Earl of Harewood

Earl of Harewood
Saltspan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Earl of Harewood
Caption	Harewood House, seat of the earls
Creation date	1812
Monarch	George III
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Edward Lascelles
Present holder	David Lascelles
Heir apparent	Michael Lascelles
Family seat	Harewood House
Former seat	Goldsborough Hall
Subsidiary titles	Viscount Lascelles, Baron Harewood

Earl of Harewood is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom created in 1812 by George III for the wealthy Yorkshire landowner Edward Lascelles. The earldom is tied to substantial landed estates in West Yorkshire, with a lineage that intersects political, cultural, and military elites including ties to the British Royal Family, the House of Windsor, and prominent landed families such as the Lascelles family. Holders have served in the House of Lords, in diplomatic posts, and as stewards of major country houses like Harewood House.

History and Creation of the Title

The earldom was created in 1812 during the reign of George III for Edward Lascelles, who had previously been raised to the peerage as Baron Harewood in 1796 and as Viscount Lascelles concurrently with the earldom. The Lascelles fortunes grew in the 18th century through commerce linked to the West Indies, shipping tied to Liverpool, and investments connected to the British East India Company. The title's establishment reflects the period's practice of elevating industrial and mercantile magnates into the landed aristocracy, alongside contemporaries ennobled by William Pitt the Younger and patrons of the Regency era. Subsequent successions navigated issues of primogeniture, entail, and parliamentary reform including the Reform Act 1832 and the Parliament Acts which reshaped the political role of peers.

Holders of the Earldom

Notable holders include the 2nd Earl, Henry Lascelles, who served as a Member of Parliament for Northallerton before inheriting the earldom; the 3rd Earl, Henry Lascelles, who held court appointments during the reigns of William IV and Queen Victoria; and the 6th Earl, George Lascelles, a music critic and opera administrator linked with institutions such as the Royal Opera House and the BBC. The current holder, David Lascelles, has engaged with heritage organisations including English Heritage and charitable bodies connected to West Yorkshire cultural life. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, earls served in military formations such as the Coldstream Guards, in diplomatic circles in postings like Ottawa, and in legislative roles within the House of Lords until reforms under the House of Lords Act 1999.

Family Seat and Estates

The ancestral seat, Harewood House, designed by John Carr and embellished by Robert Adam, stands near Leeds and overlooks landscaped grounds laid out by Capability Brown and later by Humphry Repton. Harewood House contains collections amassed by the family, including works associated with collectors like Sir Joshua Reynolds and links to patrons of the Royal Academy of Arts. The estate historically encompassed farms, collieries in Yorkshire coalfields, tenant holdings around Wetherby, and properties in North Yorkshire such as Goldsborough Hall, a former family residence. Management of the estates engaged with agricultural innovations promoted by figures like Arthur Young and was affected by 20th-century shifts including estate duties and the postwar redistribution of land.

Role and Duties in British Peerage

As peers in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, earls held precedence after marquesses and dukes and before viscounts and barons, with ceremonial roles at state occasions such as coronations presided over by monarchs like George V and Elizabeth II. Historically, holders sat in the House of Lords as hereditary peers, participating in debates on acts including the Corn Laws and later matters such as the Representation of the People Act 1918. Lords of the earldom also served as local magistrates and as Lord Lieutenants in counties including West Riding of Yorkshire. Following the House of Lords Act 1999, hereditary peers lost automatic seats, though some earls have been elected among the remaining hereditary sitters or appointed life peers to continue parliamentary roles within institutions like the UK Parliament.

Heraldry and Motto

The arms of the family combine emblems linked to mercantile and martial ancestry, displayed in heraldic registers maintained by the College of Arms. The escutcheon features devices associated with the Lascelles family lineage and quarterings reflecting marriages into families such as the Franklands and Garths. Supporters and crest elements reference military service and landed status, while the family motto appears in Latin, consistent with peerage tradition observed by families recognized by King Charles III and earlier sovereigns. Heraldic bearings of the earldom are used on estate furnishings at Harewood House and on funerary monuments in parish churches like St. Matthew's Church, Westow.

Notable Members and Alliances

Members of the family formed alliances through marriages with dynasties such as the Royal Family, exemplified by the marriage of Mary, Princess Royal into the family, linking the earls to the House of Windsor and to figures like King George V and Queen Mary. Other alliances connected the family to parliamentary dynasties represented by MPs for Yorkshire and to cultural figures including patrons of English National Opera and trustees of the National Trust. Family members have been prominent in military theaters like the First World War and in arts institutions such as the Royal Philharmonic Society, creating a network of influence across aristocratic, royal, and institutional circles in Britain and the Commonwealth.

Category:Peerage of the United Kingdom Category:Earldoms in the United Kingdom