Earl of Buckingham

Not to be confused with Earl of Buckinghamshire.

Earl of Buckingham is a peerage title created several times in the Peerage of England. It is not to be confused with the title of Earl of Buckinghamshire.

It was first created in 1097 for Walter Giffard, but became extinct in 1164 with the death of the second earl. It may have been created again in 1164 for Richard de Clare ("Strongbow"), who died without issue in 1176. It was created again in 1377 for Thomas of Woodstock, the youngest son of King Edward III. He was created Duke of Gloucester in 1385. The dukedom was forfeit on his attainder in 1397, but the earldom passed to his son, Humphrey, but became extinct on his death two years later. The title was created for a fourth time in 1617 for George Villiers, 1st Viscount Villiers, who was subsequently created Duke of Buckingham in 1623. When he was elevated to Marquess of Buckingham in 1618, the earldom was created a fifth time for his mother, Mary Villiers for her life only. All titles became extinct on the death of the second duke in 1687.

Earls of Buckingham (1097), first creation

• Walter Giffard, 1st Earl of Buckingham (d. 1102)
• Walter Giffard, 2nd Earl of Buckingham (d. 1164)

Earls of Buckingham (1164), second creation

• Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Buckingham (c. 1130–1176)

Earls of Buckingham (1377), third creation

• Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Buckingham (1355–1397)
• Humphrey, 2nd Earl of Buckingham (1381–1399)

Earls of Buckingham (1617), fourth creation

• see Duke of Buckingham, second creation

Countesses of Buckingham (1618), fifth creation

• Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham (1570–1632)

Family tree of the fourth and fifth creations

Villiers family tree including the Dukes of Buckingham (2nd creation), Earls of Clarendon, Earls of Jersey, and Earls of Rochester

John St John by 1495–1558 Nicholas St. John by 1526–1589 Viscount Grandison of Limerick, 1620 Baron Tregoz, 1626 Earl (Countess) of Buckingham (5th creation), 1618 John St. John c. 1552–1594 Oliver St. John c. 1560–1630 1st Viscount Grandison, etc. Mary (Beaumont) Villiers c. 1570–1632 Countess of Buckingham George Villiers (of Brokesby) c. 1544–1606 Barony Tregoz extinct, 1630 Earldom for life only, extinct 1632 Villiers baronets, 1619 Viscount Purbeck and Baron Villiers of Stoke, 1619 Viscount Villiers and Baron Whaddon, 1616 Earl of Buckingham (4th creation), 1617 Marquess of Buckingham (1st creation), 1618 Duke of Buckingham (2nd creation) and Earl of Coventry (1st creation), 1623 Earl of Anglesey (1st creation) and Baron Villiers of Daventry, 1623 William Villiers c. 1575–1629 1st Baronet Susan (Villiers) Feilding 1583–1652 (m. William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh) Barbara St John Edward Villiers c. 1585–1626 John Villiers c. 1591–1658 Viscount Purbeck, etc. Katherine Manners 1603–1649 Baroness de Ros George Villiers 1592–1628 1st Duke of Buckingham, etc. Christopher Villiers c. 1593–1630 1st Earl of Anglesey, etc. Viscountcy of Purbeck extinct, 1658 Baron Hyde of Hindon (1st creation), 1660 Earl of Clarendon (1st creation) and Viscount Cornbury, 1661 George Villiers 1620–1682 2nd Baronet William Villiers 1614–1643 2nd Viscount Grandison John Villiers c. 1616–1659 3rd Viscount Grandison George Villiers 1618–1699 4th Viscount Grandison Edward Villiers 1620–1689 George Villiers 1628–1687 2nd Duke of Buckingham, etc., Baron de Ros Christopher Villiers d. 1661 2nd Earl of Anglesey, etc. Edward Hyde 1609–1674 1st Earl of Clarendon, etc. Dukedom of Buckingham (2nd creation) and subsidiary titles extinct, 1687 Earldom of Anglesey (1st creation) and subsidiary title extinct extinct, 1661 Earl of Rochester 2nd creation, Viscount Hyde, and Baron Wotton Basset, 1682 George Villiers 1645–1712 3rd Baronet Barbara (Villiers) Palmer 1640–1709 Duchess of Cleveland, Countess of Castlemaine, Baroness Nonsuch King Charles II 1630–1685 King James II 1633–1701 Anne Hyde 1637–1671 Henry Hyde 1638–1709 2nd Earl of Clarendon, etc. Laurence Hyde 1642–1711 1st Earl of Rochester, etc. Villiars Baronets extinct, 1712 Viscount Villiers and Baron Villiers of Hoo, 1691 Earl of Jersey, 1697 Edward FitzGerald-Villiers c. 1654–1693 Edward Villiers c. 1656–1711 1st Earl of Jersey, etc. Queen Mary II 1662–1694 Queen Anne 1665–1714 Edward Hyde 1661–1723 3rd Earl of Clarendon, etc. Henry Hyde 1672–1753 4th Earl of Clarendon, etc., 2nd Earl of Rochester, etc. Earldom of Clarendon (1st creation) and subsidiary titles extinct, 1753 Earl Grandison (1st creation), 1721 John Villiers c. 1684–1766 Earl Grandison, 5th Viscount Grandison Harriet Villiers 1680–1736 William Villiers c. 1682–1721 2nd Earl of Jersey, etc. Jane Capell 1694–1724 Countess of Essex Earldom of Grandison (1st creation) extinct, 1766 Viscount Grandison (2nd creation), 1746 Earl Grandison (2nd creation), 1767 Baron Hyde of Hindon (2nd creation), 1756 Earl of Clarendon (2nd creation), 1776 James FitzGerald-Villiers 1708–1732 styled Lord Villiers Elizabeth Villiers d. 1782 1st Countess Grandison, etc. William Pitt "the Elder" 1708–1778 Earl of Chatham, Prime Minister William Villiers d. 1769 3rd Earl of Jersey, etc., 6th Viscount Grandison Thomas Villiers 1709–1786 1st Earl of Clarendon, etc. Charlotte Capell 1721–1790 Mary Capell d. 1782 (m. Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp) Henry Hyde 1710–1753 5th Baron Hyde George Mason-Villiers 1751–1800 2nd Earl Grandison, etc. William Pitt "the Younger" 1759–1806 Prime Minister George Bussy Villiers 1735–1805 4th Earl of Jersey, etc., 7th Viscount Grandison Earldom of Grandison (2nd creation) and Viscountcy Grandison (2nd creation) extinct, 1800 Child added to name by by royal license, 1819 George Child Villiers 1773–1859 5th Earl of Jersey, etc., 8th Viscount Grandison (m. Sarah Sophia Fay) Thomas Villiers 1753–1824 2nd Earl of Clarendon, etc. John Charles Villiers 1757–1838 3rd Earl of Clarendon, etc. Maria Villiers 1761–1844 George Villiers 1759–1827 George Augustus Frederick Child Villiers 1808–1859 6th Earl of Jersey, etc., 9th Viscount Grandison Francis John Robert Child Villiers 1819–1862 George William Frederick Villiers 1800–1870 4th Earl of Clarendon, etc. Thomas Hyde Villiers 1801–1832 Charles Pelham Villiers 1802–1893 Maria Theresa Lewis 1803–1865 Henry Montagu Villiers 1813–1861 Victor Albert George Child Villiers 1845–1915 7th Earl of Jersey, etc., 10th Viscount Grandison (m. Margaret Elizabeth Leigh) Emily Theresa Russell 1843–1927 (m. Odo Russell, 1st Baron Ampthill) Edward Hyde Villiers 1845–1846 Edward Hyde Villiers 1846–1914 5th Earl of Clarendon, etc. Francis Hyde Villiers 1852–1925 George Henry Robert Child Villiers 1873–1923 8th Earl of Jersey, etc., 11th Viscount Grandison George Herbert Hyde Villiers 1877–1955 6th Earl of Clarendon, etc. Eric Hyde Villiers 1881–1964 George Francis Child-Villiers 1910–1998 9th Earl of Jersey, etc., 12th Viscount Grandison (m. Virginia Cherrill) George Herbert Arthur Hyde Villiers 1906–1935 styled Lord Hyde George Henry Child Villiers 1948–1998 styled Viscount Villiers George Frederick "Laurence" Hyde Villiers 1933–2009 7th Earl of Clarendon, etc. James Villiers 1933–1998 George Francis "William" Child Villiers b. 1976 10th Earl of Jersey, etc., 13th Viscount Grandison George Edward Laurence Villiers b. 1976 8th Earl of Clarendon, etc. Amelie Natasha Sophia Child Villiers b. 2008 George Henry William Child Villiers b. 2015 styled Viscount Villiers Edward George James Villiers b. 2008 styled Lord Hyde Heir apparent to the Earl of Jersey Heir apparent to the Earl of Clarendon

Impostor

From 1997 to 2006, Charles Stopford claimed to be the Earl of Buckingham.