Earl Marshal

Earl Marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the United Kingdom). He is the eighth of the great officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Constable of England and above the Lord High Admiral. The dukes of Norfolk have held the office since 1672.
The marshal was originally responsible, along with the constable, for the monarch's horses and stables including connected military operations. As a result of the decline of chivalry and sociocultural change, the position of earl marshal has evolved and among his responsibilities today is the organisation of major ceremonial state occasions such as the monarch's coronation in Westminster Abbey and state funerals. He is also the leading officer of arms and oversees the College of Arms. He is the sole judge of the High Court of Chivalry.
The current earl marshal is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, who inherited the position in June 2002. There were formerly an Earl Marshal of Ireland and an Earl Marischal of Scotland.
==History==
The office of royal marshal existed in much of Europe, involving managing horses and protecting the monarch. In England, the office became hereditary under John FitzGilbert the Marshal (served c.1130–1165) after The Anarchy, and rose in prominence under his second son, William Marshal, later Earl of Pembroke. He served under several kings, acted as regent, and organised funerals and the regency during Henry III's childhood. After passing through his daughter's husband to the Earls of Norfolk, the post evolved into "Earl Marshal" and the title remained unchanged, even after the earldom of Norfolk became a dukedom.
In the Middle Ages, the Earl Marshal and the Lord High Constable were the officers of the king's horses and stables. When chivalry declined in importance, the constable's post declined and the Earl Marshal became the head of the College of Arms, the body concerned with all matters of genealogy and heraldry. In conjunction with the Lord High Constable, he had held a court, known as the Court of Chivalry, for the administration of justice in accordance with the law of arms, which was concerned with many subjects relating to military matters, such as ransom, booty and soldiers' wages, and including the misuse of armorial bearings.
In 1672, the office of Marshal of England and the title of Earl Marshal of England were made hereditary in the Howard family.Sliford 1782, p. 36Companion to British History In a declaration made on 16 June 1673 by Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, the Lord Privy Seal, in reference to a dispute over the exercise of authority over the Officers of Arms the powers of the Earl Marshal were stated as being "to have power to order, judge, and determine all matters touching arms, ensigns of nobility, honour, and chivalry; to make laws, ordinances and statutes for the good government of the Officers of Arms; to nominate Officers to fill vacancies in the College of Arms; [and] to punish and correct Officers of Arms for misbehaviour in the execution of their places". Additionally it was declared that no patents of arms or any ensigns of nobility should be granted, and no augmentation, alteration, or addition should be made to arms, without the consent of the Earl Marshal.
The Earl Marshal is considered the eighth of the Great Officers of State, with the Lord High Constable above him and only the Lord High Admiral beneath him. Nowadays, the Earl Marshal's role has mainly to do with the organisation of major state ceremonies such as coronations and state funerals. Annually, the Earl Marshal helps organise the State Opening of Parliament. The Earl Marshal also remains to have charge over the College of Arms and no coat of arms may be granted without his warrant. As a symbol of his office, he carries a baton of gold with black finish at either end.
In the general order of precedence, the Earl Marshal is currently the highest hereditary position in the United Kingdom outside the Royal Family. Although other state and ecclesiastical officers rank above in precedence, they are not hereditary. The exception is the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, which is notionally higher than Earl Marshal and also hereditary. The holding of the Earl Marshalship secures the Duke of Norfolk's traditional position as the "first peer" of the land, above all other dukes.
The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, but the Act provided that the persons holding the office of Earl Marshal and, if a peer, the Lord Great Chamberlain continue for the time being to have seats so as to carry out their ceremonial functions in the House of Lords.
==Lords Marshal of England, 1135–1386==
right|thumb|Arms of "Bigod Modern": Party per pale or and vert, overall a lion rampant gules, adopted by Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk (1269–1306), after 1269 following his inheritance of the office of Marshal of England from the Marshal family
* Gilbert Giffard ?–1129 (?)
* John Fitz-Gilbert “the Marshal” 1130–1165 (?)
* John Marshal 1165–1194
* William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke 1146 or 1147–1219
* William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke 1219–1231
* Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke 1231–1234
* Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke 1234–1241
* Walter Marshal, 5th Earl of Pembroke 1242–1245
* Anselm Marshal, 6th Earl of Pembroke 1245
* Roger Bigod, 4th Earl of Norfolk 1245–1269
* Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk 1269–1306
* Robert de Clifford 1307–1308
* Nicholas Seagrave 1308–1316
* Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk 1316–1338
* William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury 1338–1344
* Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk 1338–1377
* Henry Percy, Lord Percy 1377
* John FitzAlan, 1st Baron Arundel, Lord Maltravers 1377–1383 (died 1379)
* Thomas Mowbray, 1st Earl of Nottingham 1385–1386
==Earls Marshal of England, 1386–present==
Earl Marshal	Earl Marshal 	Term of office	Term of office	Monarch
 	Thomas de Mowbray1st Duke of Norfolk 	1386 	1398 	Richard II
 	Thomas Holland1st Duke of Surrey 	1398 	1399 	Richard II
 	Ralph de Neville1st Earl of Westmorland 	1400 	1412 	Henry IV
 	John de Mowbray2nd Duke of Norfolk 	1412 	1432 	Henry IV
 	John de Mowbray2nd Duke of Norfolk 	1412 	1432 	Henry V
 	John de Mowbray2nd Duke of Norfolk 	1412 	1432 	Henry VI
 	John de Mowbray3rd Duke of Norfolk 	1432 	1461 	Henry VI
 	John de Mowbray4th Duke of Norfolk 	1461 	1476 	Edward IV
 	John de Mowbray4th Duke of Norfolk 	1461 	1476 	Henry VI
 	John de Mowbray4th Duke of Norfolk 	1461 	1476 	Edward IV
 	Jointly: 	1476 	1483 	Edward IV
 	Jointly: 	1476 	1483 	Edward V
 	John Howard1st Duke of Norfolk 	1483 	1485 	Richard III
 	William de Berkeley1st Marquess of Berkeley 	1486 	1492 	Henry VII
 	Lord HenryDuke of York 	1494 	1509 	Henry VII
 	Thomas Howard2nd Duke of Norfolk 	1509 	1524 	Henry VIII
 	Charles Brandon1st Duke of Suffolk 	1524 	1533 	Henry VIII
75px 	Thomas Howard3rd Duke of Norfolk 	1533 	1547 	Henry VIII
 	Edward Seymour1st Duke of Somerset 	1547 	1551 	Edward VI
 	John Dudley1st Duke of Northumberland 	1551 	1553 	Edward VI
75px 	Thomas Howard3rd Duke of Norfolk 	1553 	1554 	Mary I
 	Thomas Howard4th Duke of Norfolk 	1554 	1572 	Mary I
 	Thomas Howard4th Duke of Norfolk 	1554 	1572 	Elizabeth I
 	George Talbot6th Earl of Shrewsbury 	1572 	1590 	Elizabeth I
 	In commission: 	1590 	1597 	Elizabeth I
 	Robert Devereux2nd Earl of Essex 	1597 	1601 	Elizabeth I
 	In commission 	1602 	1603 	Elizabeth I
 	Edward Somerset4th Earl of Worcester 	1603 	1603 	James I
 	In commission: 	1604 	1616 	James I
 	In commission: 	1616 	1622 	James I
 	Thomas HowardEarl of Arundel and Surrey 	1622 	1646 	James I
 	Thomas HowardEarl of Arundel and Surrey 	1622 	1646 	Charles I
 	Henry HowardEarl of Arundel and Surrey 	1646 	1652 	Charles I
 	Vacant 	1652 	1661 	Interregnum
 	James Howard3rd Earl of Suffolk 	1661 	1662 	Charles II
 	In commission: Sliford 1782, p. 37 	1662 	1672 	Charles II
 	Henry Howard6th Duke of Norfolk 	1672 	1684 	Charles II
 	Henry Howard7th Duke of Norfolk 	1684 	1701 	Charles II
 	Henry Howard7th Duke of Norfolk 	1684 	1701 	James II
 	Henry Howard7th Duke of Norfolk 	1684 	1701 	Mary IIWilliam III
 	Thomas Howard8th Duke of Norfolk 	1701 	1732 	Mary IIWilliam III
 	Thomas Howard8th Duke of Norfolk 	1701 	1732 	Anne
 	Thomas Howard8th Duke of Norfolk 	1701 	1732 	George I
 	Thomas Howard8th Duke of Norfolk 	1701 	1732 	George II
 	Edward Howard9th Duke of Norfolk 	1732 	1777 	George II
 	Edward Howard9th Duke of Norfolk 	1732 	1777 	George III
 	Charles Howard10th Duke of Norfolk 	1777 	1786 	George III
 	Charles Howard11th Duke of Norfolk 	1786 	1815 	George III
 	Bernard Edward Howard12th Duke of Norfolk 	1815 	1842 	George III
 	Bernard Edward Howard12th Duke of Norfolk 	1815 	1842 	George IV
 	Bernard Edward Howard12th Duke of Norfolk 	1815 	1842 	William IV
 	Bernard Edward Howard12th Duke of Norfolk 	1815 	1842 	Victoria
 	Henry Charles Howard13th Duke of Norfolk 	1842 	1856 	Victoria
 	Henry Granville Fitzalan-Howard14th Duke of Norfolk 	1856 	1860 	Victoria
 	Henry Fitzalan-Howard15th Duke of Norfolk 	1860 	1917 	Victoria
 	Henry Fitzalan-Howard15th Duke of Norfolk 	1860 	1917 	Edward VII
 	Henry Fitzalan-Howard15th Duke of Norfolk 	1860 	1917 	George V
 	Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard16th Duke of Norfolk	1917 	1975 	George V
 	Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard16th Duke of Norfolk	1917 	1975 	Edward VIII
 	Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard16th Duke of Norfolk	1917 	1975 	George VI
 	Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard16th Duke of Norfolk	1917 	1975 	Elizabeth II
 	Miles Fitzalan-Howard17th Duke of Norfolk 	1975 	2002 	Elizabeth II
75px 	Edward William Fitzalan-Howard18th Duke of Norfolk 	2002 	Incumbent 	Elizabeth II
75px 	Edward William Fitzalan-Howard18th Duke of Norfolk 	2002 	Incumbent 	Charles III
==Deputy Earls Marshal of England==
The position of Earl Marshal had a Deputy called the Knight Marshal from the reign of Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846.Money Barnes, Major R. The Soldiers of London Seeley, Service & Co 1963, p.288
Deputy Earls Marshal have been named at various times, discharging the responsibilities of the office during the minority or infirmity of the Earl Marshal. Prior to an Act of Parliament in 1824, Protestant deputies were required when the Earl Marshal was a Roman Catholic, which occurred frequently due to the Catholicism of the Norfolks.
Name 	Tenure 	Deputy to 	Ref(s)
The 1st Earl of Carlisle 	1673–? 	 	
The 3rd Earl of Carlisle 	1701–1706	 	
The 6th Earl of Suffolk and 1st Earl of Bindon 	1706–1718	 	
The 4th Earl of Berkshire 	1718–1725	 	
The 1st Earl of Sussex 	1725–1731	 	
The 1st Earl of Effingham 	1731–1743	 	
The 2nd Earl of Effingham 	1743–1763	 	
The 12th Earl of Suffolk and 5th Earl of Berkshire	1763–1765	 	
The 4th Earl of Scarbrough 	1765–1777	 	
The 3rd Earl of Effingham 	1777–1782	 	
Charles, Earl of Surrey 	1782–1786	 	
Lord Henry Howard-Molyneux-Howard 	1816–1824	12th Duke of Norfolk	
Lord Edward Fitzalan-Howard 	1861–1868	15th Duke of Norfolk	
The 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent 	1917–1929	16th Duke of Norfolk	
Edward, Earl of Arundel and Surrey 	2000–2002	17th Duke of Norfolk	
==See also==
* Lord Lyon King of Arms
* Earl Marischal of Scotland
* Earl Marshal of Ireland
==Notes==
==References==
* 
* Sliford, William (1782). The Court Register and Statesman's Remembrancer
* Round, J.H. (1899) The Commune of London, and other Studies. Westminster: Constable.
* Debretts.com
* Tudorplace.com
* The dormant and extinct baronage of England - Banks - PP356ff
 
Marshal
Category:College of Arms