Duke of Hanover
| Dukedom of Hanover | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creation date | 22 December 2017 |
| Creation | First |
| Monarch | Alexandra |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| First holder | Prince William |
| Present holder | Prince William |
| Status | Extant |
Duke of Hanover is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 22 December 2017, for the former King William VI, following his abdication on 11 October 2017. The dukedom bears its name from the royal family's name and its ancestral seat, the Kingdom of Hanover.
History
On October 11th, 2017, following a prior health complication several days earlier, the then King William VI formally abdicated from the throne, with the abdication immediately followed by an Act of Parliament, which confirmed the king's abdication. Soon after, speculations arose as to what the former king would be referred to as since his abdication, as there has traditionally been no set of rules regulating a monarch's abdication. Unlike his father Charles III, whom was allowed to retain his kingship title following his own abdication almost two decades earlier, William opted instead to be styled as a Duke of Hanover, a decision that was later announced at the subsequent Accession Council of the Privy Council.
William's dukedom was formally conferred on to him by his successor, Queen Alexandra on December 22nd of the same year. While the dukedom itself, by William's own behest, was deemed ineligible to be passed onto his own natural successor, he nevertheless retained the restrictions as a royal duke, in which he is barred from standing for election in the British House of Commons, and that he is disallowed from speaking on political subjects in the upper legislative chamber, the House of Lords.
| Duke | Portrait | Birth | Marriages | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince William House of Hanover 2017-Present |
|
17 December 1950 Balmoral Castle, Scotland son of King Charles III and Queen Lauren |
Märtha Louise of Norway 14 June 1995 |