Earl Alexander of Tunis is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Peerage of the United Kingdom

The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...

. It was created on 14 March 1952 for the prominent military commander Field Marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...

 Harold Alexander, 1st Viscount Alexander of Tunis

Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis

Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...

. He had already been created Viscount Alexander of Tunis, of Errigal in the County of Donegal, on 1 March 1946, and was made Baron Rideau, of Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 and of Castle Derg in the County of Tyrone, at the same time he was given the earldom. These titles are also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Alexander was the third son of James Alexander, 4th Earl of Caledon

James Alexander, 4th Earl of Caledon

James Alexander, 4th Earl of Caledon KP, DL was a soldier and politician and the son of James Du Pre Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon and Lady Jane Grimston, styled Viscount Alexander until 1855....

.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second and present holder of the titles. He briefly served as a Lord-in-Waiting

Lord-in-Waiting

Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...

 (government whip in the House of Lords

House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

) under Edward Heath

Edward Heath

Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....

 from January to March 1974. However, he lost his seat in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999

House of Lords Act 1999

The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...

. As a descendant of the fourth Earl of Caledon Lord Alexander of Tunis is also in remainder to this peerage and its subsidiary titles. From 1980 to 1990 he was in fact heir presumptive to these titles, before the birth of the current Earl of Caledon's son and heir, Viscount Alexander.

Coat of arms

The heraldic blazon for the coat of arms of the Earldom is: Per pale argent and sable a chevron and in base a crescent all counterchanged, on a canton azure a harp or stringed argent. This can be translated as: a shield divided vertically, the left half white and the right half black. In the centre a chevron and below this a crescent, both counterchanged with the colours of the background. In the top left corner a blue rectangle containing a gold harp with white strings.

Earls Alexander of Tunis (1952)

• Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
  Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
  Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
  
   (1891–1969)
• Shane William Desmond Alexander, 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis
  Shane Alexander, 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis
  Shane William Desmond Alexander, 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis , known as Lord Rideau from 1952 to 1969, is a British peer of Anglo-Irish descent....
  
   (b. 1935)

The heir presumptive

Heir Presumptive

An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...

is the present holder's younger brother the Hon. Brian James Alexander (b. 1939). He has no children, and so is the only person in remainder to the titles.