Global InformationDuke of Hamilton information
| Dukedom of Hamilton held with Dukedom of Brandon | |
|---|---|
 Quarterly, first and fourth grandquarters counterquartered, first and fourth gules, three cinquefoils ermine (for Hamilton); second and third argent, a lymphad with sails furled proper, flagged gules (for Arran); second and third grandquarters argent, a heart gules imperially crowned proper, on a chief azure three stars of the field (for Douglas). | |
| Creation date | 12 April 1643 |
| Created by | Charles I |
| Peerage | Peerage of Scotland |
| First holder | James Hamilton, 3rd Marquess of Hamilton |
| Present holder | Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke |
| Heir apparent | Douglas Charles Douglas-Hamilton, Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale |
| Remainder to | heirs male of the body of the grantee; the grantee's brother; heirs male of the body of the grantee's brother; the grantee's eldest daughter, followed by her heirs male; nearest heirs whatsoever of the grantee[1] |
| Subsidiary titles | Marquess of Douglas Marquess of Clydesdale Earl of Angus Earl of Lanark Earl of Arran and Cambridge Lord Abernethy and Jedburgh Forest Lord Machanshire and Polmont Lord Aven and Innerdale Baron Dutton |
| Status | Extant |
| Seat(s) | Lennoxlove House |
| Former seat(s) | Hamilton Palace Brodick Castle Dungavel House Kinneil House Ashton Hall Ferne House Cadzow Castle |
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas. The title, the town of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, and many places around the world are named after members of the Hamilton family. The ducal family's surname, originally "Hamilton", is now "Douglas-Hamilton". Since 1711, the dukedom has been held together with the Dukedom of Brandon in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the dukes since that time have been styled Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, along with several other subsidiary titles.
- ^ Sinclair, Alexander: Dissertation upon "heirs male,": when used as a clause of remainder in grants of Scotch peerages, with some incidental discussions, William Blackwood and sons, 1837.