles bypassing his second son to his third son and further to the heirs male and female of the 1st Earl of Queensberry. Upon his death the Marquessate passed to James Douglas, 3rd Marquess and a homicidal maniac known as "the Cannibalistic Idiot."[3] He was excluded from his father's titles after the duke's death, which instead passed to Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke. The 3rd Duke also succeeded as Marquess upon the latter's death at age 17.[4]

The Dukedom of Queensberry passed by special remainder to the heirs male or female of the 1st Earl of Queensberry who was Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch, son of Francis Scott, Earl of Dalkeith through Lady Jean Douglas (married to Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch) who was eldest daughter surviving infancy of the 2nd Duke of Queensberry.

For successive Dukes of Queensberry, see Duke of Queensberry and Duke of Buccleuch.

Marquesses of Queensberry from 1810 (cont. 1682)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Sholto Francis Guy Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig (born 1967).
The heir apparent's heir presumptive is his brother Lord Torquil Oberon Tobias Douglas (born 1978).

Baronets, of Kelhead (26 February 1668)
See Douglas baronets

See above for further succession

Family tree

References
  1. Debrett, John (1820). The Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland. F.C. and J. Rivington. pp. 635–639. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  2. Burke, Bernard (2009). The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time. Heritage Books. p. 294. ISBN 9780788437199.
  3. Fryer, Jonathan (1998). Andre and Oscar: The Literary Friendship of Andre Gide and Oscar Wilde. Macmillan. p. 90. ISBN 9780312303877. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. Murray, Douglas (18 June 2000). "Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas (Excerpt)". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  5. James Douglas, 3rd Marquess of Queensberry, a homicidal maniac, was excluded from the line of succession to the Dukedoms of Queensberry and Dover when his father — the 2nd Duke of Queensberry — surrendered all of his titles except the Marquessate and its subsidiary titles back to the Crown and obtained a new grant with the same precedence for the surrendered titles that altered the succession to his second son and then the heirs male and female of the 1st Earl of Queensberry. The succession of the Marquessate continued in remainder to the heirs male of the 1st Earl of Queensberry.
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