Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale


Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was held by junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the county of Cumberland, England and after Teviotdale, Scotland. Held by the Hanoverian royals, it was suspended under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917, which revoked titles belonging to enemies of the United Kingdom during the Great War.

History

The title Duke of Cumberland had been created three times in the Peerages of England and Great Britain.
In 1799 the double dukedom of Cumberland and Teviotdale, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was bestowed on Ernest Augustus, fifth son of King George III of the United Kingdom. In 1837 Ernest became king of Hanover, and on his death in 1851 the title descended with the kingdom to his son King George V, and on George's death in 1878 to his grandson Prince Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover. In 1866 Hanover was annexed by Prussia, but King George died without renouncing his rights. His son Ernest, while maintaining his claim to the kingdom of Hanover, was generally known by his title of Duke of Cumberland in Britain.
The title was suspended for Ernest's pro-German activities during World War I under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917, as it was for his son. Under the Act the lineal male heirs of the 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale have the right to petition the British Crown for the restoration of his peerages. To date, none has done so. The present heir is Prince Ernst August of Hanover, great grandson of the 3rd Duke and current head of the House of Hanover. He is the senior male-line descendant of George III of the United Kingdom.

Dukes of Cumberland and Teviotdale

After the Union of Great Britain, the Hanoverian kings liked to grant double titles to emphasise unity.