Quarterly, 1st: Gules, on a bend between six crosses-crosslet fitchée 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 guardant in pale or, armed and langued azure, in chief a label of three points argent (Thomas of Brotherton); 3rd: Chequy or and azure (Warren); 4th: Gules, a lion rampant argent (Mowbray) in the center of the shield a crescent for the difference of a second son[1]
Creation date
before 1069 (first creation) 1337 (second creation) 1385 (forfeit 1388–89, 1399)(third creation) 21 July 1603 (fourth creation)
Lord Suffolk was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He had already in 1610 been summoned to the
House of Lords through a
writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Howard de Walden. He later served as
Captain of the Honourable Band of Gentlemen Pensioners and as
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. On his death, the titles passed to his eldest son, the third Earl. He was
Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk and
Cambridgeshire. Lord Suffolk had no sons and on his death in 1689 the barony of Howard de Walden fell into
abeyance between his daughters (see the
Baron Howard de Walden for later history of this title). He was succeeded in the earldom by his younger brother, the fourth Earl. He was childless and on his death, the title passed to his younger brother, the fifth Earl. He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Earl. He was a politician and served as
First Lord of Trade. In 1706, three years before he succeeded his father, he was raised to the Peerage of England in his own right as Baron Chesterford, in the County of Essex, and Earl of Bindon, in the County of Dorset. His son, the seventh Earl, was
Lord-Lieutenant of Essex and is also remembered as the owner of the slave
Scipio Africanus. The Earl was childless and on his early death in 1722, the barony of Chesterford and earldom of Bindon became extinct.[4]
He was succeeded in the earldom of Suffolk by his uncle, the eighth Earl. He died unmarried and was succeeded by his younger brother, the ninth Earl. His wife
Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, was a mistress of
King George II. On Lord Suffolk's death, the titles passed to his son, the tenth Earl. He represented
Bere Alston in the
House of Commons. He was childless and on his death, the line of the eldest son of the first Earl failed. The earldom was inherited by the late Earl's third cousin, the fourth Earl of Berkshire, who became the 11th Earl of Suffolk as well (see the
Earl of Berkshire for earlier history of this branch of the family). He was succeeded by his grandson, the twelfth Earl (the son of William Howard, Viscount Andover). He was a politician and served as
Lord Privy Seal and as
Secretary of State for the Northern Department. On his death, the titles passed to his posthumous son, the 13th Earl. He died as an infant and was succeeded by his great-uncle, the 14th Earl. He was the third son of the 11th Earl. He sat as Member of Parliament for
Castle Rising,
Malmesbury and
St Michael's. On his death in 1783, the line of the fourth son of the first Earl of Berkshire failed.[4]
The late Earl was succeeded by his third cousin, the 15th Earl. He was the great-grandson of Colonel the Hon. Philip Howard, seventh son of the first Earl of Berkshire. Lord Suffolk and Berkshire was a General in the Army. On his death, the titles passed to his son, the 16th Earl. He represented
Arundel in the House of Commons. His son, the 17th Earl, sat as
Whig Member of Parliament for Malmesbury. When he died the titles passed to his son, the 18th Earl. He represented Malmesbury in Parliament as a
Liberal. He was succeeded by his son, the 19th Earl. He was killed in action in the
First World War. His eldest son, the 20th Earl, was a bomb disposal expert. He was killed in 1941 while trying to defuse an unexploded bomb and was posthumously awarded the
George Cross.[5] From 1941 to 2022 the titles were held by his eldest son, the 21st Earl, who as a young boy succeeded on his father's death.[1][4]
The 22nd and present Earl of Suffolk, Alexander Charles Michael Winston Robsahm Howard, was born in 1974 and educated at the
University of Bristol. In 2011, he married Victoria Hamilton, a daughter of James Hamilton, with whom he has three children. The
heir apparent is their only son, Arthur Charles Alexander Howard, Viscount Andover (born 2014). They also have two daughters, but were divorced in 2018.[1]
Alexander Charles Michael Winston Robsahm Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk, 15th Earl of Berkshire (b. 1974)
Present peer
Alexander Charles Michael Winston Robsahm Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk & 15th Earl of Berkshire (born 17 September 1974) is the son of the 21st Earl and his second wife, Anita Fuglesang, a Norwegian. From birth until 2022 he was known formally as Viscount Andover, one of his father's subsidiary titles. He was educated at
Eton College and the
University of Bristol.[6]
He succeeded his father to the peerages in 2022.[7]
Several other members of this branch of the Howard family have also gained distinction. The Hon. Edward Howard, younger son of the first Earl of Suffolk, was created
Baron Howard of Escrick in 1628.[1] The Hon.
Henry Thomas Howard, second son of the 16th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for
Cricklade. The Hon.
James Howard, fourth son of the 16th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for
Malmesbury. His grandson was the explorer and politician
Charles Howard-Bury. The Hon.
Greville Howard, younger son of the 19th Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for
St Ives. The
life peer,
Greville Howard, Baron Howard of Rising, is the great-grandson of the Hon. Greville Howard, second son of the 17th Earl.[8]
Line of succession
Charles Howard, 17th Earl of Suffolk, 10th Earl of Berkshire (1804–1876)
Henry Howard, 18th Earl of Suffolk, 11th Earl of Berkshire (1833–1898)
Henry Howard, 19th Earl of Suffolk, 12th Earl of Berkshire (1877–1917)
Charles Howard, 20th Earl of Suffolk, 13th Earl of Berkshire (1906–1941)
Michael Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk, 14th Earl of Berkshire (1935–2022)
Alexander Howard, 22nd Earl of Suffolk, 15th Earl of Berkshire (b. 1974)
(1). Arthur Charles Alexander Howard, Viscount Andover (b. 2014)
William de la Pole (1396–1450) 4th Earl of Suffolk, 1415–1450 1st Marquess of Suffolk, 1444–1450 Earl of Pembroke, 1447–1450 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1448–1450
Earldom (3rd creation), Marquessate, and Dukedom (1st creation) of Suffolk and Earldom of Pembroke (6th creation) forfeit, 1450
^Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.464
^Cokayne, G. E. & Geoffrey H. White, eds. (1953). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times, volume XII part 1: Skelmersdale to Towton. 12.1 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.464