Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has been rivalled in political influence perhaps only by the Marquesses of Salisbury and the Earls of Derby.
For other uses, see Duke of Devonshire (disambiguation).Dukedom of Devonshire
12 May 1694
William III and Mary II
the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten
Marquess of Hartington
Earl of Devonshire
Earl of Burlington (from 1858)
Baron Clifford (1764–1858)
Baron Cavendish
Baron Cavendish of Keighley (from 1858)
Cavendo Tutus ("Safe through Caution")[3]
Other titles (5th & 6th Dukes): Baron Clifford (1628)
Other titles (7th Duke onwards): Earl of Burlington and Baron Cavendish of Keighley, in the county of York (1831)
The heir apparent is the present holder's only son, William "Bill Burlington" Cavendish, Earl of Burlington (born 1969), married to Laura Montagu (née Roundell). Lord Burlington, although entitled to use the courtesy title Marquess of Hartington has continued to be styled by the Burlington title since his father succeeded as 12th Duke. The heir-in-line is Lord Burlington's second child and only son, James, Lord Cavendish (born 15 December 2010).
Earls of Devonshire[edit]
The earldom of Devonshire was originally granted as a recreation of the title held by the last Baron Mountjoy, which became extinct on his death in 1606.
It is a separate title from that of Earl of Devon, which still belongs to the Courtenay family.
In fiction[edit]
The fifth Duke and Duchess of Devonshire are portrayed in the 2008 film The Duchess directed by Saul Dibb. The film is based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the scandalous 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (portrayed by Keira Knightley) and her relationship with the Duke (Ralph Fiennes) and his next wife, Lady Elizabeth Foster.
Along with Jane Austen, the fifth Duke and his second wife appear, soon after Georgiana's death, in Jane and the Stillroom Maid, a murder mystery by Stephanie Barron.
In John Buchan's novel The Three Hostages (1924), 'the late Duke of Devonshire' is cited as an epitome of Englishness. This probably refers to the eighth duke.
In the episode 'The Man in the Killer Suit' in the 2014 TV series Forever, a case occurs where someone masquerades as a 'viscount cavendish'. While the title is wrongly used, other references during the episode show that they are in fact referring to the Dukes of Devonshire.