His Grace The Duke of Norfolk GCVO DL
Portrait by Allan Warren, 2013
Earl Marshal
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 June 2002
Monarchs	Elizabeth II Charles III
Preceded by	The 17th Duke of Norfolk
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 March 2003 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	The 17th Duke of Norfolk
Personal details
Born	Edward William Fitzalan-Howard (1956-12-02) 2 December 1956 (age 67)
Nationality	British
Spouses	Georgina Gore ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 2022)​ Francesca Herbert ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	Henry Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel Lady Rachel Fitzalan-Howard Lord Thomas Fitzalan-Howard Lady Isabel Fitzalan-Howard Lord Philip Fitzalan-Howard
Parents	Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk Anne Constable-Maxwell
Education	Ampleforth College
Alma mater	Lincoln College, Oxford
Title	Duke of Norfolk
Tenure	24 June 2002 – present
Predecessor	Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk
Heir	Henry Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel

Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, GCVO, DL (born 2 December 1956), styled Earl of Arundel between 1975 and 2002, is a British peer who holds the hereditary office of Earl Marshal and, as Duke of Norfolk, is the most senior peer in the peerage of England.^[1] He is also the titular head of the House of Howard.

Background and education

Norfolk is the son of Miles Francis Stapleton Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk, and his wife Anne Mary Teresa Constable-Maxwell.^[2] He was educated at Ampleforth College, a Roman Catholic independent school,^[2] before going up to Lincoln College, Oxford.^[1][2]

He has a brother and three sisters. His only brother, Lord Gerald Fitzalan-Howard, runs the Carlton Towers estate with his wife, Emma Fitzalan-Howard. The Duke's oldest sister is the Countess of Balfour. His second sister, Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, is the widow of broadcaster David Frost. His third and youngest sister is the actress Marsha Fitzalan.

Career

Norfolk worked with various companies, and from 2000 to 2002 was Deputy Earl Marshal. Upon the death of his father in 2002, he inherited the late Duke of Norfolk's peerages and the position of Earl Marshal.^[3] He was a Cub Scout while at school at Ampleforth College and currently holds two appointments in the Scout Movement. He was until 2010 the President of 1st Arundel (Earl of Arundel's Own) Scout Group, and still serves as President of the Arundel & Littlehampton District Scouts. He is also Patron of West Sussex County Scouts. In June 2003 he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Services to the Scout Movement. He is an Honorary Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge.^[4]

Norfolk was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in the 2022 Birthday Honours.^[5]

As hereditary Earl Marshal, he had responsibility for arranging the 19 September 2022 state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession and coronation of King Charles III.^[1] He used that official role as the grounds for his successful application to have the public and the press excluded from some of the hearing before he was sentenced for a driving offence. He had driven through a red light while using a mobile phone in his car. This led to a six months driving ban, and various fines and orders for costs.^[6][7]

Personal life

The Duke lives at Arundel Castle.^[8] He was disqualified from driving for six months in September 2022, as a result of a driving offence in April 2022. Added to previous motoring convictions, he incurred an excess of penalty points, resulting in the ban. His barrister argued in mitigation that he needed the ability to drive to organise the coronation of King Charles III.^[9]

Family

A Roman Catholic, the Duke of Norfolk is recognised by the Vatican as England's senior representative of the faith. The Duke, then Earl of Arundel, married Georgina Susan Gore on 27 June 1987 at Arundel Cathedral.^[2] Together, they have three sons and two daughters:

• Henry Miles Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of Arundel (3 December 1987) who married Cecilia Mary Elizabeth dei Conti (of the Counts) Colacicchi, Nobile di Anagni on 16 July 2016. They have three daughters.
• Lady Rachel Fitzalan-Howard (10 June 1989)
• Lord Thomas Fitzalan-Howard (14 March 1992)
• Lady Isabel Fitzalan-Howard (7 February 1994)
• Lord Philip Fitzalan-Howard (14 July 1996)

The Duke and Duchess separated in 2011, but were reconciled by 2016, only to split up again; their divorce became final in 2022.^[1]

On 12 November 2022, the Duke married Francesca Herbert^{[citation needed]} (née Bevan), former wife of The Hon. Henry Herbert, second son of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

In 2002, he inherited the Dukedom of Norfolk, as well as a number of earldoms, baronies, hereditary offices, and titles attached to the Dukedom, from his father. His office of Earl Marshal, one of the Great Officers of State, makes him responsible for State occasions, such as coronations^[10][11] and the State Opening of Parliament.^[1] He is also, by virtue of this office, one of the hereditary judges of the Court of Chivalry and head of the College of Arms, responsible for heraldry in England and Wales as well as other parts of the Commonwealth of Nations.

List of peerages

• 18th Duke of Norfolk^[2] (Premier Duke of England)
• 36th Earl of Arundel^[2] (Premier Earl of England)
• 19th Earl of Surrey^[2]
• 16th Earl of Norfolk^[2]
• 13th Baron Beaumont^[2]
• 26th Baron Maltravers^[2]
• 16th Baron FitzAlan^[2]
• 16th Baron Clun^[2]
• 16th Baron Oswaldestre^[2]
• 5th Baron Howard of Glossop^[2]

List of hereditary offices

• Earl Marshal^[2]
• Hereditary Marshal of England^[2]
• Chief Butler of England (One of three claimants to this office before the 1902 Court of Claims. The dispute was never resolved.)

Honours

• 6 February 2002: Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
• 6 February 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
• 6 February 2022: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
• 2 June 2022: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order^[12]
• 6 May 2023: King Charles III Coronation Medal

Arms

Coat of arms of Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk

Adopted 1660 (by the 5th Duke of Norfolk) Coronet A Coronet of a Duke Crest 1st: Issuant from a Ducal Coronet Or a pair of Wings Gules each charged with a Bend between six Cross-crosslets fitchy Argent (Howard); 2nd: On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Lion statant gardant with tail extended Or gorged with a Ducal Coronet Argent (Thomas of Brotherton); 3rd: On a Mount Vert a Horse passant Argent holding in the mouth a Slip of Oak Vert fructed proper (Fitzalan). Escutcheon Quarterly, 1st: Gules on a Bend between six Cross-crosslets fitchy Argent an Escutcheon Or charged with a Demi-lion rampant pierced through the mouth by an arrow within a Double Tressure flory counterflory of the first (Howard); 2nd: Gules three Lions passant gardant in pale Or, Armed and Langued Azure, in chief a Label of three points Argent (Plantagenet of Norfolk); 3rd: Checky Or and Azure (Warenne); 4th: Gules a Lion rampant Or, Armed and Langued Azure (Fitzalan). Supporters Dexter a Lion, sinister a Horse both Argent the latter holding in the mouth a Slip of Oak Vert fructed proper. Motto Sola Virtus Invicta (Latin for "Virtue alone is unconquered"). Orders Circlet of the Royal Victorian Order (appointed Knight Grand Cross in 2022). Often, the coat of arms of the Duke of Norfolk appears with the Garter circlet of the Order of the Garter surrounding the shield, as seen in the arms of the 17th Duke of Norfolk. However, this is not hereditary. The 18th Duke of Norfolk, as of 2022, had not been appointed to the Order of the Garter. Other elements Placed behind the shield are two gold batons in saltire enamelled at the ends in black, which represent the Duke of Norfolk's office as Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England. Symbolism The shield on the bend in the first quarter of the arms was granted as an augmentation of honour by Henry VIII to the 2nd Duke of Norfolk, to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Flodden. It is a modification of the Royal coat of arms of Scotland. Instead of its normal rampant position, the lion is shown cut in half with an arrow through its mouth, commemorating the death of King James IV at the battle.[13]

Ancestry