View source for Duke of Wellington (title)

{{Short description|Title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox nobility title
| name              = Dukedom of Wellington
| image             = [[File:Coat of Arms of the Duke of Wellington.svg|240px|Arms of Dukes of Wellington]]
| caption = ''Quarterly 1st & 4th: Gules, a cross argent in each quarter five plates in saltire'' (Wellesley); ''2nd & 3rd: Or, a lion rampant gules ducally collared gold'' (Colley) ''over-all in the centre chief point an escutcheon of augmentation charged with the Union badge''<ref>''Debrett's Peerage'', 1968, p. 1140.</ref>
| creation_date     = 3 May 1814
| monarch = [[George IV|The Prince Regent]] (acting on behalf of his father, [[George III|King George III]])
| peerage           = [[Peerage of the United Kingdom]]
| first_holder      = [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington]]
| present_holder    = [[Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington|Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke]]
| heir_apparent     = Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro
| remainder_to      = the 1st Duke's [[heirs male]] [[heirs of the body|of the body]] lawfully begotten
| subsidiary_titles = {{Ubl|[[Prince of Waterloo]]|[[Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo]]|[[Duke of Victoria]]|Marquess of Wellington|Marquess of Douro|Marquess of Torres Vedras|[[Earl of Mornington]]|Earl of Wellington|Count of Vimeiro|Viscount Wellesley|Viscount Wellington|Baron Mornington|Baron Douro}}
| family_seat       = {{Plainlist|
*[[Stratfield Saye House]]
*[[Apsley House]]}}
| motto             =''Virtutis Fortuna Comes'' (Fortune favours the brave)
}}

'''Duke of Wellington''' is a title in the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom]]. The name derived from [[Wellington, Somerset|Wellington]] in Somerset. The title was created in 1814 for [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington]] (1769–1852; born as The Hon. Arthur Wesley), the [[Anglo-Irish people|Anglo-Irish]] military commander who is best known for leading the decisive victory with [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Field Marshal von Blücher]] over [[Napoleon]]'s forces at [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]] in [[Province of Brabant|Brabant]] (now [[Walloon Brabant]], Belgium). Wellesley later served twice as [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British prime minister]].  In historical texts, unqualified use of the title typically refers to the 1st Duke.

The first Duke's father, [[Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington|Garret Wesley]], had been granted the title of [[Earl of Mornington]] in 1760. His male-line ancestors were wealthy agricultural and urban landowners in both countries, among the Anglo-Irish [[Protestant Ascendancy]]. The dukedom has descended to [[heirs male]] of the body, along with eleven other [[hereditary title]]s.

==History==
The titles of '''Duke of Wellington''' and '''Marquess of Douro''' were bestowed upon Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington, on 3 May 1814 after he returned home a hero following Napoleon's abdication.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16894|page=936|date=3 May 1814}}</ref><ref name="Elliott">{{Cite book |last=Elliott |first=George |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ywM9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PR13 |title=The Life of the Most Noble Arthur, Duke of Wellington |publisher=J. Cundee |year=1816 |location=London |page=xiii–xiv}}</ref> He fought some sixty battles during his military career. He was considered "the conqueror of Napoleon". He stands as one of the finest soldiers that Great Britain and Ireland has ever produced, others being the [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|1st Duke of Marlborough]] and the [[John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll|2nd Duke of Argyll]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Following his victory at the [[Battle of Talavera]], Wellesley was offered a peerage. The question was what title should he take. His brother, [[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley|Richard Wellesley, Earl of Mornington]], looked around and discovered that a manor in the parish of [[Wellington, Somerset]], was available. It was also reasonably close to the family name. Because Arthur was still in Spain in command of the army fighting the French, Richard oversaw the purchase. By this process Arthur therefore became Marquess of Wellington. According to the book ''Wellington as Military Commander'' by Michael Glover, Arthur Wellesley first signed himself 'Wellington' on 16 September 1809. At the [[Battle of Waterloo]] in 1815, Arthur Wellesley was already further elevated to the peerage rank of the Duke of Wellington. At the time he became Ambassador to France, ''The London Gazette'' of 4 June 1814 refers to him as having that title but suggests that it was granted by warrant on 25 August 1812.

The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Wellington are ''Marquess of Wellington'' (1812), ''Marquess of Douro'' (1814), ''[[Earl of Mornington]]'' (1760 – but only inherited by the Dukes of Wellington in 1863), ''Earl of Wellington'' (1812), ''[[Viscount Wellesley]]'' (1760 – inherited in 1863), ''Viscount Wellington'' (1809), ''[[Baron Mornington]]'' (1746 – also inherited in 1863), and ''Baron Douro'' (1809). The Viscountcy of Wellesley and the Barony and Earldom of Mornington are in the [[Peerage of Ireland]]; the rest are in the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom]].

Apart from the British titles, the Dukes of Wellington also hold the titles of '''[[Prince of Waterloo]]''' (''Prins van Waterloo'', 1815) of the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands|Kingdom of the Netherlands]], '''[[Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo]]''' (''Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo'', 1812) of the [[Kingdom of Spain]] with [[Grandee of Spain|Grandeeship]], and '''[[Duque da Vitória|Duke of Victoria]]''' (''Duque da Vitória'', 1812), with the subsidiary titles '''Marquess of Torres Vedras''' (''Marquês de Torres Vedras'', 1812) and '''Count of Vimeiro''' (''Conde de Vimeiro'', 1811) of the [[Kingdom of Portugal]]. These were granted to the first Duke as [[victory title]]s for his distinguished service as victorious commanding general in the [[Peninsular War]] (in Spain and Portugal) and at the [[Battle of Waterloo]] (in what is now [[Belgium]]).

The family seat is [[Stratfield Saye House]], near [[Basingstoke]], Hampshire. [[Apsley House]], in London, is now owned by [[English Heritage]], although the family retain an apartment there. He also has a large estate outside [[Granada]], Spain, which was granted to the first duke by Spanish King [[Ferdinand VII]] as a reward for his services in the Peninsular War.

Five Dukes have been created [[Order of the Garter|Knights of the Garter]], the most senior [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom|British]] [[order of knighthood]].

==Dukes of Wellington (1814)==
[[Image:Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington by Robert Home cropped.jpg|200px|thumb|1st Duke of Wellington]]
[[File:Stratfield Saye, Berks - geograph.org.uk - 448.jpg|thumb|The [[family seat]] since the first Duke's acquisition has been [[Stratfield Saye House]]]]
{| style="text-align:center; width:60%" class="wikitable"
! colspan="7" |Created by the [[George IV of the United Kingdom|Prince Regent]] (on behalf of [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]])

|-
! style="width:10%" | #
! style="width:25%" | Name
! Period
! style="width:20%" | Duchess
! style="width:20%" | Notes
! Other titles

|- bgcolor="#dddddd" | 

|-
| 1
| [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]] (born Wesley)<br>(1769–1852)
| 1814–1852
| [[Catherine Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington|The Hon. Catherine Pakenham]]
| British Army officer and statesman who defeated [[Napoleon I]] at [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]] and [[Tipu Sultan]] at the [[Siege of Seringapatam (1799)]]
| [[Prince of Waterloo]], [[Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo]], [[Duke of Victoria]], Marquess of Wellington, Marquess of Douro, Marquess of Torres Vedras, Earl of Wellington, Count of Vimeiro, Viscount Wellington, Baron Douro

|-
| 2
| [[Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington|Arthur Richard Wellesley]]<br>(1807–1884)
| 1852–1884
| [[Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington|Lady Elizabeth Hay]]
| Son of the preceding ||rowspan="8"| [[Prince of Waterloo]],<br>[[Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo]],<br>[[Duke of Victoria]],<br>Marquess of Wellington,<br>Marquess of Douro,<br>Marquess of Torres Vedras,<br>Count of Vimeiro, Earl of Wellington<br>[[Earl of Mornington]],<br>Viscount Wellesley,<br>Viscount Wellington,<br>Baron Douro,<br>Baron Mornington

|-
| 3
| [[Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington|Henry Wellesley]]<br>(1846–1900)
| 1884–1900
| Evelyn Williams
| Nephew of the preceding

|-
| 4
| [[Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington|Arthur Charles Wellesley]]<br>(1849–1934)
| 1900–1934
| Kathleen Williams
| Brother of the preceding

|-
| 5
| [[Arthur Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington|Arthur Charles Wellesley]]<br>(1876–1941)
| 1934–1941
| Hon. Lilian Coats
| Son of the preceding

|-
| 6
| [[Henry Wellesley, 6th Duke of Wellington|Henry Valerian George Wellesley]]<br>(1912–1943)
| 1941–1943
| ''unmarried''
| Son of the preceding

|-
| 7
| [[Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington|Gerald Wellesley]]<br>(1885–1972)
| 1943–1972
| [[Dorothy Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington|Dorothy Ashton]]
| Uncle of the preceding

|-
| 8
| [[Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington|Arthur Valerian Wellesley]]<br>(1915–2014)
| 1972–2014
| [[Diana Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington|Diana McConnel]]
| Son of the preceding

|-
| 9
| [[Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington|Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley]]<br>(born 1945)
| 2014–present
| [[Princess Antonia of Prussia]]
| Son of the preceding
|}

{{Clear}}

==Line of succession==
{{Tree list}}
*[[File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg|15px]] ''[[Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington]] (1849–1934)''
**[[File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg|15px]] ''[[Arthur Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington]] (1876–1941)''
***[[File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg|15px]] ''[[Henry Wellesley, 6th Duke of Wellington]] (1912–1943)''
**[[File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg|15px]] ''[[Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington]] (1885–1972)''
***[[File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg|15px]] ''[[Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington]] (1915–2014)''
****[[File:Coronet of a British Duke.svg|15px]] '''[[Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington]]''' ({{Born in|1945}})
*****'''(1)''' Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington ({{Born in|1978}})
******'''(2)''' Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellesley ({{Born in|2010}})
******'''(3)''' Hon. Alfred Wellesley ({{Born in|2014}})
******'''(4)''' Hon. Arlo Wellesley ({{Born in|2023}})
*****'''(5)''' Lord Frederick Wellesley ({{Born in|1992}})
******'''(6)''' Finneas Fritz Wellesley ({{Born in|2023}})
****'''(7)''' Lord Richard Wellesley ({{Born in|1949}})
****'''(8)''' Lord John Wellesley ({{Born in|1954}})
*****'''(9)''' Gerald Wellesley ({{Born in|1981}})
****'''(10)''' Lord James Wellesley ({{Born in|1956}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wellesley |first=Jane |title=A Journey Through My Family |publisher=[[Weidenfeld & Nicolson]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-297-85231-5 |author-link=Jane Wellesley}}</ref>
*****'''(11)''' Oliver Wellesley ({{Born in|2005}})
**''[[Lord George Wellesley]] (1889–1967)''
***''Richard Wellesley (1920–1984)''
****''John Wellesley (1962–2009)''
*****male issue in remainder
{{Tree list/end}}

Should the direct male line of succession from the first Duke of Wellington become extinct, the dukedom and its subsidiary titles in the British peerage will become extinct, as will the titles of Prince of Waterloo in the Dutch peerage and the dukedom of the Victory and its subsidiary titles in the Portuguese peerage. 

The dukedom of Ciudad Rodrigo in the Spanish peerage, together with its subsidiary titles, will continue to be held in the female line of descendants of the first Duke. The earldom and barony of Mornington, along with the viscountcy of Wellesley, which are all titles in the Irish peerage, will revert to the line of the [[Earl Cowley]], a male-line descendant of a younger brother of the first Duke of Wellington.

{{Dukes of Wellington family tree}}

The Colley or Cowley family had come to Ireland from [[Glaston]], in [[Rutland]] about 1500; Sir [[Henry Colley (died 1584)|Henry Colley]] was elevated to the Peerage as Lord Glaston by [[Henry VIII]]. He married the daughter of [[Thomas Cusack (Irish judge)|Thomas Cusack]], [[Lord Chancellor of Ireland]], Catherine Wellesley Cusack ({{Died in|1598}}) whose grandmother was a Wellesley.<ref>Burke's Peerage</ref> Upon the death of his cousin [[Garret Wesley]] and his inheritance of the Estates of Dangan and Mornington, Richard Colley ({{Died in|1758}}) and his wife Elizabeth Sale (d. 17 June 1738) daughter of John Sale, Registrar of the Diocese of Dublin, on 23 December 1719.<ref name="Cokayne 2000, p. 235">{{Harvnb|Cokayne|2000|p=235}}.</ref> adopted the name Wellesley (from both Elizabeth's maternal family side from Catherine Wellesley Cusack her grandmother) and through her Husband's Family, his cousin, Garret Wesley (Wellesley).

==See also==
*[[Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo]]
*[[Prins van Waterloo]]
*[[Duke of Victoria|Duque da Vitória]]
* [[Waterloo ceremony]]
*[[Grandee of Spain]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Works cited===
* {{Citation |last=Cokayne |first=G.E. |title=The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant |volume=IX |page=235 |year=2000 <!--editors G.E. Cokayne, Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden--> |edition=new, reprint in 6 volumes |place=Gloucester, U.K. |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing}}

==External links==
* [http://www.dwr.org.uk/ Duke of Wellington's Regiment]
* [http://www.geneall.net/U/tit_page.php?id=1609 Genealogical information on the Dukes of Vitória]
* [http://www.geneall.net/U/tit_page.php?id=1473 Genealogical information on the Marquesses of Torres Vedras]
* [http://www.geneall.net/U/tit_page.php?id=1599 Genealogical information on the Counts of Vimeiro]

{{Dukes of Wellington}}
{{Extant British dukedoms}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wellington}}
[[Category:Dukedoms in the Peerage of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wellesley family|*]]
[[Category:1814 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Noble titles created in 1814]]
[[Category:Peerages created for UK MPs]]
[[Category:British landowners]]
[[Category:Dukes of Wellington| ]]