Global InformationDuke of Victoria information
| Duke of Victoria Duque da Vitória | |
|---|---|
  Arms of the Dukes of Wellington as Duke of Victoria. | |
| Creation date | 18 December 1812 |
| Created by | Prince Regent John of Portugal (later King John VI) |
| Peerage | Peerage of Portugal |
| First holder | Arthur Wellesley, 1st Marquess of Wellington |
| Present holder | Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington |
| Heir apparent | Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington |
| Remainder to | the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles |
|
Duke of Victoria (Portuguese: Duque da Vitória, lit. 'Victorious duke, or Duke of the victory')[1] is a Portuguese title of nobility retained by the Duke of Wellington.
The title was created by Prince Regent John of Portugal (later King John VI) on 18 December 1812 to honour the British General Arthur Wellesley, who commanded the armies that eventually defeated the troops of Emperor Napoleon I of France in the Peninsular War. It was the only grant of a Portuguese dukedom to a foreigner.[citation needed]
Arthur Wellesley had already received the Portuguese titles Conde de Vimeiro (Count of Vimeiro, 18 October 1811) and Marquês de Torres Vedras (Marquess of Torres Vedras, 17 December 1812), which became titles subsidiary to that of Duque da Vitória. He also received the British peerage title Duke of Wellington, and other titles and honours from the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands. All these titles have been passed to his heirs to the present day.[citation needed]
- ^ "Issue 21388". London Gazette. 6 December 1852. pp. 3563, 3564.