SEYMOUR, Hon Louis Francis Edward b 14 Jan 2026

[colinp]

Lady Seymour, 2nd w of Lord Seymour, heir apparent to the Duke of Somerset was delivered of a son Louis Francis Edward on 14 Jan 2026 - St Mary's Totnes facebook post on 17 Jan (the bells were rung on that day in celebration, the Duke  being the patron of the living) - thx to Ivana at nobiliana for spotting this. The infant is 2nd in line to the Dukedom.

[bx...@yahoo.com]

Thanks for sharing, colinp.  Great news for the dukedom.

I think the Duke has only the Seymour barony as a subsidiary title.  Although the infant is the "heir apparent to the heir apparent" to a dukedom, his courtesy title is no better than that of a son of a life baron.

Brooke

[marquess]

Good news for the dukedom as it puts some further distance between it and the marquisate of Hertford merging. 

[Robert Jewell]

I am on the road at the moment, so I don't have my references with me, but I believe that Lord Seymour, as the ha of a duke of England, ranks in precedence as a courtesy Marquess, and this new child ranks as a courtesy Earl, in spite of his courtesy title.

[S. S.]

Burke's Peerage 106th edn on precedence: 

48-Dukes in the peerage of Scotland (23rd article of Act of Union 1707).

49-Dukes in the peerage of Great Britain.

50-Dukes in the peerage of Ireland created before the Union of British and Irish parliaments in 1801.

51-Dukes in the peerages of the United Kingdom or Ireland created since the Union of 1801.

52-Eldest son of Dukes of the Blood Royal if not a brother, uncle, grandson or nephew of the reigning sovereign.

53-Ministers representing foreign states as diplomats and other very distinguished foreigners. Formerly very few countries appointed Ambassadors &emdash; usually only the great powers. Accordingly, most representatives of foreign countries held a lower rank of Minister. Nowadays virtually every country appoints an Ambassador. The category ‘other very distinguished foreigners' would tend to comprise only senior politicians visiting the UK, who would rank among themselves according to the date of their appointment.

54-Marquesses in the peerage of England.

55-Marquesses in the peerage of Scotland.

56-Marquesses in the peerage of Great Britain.

57-Marquesses in the peerage of Ireland created before the Union of 1801.

58-Marquesses in the peerages of the United Kingdom or Ireland created since the Union.

59-Dukes' eldest sons according to the same order as dukes themselves.

60-Earls in the peerage of England.

61-Earls in the peerage of Scotland.

62-Earls in the peerage of Great Britain.

63-Earls in the peerage of Ireland created before the Union of 1801.

64-Earls in the peerages of the United Kingdom and of Ireland created since the Union.

65-Younger sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal.

66-Marquesses' eldest sons.

67-Dukes' younger sons.

68-Viscounts in the peerage of England.

69-Viscounts in the peerage of Scotland.

70-Viscounts in the peerage of Great Britain.

71-Viscounts in the peerage of Ireland created before the Union of 1801.

72-Viscounts in the peerages of the United Kingdom or Ireland created since the Union.

73-Earls' eldest sons and the eldest sons of peeresses in their own right who are Countesses.

74-Marquesses' younger sons.

75-The Bishop of London.

76-The Bishop of Durham.

77-The Bishop of Winchester.

78-Other Church of England Diocesan Bishops with seats in the House of Lords in order of seniority of confirmation of election.

79-Church of England Diocesan Bishops without seats in the House of Lords in same order as 78.

80-Church of England Suffragan Bishops in same order as 78.

81-Retired Church of England Bishops in order of original date of confirmation of election (a retired Bishop is still in valid Holy Orders and remains a Bishop).

82-Secretaries of State if of the rank of Baron.

83-Barons in the peerage of England.

84-Lords of Parliament in the peerage of Scotland.

85-Barons in the peerage of Great Britain.

86-Barons in the peerage of Ireland.

87-Barons in the peerages of the United Kingdom or Ireland created since the Union of 1801. Life peers, who these days are always of baronial rank, are included here, as also are Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, who these days are made life peers too. They rank among themselves according to the date of the peerage's creation or the date of appointment as a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary.

88-Treasurer of the Household.

89-Comptroller of the Household.

90-Master of the Horse if not a peer.

91-Vice-Chamberlain of the Household.

92-Secretaries of State if not of the rank of Baron. Among themselves they rank according to the seniority of their appointment.

93-Viscounts' eldest sons.

94-Earls' younger sons, and younger sons of peeresses in their own right who are Countesses.

95-Barons/Scottish Lords of Parliament's eldest sons and eldest sons of hereditary peeresses in their own right who hold baronies or Scottish lordships of Parliament. Life Barons'/Baronesses' eldest sons do not have precedence here because they cannot inherit their father's/mother's peerages.

96-Knights of the Garter.

97-Knights of the Thistle.

98-Knights of St Patrick. No new knights of this order have been admitted since the late Duke of Gloucester was created a KP in 1934, 12 years after the founding of the Irish Free State in 1922, but the order is still in existence.

S.S.

[S. S.]

Heraldica.org has a handy article on precedence with remarks and sources. One such section is on the Lord Chamberlain's Order of 1520 as amended in 1595: 

The Lord Chamberlain's Order of 1520, as amended in 1595

Source: Squibb, op. cit., Appendix I, p. 99-101.

The text of the Order survives in its amended form in a copy of a paper lent to Richard Lee, Clarenceux King of Arms, on 17 January 1595 by Lord Treasurer Burghley, one of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the precedence of 'personages of great Estate birth and callinge.'  A note in the handwriting of Ralph Brooke, York Herald, states that he saw Burleigh deliver the paper to Lee (Coll. Arm. MS R.36, Hare I, po. 181).  The preamble stating the circumstances in which the Order was drawn up must have been prepared after 28 January 1547, since it describes Henry VIII as 'of glorious memory.'

On Mondaye in the Easter Weeke in the xjth yere of the raigne of King Henry the Eyght of glorious memory the Earle of Worcester then beynge Chamberlayne to the Kinge, dyned in the Greate Chamber att Richmont in his Roome and Mons. de la Batye Ambassador to the ffrenche kinge dyned with him sittinge directly on the over syde against the sayde Lord Chamberlayne, The Ambassador of Venyce, sittinge next unto the L. Chamberlayne on the insyde, The Earle of Westmorland on the over syde next to the ffrench Ambassador. The Earle of Ketitt on the insyde next to the Ambassador of Venyce. The Earle of Devonshire on the owtesyde next unto the Earle of Westmerlande. At whiche tyme order was taken for the placynge of Lordes and Ladyes as hereunder is sett downe.

1.—Firste the Duke to goo after his Creation, and the Duches his wyfe to goo after the same.

2 Item.—A Dukes eldiste son is borne a Marquis, savinge he shall goo beneath all Marquisses, and his wyfe beneath all Marquisses wyves, and above all Dukes daughters.

3 Item.—Dukes daughters be borne as Marquisses in all degrees, savinge they shall goo beneathe all Marquisses and Dukes eldiste sonns Wyves. And yf they be married to a Baron, they shall goo after the Estate of their housbands. And if they marye with a Knight, or under the degree of a Knight, then to go after ther birth.

4 Item.—Dukes younger sonns be borne as Earles, and shall goo above all Viscounts, and beneath all the eldiste sonns of Marquisses, and ther wyves to go accordynge to the same.

5 Item.—A Marquis to goo after his Creation and the Marquisses ther Wyves to goo after the same.

6 Item.—A Marques eldiste soñe is borne an Earle and shall goo above all Dukes younger sonns and above all Viscounts and their Wyves accordinge to the same.

7 Item.—All Marquisses daughters to be borne as Countisses and shall goo above all Dukes younger sonns Wyves and above all Viscountisses, and yf they be maried to a baron they shall goo after ther housbande, and yf thay be maried to a Knight, or under the degree of a Knight, thay shall goo accordinge to ther byrthe.

8 Item.—All Marquisses younger sonns to be borne as Barons and shall goo beneath all barons and above all Viscounts eldist sonns, and ther Wyves to goo accordinge to the same.

9 Item.—An Earle to goo after his Creation and the Countisses their Wyves to goo after the same.

10 Item.—An Earles eldiste sonne is borne as a Viscounte savinge he shall goo beneath all Viscounts and his Wyfe beneath all Viscountisses and above all other Earles daughters.

11 Item. —Earles daughters are borne as Viscounts savinge thay shall goo beneath all Viscountisses and the Earles eldist sonns wyves and yf thay be maried to a baron thay shall goo after the degree of ther housbande. And yf thay marle with a Knight or under the degree ofa Knight thay shall goo after theire birthe.

12 Item. —Earles younger sonnes be borne as barons sayinge thay shall goo beneath all barons and Viscounts eldiste sonns and above all Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and their Wyves to goo beneath all baronesses and Viscounts daughters and above all Baronetts Wyves.

13 Item. —A Viscount to goo after his Creation and the Viscountes theire wyves after the same.

14 Item. —Viscounts eldiste sonns be borne as barons and shall goo as Barons savinge thay shall goo beneath all Barons all Marquisses younger sonns and above all Earls younger sonns and their wyves shall goo beneath all baronnesses and above all Viscounts daughters.

15 Item.—Viscounts daughters be borne as Baronesses savinge they shall goo beneath all Baronesses and Viscounts eldist sonns wyves, and yf they be maried to a Baron thay shall goo after the degree of their housbandes and yf they marye a Knighte or under the degree of a Knighte thay shall goo after theire byrthes.

16 Item.—All Viscounts younger sonns as Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and shall goo as Baneretts savinge thay shall goo beneath all Baneretts and theire wyves to goo accordinge to the same.

17 Item.—A Baron to goo after his Creation and the Barronesses their wyves to go after the same.

18 Item.—Barons eldiste sonns be borne as Banerets and shall goo as Baneretts savinge they shall goo above all Baronetts [i.e. bannerets] and all Barons younger sonns to goo above all Batchler Knights because their ffather is a Piere of the Realme.

19 Item.—[This was set downe & ordered by the 3 Lo. Comyssioners for these purpoises, 1595.] All Barons daughters to goo above all Baneretts wyves and Batchler Knightes Wyves so longe as thay be unmaryed and yf thay marie under degree of a Knight thay shall then goo beneath above all Knights wyves according to ther Birth and Estate.

20 Item. —Yf there be any of the degree above written come of the blood Royall or be any kynne to the Kinges highnes thay ought to stance above the degrees that they be of themselves, as a Duke above all other Dukes and so foorthe all the degrees in lyke sorte unlesse the pleasure of the Prince be to the contrarye.

Squibb's Precedence in England and Wales has a section on precedence and is given as it was at the time in 1981 also cited by Geraldica.org:

Source: Squibb , op. cit.,  Appendix IV, pp.119-125.MENThe Queen
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
The Prince of Wales
The Queen's Younger Sons

Dukes of the Blood Royal

Prince Michael of Kent
Vicegerent in Spirituals (vacant since 1540)
Archbishop of Canterbury
Lord Chancellors
Archbishop of York
Prime Minister
Lord High Treasurer (in commission since 1714)
Lord President of the Council
Speaker of the House of Commons
Lord Privy Seal
Ambassadors and High Commissioners in order of seniority based on dates of arrival in the United Kingdom
Lord Great Chamberlain
Lord High Constable (vacant since 1521)
Earl Marshal
Lord High Admiral (in commission since 1828)
Lord Steward of the Household
Lord Chamberlain
Master of the Horse
[Successors of Dukes of the Blood Royal]
Dukes of England
Dukes of Scotland
Dukes of Great Britain
Dukes of Ireland created before 1801 (only the duke of Leinster)
Dukes of the United Kingdom and Dukes of Ireland created after 1800 (only the duke of Abercorn)
Eldest sons of Dukes of the Blood Royal
Marquesses of England
Marquesses of Scotland
Marquesses of Great Britain
Marquesses of Ireland created before 1801
Marquesses of the United Kingdom and Marquesses of Ireland created after 1800
Eldest sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal
Earls of England
Earls of Scotland
Earls of Great Britain
Earls of Ireland created before 1801
Earls of the United Kingdom and Earls of Ireland created after 1800
Younger sons Dukes of the Blood Royal
Eldest Sons of Marquesses
Younger sons of Dukes not of the Blood Royal
Viscounts of England
Viscounts of Scotland
Viscounts of Great Britain
Viscounts of Ireland created before 1801
Viscounts of the United Kingdom and Viscounts of Ireland created after 1800
Eldest sons of Earls
Younger sons of Marquesses
Bishop of London
Bishop of Durham
Bishop of Winchester

S.S.