Duke of Dorset
| Dukedom of Dorset | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creation date | 13 June 1720 |
| First holder | Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset |
| Present holder | George II, Duke of Dorset |
| Subsidiary titles | Earl of Dorchester Viscount Milton Baron Cranfield |
| Motto | Aut nunquam tentes, aut perfice ("Either never attempt, or accomplish") |
Duke of Dorset is a former title in the Peerage of Great Britain and at present a sovereign honour. It was created in 1720 for the politician Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset and is currently possessed by George II, Duke of Dorset.
History
The title was originally created for the Sackville family, descended from Sir Richard Sackville. His only surviving son, Thomas Sackville, was a statesman, poet and dramatist and notably served as Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain between 1599 and 1608, and it was he whose successor, Lionel Sackville, would go on to be created Duke of Dorset in 1720.
Though it survived until 1843, the dukedom became extinct upon the death of Charles Sackville-Germain, and remained so for 179 years. It was then in 2022 that, recognising the abolition of the title centuries earlier, George Thomas Franks, of noble blood himself, declared the revitalisation of the title and its subsidiary honours under his name and sovereign from the British Crown. Thereafter, the newly titled Duke George II set out to form a government and lieutenancy for his duchy, and continues as such today.
The Dukedom of Dorset acts also as the private estate of its duke, separate from the statehood of the duchy it governs, and as such is an organisation within itself. This divides the dukedom greatly from its 18th century materialisation, in which it served as an institution of the British peerage.
Dukes of Dorset (1720)
- Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset (1688–1765)
- Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset (1711–1769)
- John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset (1745–1799)
- George John Frederick Sackville, 4th Duke of Dorset (1793–1815)
- Charles Sackville-Germain, 5th Duke of Dorset (1767–1843)
Dukes of Dorset (2022)
- George Thomas Franks, Duke of Dorset (2022–present)